Bye-bye trout pout, hello cupid’s bow. Why over-inflated lips are finally out

Beauty trends are constantly changing, and lips are no exception. Lips that look more natural are “in” and celebrities on our watch list include actor Emma Watson who has allegedly never had lip filler. Her fine lips are totally in proportion to her face and enhance her delicate English beauty.

While we are talking English beauty, Catherine, Princess of Wales lips are on the thin side too, but again perfectly in proportion with her face. Model Karlie Kloss is another thin-lip crush with her angular features highlighted by her defined cupids bow and slightly larger lower lip. And the drop-dead gorgeous Blake Lively has naturally thin lips too. Her hack: nude lipstick with a dab of shiny gloss in the centre to create the illusion of larger lips.

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Here some extra tips on how to make thin lips look fuller. Start with a lip balm then line lips with a matching lip pencil to your lipstick making sure to fill in the entire lip. Next apply lipstick with a lip brush for precision application to highlight the cupids bow and finish with a gloss. And if you want to add some instant volume reach for a lip plumping gloss like Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Plumping Gloss ($62) or our latest obsession (along with Gigi Hadid and Megan Fox), Patrick Ta Major Volume Plumping Gloss ($43).

The good news, for those of us partial to some lip filler, is that the latest techniques are designed to create natural-looking lips. According to Dr Joseph Hkeik. “It’s not about sausage lips but subtle touches using a soft product like Belotero Lip Contour on the vermillion border of the lip to enhance the lips’ edge and adding a touch of Lip Shape, which is a thicker product, into the lower lip. It’s all about subtley.” This procedure also boosts collagen in the lips.

Another lip trend doing the rounds this year is the lip flip which focuses on shape more than volume. During the lip flip procedure, Botox is injected into the philtrum muscle that sits above the top lip. The neurotoxin relaxes the muscle, preventing the lip from being pulled downward. This effectively “flips” the lip upward slightly, exposing more of the vermilion and creating the appearance of a top lip that’s fuller and shapelier and also enhancing the cupid’s bow. It creates a subtle amount of fullness without the pain and swelling of filler injections.

Ask Steph

My face looks puffy, what is the best facial to fix this bloat?

A lymphatic drainage facial is what you are after. First port of call the Venustus Sculpt and Define Lymphatic Facial ($529 for 90 minutes). I know it’s a lot, but it’s worth every penny. It will leave your face depuffed and give you back your cheek bones.

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