6 tips to fake your way to Kylie-level lips

Admit it, you want to know.

Society’s obsession with big lips continues because here we are writing about it and here you are reading about it. Unfortunately, not all of us can be blessed with flawless genes that provide au naturale voluptuous lips. Some of us have to fake it.

Luckily there’s a few beauty hacks around to easily achieve the cushion-like lips you so desperately desire. Some are temporary, others a little more permanent.

To make life easier we’ve collated the top six ways to transition from pre-teen Kylie Jenner to, well, post-teen Kylie Jenner.

1. (Gently) brush your lips with a toothbrush or lip scrub

So this is obviously one of the more temporary measures but it can leave your lips feeling soft, smooth and pouty. If you add a little mint toothpaste on your brush this can work to plump up your lips too. The keyword here is to gently brush, you don’t want raw lips.

2. Use a lip plumper

These are specially-modified lip glosses that contain ingredients (such as hyaluronic acid) to plump and prep your lips. While applying a coat of acid to your lips sounds less than ideal, hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the human body. It’s actually used as a lip filler in some cases, and is also used to treat wounds and burns on the skin. The more you know.

There are also lip venoms, which use ingredients such as cinnamon oil to intentionally irritate the lips and make them swell. While this may sound harsh, the reaction is only mild. You can find one that we like here.

3. The makeup hack

We went to the professionals to teach us a step-by-step guide for this one. Global makeup artist for Napoleon Perdis, Shev Kelly, shared how to achieve the perfect (fake) full lip.

She told us that to get it right, it’s best to use neutral tones to not only appear more believable, but to ensure your trickery stays put all day.

Step 1. Prep the lips with a lip balm or lip treatment. This ensures the skin’s texture is smooth, the colour is even and your lip products last longer.

Step 2. Apply a creamy rose-coloured lipstick over the entire line. This will make your lips naturally appear fuller and more plump (avoid using matte textures at they can make lips appear smaller). 

Step 3. To ensure longevity, take a tissue folded in half and gently blot your lips, then reapply.

Step 4. Using a sharp pencil in a rose colour (one shade darker than your lipstick), line lips from the outside, working your way in. This will keep the edges of your lipstick crisp and even and help prevent bleeding.

Step 5. Finally, get that pouty look by adding a touch of nude gloss onto the centre of the lip. The light will hit the gloss and make the centre of the lip pop.

4. The Kylie Jenner lip challenge

This is probably the most ridiculous method of the six and we absolutely do not condone it. While this is not how Kylie achieves her pouty lips (see below), the ‘challenge’ was named after her, back when she denied ever getting lip injections. It involves sucking the air out of a shot (or similarly shaped) glass, until a blood vessel actually bursts in your lips. It’s as dangerous as it sounds and can result in bruising and scarring. Don’t believe us? Google ‘Kylie Jenner lip challenge’ and watch your stomach turn. 

5. Lip injections

On the slightly more permanent scale is lip injections. This is the favoured method of the Kardashian/Jenner klan and its popularity is increasing at an alarming rate. Lips are injected with hyaluronic acid or collagen, and the effects can last anywhere from four to six months. Save your pennies, because it will set you back a few hunj each session. 

6. Walk around pouting your lips

Among the most convincing methods by far (and probably our fave). Walking around like you own the place with a killer pout is a sure-fire way to convince everyone you’ve got lips for dayz. Fake it ’til you make it.

Or just be yourself, whatever works.

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