Shahnaz Husain
Lip plumping lipsticks have a temporary effect. These are products that cause the lips to swell and look fuller. On the other hand, one can go for a more permanent solution like lip implant surgery. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons also use injections to plump up the lips. Hyaluronic acid fillers or bovine extracted collagen are injected for lip augmentation. However, I always feel that surgical and invasive procedures should be adopted with some amount of caution.
The skin of the lips is thin and delicate. That is why certain ingredients can irritate the lips and make them swell slightly. For example, ingredients like camphor and menthol are used in lip plumpers, because they cause a slight swelling of the lips. Some of the lip plumpers contain moisturizers that make the lips appear smoother, while others are like a foundation. It is first applied on the lips and when lipstick is applied over it, the lips look fuller. Lip gloss, which is said to make blood vessels dilate, are also used to make the lips look more full.
Essential oils, like cinnamon and ginger, are also used to make the lips look fuller. If applied on the lips, they irritate the skin mildly and also cause blood to rush to the lips. This makes the lips swell up slightly and thus look fuller. However, essential oils should not be used by themselves. Look for lip balms or lip creams containing such essential oils. The effects of such products are temporary. They need to be re-applied in order to maintain the look for a longer period.
Other ingredients, like Niacin and Retinol also cause the blood vessels to expand and increase blood flow to the lips. In fact, Retino and ingredients like alpha-hydroxy acids help to increase collagen and give fuller lips over a period of time. Alpha-hydroxy acids occur naturally in fruits and milk. However, using fruits directly on the skin will not have the same effect. In the case of AHAs, the active ingredients are specially extracted and broken down into a form that can be easily absorbed by the skin. .) The way a lip plumper may be applied depends on the particular product. For example, it may come in a tube with a long foam tipped applicator. Plumpers which are more solid may be applied with the finger tips, or a lipstick brush. If you go for a lip plumper, first do a patch test in the inner wrist, so that your skin does not react to any of the ingredients.
For a home made lip plumper, you can add 2 drops of cinnamon essential oil OR clove oil to your lip gloss. Essential oils should not be used by themselves.
Or, melt two tablespoons of beeswax and one tablespoon of olive oil. Add to this one teaspoon ginger juice. Store in a small jar in the fridge.
The effects of such home remedies are temporary and therefore, short lived. They need to be re-applied.
Personally, I feel one can take the help of make-up to make the lips look fuller, or pouted.
To give the illusion of a pout, apply lipstick all over the lips, leaving out the centre. Then, apply a lighter coloured lip gloss on the centre.
To make lips fuller, first apply foundation that is one shade lighter than your normal skin colour. Apply a light touch of powder to “set” the foundation. Wait for a few minutes. Then outline the lips just outside your normal lip line. Use the same colour lip pencil as the colour of your lipstick. Then apply light coloured glossy lipstick on the lips, using a lip brush. Avoid matte lipsticks and use glossy ones to make the lips look fuller.
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