How to fake your way to bigger lips

We’ve all seen the hype surrounding Kylie Jenner’s lip transformation, and although it may be old news there’s still some lingering interest in her lip plumping techniques. There’s always the suggestion of plastic surgery, but at Kylie’s age we think it’s more likely to be a clever use of makeup. If so, we’re sure it’s a compliment to hear your makeup skills are so good people think your lips are fake. Plenty of makeup artists use lip liner and plumper to give the impression of a bigger pout, so for the secrets to faking bigger lips without looking tacky or obvious, read on!

#1 Preparation
The most important first step, as with any makeup application, is preparation! You should prepare your lips before putting on any matte colours or lipsticks anyway, the best way to do this is by using a lip scrub or a homemade sugar scrub. There are hundreds of recipes for at home edible lip scrubs, our favourite contains vanilla, sugar and honey, so just do a quick search online. You can also use a toothbrush to brush away dead skin from lips, or even combine the toothbrush method with a small dollop of scrub, just be careful not to brush too hard as the skin on our lips is very fragile!

#2 Primer
Use a lip primer or a concealer to prime your lips and create a smooth base for the product to go over. Concealer will give an overall more nude look to your lips, but making sure you have the right colour of lip liner will ensure your lips look more natural. A MAC cosmetics senior makeup artist says “Start with a pencil that is just a little bit lighter than your skin tone, like our pencil Naked. I’ll start by drawing above the natural lip line, and creating the shape I’m looking for on the skin itself with the pencil. It’s almost like a concealer shade. Then use something that’s close to your natural lip color.”

#3 Line with a steady hand
This part might seem like the hardest but once you’ve found the technique that works for you it’s easy to do again and again. Create a shape that you’re happy with by drawing just outside the natural line of your lip, and blend your liner downwards so you don’t end up with that crazy 90s lip lined look.

#4 Fill it in!
There are a few different techniques to filling your lips, and it all depends on the look you’re going for. For a matte look simply colour in your lips with the remaining pencil. If you’re going for gloss, draw lines along the lip and blend them with gloss, lip plumper or lip balm. For lipstick, find a similar colour and blend well for the best colour match.

#5 Seal your lips!
The reality of this lip routine is that you’ll have to drink from a straw and take small bites, but if you’re careful only the inside will need touching up and the liner won’t budge. If you’re worried about how long-wearing your new fuller lips are going to be, you should invest in a lip sealer like Lipcote to ensure your lip colour lasts as long as possible.

And that’s that! All you need to create the impression of bigger lips is some concealer, liner, and a little time to master the technique. If you’re looking for a fast fix I recommend the technique that only relies on lip balm, I hope you have fun playing around with lip colours and liners! If you’re interested in makeup the best thing you can do is experiment, don’t be afraid and just have fun with it! You don’t have to leave the house if you don’t want to!

Cover photo from Beauty Scenario