No Need to Pout—Your Lips are Gorgeous!

Anyone else a little surprised by the Kylie Jenner plumper lip challenge a few months ago? Maybe it’s just me, but I’m shocked so many women are obsessed with getting plumper lips. It shouldn’t be a surprise though.Women have wanted plump, full lips for hundreds of years. As with most beauty issues, it’s all in the name of making ourselves more attractive to the opposite sex. The problem is far too many women are taking extreme measures. This leaves them with bruised lips, duck face or other embarrassing results. I know it’s hard to swallow, but it’s just not worth it. Men Love Them If given the choice between thin lips and full lips, men prefer the full ones. They stand out and look more kissable. As a woman, I have to admit I find fuller lips far more attractive too. Think about the celebrities men drool over. It’s stars such as Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson. They’re bombshells in their own right, but what woman hasn’t been envious of their lips? I wish I could have them too, but I’m just made differently. Just remember that men aren’t just attracted to lips. Their eyes are drawn to other physical features as well. Of course, you could just take my approach and wear some red lipstick! Celebrity Pressure For years, women have wanted to be just like their favorite celebrities. We work ourselves to the bone to have the same perfect bodies that we see on the tabloids. Is it any wonder we’re obsessed with getting plumper lips too? The thing women forget is we don’t have a makeup crew or Photoshop waiting to make our lips look perfect. I gave up on ultra plump lips years ago. I saw the before and after shots of several celebrities and realized even the sexiest women have thinner looking lips. They just had the resources to fake the look. Of course, celebrities tend to resort to injections, fillers and surgery to make up for what they think they lack. Normal women have to think more about everyday bills than special cosmetic procedures. Social Media Bragging I love social media, but I hate it too. Nothing makes you feel worse about yourself than looking at picture after picture of all your friends and all the celebrities you follow seeming flawless. At the very least, you think they look better than you. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have made it impossible not to believe you have to go to drastic measures to look beautiful. It doesn’t matter what others look like, but with the constant body image pressure women are under, we don’t see it that way. We just want to be able to post images just as attractive as all the others. The obsession really took hold when the Kylie Jenner Challenge went viral. Thousands of women and men took the plump lip challenge. Instead of fessing up about her plump lips, she challenged people to suction a small glass to their lips. One look at the competitors’ images and you’ll quickly see how bad of an idea that truly is. It does prove how obsessed women are with achieving the truly pouty look. Full Equals Youth I hate the idea that my lips are just going to get thinner as I get older. I know there are things I can do to prevent some of the thinning, but I can’t stop it completely. As we all know, women are obsessed with looking younger. It’s not so much about the age itself, it’s about looking attractive no matter what age you are. My point is women and men equate fuller lips with youth. Since our lips thin as we age, we all think thinner lips mean a person is older. A 30 year old with ultra thin lips tends to look much older than she really is. This only applies if the only thing others see is our lips. I’m just as guilty as any other for obsessing over a single perceived beauty flaw and forgetting to look at the whole picture. Sure, the lips might look older, but if the skin is free of fine lines and wrinkles, the person still looks young. It all boils down to the desire to always seem younger and the obsession only gets worse with age. A Growing Trend Like many beauty trends, plumper lips are the in thing right now. Years ago, a larger backside was mocked, but now women are getting implants to better fill out their jeans. Full lips are no different. With pop culture influencing women now more than ever, fuller lips have taken off since they’re seen on the cover of every beauty magazine and tabloid. I’ve noticed lips seeming larger on models, actresses and musicians for several years now. It’s not all that surprising to see the trend catching on with women everywhere. I can’t see women ever giving up completely on plumper lips, but I do see the trend gradually lessening. As soon as another celebrity claims thin lips with purple lipstick are the next great trend, you’ll see women clamoring to find purple lipstick and flatten their lips. The Path to Plumper Lips Some doctors are starting to turn away women in their quest for full, youthful looking lips. Why? Women want a drastic overhaul. I’ve seen women with a top lip that’s four times bigger than their bottom. I’ve also seen women proudly walk by with duck lips. I always secretly hope these lips are the result of some type of allergy and the women will look normal again when the swelling goes down. Believe it or not, some women think this looks good. For others, it’s a tragic side effect of surgery or fillers gone wrong. It’s extremely difficult to get enhanced lips that look even remotely natural. It’s far too tempting to go overboard to ensure everyone notices. Women have resorted to injections, fillers and permanent lip alterations in their quest for plumper lips. Stick With Natural In the end, natural looks better. I’d much rather have thinner lips than have a doctor stick a needle in my lips, especially if I just look strange the next day. I prefer things like cinnamon oil and peppermint oil mixed in with my lip balm. I get a fuller look without any nasty side effects. There are plenty of lip plumping glosses, as well. Of course, you could always try lip exercises. I’ve never done them myself, but many women swear by them. Regular exfoliation also helps by improving circulation. It’s not that difficult to try a few natural methods. The result is beautiful, natural looking lips. They might not be as plump as Angelina Jolie’s, but they’re yours. Be proud of yours lips and don’t obsess over yet another beauty trend.