This Treatment Gave Me Fuller-Looking Lips Without Filler

This semi-permanent makeup option is threatening to throw microblading off its popularity perch.

My first brush with semi-permanent makeup came in 2017, when I booked in to have my eyebrows microbladed as part of my pre-wedding prep.

I wouldn’t consider my natural brows sparse by any stretch, but I was obsessed with the result. Fuller, fluffier brows not only balanced my features, but made me feel more polished.

And so, my curiosity in other cosmetic tattooing methods was piqued, especially when other treatments like nano lash line and lip blushing started gaining traction.

Akin to microblading, neither of these treatments are exactly “new”, and the origin of cosmetic tattooing can be traced as far back as ancient Egypt.

In the time since, the practice has evolved with the next generation of pigments, not to mention finely-honed techniques which guarantee the most natural result possible.

It’s for this reason that more and more people are opting to have their lips tattooed these days; the cheat’s way of faking the kind of volume and fullness of filler — all without the needle.

The promise

Britney Ackland has cemented her reputation as one of Auckland’s cosmetic tattooists at the top of their game.

It’s here Britney offers a suite of grooming treatments, including lip tint tattooing which she launched this year.

The advanced cosmetic tattooing technique is said to enhance the colour and redefine the shape of natural lips by laying down lip-toned pigments. The result is lips that have a more defined, smooth border, and a natural-looking flush of colour.

The treatment recruits a superficial tattoo device, which deposits pigments under the top layer of the lips using tiny needles as the tech draws and colours them on to the surface.

“This treatment is a game changer if you have pale lips, if you’re wanting to change your natural undertone, if they’re lacking definition or if you rely on lip products to bring colour to your complexion,” Britney says.

The practice

Let me be the first to say I’ve never been a fan of needles.

Despite regularly getting Botox and donning five tattoos elsewhere on my body, I tend to clam up when anything pointy is put in my direction.

In saying that, I was immediately put at ease when I arrived at Britney’s Jervois Rd studio to find she had a tube of lidocaine (numbing cream) ready to smooth on my lips before she began.

My bottom lip is considerably fuller than my top, so I asked if she could achieve a bit more facial symmetry by adding definition up top. The answer was a resounding yes, with Britney adding that I was an excellent candidate for lip tint tattooing due how pale my natural lips are (see below).

As my lips (and lower face region) became progressively more numb, Britney pulled out shade swatches to ensure the tint colour was as natural-looking as possible.

I wear lipstick regularly (Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillowtalk is my go-to) so I opted for a similar shade to that — a gentle rose that wouldn’t throw too pink when worn under a nude lipstick, or look unnatural when I go bare-faced.

Surprisingly, the longest part of the session was the prep steps. Britney took her time pre-drawing my lip line with a white pencil before the tattooing process began.

As I lay on the table, Britney made regular tweaks, before asking me to sit up and check the shape in the mirror. We repeated this dance a handful of times until we agreed that she’d drawn on a perfectly symmetrical lip line.

Britney explained that two treatments are required to achieve optimum results — the first to get the outline right and lay down the first layer of pigment, while the second treatment four to six weeks later adds colour depth and definition.

It was time for the needle.

It buzzed the same way a tattooist’s pen does, but thanks to the layer of lidocaine, the sensations I felt were only slightly scratchy.

Some regions were more sensitive than others, like the outer corner of my lips. The discomfort was short-lived, despite the multiple passes required to lay down the pigment.

All up my first appointment took two hours, the first hour was mostly the consult and perfecting my lip line, the second was the actual tattooing.

Armed with a pot of Bepanthen to apply regularly to ensure my lips stayed hydrated, and I was sent on my way.

Typically, your second treatment should be booked within four to six weeks of your first, but due to sickness/work schedules/lack of babysitters etc., mine was pushed out by two months.

This appointment was slightly shorter than the first (roughly 90 minutes), with Britney focusing more on defining my cupid’s bow and adding depth at the outer corners of my lips.

The place

Bo. Beauty, 37 Jervois Rd, Ponsonby, Auckland. See Bobeauty.co.nz.

The price

The initial lip tint tattoo session is priced at $600, with subsequent sessions or touch-ups priced from $400. Colour refresh treatments are required every two to five years depending on skin type and lifestyle. Contra-indications apply, especially if you suffer from cold sores.

The verdict

It wasn’t until my second appointment that I truly fell in love with my results.

The first made a difference in terms of colour, yes, but after my second the shape, definition and dimension achieved has meant I often go without lipstick and just opt for an un-tinted balm or gloss instead.

My lips are now the most subtle pink shade all over, with a defined lip line and slightly pointed cupid’s bow, which gives the illusion of fuller lips but without using actual filler.

Lip tattooing doesn’t replace filler, but it can enhance the shape, symmetry and borders of the lips in the same way using a lip liner does.

For me, the treatment has given me a confidence boost by evening out the difference in volume from my top and bottom lip (if only by illusion) and the colour feels fresh and youthful.

I’m extremely time-poor, so I also love that I can roll out of bed and look somewhat pulled together with minimal effort.

As we age, it’s common to lose lip pigment, so this treatment is certainly one I’ll continue to rebook as time marches on.

Ask the beauty editor

We have expert answers to your cosmetic quandaries.

How Do I Conceal A Pimple Without Drawing Attention To It? Tips on how to disguise a zit before a big event.

How Can I Stop My Skincare From Pilling? Help! My topicals keep balling up instead of sinking in.

What Are Your Favourite Supermarket Beauty Buys? Accessible actives you should add to trolley

Does Laser Hair Removal Hurt? As spring beckons, one reader asks for the ins and outs of laser hair removal.