There’s the refined, subtly defined Paris pout. There’s the plump but conservative London lip. And, of course, there’s Hollywood’s fixation on the overblown Melanie Griffith mouth. But Australia? We’re about a well-defined cupid’s bow and careful proportion. And, according to plastic surgeon Dr Steven Liew, this so-called ‘Sydney lip’ is the shape of kissers to come.
It seems more women are ordering upsized lips, but less believe the bigger, the better. Or that an Angelina is for everyone…
Having recently returned from the International Master Course on Ageing Skin (the APEC of cosmetic surgery conferences), where he shared a panel with lip plumpers from the US, France and Britain, Dr Liew reports that as global demand for enhancement has ballooned, designer lips are actually shrinking.
“Very few women suit the large, pouty lips that we have seen in the past – at home and abroad,” says Dr Liew. “A tailored, more natural look invariably looks more attractive.” So, especially in Australia, women are asking for customised, feature-balanced lips that look like their own, only plumper.
Sound like pure vanity? Think again. The Sydney lip might just be part of a survival-of-the-prettiest evolution. Apparently, Australians want juicier lips to fight back against our sexy-sapping climate. “Unlike European countries, the Australian climate can lend to greater dehydration and premature ageing and loss of volume of the lips” explains a media release from Dr Liew’s Sydney clinic.
Hmm. I’ve always been more preoccupied by Australia’s melanoma stats than small lips, myself. Though, then again, anything sharper and pointier than a make-up brush makes me cry. Don’t get me wrong, I covet plush, cushiony lips too; I’m just unlikely to be tempted by injectibles.
But what about you? A Newspoll study says one in three Australian women between 18 and 34 would consider filler if they thought their fuller lips would look and feel real.
