What Are the Best Tips for a Perfect Pout?

Many women yearn for full, soft, pouty lips. Some are born with the perfect pout, while others wish their lips were plumper. Despite this, achieving the perfect pout isn’t all about genetics. For women that don’t already have a plump mouth, keeping the mouth healthy and applying makeup — using a few tricks of the trade — can create the perfect pout that many ladies crave. Exercising the lips may also make them plumper, and as the muscles strengthen, the lips often appear toned and full.

One of the methods to achieving the perfect pout involves taking good care of the lips. Gentle exfoliating, especially in the winter, eliminates dead skin and flaking that could cause the lips to look thin and dull. A very simple exfoliating method involves spreading a little olive oil and granulated sugar on the lips. The woman should rub her lips together for about 30 seconds, sloughing away dead material, and gently pat her lips dry with a clean cloth. The olive oil should leave lips shiny and soft as well.

Moisture is also important to getting a perfect pout. Research shows that petroleum jelly, aloe vera sap, vitamin E, and honey all have the potential to soften skin. Soft lips often appear fuller and more supple than dry, rough ones. Women can apply any of the above treatments to their lips with a finger, one to three times a day. Those using lip balms should look for formulas free of alcohol. Beeswax–based formulas infused with rose oil, lavender, or one of the above ingredients often work very well.

Like other parts of the body, lips can become toned and attractive with regular exercise. Playing a wind or brass instrument often forces the musician to pucker, working the muscles around the mouth. Those that don’t play an instrument can whistle for about 10 minutes a day. Women that can’t whistle can practice, and whistling often becomes easier when the muscles are stronger.

There are also a handful of makeup tricks to helping those healthy, well-toned lips become the perfect pout. First, women should outline right around the edge of their lips with a lip liner that matches their lip color exactly. The line should run up onto the lips at the corners of the mouth so the lipstick doesn’t appear to be bleeding there. Gently dusting the lips with a little powder foundation also gives them a fuller look and often helps keep lipstick in place.

Lighter lipsticks blend slightly into the skin color around the mouth, helping lips look plumper. Ladies may also dab a little shimmery powder right in the center of the Cupid’s bow above their lips and below the center of the bottom lip. This attracts the eye to the center of the lips, which is the widest part. Women that really want to punch up that perfect pout can apply a light, shimmery lip balm over the lipstick.