Plump, Plump, Plump It Up

Well, Ms. New Beauty is finally back online. Despite losing absolutely everything that was on her hard drive - documents, pictures, music, everything - she's just glad to have a computer again and be able to spend endless hours in bed playing on the internet. You don't know just how hard it was for her to miss her almost daily dose of the Evil Eye Baby. But now she's back and ready to get back to blogging! MNB had lined a whole Valentine's beauty series that was going to be absolutely fabulous, featuring specific recommendations for ladies going out on dates, hanging with the girls, or staying home and pampering themselves, but sadly, that's no longer relevant. So she'll just jump right into a new product review just for you New Beauties that want a little more pout for your pucker.

Physicians Formula Plump Potion

I got this lip plumper in a gift bag for an event I attended. Whenever I get beauty products in gift bags, I follow the same little ritual. I dump everything out onto the floor and thoroughly review what I got and what I'm going to use. For makeup, I try it right on the spot to decide if I want to keep it, give or throw it away. Then, I use that time to edit my current collection to see if anything I already have needs to get thrown out too.

So, by the time I tried this lip plumper, I had already been under my sink, reaching into the depths of my product stash pulling things out, rearranging and throwing stuff away. I swiped some on my lips and then stopped in my tracks trying to figure out what the horrible smell was that had just overtaken my bathroom. I was sure that it was something in the plumbing under the sink that I had mistakenly let loose. It took me a good minute to realize that that strong chemical/plain old funky smell was coming from the lip plumper. That alone was enough for me to drop it in the trash. But then, my lips started burning. Not a friendly tingle, a straight up burn. There must be cinnamon extract or oil in this formula because it felt as if an entire jumbo pack of Big Red had been crushed up and put on my lips. Obviously, I didn't let the burning continue to see if it did make my lips plumper. If you have a weaker sense of smell and a higher tolerance for pain that I do, you might still be intrigued. But I recommend just skipping this one altogether.

$8.95, available at drugstores

Now, onto a much more satisfying plumping experience.

Freeze 24/7 PlumpLips

I think I may actually be addicted to this lip plumper. I keep one in my purse and another by the side of my bed. I actually slick a little bit on before bed, a habit that my boyfriend thinks is completely ridiculous. But I can't help it. I just love the way it makes my lips feel. This tingles a little when you first apply it, but unlike the Physicians Formula, it's not painful. It's just a pleasant little tingle that makes you go "hmm, that was nice." No mad dashes to the sink to wash off your lips and definitely no weird eerie smells.

What I love so much about this is the texture and staying power. This isn't thick and isn't goopy. But it's also not too thin or runny. It falls right into that happy medium area. The texture reminds me of BioSilk or another hair serum serum - thick enough to get the job done, but thin enough not to be heavy. But it also leaves my lips crazy shiny but stays on all day. The only time I need to reapply is after eating or drinking.

I am actually quite happy with the fullness of my lips. In the lip lottery, I feel like I hit the big one. I love the shape, size and fullness of my lips. So, I can't say that I've ever noticed a real plumping effect on me with this. But I have seen it work on other people's lips and make them fuller and pinker.

$40, available at Saks


Plump up your pout, but skip the stinking and the burning, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!