What's the deal with Kylie Jenner's lips?

Images via Instagram

Less than one short year ago, Kylie Jenner looked like this:

Now (at least when you're snooping on her Instagram), she looks like this:

It is true that Kylie's big sister Kim has admitted she's partial to the occasional jab with a needle. And, let's be real here, most celebrities are getting some kind of something done at the dermatologist's office. But that doesn't make Kylie guilty by association. I know this for sure and I will repeat it to anyone who will listen to me.

This isn't because I think there's something wrong or shameful about getting dermal fillers like Juvederm or Restylane (although it does seem a bit tawdry to speculate on the use thereof, especially when someone's underage). I'm partial to the occasional jab myself.

No, I think Kylie's lips aren't the result of fillers or surgery because Kylie's lips physically couldn't be made to look this way using fillers. Fillers are great for making small adjustments to the shape and size of your lips. But the emphasis here is on small. If you use too much filler in your lips, they look swollen and slug-like, a la Octomom. They don't look pretty and matte and cupid-shaped like Kylie's lips do.

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So - what's behind this major change? It's makeup. There's a reason Kylie is wearing thick lipstick in every single one of the photos above. It's because her lips are literally drawn onto her face. It's called overlining or overdrawing, and it's not the easiest look to pull off, but once you nail it, it can look pretty realistic - especially in photos.

Kylie has gotten so good at drawing on lips, she's even giving her friends lessons:

Still confused? This video explains how overdrawing works, and has a few handy tricks if you're game to brave the look yourself.

To make overlined lips look even more realistic, you can contour around the edges of your mouth. The incredibly talented @makeupby_alo demonstrates this best.

STILL don't believe me? Here's a quick and dirty overdrawn lip I did on myself:

It's hard to believe that makeup can change your face so dramatically, because makeup that can change your face so dramatically is really hard to do. But it is possible.

What isn't possible is completely changing the entire size and shape of your lips purely by injecting hyaluronic acid into them. Lips can only stretch so far without their natural texture and balance being lost. If you go to a surgeon and ask for lips like Kylie's when yours were thin to start with, I promise you, they'll either tell you 'no' or  you'll wind up looking like poor Nadya Suleman.

For another great overdrawing tutorial, head over to xoVain.

Do you believe me now? Would you try overdrawing for yourself?