A statement red lip is the ultimate go-to classic beauty look, both on and off the red carpet, however if you don't pick the right shade it can leave you looking a bit washed out with thin lips. When applying your lipstick it's important to take into account the natural shape of your lips, to get the most of this old Hollywood-esque beauty look. Both the colour you choose and the way you apply it can help compensate if you have problems with your lips being thinner or thicker than the ideal.
Lipstick is a great way of changing the look of your lips to make them fuller or thinner
With the amount of shades available, choosing the right lipstick can be somewhat overwhelming, however experts at Max Factor have revealed their top tips for making lips either thicker or thinner, narrowing down what sort of colours you should be going for.
Disguising thicker lips
Outline the lips just inside the natural border to reduce volume. Then, fill in with dark matte colours - deep reds, burgundy and brown tones are great examples. Avoid light colours and shiny or pearlised finishes, as the shimmer will only emphasise the size of your lips.
Add volume to thinner lips
Here, of course, the aim is to make you lips look plumper, so start by drawing the outline just outside of your natural lip line. Avoid dark matte colours as these focus and reduce apparent volume. Instead, opt for lighter and brighter colours. Go for glossy lips, but avoid too much shimmer - a gloss with a slight pearlised finish gives a less defined shimmery effect for a glamorous look.
