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I Tried Nam Vo’s Dewy Dumpling Lip Technique With Photos

I Tried the Dewy Dumpling Lip Technique That's All Over Instagram

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  • Nam Vo is a celebrity makeup artist known for her dewy skin hacks.
  • She recently shared a hack that delivers camera-ready lips in five steps.
  • One editor tried Vo's lip technique and was impressed with the results.

I am a lip product fanatic. I have tried what feels like every single lipstick, lip gloss, and lip balm on the market, and I fully intend on continuing to grow my collection. One of my favourite parts about the lip category are the various looks you can create. I've tried everything from the '90s supermodel lip, the ombre lip — I even had a greige lip moment that I now shudder thinking back on.

One evening as I was scrolling through Instagram, I came across a video by celebrity makeup artist Nam Vo, who revealed her "dewy dumpling pout" technique she frequently uses on her clients. The technique, which includes five steps, revealed the most stunning natural pink lip shade that looked perfect in photos. Of course, I had to try it.

Step 1: Apply Concealer. In the video, Vo started by using a concealer that was the same shade of the model's skin tone to cancel out the natural colour of her lips. For my lips, I used the NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer (£24) in the shade Amande. Using the Rephr 01 Brush, I applied the concealer all over my lip but kept it within my natural lip line.

Step 2: Line the Lips. Using a deeper shade of concealer, Vo then outlined the model's lips. Since I only have concealer that matches my skin tone, I swapped this step for a deep brown lip pencil: the Sephora Rouge Gel Lip Liner in the shade Molasses. Using the pencil, I outlined my lips as I normally would.

Step 3: Tap on Your Lip Colour. Vo tapped a light pink shade onto the model's lip using a flat brush. To get a similar hue, I used the Rephr 02 Brush ($24) and the Huda Beauty Power Bullet Matte Lipstick (£22) in the shade Board Meeting. Coating the brush very generously with the lipstick, I applied the shade in short tapping motions until my entire lip was covered.

Step 4: Create the Ombre Effect. This already gave me the most gorgeous neutral lip colour and I wanted to stop here, but there were two more steps to go so I forged ahead. For the next step, Vo used a red lipstick to give a sort of ombre effect to the model's lip. Using the Lip Bar Bawse Lady Liquid Lipstick, I applied three small dots near the centre of my lip and blended it with the 02 brush once more.

Step 5: Mix Your Concealer With Gloss, then Apply to Lips. The addition of the red lipstick gave a beautiful "just bitten" look to my lips, but there was one additional step to go before I'd have completed this technique, which Vo said in the video is the key to the entire look. For this part, she mixed the first concealer that she used with a clear lip gloss and applied the mixture to the entire lip. Taking the NARS concealer again and mixing it with the MAC Cosmetics Clear Lipglass (£16.50), I did the same and applied the final concoction to my lips.

This step threw me off a bit, as I may have mixed too much concealer with the lip gloss and it ended up looking too opaque. I did end up fixing it by adding more lip liner and a hint of red lipstick, so all wasn't lost — and I ultimately ended up loving the lip look.

Would I try this hack again? Probably not. While the colour was gorgeous, wearing that many layers of product on my lips felt a little too thick for my everyday look. That said, I'll definitely be keeping this lip technique in my back pocket any time I need to be photo-ready (even if it's just on Instagram).

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Ariel Baker
NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer
NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer
£24
from cultbeauty.co.uk
Buy Now
I Tried Nam Vo’s Dewy Dumpling Lip Technique With Photos
Rephr 02 Brush
$24
from rephr.com
Buy Now
Huda Beauty Power Bullet Matte Lipstick
Huda Beauty Power Bullet Matte Lipstick
£22
from cultbeauty.co.uk
Buy Now
MAC Cosmetics Clear Lipglass
MAC Cosmetics Clear Lipglass
£16.50
from boots.com
Buy Now
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