FILLERS were once all the rage but women are now turning to natural methods to achieve luscious lips.
Social media is now full of ways to get a perfect pout without cosmetic help.
The hashtag #makeunder has more than 26million views on TikTok, while #lipdissolving – posts on removing cosmetic facial fillers – has been watched over 77million times, and #naturalenhacements has 2.5million views.
Make-up artist Lauren Murphy says: “I’ve noticed less women are having fillers, or are getting them dissolved.
"These days I often get asked to enhance their lips using more natural makeup techniques.”
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And Dr Deepa Panch, an NHS surgical and aesthetic doctor, has noticed less patients asking for fillers.
She says: “People are opting for a more natural aesthetic. The focus is more on maintaining healthy-looking lips rather than huge ones”.
Imogen Murrison, who is Sales Manager at non-surgical clinic 3D Aesthetics, said: "We have noticed a huge shift in consumer demand towards safe and effective, results driven non surgical treatments."
Yasmin Harisha tests out some weird and wonderful lip hacks from social media, with marks out of five.
PEPPERMINT OIL: 3.5/5
THIS is popular in lip care as the essential oil helps to protect while speeding up the healing process of cracked lips.
Plus beauty fans on social media claim that the mint helps to plump them too.
Technique: With your ring finger, slather on a generous amount of the peppermint essential oil, ensuring your lips are covered and leave to soak in.
Your lips will completely absorb this, so you won’t need to wipe this off.
Yasmin’s verdict: “It is easy to apply, and as soon as I put it on, I can feel a tingle.
"It dries pretty much straight away, and almost instantly my lips appear plumper.
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“It gives them a nice red blush colour which also helps to make them look bigger.
“It is quite strong when applying, so your eyes may water – but it’ll leave you smelling minty fresh and who doesn’t want that?”
SUGAR SCRUB: 4/5
BEAUTY experts claim that this scrub will remove any dead skin cells and improve blood flow to the area due to the exfoliation.
The end result is that lips have a fuller appearance.
Technique: Mix two tablespoons of finely ground sugar, one tablespoon of olive oil and one to two drops of your favourite essential oil together in a bowl.
Then use your ring finger to massage the mixture onto your lips for around five to ten minutes to help stimulate blood flow.
Yasmin’s verdict: “This is more like a sweet treat, than a lip plumper.
"It tastes good, and makes the lips soft after you have wiped it off but that’s about it.
“Lips are left slightly more pink – but I’d say that’s down to the friction from scrubbing your lips for ten minutes.”
CHILLI AND OLIVE OIL: 2.5/5
MIXING olive oil with hot cayenne pepper is one of the oldest tricks for lip-plumping, according to beauty gurus – and it can cause a big reaction. We do not recommend trying it.
Technique: Mix a tablespoon of olive oil and cayenne pepper in a bowl to create your own spicy scrub.
Applying to the lips using a cotton bud, and leave it on for five minutes, before towelling off.
Yasmin’s verdict: “This is one hot tip. Having to keep it on my lips for five minutes is very tough, but not impossible.
"The idea is that it exfoliates your lips, helping to get the blood flowing to the area and making them plumper.
“After wiping it off, my lips are super-pink with a slightly inflamed pout.
“It’s a great trick, and easy to do but be careful not to get it in your mouth. It’s extremely hot.”
CINNAMON: 2/5
BEAUTY fans on TikTok claim that the spice will irritate the lips causing blood to rush to the surface and deliver a natural pout.
But we don’t advise trying this.
Technique: Mix a tablespoon of cinnamon powder in a bowl with two tablespoons of olive oil to form a paste.
Then gradually add more oil if needed to loosen up the past and make sure it is a smooth mixture which can be brushed onto the lips.
Yasmin’s verdict: “I have very little faith in this technique, but I am pleasantly surprised.
“After brushing my lips with the goo for around a minute, they definitely appear more plump. It’s as though I have had a lip tattoo applied.
“It is easy to do, and doesn’t hurt one bit.”
BOTTLE CAP: 3/5
ONCE known as the Kylie Jenner Challenge, beauty fans across the world began using bottle lids to help enhance their lips in 2019.
But does it actually work?
Technique: Take the lid off the bottle, and place the small cap over your lips, gently suck in to get all the air out, and wait until your lips start to swell up.
Yasmin’s verdict: “This is one of the oldest tricks in the book, and it works.
“After sucking the air out of the cap for half a minute, my lips are twice as big as their original size.
“But the DIY trend comes with a warning, as it could leave bruising, soreness or tender skin.
"It is important that you don’t suck too hard, or for too long.”
LIP PLUMPER DEVICE: 3.5/5
THIS soft silicone lip-enhancement tool is said to give you a natural pout in seconds. It costs £11.99 on Amazon.
Technique: Clean your lips with mild soap and water before moisturising.
Then place the head of the lip pump on the lip area, hold it gently and let your lips relax into the device.
Gently suck your lips to cause a slight pull. Once suction is established, keep the tool in place for 15-30 seconds.
Yasmin’s verdict: “The device is big, and much softer on the skin than a bottle lid, which uses the same technique. It definitely leaves my lips plump, and in a nice shape.
“It took a few times getting used to the technique, but I am able to repeat it until I get to my desired pout.
“It is important not to suck too hard or longer than three minutes, as it can cause bruising.”
USE PENCIL TWO SHADES DARKER: 4.5/5
USING a pencil two shades darker than your lip colour is the key to a naturally fuller lip, says global senior artist at Mac Cosmetics, Dominic Skinner.
Technique: “Start from your natural inner corner and then as you draw to the Cupid’s bow, start lifting above your natural lip line,” he explained.
“Mirror this on the bottom lip, so you end up drawing under your lip line.
“To amplify your newly formed lip, pop some clear lipgloss in the very centre of your lip only.”
Yasmin’s verdict: “As far as lip-enhancing goes, this is my favourite method.
“It’s pain-free, and easy to follow. After applying the make-up, I am left with very juicy lips, and it only takes a minute to do.
"It doesn’t take a professional to perfect this, and that’s what I love so much about it.”
USE CONTOUR INSTEAD OF LINER: 1/5
ANOTHER lip-enhancing trick by make-up artist William Grande is to focus on contouring instead of lip liner.
Technique: “Contour the outside area around the lips using a darker shade toward the lips,” says William.
“I like to then use a darker brown natural-shade lipstick as a base over the lips and towards the inner part I use a lighter lipstick and/or a highlighter topped with lip gloss covering just the middle and inner part of the lips, creating emphasis for a plumper, fuller look.”
Yasmin’s verdict: “This feels too complicated. So to make things simple, I use a light nude gloss and highlighter to skip the nude lipstick, plus highlighter, plus gloss.
“It takes me ten minutes to perfect, and a lot of patience. My lips definitely appear bigger, but I’ve also caught a tan recently which makes the contouring less visible. This is a lot of effort, without the best outcome.”
Imogen, who works at 3D Aesthetics, continues: "Many clients are commenting on their aims to prevent or reverse the signs of ageing, facial feature enhancing, weight gain, hair growth and more.
"We have a wide range of treatments available across the board.
"From entry level to high end, we are constantly working with clinics to advise on using multiple treatment plans to create bespoke treatment offerings for their client needs."
‘My filler hardened and left me with painful clown lips’
JODIE WESTON, 29, had her lip filler dissolved six months ago.
The DJ, from Beckenham, Kent, had spent £4,000 on lip injections over a three year period. Single Jodie, mum to nine-month-old son Koa, says:
"My lips are naturally thin and I always wanted the big lip look. I’m a DJ, who has appeared with celebs like Idris Elba, so my appearance is important.
I’d seen so many stars and social media influencers sporting luscious pouts and I wanted my own.
I started off by having 1ml injected in March 2019. I loved how it looked, everybody gave me compliments, and it gave me a confidence boost.
My local beauty technician told me I’d need to top up the filler every three months, so I did. I’d get 1ml or 0.5ml each time, and began trying different beauticians to get a good price.
I didn’t like my smile without it and would get anxious if I even came close to missing my top-up.
When I was planning my monthly spending, that would be the first thing I prioritised. I knew I had an addiction but it made me feel confident.
Then last November I had a 1ml top- up and my lips ballooned to twice their size due to an allergic reaction.
Within days the filler had hardened, leaving me with clown lips. I tried massaging the filler to soften it but the pain was incredible.
But six months ago I had dissolving injections. It was more painful than childbirth but I’m glad I’m back to my natural lips.
Women need to know that lip filler is not a quick fix. Unless done properly, you look like a circus freak.
I regret going with fillers, and am returning to a natural look."
