beauty

Just four lip plumping products we had no idea about.

 

This wonderful nugget of beauty wisdom comes courtesy of Mamamia’s beauty podcast, You BeautyTo ensure you never miss an episode, listen to You Beauty here for free. It’s a blast.

When you’re trying to get pregnant or are pregnant, there’s a bunch of beauty things experts reckon you really shouldn’t do.

Retinol products. Any skincare with vitamin A. Botox. For some, that list extends to getting your nails done, hair dye, fake tan and whatever you’re personally not comfortable with.

Lip fillers (and any form of dermal fillers) aren’t recommended for women trying to conceive naturally, trying to conceive through IVF or pregnant women. For some pregnant women, that’s OK because, hello, apparently your lips are one of the many body parts that can get bigger during pregnancy.

Want more tips for applying lippie like a pro? We asked our resident makeup artist to give us her best hacks, post continues after video.

Video by MMC

Not so much if you’re not yet pregnant but want to be, and you feel insecure about your lips.

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Enter, lip plumpers.

Yep. Those plumping lip glosses you slathered on in high school that taste like peppermint and tingle in a way you’re not sure is entirely enjoyable.

Speaking on Mamamia’s You Beauty podcast, executive editor and beauty journalist of 15 years Leigh Campbell said the lip plumper has come a long way since you last probably tried one.

“When lip plumpers became a thing, they literally felt like your face was being eaten off by ants. Lip plumpers are often made with menthol or cinnamon, and what they’re actually doing is aggravating the lip and causing blood to flow to the area, which is why they go pink and red and bigger,” Leigh said (listen to the full episode below, post continues after audio).

“It’s wise to not do any botox or fillers while you are about to start assisted reproduction – it took me three years to fall pregnant naturally after many rounds of IVF and I didn’t do any [botox or fillers] during that time. Lip plumpers aren’t permanent like fillers, but they’re a great option.”

Here are four very excellent lip plumpers if you’re after a fuller lip look, without fillers.

Best lip plumpers.

1. Dior Backstage Dior Addict Lip Maximizer, $49.

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Image: Dior.
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Leigh loves this Dior lip plumper. It's on the exxy side, but it delivers with a wash of non-sticky colour and the lip plumping tingly benefits.

2. Too Faced Lip Injection, $34.

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This cult lip plumper comes in a clear colour, as well as tinted versions and mini versions you can try first before splurging on the full-sized product.

3. DB Designer Brands Lip Boost Plumping Treatment, $11.99.

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Image: Designer Brands.
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Leigh recommended this DB lip plumper way back when the You Beauty podcast first began. It comes in three shades - clear, nude and pink - and gives just the tiniest tingle for subtly fuller lips. A great one to try if you've never used a lip plumper before. It's also cheap as chips.

4. Buxom Full On Plumping Lip Cream, $25.

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Image: Cult Beauty.
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You Beauty co-host Kelly McCarren recommended this Buxom lip plumper recently on the podcast. It comes in several shades and sits somewhere between a novice lip plumper and one that really makes you feel the burn.

Leigh added, "I often use lip liner - a very soft, nudey lip liner - and then lip balm for a fuller lip look, that's my off duty lip. I'll over-line my lip line the tiniest amount, I do think over-lined lips look like over-lined lips, but I line my lips to the very edge."

She also strongly advised against trying or buying any lip plumping machines, or trying the water bottle challenge for bigger looking lips as you'll only cause trauma to your lips.

And no one wants that, do we?

You Beauty Cheat Sheet.

Other questions Leigh and Kelly answered, as well as their ‘spendys’ and ‘saveys’ (and where you can buy them).

'When I buy food products, I know where to find the ingredients, but when it comes to beauty products, I'm stumped. Where can I find out these details?'

  • Women are caring more about what's in their beauty products.
  • The ingredient listed first on the back of the packaging is the ingredient with the highest percentage in the product, and then they're listed down to the least.
  • Often, the first ingredient will be water or a fancy name for water.
  • For retinol products, you'll only have a percentage listed if it's prescription retinol.
  • Over the counter beauty products don't legally have to list a percentage of retinol - some will because they're a cosmeceuticals brand or they'll want to appear to be high strength over the counter.
  • If you are looking for a specific percentage of retinol, go to the doctor and get a prescription - some doctors are wary of prescribing retinol, explain what it's for and why you want it.
  • In short: if an ingredient is called out on the front of the packaging, it should be high up in the ingredients list on the back of the packaging.

Leigh's Spendy: MAARKS Matte Lipstick in Blush, $29.

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Image: MAARKS.
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Why she loves it:

  • You can order this lipstick online and it comes monogrammed.
  • Makes a great gift or for a hens, bridal shower etc., it's something small but special you can get someone.
  • It's a matte lipstick and has quite a matte finish, but it's not drying.

Kelly's Spendy: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Beauty Light Wand, $60.

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Image: Charlotte Tilbury.
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Why she loves it:

  • It's a beautiful highlighter and Kelly has one in her gym bag and at home because it's so easy for on-the-go makeup.
  • The shade isn't frosty or glittery, more a lit from within glow.
  • It's got a doe foot sponge and you dab the product on the tops of cheekbones, cupid's bow - anywhere you normally put your highlighter.
  • It lasts, Kelly's had hers for a year and she uses it a few times a week.
  • Charlotte Tilbury is only available online.

Leigh's Savey: TIGI Copyright Custom Care™ Repair Booster, $27.

TIGI-copyright-custom-care-repair-booster
Image: TIGI.

Why she loves it:

  • Leigh's hair has been dryer in pregnancy and she's found her ends are looking dryer than normal.
  • It's a hair serum you put on damp hair.
  • You only need two pumps, it comes out like a cream, and you rub it between your palms to apply to the mid lengths to ends.
  • It's really nourishing, doesn't make your hair feel sticky or greasy, but you can tell it's in there and doing its job.

Kelly's Savey: Gold Coast Glow Tanning Water, $29.

A post shared by Gold Coast Glow (@gcglow) on

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Why she loves it:

  • Gold Coast Glow is a Lady Startup brand, and is 100 per cent cruelty-free and vegan friendly.
  • It's a tan water in a spray bottle and gives a nice light to medium tan - looks like a little bit of natural colour.
  • Takes about four hours to develop, doesn't have an offensive smell, and you could apply in the morning and get dressed.

Until next time, stay lovely.

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