With the festive season fast approaching you might be starting to think about your party outfits and how you’re going to wear your hair and make-up.
But with the latest accessory being the ‘perfect pout’, we give you both surgical and non-surgical tips on how to get your lips ready for the festivities ahead, from increasing the size of your lips to what your options are when choosing the perfect shade of red lipstick for your skin tone.
Have you been considering Lip Fillers?
Elena, before and after her PermaLip™ lip implants
If you have been inspired by the current trend of the fuller pout, then you’re not alone. Lip Fillers have increasingly gained in popularity in the last couple of years and in particular with younger women, but did you know that lip fillers can also be used to correct irregularities in your lips such as, an uneven cupid’s bow or uneven sides to your lips?
If you want to slightly increase the size of your lips, but you’re concerned they will be too big and won’t look natural then talk to our Aesthetic Nurse at your consultation and she will be able to give you expert advice on what will look best to suit your face shape.
What if you love your lip filler, but you want something more permanent?
If you have tried Lip Fillers or been having them for some time and you’re happy with your look and would like to make it permanent, then PermaLip™ lip implants could be a more affordable option for you in the long run. It will also mean saying goodbye to regular injections
and that dreaded ‘deflation’ period in between Lip Filler injections.
PermaLip™ lip implants are made of silicone and are specially shaped to make the final outcome of your look appear fuller and natural. They come in 3 different sizes and our surgeons will be able to help guide
you to find the right size for your lip shape.
Watch Aesthetic Fellow Plastic Surgeon Rohit Seth answer all your
questions regarding enhancing the lip area.
How can you achieve a fuller pout with makeup?
There are a few tricks that make-up artists use to achieve a fuller pout through the use of shading and over lining the outline of your lips. This will take some practice to achieve a natural look and you will need to maintain it throughout the day and evening.
To over line your lips, start lining just outside your natural lip line
with a colour a shade darker than your natural tone. Use a matte
lipstick (a glossy finish won’t blend with a liner) preferably with a lip
brush to ensure accuracy, colour in your entire lip blending the lip
liner in with the lip stick. If you do want a glossy finish, then add a
clear gloss over the top of your final look.
How do you choose the perfect shade of red lipstick for your skin tone?
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to make-up as it is ultimately a statement of self-expression, but we all have that pile of make-up pushed to the back of the drawer that we got talked into buying by a beauty consultant only to get home and feel it’s just not for you.
Red lipstick can be utterly terrifying for some people to wear as it is such a bold statement and is sure to amass plenty of attention when worn in public. On top of that it is very high maintenance with constant top ups needed. Wearing a red lip can bring a feeling of empowerment and instantly make you feel sexy when you wear it with pride, but how do you know what shade is right for you?
The first rule of thumb is to understand your skin tone. Most of us have
either a pink or yellow undertones to our skin with darker skin tones being red or orange. It’s not always easy to recognise your skins undertone colour so I’ve added the below colour chart that may be able to help you recognise yours more easily.
| Porcelain | Porcelain: This ultra-light skin tone with cool undertones looks best with a cool red with hints of plum, but looks daring with a warm red. |
| Fair | Fair: This light skin tone with cool undertones also is most harmonious with a cool red, while a warm red is bold. |
| Bisque | Bisque: This pink under-toned skin colour looks best with a cool red, but can also pull off the warm red. |
| Beige | Beige: This skin colour with yellow undertones is most harmonious with a warm red, but can wear a cool red too. |
| Olive | Olive: Warm reds look best on this skin colour with green undertones, but as you can see, cool reds look pretty to. |
| Tawny | Tawny: Again, warm reds are the way to go for this gorgeous skin tone, but don’t let anyone tell you you can’t wear cool reds too. |
| Caramel | Caramel: Cool reds are wearable but warm reds are gorgeous on this skin tone. |
| Almond | Almond: Warm reds are pretty but cool reds are meant for you. |
A cool red will have a blue understone, whereas a warm red has a more orange undertone.
Final tips to keeping lips moisturised in the cold weather
As soon as the cold weather sets in the battle starts to keep your lips
free from dry skin and flaking. The best way to combat dry lips is to keep them moisturised with a lip balm at all times and to exfoliate any dead skin daily. You can do this with either a lip scrub, a damp muslin cloth or an old soft toothbrush and rub gently in circular motions. I always find this works best if I hold a warm wet flannel over my lips for a few minutes first to soften the dead skin.
Be very careful not to scrub too hard as this can damage the delicate skin on the surface of your lips. If your lips do dry out and start to flake never be tempted to pick or bite the skin. This will actually make your lips worse and could lead to cracking, bleeding and even infection.
Another tip is to try and buy a lip balm that contains an SPF as your
lips need protecting from the sun even in the winter. Try slathering your lips in a thicker balm such as Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour before bed to give them a real moisture boost whilst you sleep.
Medically reviewed by
Last Updated: November 17, 2017
Published On: November 17, 2017