The Trick To Fuller Lips? Makeup You Already Have - Refinery29

Skip navigation!ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTThe Trick To Fuller Lips? Makeup You Already HaveMegan DeckerLast Updated 14 March 2022, 9:24 Photo: Courtesy of Makeup Artist Taylor Fitzgerald.The other day, I was tapping through Tinx's Instagram Story and paused when she bold captioned a closeup of her lips. I thought she was going to divulge about lip filler, but instead she shared a good hack: Her makeup artist Taylor Fitzgerald used a cream blush to draw a subtle shadow around her lips that gave a natural-looking illusion of fullness. "Everyone thought I got lip injections," she said.Intrigued, and personally interested in insider tricks to getting subtly-enhanced lips using makeup — maybe things that I wouldn't normally think to put on or around my lips — I chatted Fitzgerald and a few other makeup artists who gave me their best 'hacks' for making the lips look bigger. Ahead, the best advice I've gleaned.AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

Base-layer balm

This may sound intuitive, but before you start anything, add a base-layer lip balm to make sure you're prepped and not dealing with chapping. "I recommend starting with a great base — the Well People Lip Nurture Hydrating Balm is my favourite for hydrating and soothing the lips," offers makeup artist Kirin Bhatty. Consultant dermatologist Dr Anjali Mahto also rates the Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm, £11.50.

Soft contour the Cupid's Bow

According to Fitzgerald, using your blush around your lips is a foolproof hack to make them look a little larger. She uses the Armani Neo Nude Colour Melting Cream Blush. "On Tinx, I used shade 21 a small brush to contour mainly above the Cupid’s Bow and under her bottom lip," she explains. "It's really blend-able and looks like an actual shadow, so it gives the illusion of a juicier pout with softer definition then strictly over-lining with lip liner."

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Set contour with translucent powder

If you're using the contour technique and want the illusion to last all day or all night, set the blush contour with a brush of setting powder. "I set it with a touch of translucent powder for longevity before applying liner, lipstick, and gloss," Fitzgerald adds.AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

Use a darker lip liner than you want to

Whether you want to over line your lips or follow their natural contour, Bhatty's advice is to use a dark-brown pencil liner — even if it's out of your comfort zone and you normally gravitate towards lighter pinks. "I would line the lips with a darker [lip] pencil," she says. "I recommend Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Cheat Lip Pencil in Foxy Brown or Spice from MAC."

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Try your brow pencil

If you don't have a dark lip pencil, there's an hack: Use your brow pencil. You've probably seen this 'perfect lip shade' trend on TikTok, with creators hacking their brow pencil as a lip liner, and makeup artist Lilly Keys explains that the shade of your brow pencil is usually pretty close to your perfect lip-liner tone. "You want to use a brown or dark reddish shade," Key explains. Try it. You'll may be surprised at how well it works.

Pop concealer on the centre of your lips

Once your lips are lined, you can fill them in with your liner or your favourite lipstick. Then, to make the centre of the lips appear a bit more pronounced, Keys uses a bit of concealer on top. "I like to take a small flat brush and tap concealer in the centre of the lips," Keys explains. This makes the lips appear a shade lighter, which gives the subtle illusion of fullness.AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

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A post shared by Lilly Keys 🗝 (@lilly_keys)

Top with gloss

Lastly, and all makeup artists agree on this one: Top your lips with a gloss. Bhatty recommends Well People’s Hydrolip Gloss for its sheer colour and non-sticky finish. But you could also use the Fenty Gloss Bomb, which Tinx loves, or really, whatever tube you have on hand. The point is high shine.Fenty BeautyGloss Bomb Universal Lip LuminizerBUY£14.45£17.00BootsMAC CosmeticsLip Pencil In SpiceBUY£14.00MAC CosmeticsGiorgio Armani BeautyNeo Nude Melting Colour BalmBUY£32.00LookFantasticRefinery29's selection is purely editorial and independently chosen – we only feature items we love! As part of our business model we do work with affiliates; if you directly purchase something from a link on this article, we may earn a small amount of commission. Transparency is important to us at Refinery29, if you have any questions please reach out to us.AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT BeautySorry, But These 8 Body Care Products Are A Big ScamAll linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission. If you have a keen interestby Jacqueline KilikitaSkin CareGlow Recipe’s New Serum Is a Cactus-Powered Take on Snail MucinAll linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission. From boosting hydration to by Karina HoshikawaBeauty StudioI Got The Viral “Scandi Layers” Haircut & The Results Surprised MeAll linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission. I keep a handful of images by Venus WongAdvertisementADVERTISEMENTBeauty StudioWait, Can Drinking Matcha Really Trigger Hair Loss?The matcha PR arc is nothing short of iconic. Once an unknown health drink, the powdered green tea quickly replaced the flat white as the wellness girlie?by Varsha PatelBeautyI Tried The £20 Serum Said To Rival Professional Facials — & It&#...All linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission. It’s rare for beauty editby Jacqueline KilikitaBeautyLouis Vuitton Beauty Is Almost Here — & I Tried Everything FirstLouis Vuitton has always been synonymous with fashion and travel accessories, and now, the iconic French maison is expanding its collection of luxury goodsby Karina HoshikawaBeauty6 Tips That Helped Me Grow Longer, Stronger Hair (& No Trims In-B...All linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission. In April 2021, when most coby Jacqueline KilikitaBeautyI Tried Powdered Body Wash — & I’m Never Going Back To Shower GelI don’t know about you, but my shower is my oasis. I’ve gone to great lengths to curate the ultimate everything-shower lineup of products in my bathrooby Karina HoshikawaBeauty StudioDeep French Nails Are The Throwback Trend Set To Be On Everyone’s...There are a plethora of playful nail trends to take your pick from this year, from summer’s sardine nails and guava manicures to polka-dot prints and aurby Mica RickettsBeauty“Nail Greenies” Are The BIAB Side Effect No One Warned Me AboutI love to keep my nails looking pristine. For the past few years, I’ve been obsessed with gel manicures, often choosing a sparkly pink or a standout by Vanese MaddixSun BlockedThose Red Light Sunbeds You’re Seeing Everywhere? Yeah, The...Welcome to Sun Blocked, Refinery29’s global call to action to wake up to the serious dangers of tanning. No lectures or shaming, we promise. Instead, ourby Lucy AbbersteenSkin CareI Tried £238 Worth Of Face Mists & This Is The Best One For Hot W...All linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission. Face mists have come a longby Venus WongAdvertisementADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT