Every person has a unique lip shape. Knowing how to enhance your lips with the right makeup can completely transform your look. Whether your lips are top-heavy, thin, or downturned, using the correct lip liner, lipstick, and gloss can make them appear fuller, more balanced, and defined.
At Brittany Cosmetics, we understand the importance of accentuating your natural beauty, and that's why we’ve put together this lip shape guide to help you create the perfect pout.
Knowing how to adjust your makeup routine for your lip shape can give you fuller, more defined, or more symmetrical lips. Keep reading to discover expert lip makeup tips and the best lipstick for your lip shape.
Identifying Your Lip Shape
Before diving into makeup techniques, it's essential to first identify your natural lip shape. There are several different lip shapes, and each can be enhanced with specific makeup tricks. Below are the most common lip shapes:
- Top-Heavy Lips – The upper lip is fuller than the lower lip.
- Bottom-Heavy Lips – The lower lip is more prominent than the upper lip.
- Thin Lips – Both the upper and lower lips are narrow.
- Oval Lips – Symmetrical, rounded lips.
- Downturned Lips – The corners of the mouth naturally curve downward.
- Overlarge Lips – A fuller, more voluminous lip shape.
- Small Lips – Petite lips that require enhancement for volume.
- Sharp Lips – Defined and angular lips.
- Uneven Lips – Asymmetrical lips that need balancing.
Once you’ve identified your lip shape, you can use specific lip contouring techniques and the best lipsticks to create balance and highlight your natural beauty.
Best Makeup Tricks for Each Lip Shape
Top-Heavy Lips
For those with top-heavy lips, where the upper lip is fuller than the lower lip, the key is to create balance:
- Use a darker shade on the upper lip and a lighter shade on the lower lip to visually reduce the fullness of the top lip.
- Apply lip liner just outside the lower lip’s natural shape to draw attention to the bottom lip and create the illusion of fuller lips.
- Avoid glossy finishes on the upper lip, as they can make it appear even fuller. Opt for a matte or satin finish instead for a more balanced look.
Recommended Products: Try our Brittany Power Plumping Lip Gloss for a touch of color and a satin finish that balances top-heavy lips.
Bottom-Heavy Lips
If you have bottom-heavy lips, where the lower lip is more prominent than the upper lip, you can balance your lips by focusing on the upper lip:
- Overline the upper lip slightly with a lip liner to create a more balanced appearance. Just be careful not to overdo it.
- Highlight Cupid’s bow to add volume and draw attention upward, making the upper lip appear more prominent.
- Choose matte lipsticks to soften the prominence of the lower lip and keep the focus on the upper lip.
Recommended Products: For a sophisticated matte look, try Brittany Cosmetics' Matte Lipsticks in soft neutral shades.
Thin Lips
If you have thin lips, the goal is to make them appear fuller and more defined:
- Overline your lips with a neutral lip liner to enhance their shape. Be careful to stay close to your natural lip line to avoid an unnatural look.
- Choose creamy, light-colored lipsticks like peach, nude, or light pink to add volume and create the illusion of plumper lips.
- Glossy finishes help enhance the fullness of your lips and make them appear bigger. Opt for a clear gloss or a tinted gloss for added dimension.
Recommended Products: Our Sparkle Lips collection offers glossy finishes that enhance fullness and give you a luscious, plumped-up pout.
Downturned Lips
Downturned lips, where the corners of the mouth naturally curve downward, can make you look sad or tired. Here's how to lift them:
- Use lip liner to lift the corners of your mouth. Focus on the outer corners and gently draw upward to create a more lifted appearance.
- Apply a dab of highlighter at the center of the upper lip to lift and define Cupid’s bow.
- Avoid dark shades, which can make the lips appear droopy. Instead, opt for soft, natural tones to brighten up the area.
Recommended Products: Try Brittany Cosmetics' Luscious Lips in soft pink or nude shades to lift and enhance your downturned lips.
Overlarge Lips
If you have naturally large lips and want to tone them down, here's how:
- Choose matte formulas in soft nudes or browns. Matte textures help to tone down the volume of overlarge lips and create a more balanced look.
- Avoid overlining your lips. Instead, stick to your natural lip line to keep things defined without exaggerating the volume.
- Darker shades can subtly reduce the appearance of larger lips. Shades like deep reds, browns, or berries work well.
Recommended Products: Our Brittany Power Plumping Lip Gloss offers the perfect matte finish to tone down overly plump lips while maintaining definition.
Small Lips
Small lips often need enhancement for volume and definition:
- Extend your natural lip line slightly using a lip liner to create the illusion of fuller lips. Focus on the upper lip for a balanced look.
- Use peachy or nude shades, as they create the illusion of more space and dimension on small lips.
- Gloss applied at the center of your lips can add volume and create a plumping effect.
Recommended Products: Brittany Cosmetics' Sparkle Lips collection is perfect for enhancing small lips with volume and dimension.
Sharp & Uneven Lips
Sharp and uneven lips need a soft touch to balance out their appearance:
- Balance asymmetry with lip liner. If one side of your lip is fuller than the other, use lip liner to fill in the thinner side and create an even shape.
- Use soft, blended lip colors to diffuse sharpness and create natural symmetry. Avoid harsh, defined lines that accentuate unevenness.
- Lip contouring tips can also help smooth out angular edges by blending shades for a natural curve.
Recommended Products: For natural symmetry, our Brittany Cosmetics Lip Glosses in soft, blendable shades will smooth out your sharp or uneven lip edges.
The right lip makeup techniques can enhance your unique lip shape and give you a gorgeous pout. Whether you want fuller lips, a more defined Cupid’s bow, or a balanced lip shape, choosing the right lipstick, liner, and gloss is key.
At Brittany Cosmetics, we offer a variety of lip products to suit all lip shapes and preferences, including our Brittany Power Plumping Lip Gloss and Sparkle Lips collections.
Now that you know the best makeup tricks for every lip type, which one will you try first? Whether your lips are top-heavy, downturned, or something else, there's a perfect makeup technique waiting for you. Visit Brittany Cosmetics to shop our full range of lip products and find the perfect match for your lip shape today!