Plump up the Volume: Here's How
What women wouldn't kill for a mouth like Angelina Jolie's? Unfortunately, most of us aren't born with those luscious lips. That's not to say you can't achieve the trout mouth look. It's simply a matter of following certain steps. For those women who are into cosmetic procedures, collagen injections or Restylane fillers can be used to increase lip fullness and decrease lip wrinkles. It also leaves the lips looking fuller. Such procedures are usually handled by dermatologists or cosmetic surgeons. Of course, these procedures can be costly and, in some cases, have serious side effects. Hit Sephora or your favorite local department store, and you're likely to find the shelves lined with pricey products promising results. But not all plumpers are created equally, according to the chemistry department at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Good Housekeeping tested four lip plumpers and the two that performed the best were City Lips' Lip Plumper and DuWop's Venom Gloss. Both brands showed an increase of lip fullness within 28 days. Individuals who relied on City Lips, which retails for $29.76, saw a boost of 3.17 millimeters in fullness, while those who used DuWop saw an increase of 1/17 millimeter. Of course, there are other ways of giving yourself lip service. With age comes thinner, wrinkled lips. That's why it is important to keep lips moisturized. Invest in an off-the-shelf lip conditioner or lip treatments available by Neutrogena, Clinique or other brands. Putting moisture back into your lips will help revive them. Another way to plump that puss is to use a lip liner to make your lips stand out. Use the pencil to draw a line outside the top lip at the bow. Follow it up with a line above the upper lip. Then make the middle of the bottom lip rounder by going just outside the fullest part. Use the pencil to color in the new lines and then apply lipstick to the entire area. Some women swear by adding a small drop of cinnamon leaf oil to a lip gloss. The cinnamon will give the lips a burning sensation, and the irritation will result in the popular bee-stung appearance. The cinnamon acts on the capillaries and brings more blood to the surface. If you're allergic to cinnamon, don't try this at home or anywhere for that matter.