Not all lines are made equal. Some, like deep forehead furrows, you can’t do a darn thing about (not without a needle, anyway). Yet some, like little lines around your lips, are easier to deal with.
Thinning, lined or ridged lips are a normal part of getting older, but this is an area in which beauty brands have really excelled, and there are plenty of genuinely useful products out there that can, if not entirely restore your lips to their youthful state, at least do a convincing job of making them appear that way.
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Read on for our top beauty products to plump, smooth and disguise lines around lips.
How to use lip scrub
MAC Lip Scrubtious in Fruit of Passion, R305 for 15ml
Your face looks healthier, smoother and plumper after a good exfoliation session, and so will your lips. That dead top layer of skin makes any lines look deeper.
Work it off by rubbing this in with a finger for half a minute every second night. You’ll be left with lovely smooth and fresh looking lips, and everything you put on them afterwards will sink in properly, sit nicely and stick around for far longer.
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Soften and plump lips
Filorga Nutri-Filler Lips, R425
Your second step after scrubbing should be this serum-oil hybrid – think skincare for your lips (which makes perfect sense, as your lips are skin after all).
Twist the base to release the rich pink-ish balm and swipe on twice a day to fill them with hydrating hyaluronic acid, smoothing lactic acid and a combination of peptides (a clever anti-ageing ingredient that boost collagen production for a plumping and softening effect).
Plump lips quickly
Smashbox O-Plump Intuitive Lip Plumper, R335 for 10ml
If there’s no time to wait for a long-term lip care plan to kick in, or you’d like to supplement it with instant plumping too, here’s your answer.
This feels like a gloss without the stickiness, tingles quite pleasantly, adds a nice 3D shine and makes lips feel and look poutier right away.
What we love about this lip plumper is that it gives your lips a bespoke shade of pink, as it reacts with the unique pH level.
Expect lines to shallow instantly too thanks to nut oils and shea butter – and over time peptides rev up natural collagen to encourage fullness.
Do you have to use lip liner?
Essence Long Lasting Lip Liner, R19
Lip liner has an old-fashioned rep – think of the 1990’s ‘dark liner, light lip look’, it takes us back to beauty-times-gone-by.
But actually, every woman who wears lipstick should have one in her makeup bag – they define the lip line, stop makeup feathering out into wrinkles (should you have them) and with a subtle hand can be used to create a little extra fullness too.
Many liners are much of a much-ness, but this one by Essence is special, and a hidden-gem in my personal makeup collection.
It has a soft non-dragging nib, with a pointed-tip, strong pigment and steadfast colour once it’s set down. Try wearing this shade all over your lips. Its flattering matte formula that doesn’t dry lips out.
This means, if you like a really bold look, it can be used all over as a primer to grab onto whichever creamier colour you choose to put on top. And not to mention the price- such a steal and completely worth it!
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Use the ombre lips trick
Catrice Ombré Two Tone Lipstick in Rockabily Rosewood, R99
Yes, this lipstick is two colours, and yes you could use it to create an Instagram-friendly ombré look if you so choose.
For the rest of us, the genius of this product creates the illusion of a subtle plumping effect created in one swipe, lightest shade on the inside of your lip, then blending the edges of each shade well until everything looks roughly the same colour, with just a tiny 3D ‘pop’.
That lighter shade will draw the eye to the fullest part of your lip, much like highlighting a cheekbone, while the darker tone sharpens up your lip line to hide any loss of definition there.
- This article originated on womanandhome.com
