Lip fillers have moved on from silicone injectables to temporary hyaluronic-based options with a did-they-didn’t-they natural finish. Meanwhile, those with aversions to needles can benefit from the latest lip plumping serums, balms and masks, all promising to boost the moisture and collagen levels needed to properly pucker up.
‘Fuller pout’ sits right at the top of our beauty wish list. Luckily, there’s no shortage of new treatments and products to help that dream become a reality.
Then there’s the craft of colour. Liners can be taken one step further in a technique that encourages us to sketch beyond our natural boundary; lipstick shades can be blended into ‘ombre’ to pull your pout forward, and light-reflecting glosses blobbed on top for a full finishing touch. And, how about lip contouring?
In the same way we use shadow and highlights to cast cheekbones, jawlines, and even eyebrows into the light, this clever technique teams dark with light to help our pouts pop.
Have a look at this video to see what we’re talking about.
Now, you may be mildly apprehensive about essentially drawing on a moustache and blending it out – we hear you, there are many ways for this technique to tip into disaster territory – but with a few simple preparation tips, lip contouring will leave you feeling plumped up and powerful.
1. First up, surrounding fuzz needs to be whipped away – waxing, threading, IPL and shaving are just a few options to get your upper lip feeling smooth and slippery.
2. Once that’s sorted, and you’ve given the skin a chance to calm down, pop on a blurring primer to stop the colour resting in any pores. Choose contour products with a matte finish for the base (no one wants a dark, shiny circle around their mouth), and put aside a nice reflective nude to finish (due to the softly blended effect, rich colours like red could end up looking smudgy).
3. Make sure your beauty blender is nice and clean, and then you’re ready to contour!
