If your lips are on the thinner side, chances are good that you’ve found yourself wondering how to make your lips look bigger on occasion. We’ll let you in on a secret: You don’t have to shell out a ton of cash to score a plumper-looking pout. All you need is the right lip makeup products—and the knowledge of how to use them to fake fuller lips (hint: it’s all about strategic lip contouring).
If you’re not quite sure where to start, don’t worry—we’re here to help. Ahead, we’ll break down exactly how to make your lips look bigger with makeup. Plus, we’ll give you details on the best NYX Professional Makeup lipsticks, glosses, and liners for the job. Keep reading for our all-in-one guide to faking plump lips.
How To Make Lips Look Bigger in 7 Easy Steps
Step 1: Prep your lips
Proper prep is a must if you want your lip makeup to look smooth and even. Before applying any lip color, we recommend exfoliating and hydrating your lips to help create a smooth canvas for your products. Use a gentle lip scrub to exfoliate and soften your lips, then apply a thin, even layer of a hydrating lip balm or oil, such as the Fat Oil Slick Click in Main Character, which is untinted. Let the lip balm absorb before applying your lip color to help ensure an even application.
Step 2: Map out your fuller lip look
Before reaching for your lip makeup, you’ll need to plan out your desired look—specifically, what colors you intend to use (and how). Nude shades that are slightly darker than your natural skin tone are ideal for visually enlarging lips. High contrast shades (like super-light lipstick on darker skin tones or deep hues on fair skin tones) can actually make your lips appear smaller. However, that isn’t to say you can’t use color: Done properly, you can create the illusion of full lips with nearly any hue.
For bolder or more colorful lip looks, your lip liner should either closely match your lipstick (for a seamless look) or be a shade darker (for subtle definition). No matter which approach you choose, we suggest reaching for our classic Slim Lip Pencil, which comes in 31 shades that apply easily and resist bleeding for long-lasting wear. Alternatively, try the Line Loud Vegan Longwear Lip Liner—the creamy formula is transfer-resistant, smudge-resistant, and waterproof.
Step 3: Overline your lips to fake fullness
Using your chosen lip liner, begin tracing just outside your lip line to create the illusion of a new, slightly fuller lip line. We recommend starting at your Cupid’s bow and overlining about three-quarters of the way toward the outer corners of your mouth. From there, bring the liner in slightly, so you’re tracing right on top of your natural lip line at the outer corners. This will help enhance your lips and give them a plumper appearance without them looking overdone or fake. Then, repeat the same process along your bottom lip line. Once you’re satisfied with the shape and size of your plump lips, blend the liner toward the center of your mouth with your finger to create a subtle gradient effect (this helps make your overdrawn liner appear more natural).
Step 4: Apply your chosen lipstick
Next up: lipstick. The lipstick you use is, as always, up to you. That being said, you’ll find that those with glossy finishes are great for making your lips look plumper—the reflectivity helps create the illusion of fullness. For long-lasting color and intense shine, we recommend Shine Loud High Shine Lip Color. This dual-sided lip color features a bold, long-wearing bottom coat on one end and a non-sticky high-shine gloss on the other. Apply the bottom coat for intense color, let it dry for a minute, then top with the gloss for an ultra-reflective finish. Alternatively, use one of the tinted shades of the aforementioned Fat Oil Slick Clicks, which offer buildable coverage with a comfortable, lightweight feel.
Step 5: Layer on lip gloss
Since shine can help create the illusion of fuller lips, you’ll find you get the best results when you keep the gleam going all day. If you’re using our aforementioned Shine Loud High Shine Lip Color, reapply the gloss as needed throughout the day to help keep your pout perfectly glossy. Alternatively, for shine and a boost of hydration, reach for the Fat Oil Lip Drip. The hydrating tinted lip oil-gloss hybrid comes in 14 shades—seven sheer, seven creamier—and leaves the lips shiny, not sticky.
Pro Tip: If you favor a matte lip, skip the gloss altogether and instead reach for two shades of our Lip Lingerie XXL Matte Liquid Lipstick—one slightly lighter than the other. Coat your lips in the darker hue, then apply a dot of the lighter shade to the center of your lips and blend well for a lip-plumping ombré effect.
Step 6: Contour your lips to create shadows
A touch of contour can go a long way when it comes to faking bigger lips. Full lips naturally cast a bit of a shadow right beneath the bottom lip, but if your pout is on the thinner side, it’s likely that this shadow will be subtle (or absent entirely). You can fake a shadow, however, by applying contour about a centimeter below your bottom lip where your chin begins. For this, we recommend using a blendable, creamy contour, such as the Wonder Stick Creamy Contour and Highlighter Stick. Use your chosen contour shade to draw a small line beneath your bottom lip and blend it out well with your fingers or a makeup sponge to create a natural-looking shadow.
Step 7: Highlight your Cupid’s bow
Last but not least comes highlighting. A hint of highlighter at the dip at the top of your upper lip (a.k.a. your Cupid’s bow) will immediately help make your lips appear fuller. That said, you don’t want to go overboard: Too much highlight can look unnatural. To highlight this spot precisely, use Wonder Pencil Micro Highlighter Pencil. The dual-sided pencil boasts a matte concealer shade on one end and a shimmery highlighter on the other. Use the shimmer end and lightly trace it along your Cupid’s bow. Lightly blend the highlighter with your finger and enjoy your plump-looking pout.
How To Make Your Lips Bigger Quickly
If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to go through the whole lip contouring, overlining, lipstick, and gloss process, don’t stress—there’s another way you can fake fuller lips. The key is to use a lip plumping gloss, like the Duck Plump High-Pigment Lip Plumping Gloss. The spicy ginger-infused formula comes in 18 shades (16 pigment-packed and two transparent) and provides an instant plumping effect. Simply choose your favorite shade, swipe it on, and enjoy a fuller-looking pout in a flash.
If you do have an extra minute to devote to your lip routine, consider overlining your lips first for an extra-full lip look. The juicy gloss pairs especially well with our Line Loud Vegan Longwear Lip Liner.
Fuller Lips FAQs
How can I make my lips look bigger naturally?
The best way to make lips look bigger naturally is by employing techniques like lip contouring and overlining. The former helps create the illusion of shadows, which makes it appear as if your lips are larger. The latter makes your lip line appear fuller—which, again, creates the illusion of a plumper pout. Having a lip plumping gloss on hand is also a great idea. While the effects of plumping lip glosses are temporary, they’re useful for those looking to achieve plump lips quickly or on the go.
What color lipstick makes your lips look bigger?
Generally speaking, opting for lower-contrast lipstick is ideal if you want to fake bigger lips. Trace your lips with a lip liner that matches your natural lip color and pair it with a coordinating lipstick for a quick and easy plump lip look. We also suggest reaching for glossy (rather than matte) lip products, as shine helps reflect light, which may make your lips appear fuller.
How can I add volume to my thin lips?
You can’t add volume to thin lips, but you can create the illusion of volume by contouring, overlining, and swapping your standard lip glosses for plumping formulas like the Duck Plump High-Pigment Plumping Lip Gloss.
Next Up: How To Choose the Right Lip Plumping Gloss for Your Skin Tone.
Now that you know how to get bigger lips (at least temporarily) share a pic of your full lip look on social and tag us @NYXCOSMETICS.
PRODUCTS USED
Duck Plump High Pigment Plumping Lip Gloss
Plumping gloss with spicy ginger in 18 shades
FAT OIL SLICK CLICK
Lightweight, buildable pigmented lip oil balm in click up packaging available in 20 shades.
Line Loud Vegan Longwear Lip Liner
Infused With Jojoba Oil + Vitamin E
Lip Lingerie XXL Matte Liquid Lipstick
16H Full-Bodied Matte Liquid Lipstick
SHINE LOUD HIGH SHINE LIP COLOR
High-shine, long-lasting lip gloss
Wonder™ Pencil Micro Highlighter Pencil
Dual-Ended Highlighter and Concealer Stick
Fat Oil Lip Drip
Hydrating tinted lip oil gloss in 18 shades.
Wonder™ Stick Contour and Highlighter Stick
Two-In-One Cream Contour Stick and Highlighter Stick
Slim Lip Pencil
Natural-looking long-wear lip liner
