If we learned one thing from Sophia Loren and Angelina Jolie, it’s that a full pout is considered an iconic element of beauty.
But styles and trends change. In the 90s, for instance, every girl wanted to sport the rail-thin model body type. Today, you’re more likely to find body goals leaning toward more junk in the trunk.
Lip shape is no exception – trends change. If you’re wondering what the most attractive lip shape is by today’s standards, keep reading!
Lip Shapes Through the Decades
Ever feel like you were born in the wrong decade or century?
Throughout history, different time periods and cultures have embraced varying standards of beauty.
If you’re a thin-lipped gal, you would have been considered the epitome of style in Ming Dynasty China, Italy in the 1400s, or America in the 80s, when teeth were more important than the frame around them.
A prominent upper lip was considered attractive in most parts of Europe in the 1600s, which transformed into a tiny rosebud pout in the 1700s.
In the 1920s you were likely to find the “flapper lip” on most trendy women, taking the rosebud to the extreme with a large painted on cupid’s bow and tiny round bottom lip.
However, throughout history, a full lip has time and again been the beauty standard most women aspired to.
What is the Most Attractive Lip Shape Today?
The answer may surprise you, as the most important element isn’t about size or shape.
According to a survey of more than 1,000 people throughout 35 different countries, it’s the symmetry of lips that’s important. Of the people surveyed, over sixty percent of them regarded a 1:1 ratio the most attractive lip shape.
This means it doesn’t matter if you’re sporting an Angelina Jolie sized pout or tend more toward Reese Witherspoon’s delicate smile – as long as your upper and bottom lip are directly proportionate to each other, you fit the mold.
The survey looked at lip shapes that had multiple ratios, including 2:1 (a fuller upper lip, 1:2 (a thinner upper lip), and multiples in between.
The second-highest choice was a slightly fuller bottom lip, aka the Kylie Jenner look.
Achieving the Perfect Pout
If you weren’t born with perfectly symmetrical lips, don’t despair. You can achieve the perfect set of lips through cosmetic magic!
Exfoliate
Just like the rest of your body, dry skin looks dull. The dead skin cells on your lips will create a mottled, uneven appearance. Hydrated lips have healthy skin cells that reflect light shined on them.
Use a sugar scrub to exfoliate your lips and then apply a hydrating balm to keep them soft and moisturized. Your lips may not be perfectly plump, but keeping your canvas is better shape is a good first step.
Use Concealer to Create a Foundation
Once you have a better canvas, prime it with foundation.
By using your foundation on your lips, they’ll blend into your face. Once blended, you’ll have created a larger canvas to apply cosmetics to.
This also means your lipstick will pick up some of the color of your face and blend to make your lips naturally appear larger.
Overdraw Your Lip Line
Once you have soft lips that are primed with foundation, draw on a lip line slightly larger than your actual one. If you’ve done well with the foundation, you’ll be able to seamlessly create a larger lip that still looks natural.
Make sure to follow your lip line fairly closely to make the effect believable and avoid a cartoony look. You can, however, exaggerate your cupid’s bow slightly if you weren’t born with a well-defined little curve to your upper lip.
Contour for Effect
Fill in the lip with lighter and darker colors to enhance the illusion. Use a color similar to your liner for the outsides and corners of the lips. Choose a lighter shade to fill in middle and pat to blend.
A lighter shade in the center will draw attention to the cupid’s bow and middle bottom lip, finalizing the illusion of full, pouty lips.
Swipe on Plumping Balm
Plumping balms use an ingredient that slightly irritates the skin on lips to make them swell up. The amount of swelling depends on the effectiveness of the main ingredient.
Cinnamon, menthol, wintergreen, and ginger are the most common additives. Some utilize capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers spicy. Caffeine can also be added to further enhance the formula.
A little tingling action and voila – the perfect pout!
Get a Little Something Extra Put in
If you’re looking for a more permanent solution that doesn’t require cosmetics, you could always consider getting lip fillers.
Lip fillers are a great solution to thin lips and come in varying levels of permanence and effectiveness.
Most formulations use hyaluronic acid, which the body naturally produces, injected into the lips to help increase volume and definition. A cosmetic surgeon will inject the filler using tiny needles into the lips, a procedure that is both safe and effective when done by a licensed professional.
Lip fillers last six to eight months, meaning less time in front of a mirror trying to fake bigger lips.
The Shape of Your Smile
In a culture obsessed with beauty, it’s almost impossible not to get swept up in the latest trends and standards. However, remember that trends change and while full lips may be all the rage today, next year a thin lip might be the new black.
And if you’re looking for more beauty and style advice, check out the rest of the articles on this site. From travel to fitness to beauty trends, we have you covered!
