Dear Anne,
I love the look of plump lips, but I’m not about to run out and get collagen injections. I’ve tried a few lip plumpers, but I feel like they either don’t work or they sting so bad that I end up not using them more than once. Any suggestions?
-Courtney L.
Ah, Courtney, from the looks of it, you’re suffering from the age-old “stinging smackers syndrome,” which arrived en masse when Angelina Jolie came on the scene. True, injections do the trick, but for those of us who don’t want to pay someone to stab needles in our lips, topical lip plumpers are certainly another option. Of course, like you mentioned, we have a sneaky suspicion that the masterminds behind some pucker plumping potions are masochists at heart (just ask blogger Kelly Gould about her experience with the lip plumper she calls El Diablo.)
The bottom line is that without the help of a good doctor, your lips are not going to look exactly like Miss Jolie’s, but you’re probably better off anyway, since very few people can pull that off (and Octomom Nadya Suleman isn’t one of them). Nonetheless, all is not lost in your quest for a big mouth, so here are a few pucker-plumping pointers.
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Look for lemon. Pain-free plumpers like Huge Lips Skinny Hips feature lemon peel oil, which tends to counteract/neutralize the S factor (stinging). Rule of thumb: Products using the words “venom,” “injection” or “stings like a mo-fo” are probably best avoided if you’re terrified of tingling.
- Fork over the dough. Sure, the e.l.f. lip plumper is only a buck, but does it really make your lips any bigger? Not so much. In our ongoing search for plumpers that actually work, one really stands out above the rest — HydroPeptide Lip. Sure, it retails at $38, but the proof of a truly plump pout is staring you in the face, and it’s not that tingly either.
- Fake it. Who ever said fake is bad? You can create the illusion of fuller lips with lip liner, lipstick and a hint of gloss. Simply line your lips just outside of the natural line (keep it close, though, or you’ll look like Carol Channing), and fill in the rest of your lips. Apply a matching shade of lipstick for staying power and apply a dab of gloss in a lighter shade right in the middle of your pucker.
Good luck, and keep us updated on what you try out!
Photos: Cover – Stock Xchnge user loleia; Huge Lips Skinny Hips; BeautyXpose/HydroPeptide
Disclaimer: HydroPeptide provided complimentary for purposes of review
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