How To Fake A Lip Flip With Only Makeup
Lip flips have become increasingly popular on TikTok. Many people choose to get one because it will make thin lips look larger without having to use fillers. It produces a more natural look, while fillers risk migration and the potential to use too much accidentally. Instead of adding ingredients like hyaluronic acid inside the lips, an injection is made above them. A neuromodulator, like Botox, is used to flip the top lip up to appear more prominent. Dr. Smita Ramanadham explained to Connect by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons that the procedure works by relaxing the muscle with a botox injection.
While lip flips create a more natural look than fillers, you can still avoid a trip to the plastic surgeon and achieve the same results. Faking a lip flip is relatively easy. All you need is the right color lip liner. That way, you can extend the border of your mouth so your lips appear more prominent. Then what really makes a difference is contouring with that same pencil. Adding these steps to your makeup routine before applying lipstick or gloss will give you a lip flip look without the injection.
Overline your lips
If you're not careful, overlining your lips can quickly result in them appearing completely fake rather than fuller. You need to prep your face before applying any makeup. Start with a gentle exfoliator like a scrub and then a lip balm to lock in moisture for your lips. Then blend a thin layer of concealer over them. This step will help your makeup last longer and blur your natural lipline so you can overline it.
The ideal lip liner for faking a lip flip should be slightly darker than your natural lip color. One with brown tones will blend in more naturally. The finish also matters, so stay away from glossy ones. Aim for a matte or satin pencil. You want to stay close to your actual border when overlining your lips. Follow your natural shape as you lightly drag the pencil around your mouth. Then shade the gap to connect the new outline with your lips. This is only the first step to building a fake lip flip. Now that they look bigger, you need to plump them with contour.
Contour for more dimension
Contouring your lips is the step that really completes this look. Just like with your face, adding shadows and highlights in specific areas creates dimension. It'll also add depth to your overlined lips so they look more natural instead of drawn on. First, you're going to use the same lip liner to add the shadows. Except this time, you want it to blend out more, so warm up the product. You can do this by twisting it between your thumb and pointer finger.
Next, contour your cupid's bow to mimic your top lip flipping up. This is the V shape in the middle of your face, where your philtrum connects your mouth to your nose. Start by drawing an X where the top of the letter outlines the shape of your cupid's bow. Continue drawing each diagonal line until they cross, complete the letter, and reach the bottom of your upper lip. Then add a soft line under the middle of your lower lip and blend it out to even out the pout. Next is the corners of your mouth. Add some shading to these areas for more dimension but be careful not to bring the color too far into the middle. Once you're done contouring, apply your lipstick or gloss to blend everything. Then use a favorite highlighter to brighten up the top of your cupid's bow.