Habiba MedWant more beautiful lips, but torn between lip blush (also called BB lips) and hyaluronic acid filler? Lip blush vs lip filler: they're not the same thing at all. One adds color, the other adds volume. Here's which to choose, and in what order to do both.
Key takeaways
- Lip blush = color and definition. Filler = volume, from a doctor.
- BB lips and lip blush: it's the same thing.
- If you want both: color first, especially if your lips are very pale.
- 8 weeks between the two, in either order. Never on the same day.
Color or volume: the basic difference
Lip blush color
- Color and definition
- Lasts 3 to 4 years
- Fades over time
- No volume
Filler volume
- Volume
- Done by a doctor
- Can be dissolved by a doctor
- Needs redoing about once a year
- No color
Hyaluronic acid filler is a medical procedure, done by a doctor. Here, Habiba only talks about her own field: color.
Which to choose? It depends on your goal
- You want volume: filler from a doctor.
- You want healthier-looking lips, more defined, with color: lip blush.
- Your lips are very pale: the color creates contrast, and it looks like you have more lip, without any real volume.
How does contrast work?
Contrast is the difference between the color of your lips and the color of your skin. When your lips are the same color as the skin on your face, or nearly, there's little contrast: even lips with volume seem invisible.
In the bottom photo, the lip hasn't changed: it was respected and redrawn, and the client isn't wearing any makeup. Yet it looks fuller, so much so that you might wonder if she's had filler. She hasn't.
Since the healed lip is no longer the same color as the skin, it stands out. The result: the impression of more lip, more volume, without any hyaluronic acid filler.
Lip blush vs lip filler: the comparison
| 💄 Lip blush | 💉 Filler | |
|---|---|---|
| ✨ Result | Color and definition | Volume |
| ⏳ How long it lasts | 3 to 4 years on average | Needs redoing every year, more or less depending on the amount injected |
| 🤍 Pain | Can seem scary but doesn't hurt (scratching, warmth) | No pain thanks to the numbing cream provided by the doctor |
| 🌿 Aftereffects | Swelling: 70% goes down in 2 hours, the rest during the day; lips peel for 3 to 5 days | Ask your doctor |
| ↩️ Reversibility | Fades over time, until it's completely or almost completely gone. Otherwise, a laser session | A solution exists: the doctor can dissolve it |
Doing both: lip blush before or after filler?
Habiba's ideal: color first, then filler.
- Very pale, colorless lips with little contrast: it's better to get lip blush first. When the lip is almost invisible, it's hard to inject, which can lead to volume or asymmetry problems. Once the lip has color and definition, the doctor can inject in a more harmonious, more symmetrical way.
- Lips that are already clearly visible: you can get filler first, and lip blush afterward.
- Never on the same day.
Next: two types of lips with filler
Type 1: lots of filler. The lip is very taut and its surface is smooth. The more stretched and taut the lip, the better lip blush works. But be careful: no dark colors, and a gentle approach with the technique. These lips take color really well, and the contrast is very visible. The more filler a lip has, the paler and whiter it is.
Type 2: a reasonable amount of filler. You can still see fine lines and creases. Here too, always keep in mind a gentle technique with soft pigments: these lips hold pigment very well during healing. Since they're pale and very white, colors create a strong contrast.
Right after the session
“For lips with a lot of filler, this is my opinion as an artist: I love ombré lips. Since the lip is taut and wide, there's much more room to create the gradient from the outside in, so it really shows.”
Habiba Med
How long to wait between the two
- 8 weeks between filler and the tattoo, in either order.
- After filler, the product needs to settle. With a lot of hyaluronic acid in the lips, swelling after a tattoo can last up to 48 hours.
- After lip blush, wait until healing is over and the final result shows.
- Always tell your artist about your filler, even if it was years ago, and tell your doctor about your tattoo.
Our take
“For volume, you go to a doctor. For color, you go to a PMU artist.”
Habiba MedAll about the technique in our guide to lip blush.
Frequently asked questions
Lip blush doesn't hurt: you feel a scratching and some warmth. For filler, the doctor can provide a numbing cream: no pain.
Lip blush lasts 3 to 4 years on average. Filler needs redoing every year, more or less depending on the amount injected.
No: it adds color, not volume.
Hyaluronic acid can be dissolved by a doctor. Pigment fades over time, until it's gone or almost gone; otherwise, a laser session is the option.
Ideally before, especially if your lips are very pale. If your lips are already clearly visible, filler can come first.
8 weeks.
Yes, just let your artist know.
No. Wait 8 weeks between the two.
Yes.
Written by
Habiba Med
Permanent makeup artist since 2019 and trainer, I share what I see every day in my studio to help you make the right choices.
