The Oscars may have knocked Angelina’s cool factor, but she is still the reigning queen of the beautiful pout. Hers may be genetic, but yours needn’t be. Follow these steps to get the biggest and best from your lips…
1) Firstly, make sure your lips are free of dry skin. You can either exfoliate them weekly when dry with a soft toothbrush or head to Lush for their lip scrubs (and try not to lick your lips too much – they are delicious).
2) Keep a good lip balm to hand and use it often Try Kiehl’s cult lip balm number 1 - it will moisturise lips and sinks in nicely to make a base for other products, plus it comes in six yummy scents.
3) Plumping agents are everywhere at the moment. My money will be going on Rodial’s Glam Balm Lip, a slightly pink and deliciously-scented formula with filling spheres to enhance size. You could also try Soap and Glory’s Sexy Mother Pucker (brilliant stuff but beware – this tingles. A lot.) or DuWop’s Lip Venom Lip Plumper, which also helps to swell the lips.
4) If you are naturally lean of lip don’t draw over your own lip line – this will only smudge, or fade, leaving you with two lip lines and a lot of embarrassment. Just enhance what you have with a glossy pale shine – try Bobbi Brown’s Brightening Lip Gloss, which is designed to reflect light and helps create the illusion of fuller lips.
The very brave could plump (ahem) for the lip trend of the season – flower petal lips, as seen on the catwalk at Prabal Gurung. Start with a shade of plum on the inside and blend into a fuchsia. If you do try this and don’t want to look as if you have been hitting the red wine, blend properly and pop a little gloss on top – it may be a watered down version but it is infinitely more wearable, whilst creating the illusion of bigger lips.
5) For those of you who already have an impressive pout, congratulations on two fronts. Not only do you have an enviable feature, but you also have a perfect accessory for a little flirtation with a very current brighter hue. Be bold and pop on a slick of Barry M’s Lip Paint in Shocking Pink, or MAC’s lady danger shade. Then drink with a straw at all times.
Whatever you do, don’t go the surgery route; the trout pout is not a good look. And enjoy; that’s what lips were made for. Happy pouting.
