If you own a television, have any type of social media account or have read a magazine in the past six months, you know that big lips are becoming a monstrous beauty trend for women of all ages.
Hollywood’s most famous female celebrities, like Kylie Jenner, Angelina Jolie, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Megan Fox among others are known for their large lustrous lips. Popular A-list celebrities have influenced beauty trends in the United States on their own and made having big lips a priority in peoples' everyday beauty maintenance.
While some of the stars previously named were born with genetically bodacious lips, others have turned to lip fillers and injections for their inflated pouts. Lip augmentations, a temporary surgical procedure, can cost anywhere from $750 to $950, according to New York City Plastic Surgeon Matthew Schulman when he spoke to PEOPLE magazine. Not to mention the fillers are temporary and last six to nine months on average.
Sure, celebrities with several million dollars in their bank accounts can afford to upkeep temporary lip fillers *cough cough Kylie Jenner*. However, the average working woman who makes five figures a year can not.
That being said, the question on many women's minds is how they can get the big lip look for a fraction of the cost. There are actually a ton of ways to fake the big lip look and most can be done using makeup or other natural products you have around your home. With your new, enhanced pout, you will be turning heads in no time.
19 Hydrate
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The first tip to getting bigger, badder lips is quite simple really: hydrate. You’ve heard how important drinking enough water is for your body, so it’s only fitting that the same rule applies for your lips. Besides getting in your daily H20 intake, you should be applying hydrating oils and butters to your lips frequently. Oils like Vitamin E, olive oil and petroleum jelly are all excellent ways to keep your lips soft and supple. Once your lips are in a healthy, hydrated state, it will be a lot easier for you to plump them up. Who wants shrivelled up, dry lips, anyways? No thank you.
18 Avoid Dark Colors
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According to Marie Claire Magazine, dark colors tend to make your lips look smaller. Therefore, if you are looking to exaggerate your lip size, you should avoid those purple, plum and magenta lipsticks you have stowed in your makeup bag. The reason for this being is that dark lip colors are harder to apply and will “flatten the appearance of your mouth.” Stick to colors like light pinks, nudes, rosy pastels and even red lipstick to keep your pout looking plump.
17 Whistle
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If you want an absolutely free way to give your lips a boost, there is a solution for you: whistling. Whistling is a lip exercise that will boost the amount of collagen in your lips after you do it repeatedly. According to youbeauty.com, whistling helps your lip muscles “become active” and thereby will increase the volume of them. If you think about this concept, it makes sense. When you continuously exercise your leg muscles,they will develop and get bigger overtime. Well, your lips are the same way. If you move them and “work them out” on a daily basis, they will grow overtime too.
16 Nude Lips
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Before you apply your lipstick everyday, the most important thing you can do is prime your lips with foundation. This may sound odd at first, but you should consider applying a nude base to your lips like applying a primer to your skin or eyes. Once you apply the foundation (concealer or BB cream works too) you should line your lips with a nude lip liner. According to Buzzfeed, the matte color will “give your lip color something to grab” onto and will give you a larger canvas to work with.
15 Exfoliate with a Toothbrush
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Toothbrushes aren’t just for keeping your teeth clean; they’re for making your lips bigger too! Grab your trusty Crest brush and move the bristles in small circles all over your lips. The bristles will circulate the blood flow in your lips and “can make them appear slightly fuller,” according to Buzzfeed. Just be careful with this tip, because the skin on your lips has the most sensory neurons and is the most sensitive surface on your body. Buzzfeed says the pressure you use to brush your lips should be analogous to the amount of pressure you use to tap a smart phone.
14 Meet in the Middle
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This easy contour trick will have your lips looking more plump than a Christmas hen. All you have to do is take your favorite shimmery or solid color lipstick and apply the color in the middle of your top and bottom lips. Slightly blend the color in the middle of your lips with the color surrounding it and wallah! This tip will draw attention to the center of your lips and make them look more puckered in return. You can even use that light lip gloss you thought you would never use past the sixth grade. The shiny gloss will pick up any light that hits your lips.
13 Smile
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Another tried and true lip exercise is simply to smile. Press your lips together and hold a closed mouth smile for five seconds. Do this exercise five times a day every day and you will notice bigger, less wrinkly lips. Many women notice they get wrinkles around their mouth as they age, but this trick will reduce the chances of developing them. Another exercise you can do that coincides with the smiling trick is moving your lips side to side. Moving your lips right to left several times a day will increase their volume, according to youbeauty.com.
12 Highlight Cupid’s Bow
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The Cupid’s Bow is the area in the middle of your top lip right under the dip of your nose. Highlight this area with a smidge of shiny lip gloss or concealer to exaggerate this “ultra-feminine” feature. According to Marie Claire, this trend was made popular by the silent film actress Clara Bow. Bow’s trick will make your lips look fuller and give them a stunning glow. As for the name behind this super specific body part, maybe they call it “Cupid’s Bow” because more people will want to kiss you when they see how awesome your lips look.
11 Homemade Lip Scrub
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It’s incredibly important for your lips to be hydrated and moisturized so they appear to be bigger. If brushing your lips with a toothbrush weirds you out, try making a homemade lip scrub. Combine a little bit of brown sugar, olive oil and honey in a small bowl and rub the mixture all over your lips. Rinse the mixture off with water and finish your scrub experience by putting on some heavy duty chapstick or lip oil. The brown sugar in the scrub is abrasive enough to get rid of the flakes and dead skin on your pout, but is soft enough that it won’t irritate your lips. Steer clear of white sugar and salt because they might cause irritation.
10 Less Eye Makeup
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If you want to draw attention to your plumped up lips, don’t overdo your eye makeup. Sure, a smoky eye look is sexy but if people are looking at your dark sultry eyes, they won’t notice your puffed up pout. If you are looking to draw attention to your lips one night, use lighter eye shadow colors. As the famous beauty rule goes, never do a smokey eye AND red lips at the same time. Pick one so you don’t overdo your look.
9 Contour
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If your contour skills are on Kim Kardashian’s level, then this tip is for you. First, cover your lips with a light shade of concealer. The lighter the better. Then, take a darker brown pencil or crayon and outline your lips. Take the pencil and draw three straight interval lines on your bottom lip. According to makeupforoilyskins.com, a tip to remember when attempting to contour is dark colors minimize and light colors accentuate. Fill in your contoured mouth with a nude/pink shade of gloss and you’re done. You’ll feel like a first class makeup artist!
8 Lip Gloss Before Bed
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Many women tend to stick to their nightly beauty regimes and this is one that you should add to your routine. Before you tuck in for the night, try this simple and natural lip plumper. Wash your face, apply your night cream and make sure you also put on some lip gloss or Lip balm, either one you choose make sure you place a generous amount on your lips. According to hollywoodlife.com, it is important to apply lip balm before bed because your body rehydrates itself, thus making them nice and plump in the morning.
7 Cinnamon Oil
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The strong spices in cinnamon are a great way to puff up your pout. The spiciness causes a chemical reaction in your mouth and will irritate the skin on your lips. Cinnamon oil will increase the color and surface area of your lips while it gives you that intense tingling feeling you love. Make sure you don’t use too much oil, however, because severe irritation can occur on rare occasions. Dilute the oil with chapstick or a more gentle oil, like olive oil, to take out the spicy powers of the cinnamon. Do this procedure twice a week and you’ll notice your lips will start looking bigger all the time.
6 Ice Cube
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Sometimes taking an ice cube from the freezer and holding it onto your lips can help you achieve that full lip look. The coldness from the cube will activate the sensory neurons in your lips and cause them to get a little bit larger. Just like holding an ice cube on a bruise reduces the swelling, holding one onto your lips will cause the blood to rush to the surface of your lips. Before you head out the door for the day amp up your lips’ volume with an ice cube (not longer than a few seconds) and say hello to va va voom lips.
5 Buy a Lip Plumper
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If you aren’t the type of girl to make a DIY lip treatment, there are many budget friendly lip plumpers you can buy at your local drugstore. According to BHreviews.com, the best lip plumpers that work are Physicians Formula Lip Plumper, L’Oreal Lip Plumper, Prestige Wonderfull Lip Plumping Gloss, E.l.f Studio Lip Plumper and Primer and Luscious Lips. These lip plumpers are all under $20 and won’t break the bank. However, If you’re into more upscale designer makeup products, here are some of Elle Magazine’s top rated plumpers: G.M Collin Lip Plumping Complex, Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Pillow Plump XXL Lip Gloss, Lancer Skincare Volume Enhancing Serum, City Lips Advanced Formula and Murad Rapid Collagen Infusion for Lips.
4 Line Outside the Lines
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Kylie Jenner made this trick famous. To fake a bigger mouth, all you have to do is line outside of your natural lip line. By overdrawing, you can create an optical illusion that your lips are bigger than they actually are. Use a pencil that matches the natural color of your lips best and overline the bow. Then use your finger or a cotton swab to soften the lip line and make your lips look more natural. Kylie Jenner, is that you?
3 Kylie Jenner's Method
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Kylie Jenner spends over 40 minutes doing her makeup everyday and has a distinct lip routine. If you want lips like Kylie's here is what you should do, according to Hollywoodlife.com. First, lightly powder and conceal the areas around your lips. Then "line the lips starting slightly above the Cupid’s bow and the same for the center of bottom lip. Continue to over draw slightly on the sides, then make sure you get back to your natural lip line before lining the corners of your mouth." Next you should "fill in the lip line you just created with the lip liner." You can soften the center by "running your finger gently across your lips a few times." Finish off by applying lipstick to the center of your lips and blending the lipstick over the drawn out lip line.
2 Cayenne Pepper
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Here’s a spicy way to amp up your lips. Cayenne pepper essential oil or powder is a great at home hack to enhance the surface area of your pout. Dig through your spice cabinet and chances are you’ll have this cajun cooking staple already on hand. Make a cayenne pepper paste by mixing a smidge of the powder with water and leave it on your lips for ten minutes. Rinse the paste off and you’ll have that sexy (and spicy) big lip look. Make sure you don’t lick the paste when it is first applied onto your lips. Otherwise your tongue will be in for a spicy surprise. Your bodacious lips will definitely bring the heat!
1 Peppermint Oil
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The top trick to achieving lustrous lips is easy, affordable and already on hand in your home. It’s peppermint oil! You know that peppermint oil you bought around Christmas time to make those candy cane cookies? Yeah, that stuff you hardly use anymore. Well, here is a good way to put that oil to use. Put a bit of the oil on your finger and apply it onto your lips. If you have sensitive lips, you can dilute the oil with a splash of water or mix it with some chapstick. The menthol in peppermint oil will cause your lips to swell making them appear fuller and fabulous.
Sources: hollywoodlife.com, tylenews.peoplestylewatch.com, marieclaire.com, youbeauty.com, buzzfeed.com, seventeen.com, makeupforoilyskins.com, bhreviews.com, elle.com, webmd.com, ccclarkebeauty.wordpress.com
