We Tried It: Lip Plumping Every Possible Way, from Easy to Crazy

Even the most Kardashian/Jenner-averse human has to admit to being a little curious about how Kylie Jenner makes her lips look like this. Some fans are so enamored of her super-full lip look that they’ve even started something called the #kyliejennerchallenge, which involves suctioning your lips with a shot glass to sometimes alarming results (she does not endorse that, by the way).

And since everyone’s getting in on the craze, we decided to be right there with them, testing a variety of pout-boosting remedies from all-natural to totally insane. Read on for the results.

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Alex Apatoff, Senior Style Editor:
What I Tried: Overlining my lips à la Kylie Jenner (this is the goal apparently)
Level of Difficulty: 3
Level of Effectiveness: 10
Here’s the deal: I did not own lipliner before this challenge, but if I was going to achieve my inner Kylie, I knew I had to do it right: by asking MAC to send me her preferred shades, “Soar” lip pencil (they were clean out — is Kylie the new Princess Kate?) and “Brave” lipstick.

Next I went to Pinterest, searched “How does Kylie Jenner line her lips?” and got to work. First you apply a non-drying concealer to mask your lip line. Then you sketch around the outside of your lips, as big as you want to go. I filled in vertical lines like Pinterest told me to, then I swiped on two coats of the lipstick and finished with a coat of Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in “Glow” for even more light-reflecting fullness. Final step: Taking a pouty, gazing-into-the-distance selfie I think Kylie would be proud of.

The craziest thing is that in real life, this doesn’t look that crazy. As long as you remain in Jenner duckface mode, people will compliment you on your very dramatic lips but not really know what’s going on. When you smile, though, you end up with sort of a lopsided Joker thing, which might explain Kylie’s moody Instagram. Would I do this again? Let me recover from the first time and then report back.

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Andrea Lavinthal, Style and Beauty Director:
What I Tried: Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Pillow Plump XXL
Level of Difficulty: 0
Level of Effectiveness: 2
About a decade ago when Kylie Jenner was still in elementary school, everyone wanted to look like another brunette with a pillowy pout: Angelina Jolie. Enter the first generation of lip plumpers. These syrupy glosses puffed up your lips by irritating the hell out of them with ingredients like cinnamon, menthol and even chili extract. And while they may have made your lips look more kissable, you couldn’t actually make out with anyone without inflicting pain.

The newer formulas, like this Soap & Glory one, take a more high-tech approach. It contains something called 3XL-PEPTIDE PLUMP Complex, which increases levels of hyaluronic acid and “supports fat cells” to make lips appear fuller. It also has “natural flower infusion” and “glassy-shine technology.” I applied the clear gloss to my lips (which were a bit chapped) and waited. A few minutes later they started to tingle but I didn’t notice a dramatic change in their size, which was a bit of a letdown. That said, I did love the non-sticky shine, which lasted through a happy hour cocktail, plus it smells like chocolate.

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Lindsay Schallon, Senior Style Editor:
What I Tried: Fullips Lip Enhancers, a trio of mini suction cups you place over your mouth, which is meant to to draw more fluid to your lips, leaving them looking fuller and plumper in seconds.
Level of Difficulty: 2
Level of Effectiveness: 6
Here’s the deal: Alex came across this video on YouTube, and I was totally intrigued — if not a little terrified. Still, the materials (food-grade and FDA-approved) seemed much safer than lip injections, so I thought, why not?

Once you get that sucker on there, all is well and tingly, but it took a few tries to get the cup to stay in place. You have to take smaller, shorter breaths. Also, it took me a hot second to realize the skinnier cups are supposed to be used vertically to target your cupid’s bow. Oops.

If you don’t mind the red suction ring you get around your mouth — though the instructions state that shouldn’t happen with practice and patience — it actually works. My lips did look and feel bigger. Will I keep these stashed in my purse to pull out before a selfie? Maybe. (But only if no one is around.)

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Colleen Kratofil, Writer/Reporter
What I Tried: Lip plumping with natural products
Level of Difficulty: 2
Level of Effectiveness: 1
Here’s the deal: I’m not totally on the Kylie lip train, but seeing as it’s the hottest beauty trend of the moment, I wanted to give it a try — just with a more natural approach. Peppermint and cinnamon are both known skin irritants, meaning they stimulate blood vessels and fill in fine lines — so after finding a super easy-to-make recipe for a cinnamon scrub, I decided to give it a shot. (I’m not a DIY girl in the slightest, so trust me when I say it’s a painless project).

I made a small sampling using easy-to-find ingredients: two parts brown sugar, one part each olive oil, raw honey and ground cinnamon. (The “raw” honey detail is an important one to remember. It’s gummier than the honey used as a spread on your morning toast and gives the scrub the consistency of a lip balm.)

I really felt the dead skin melting away thanks to the rough brown sugar, and the sticky texture of the honey made it so easy to apply. Fair warning, it will get in your mouth, but that’s not such a bad thing since it’s super-delicious. I felt a slight stinging from the cinnamon, and while my lips felt fuller, there just wasn’t a very drastic physical change. I totally recommend using the yummy scrub when you need to give your lips a little TLC, but if you’re looking for a sexy selfie session to showcase a plump pout, this may not produce the results you were going for.

Brittany Talarico, Style News Editor:
What I Tried: The Shot Glass Challenge
Level of Difficulty: 10
Level of Effectiveness: I don’t know, I wouldn’t finish it. See the video for my thoughts!

What’s the most crazy you’ll go for full lips? Tell us below!

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