How to Achieve Plump Lips with Makeup

The importance of priming your lips can’t be overstated. This step is the basis of your plump lip look, and nourishing the lip surface will help subsequent products sit well and last. Turn to a cult classic like Baby Lips ® Loves Colour to fulfil step 1 of our plump lips tutorial. The formula glides over lips to deliver 6 hours of hydration and SPF 20+ to keep your pout protected. Plus, the super cute and compact tube can be thrown into your pocket or handbag for easy touch-ups during the day.

Have you ever tried contouring your lips? Though it might sound strange, it’s a classic technique in makeup artists’ toolkits to make lips look bigger by playing with the power of light and shadow. Take a concealer like our bestselling Fit Me® Concealer in a colour a couple of shades darker than your skin tone – AKA the shade you’d use to contour. Apply a dab of concealer below the centre of your lower lips and blend. This helps create the illusion of a deeper shadow under your lip, making it an effective yet lesser-known step in how to make your lips look fuller!

If the idea of overlining your lips sets off alarm bells, don’t worry. We’re not going to tell you to re-design your lip shape from scratch. Instead, use our overlining lips technique to create dramatically fuller-looking lips that can be paired just as well with a minimal makeup look or full glam. First, take a perfect-for-you nude lip liner like Color Sensational® Shaping Lip Liner that’s a tad deeper than your natural lip shade. Next, trace your lip line just outside the boundary. It can be helpful to start in the centre and work your way out in little strokes, bringing the liner closer to your lip boundary at the edges.

Have some fun with your lip colour choice, leaning into pops of colour with red lipstick looks for summer, vibrant pinks for spring or an always-flattering nude. One thing’s for sure: a glossy or satin finish is going to give you a helping hand when learning how to make lips look fuller. This is because a reflective finish will give the appearance of a lighter lip centre. You can emphasise this effect even further by creating a simple ombré lip, blending a deeper tone like Color Sensational® Cream Lipstick in Touchable Taupe into a lighter shade in the centre like Nude Lust.

Now’s the time to shine – literally. For step 5, illuminate your lips with a swipe of Lifter Plump® in your favourite shade. The chili pepper and Maxi-Lip imbued plump lip gloss formula brings the heat, enhancing your pout with an intense spicy sensation in seconds. Applied over your lipstick colour and overlining techniques, Lifter Plump® is the cherry on top that’ll take things to the next level and bring a beautiful tint to the party.

Things are looking glowy and voluptuous over here, and we have one last tip for you to cap things off. For this step, reach for Master Chrome Highlighter and a small brush – alternatively, your pinkie finger will do the trick. Tap a tiny amount of highlighter onto your cupid’s bow to complete the plump lips tutorial and draw attention to the centre of your pout. This dab of shimmer will help your lips look extra curvy. For a bonus step, tap some shimmer into the centre of your lips too, for an additional light-reflecting boost.