Much in thanks to women such as Kylie Jenner and Angelina Jolie in the media, big, luscious lips have become an iconic symbol of beauty in today’s world. Plump, over-sized pouts are being spotted from the streets to the red carpet and everywhere in between. Full, round and soft, these pouts are quintessentially feminine and downright sexy, so it’s easy to see why they’re having a major moment. Combined also with a boom in bold, coloured lips (hello Lip Kits), and the mouth has become the most important focal point of the face.


Now, before all you girls with naturally thin lips start panicking and contemplating cosmetic procedures, relax. Expensive and often uncomfortable injections and fillers aren’t the only way to achieve the pout of your dreams. So hold the needle because we’re here to show how you can get the lips you want with ease. All you need is the right beauty product, and you’ll be loving your natural lips in no time.

What is a Lip Plumper?

A lip plumper is the perfect beauty product to use if you’re looking for bigger and fuller lips. Without any surgery or injections, lip plumpers will give your pout an extra punch by physically making your lips larger. They’re one of the fastest and most affordable ways to add volume to your pout with ease. The best lip plumpers will subtly make your lips appear larger and rounder for a naturally full look. They work by using certain ingredients to irritate your lips. Pepper, cinnamon and peppermint are standard lip plumping ingredients which all cause a reaction to the thin skin of lips. The desired outcome is slight swelling and reddening of the lips to make them appear larger, more voluminous and richer in colour. This reaction causes a slight tingling feeling in lips when the product is applied.

Lip plumpers can come in a range of formulas, including serums, glosses and balms and choosing the right product is crucial to obtaining the desired results. After all, choose the wrong product and your lips could end up no different to how they started, or worse, a burning, red, fiery mess of swelling. Luckily, we’ve done the hard work for you and picked out the best of the bunch with proven results. Now all you have to think about is your application technique.

How to Use Lip Plumpers

While choosing the right formula is an essential tool for achieving a luscious pout, using your lip plumper in the correct way is just as important. Serums, glosses and balms all differ in the way they work and therefore must be treated differently in the way that they are applied. Lip plumping serums are highly moisturising and as such work best when incorporated into your skin care regime. Store your lip plumping serum in your bathroom with your lotions and apply in the morning when you’re moisturising your face. Then allow the serum to absorb thoroughly before applying any lipstick or lip gloss, as you would your moisturiser with makeup.


Plumping balms and glosses work much like their non-plumping counterparts. Plumping balms are great to use in the morning and throughout the day for a natural-looking plumped up pout. The soft and moisture-rich formula is great as a subtle alternative to gloss or lipstick. The easy application makes it a great on-the-go companion that can act as a lipstick base when day turns to night. Lip plumping gloss, on the other hand, has the perfect wow-factor for shiny, full-volume lips. The formula, which works best when applied right before leaving the house, has a glassy effect that only serves to enhance the full look of lips. Carry your lip gloss with you and reapply every 4 hours or so for continued effect without over-doing it.

Best Lip Plumpers

1. Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme

If you’re looking for a lip plumping serum, you can’t go past Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme. This strong little product comes highly recommended from beauty industry members and users alike. Use it every morning (and night if you wish) and you’ll see a noticeable difference instantly. Apply sparingly by dabbing lightly in the centre of lips before carefully blending outwards, staying within the lip line. The formula, which tingles lips, is powerful enough to transform even the thinnest lips into a luscious pout. 

2. DuWop Lip Venom

DuWop Lip Venom was the first lip plumper ever on the market, which is part of the reason why it’s such a cult favourite. The other part is the fact that it works incredibly well. The zingy serum uses essential oils to bring blood rushing to the surface of your lips, leaving them plump and flushed. The instant circulation boost creates lips that are a perfect shade of pink with “bee-stung” fullness. Although the serum does not contain venom, it does contain jojoba and avocado oil for intense moisture and shine. 

3. Grande Lips Hydrating Lip Plumper

Grande Lips Hydrating Lip Plumper is quick working and durable. This potent serum may cause lips to tingle when applied but with guaranteed results, a little discomfort is a small price to pay. The clinically proven formula will leave you with lasting larger lips when applied twice daily for 30 days. Best applied to clean, dry lips, this lip plumper will also hydrate skin as it soaks in. Featuring the super moisturising ingredient, Hyaluronic Acid, Grande Lips will give you a luscious pout with ease. 

4. Fusion Beauty Lip Fusion XL

Fusion Beauty Lip Fusion XL is a super powered serum that combines dehydrated Marine Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid to deliver you visibly full and moisturised lips. Apply this potent beauty product with a generous coat to clean, dry lips before bed each night. Then let the formula work its magic and wake up to lips that look and feel doubled in size and smoothness. Results will last all day, giving you a luscious pout with no hourly reapplication necessary.

5. Dior Addict Lip Maximizer

Dior Addict Lip Maximizer is the best lip plumping gloss on the market. Its moisturising formula goes on with ease and is long lasting, with minimal reapplications needed throughout the day. The gloss creates shiny, full looking lips in an instant for a softly plumped pout. The gentle formula offers a slight tingle when applied to let you know that it’s taking effect, but is overall non-irritating (no burning sensations). Also featuring a minty-fresh scent, this lip plumping gloss leaves lips feeling refreshed, full and smooth all day long.

6. Smashbox O-Plump Intuitive Lip Plumper

Smashbox O-Plump Intuitive Lip Plumper is a great “one shade suits all” clear to pink gloss. The intuitive formula is applied as a clear gloss but reacts with your individual chemistry to turn the most flattering shade of pink for your lips. While creating your custom shade, the lip gloss will also work to plump up your lips slightly, making them appear larger and fuller. The result will see you have luscious lips that are a gorgeous colour and subtly shiny. 

7. City Lips Lip Plumping Treatment

Unlike other products, City Lips boasts that it’s a lip treatment rather than a traditional lip plumper. Instead of causing irritation to lips, as regular plumpers do, City Lips uses exclusive ingredients to stimulate collagen production and reduce its breakdown. Over time, this sees lips gradually become fuller and lines around the lips reduced. The formula may not work instantly like a regular lip plumper, but continued use will see ongoing noticeably larger lips. Just apply twice daily for long term results. 

8. Glamglow Plumprageous Gloss Lip Treatment

You’ll become addicted to the full-volume, high-shine finish of Glamglow’s Plumprageous Gloss Lip Treatment. Its non-sticky formula instantly plumps up lips while offering continued enhancement over time. Formulated with high-potency botanical actives, this clear gloss will create noticeably fuller lips with a super-smooth finish. Wear it alone for shiny, natural looking lips or apply it over the top of any matte lip colour for a sexy, va-va-voom pout. 

9. DuWop Prime Venom Lip Plumping Balm

As far as dual purpose lip plumping balms go, DuWop Prime Venom Lip Plumping Balm is the best. This easy-to-apply product is the perfect choice for anyone with thin, dry lips. The formula is richly hydrating, featuring macadamia nut oil to leave lips soft and smooth. The balm also utilises a blend of essential oils, including cinnamon, ginger and wintergreen, to leave lips full and plump. The matte finish is perfect for days when you want big lips without the gloss, and the balm’s conditioning properties make it a great base for lipstick.  

10. Dior Creme de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm

Dior Creme de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm does exactly as the name suggests. It both smooths and plumps lips with the power of a lip balm and lip plumper in one. The gentle formula will leave your pout soft, moisturised and full, for some seriously kissable lips. Made with rare Damask Rose essential oil extract, along with Shea butter and an anti-aging complex, this product is perfect for dehydrated lips. It also smells great thanks to its fresh rose scent. 

11. Shiseido Benefiance Full Correction Lip Treatment

Shiseido Benefiance Full Correction Lip Treatment is a richly moisturising balm that enhances lip contours for a naturally plumped look. Formulated with Marine Collagen, this product works gradually but effectively for sustained results. Continued use sees lips become fuller, softer and almost entirely line free.  The water-resistant “Super Fix” formula also makes this balm the ideal primer to lipstick, keeping it in place while locking in moisture. Try it for yourself, particularly if you have dry, chapped or sensitive lips. 

12. Transformulas Lip Volume

Transformulas Lip Volume is a lip plumper that feels like a balm and looks like a clear gloss. The sting-less formula is cooling to lips and works instantly to create a fuller looking pout. It works by increasing the volume of lips by drawing blood to them, making them larger and redder. The balm aspect of this product also works to help re-hydrate dry lips to help them appear less chapped and reduce the appearance of lines. By applying this product, you’ll have softer younger-looking lips before you know it.