Everyone has an opinion on Madelyn Cline’s face. It’s unavoidable. Since she first burst onto the scene as Sarah Cameron in Outer Banks, the internet has been obsessed with her pout. You’ve probably seen the TikToks. People are literally gluing their lips back to mimic her look. But when it comes to the constant chatter about Madelyn Cline lip fillers, the truth is a lot more nuanced than a simple "yes" or "no" from a gossip rag.
People love a good transformation story. They see a photo from 2017 and compare it to a high-definition still from Glass Onion, screaming "filler!" without considering how lighting, age, or a professional makeup artist works. Madelyn was barely 22 when Outer Banks premiered. Now she’s 28. Faces change. Faces mature.
The Mystery of the "Sarah Cameron" Pout
If you look at Madelyn’s earlier work—think her tiny role in Stranger Things or early modeling shots—she’s always had naturally full lips. It’s genetic. She’s even mentioned in interviews that she gets some of her features from her grandfather. But that hasn't stopped the speculation from reaching a fever pitch every time a new season drops on Netflix.
The "lip flip" theory is the big one. Fans on Reddit and Yik Yak have spent hours analyzing the way her top lip curls upward. For the uninitiated, a lip flip isn't actually filler; it’s a tiny bit of Botox injected into the muscle above the upper lip. It relaxes the muscle and makes the lip "flip" outward, giving the illusion of more volume without actually adding any substance.
Some think she’s gone beyond that. They point to the "keyhole" gap—that little space between the top and bottom lip when the mouth is closed—as a classic sign of Madelyn Cline lip fillers. Is it proof? Not necessarily. Some people are just born with that anatomy. Honestly, unless she walks into a room and shows us her medical records, we’re all just guessing.
What Madelyn Says About the Scrutiny
Madelyn isn't oblivious. She knows you’re talking about her. In a 2025 interview with Allure, she called the public's obsession with her changing appearance "very bizarre." She’s been remarkably candid about the fact that her body and face fluctuate. Stress, breakups, diet, and even her period—she’s listed all of them as reasons why she might look different from one day to the next.
"From season to season on Outer Banks, my appearance has changed with lots of factors: stress, breakups, healthy or unhealthy habits with food. It’s normal life." — Madelyn Cline
🔗 Read more: Why 2010 Deaths Still Feel Like a Massive Shift in Pop Culture
This is a refreshing take in an industry that usually demands perfection. She’s also been open about her past struggles with disordered eating, which makes the constant commentary on her physical appearance even more sensitive. When you've worked hard to have a healthy relationship with your body, having millions of people scrutinize your lip volume must be exhausting.
The Role of "Smoke and Mirrors" Makeup
Don't underestimate a good lip liner. Madelyn’s makeup artist, Ash K. Holm, has frequently shared the "recipe" for Madelyn’s red carpet looks. It usually involves a heavy dose of contouring and specific plumping products.
- Contouring: Using a cool-toned brown liner to create a shadow under the bottom lip and above the cupid's bow. This creates depth.
- Overlining: Just a hair outside the natural border.
- High-Shine Gloss: Reflecting light right in the center of the pout to make it look three-dimensional.
At the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards, the "secret" wasn't a needle. It was a combination of Buxom’s Plumpline Lip Liner and their Plump Shot collagen serum. It gives that "just bitten" look that everyone mistakes for a fresh syringe of Juvederm.
Expert Opinions: What the Pros Think
Plastic surgeons love to weigh in on celebrity faces. It’s basically their version of fantasy football. Many aesthetic experts who have analyzed her "before and afters" suggest that if she is getting work done, it's incredibly tasteful.
Dr. Chip Cole, a well-known surgeon, noted in a YouTube analysis that her features have become more "defined" over time. While he mentioned the possibility of fillers, he also pointed out that "buccal fat removal" or simple aging could be the culprit for her more sculpted jawline and cheekbones.
The consensus among the more "pro-natural" crowd is that she might be doing "baby filler." This is where an injector puts in a tiny, almost imperceptible amount of hyaluronic acid just to maintain hydration and shape rather than to "inflate."
Why the Obsession Persists
We live in an era of "Instagram Face." We're used to seeing filtered, filled, and frozen faces. When we see someone like Madelyn Cline, who is objectively stunning, we instinctively look for the "seam." We want to know how the magic trick is done.
But there’s a downside to this. The #SarahCameronLips challenge on TikTok, where girls used lash glue to pin their lips up, was genuinely dangerous. It shows how much influence a single celebrity’s features can have on beauty standards.
Whether it's Madelyn Cline lip fillers or just world-class genes and a great lip scrub, the fascination says more about us than it does about her. We're looking for a shortcut to a look that is mostly just... her.
📖 Related: Gerard Butler and Morgan Brown: What Really Happened Between Them
How to Get the Look (The Safe Way)
If you’re chasing that Sarah Cameron aesthetic, you don't need a medical procedure. You can get 90% of the way there with a few tweaks to your routine.
- Exfoliate: You can't have a smooth pout if your lips are flaky. Use a sugar scrub twice a week.
- Hydrate from within: It sounds cliché, but dehydration makes your lips shrivel. Drink your water.
- The "Lip Flip" Makeup Trick: Use a liner that is one shade darker than your natural lip color. Focus the most volume on the center of the bottom lip.
- Use Peptide Treatments: Products with peptides or hyaluronic acid can temporarily swell the lip tissue without the sting of old-school cinnamon plumpers.
The most important thing to remember is that Madelyn Cline is a professional actress with a team of people dedicated to making her look a certain way. Her "natural" look on screen often takes two hours of hair and makeup. Comparison is the thief of joy, especially when you're comparing your morning face to a Netflix star's "Pogue" chic.
Focus on enhancing your own natural shape rather than trying to replicate someone else’s DNA. Use a high-quality lip treatment like the Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment or the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask to keep things plump and healthy. If you’re truly considering fillers, consult with a board-certified dermatologist who prioritizes "natural-looking" results over the "overfilled" look.