Street Test: Lip Plumpers

Have you always wanted to have lips like Angelina Jolie?
Street Cents puts the big, big claims of lip plumpers to the test to find out if our testers and their partners see or feel a difference when they use these pumped up products.

What are Lip Plumpers?

Lip Plumpers claim to pump up your lips and give them a 'bee stung look'. They're a cheaper and less painful alternative to collagen injections - and the results can be more natural looking. Niche products like DuWop Lip Venom and Too Faced Lip Injection came on the market a few years ago and now mass brands make plumpers that are readily available in drugstores.

The Claims

Generally, lip plumpers claim to increase the fullness of the lips anywhere from 20 - 40%. Most also make a claim as to how long it will take to see this fullness or 'juiciness' (generally 10 minutes or less) and how long this fullness will last (3 hours etc.).

Some plumpers claim to stimulate collagen production and create long-lasting effects, if the plumpers are used religiously for an extended period of time.

The Brands

Rimmel Volume Boost - $7.50

L’Oreal Volume Perfect - $12

DuWop Shades of Venom - $17.50

CoverGirl Wetslicks Crystals (Placebo) - $5.75

The Test

Street Cents enlisted three teens to try three popular lip plumping brands. Brown paper was wrapped around the lip plumpers so that the testers had no idea which was which and that there was a placebo included. The teens told us if they actually saw or felt a difference, how long the plumping lasted, if they felt any pain and the smell and taste of the plumpers. In order to be scientifically accurate, Street Cents utilized the very popular kissing test method with some boys to see if anyone noticed a difference in the size of their test partner's lips.

Testers’ Comments

Rimmel Volume Boost:

"My lips seem fuller and I like the glitter."
"My lips don’t feel fuller."
"It has a cinnamon taste and smell."
"It tingles a little."
Kissers Comments: "I didn’t feel any difference, but it smelt good."

L’Oreal Volume Perfect:

"My lips don’t look any different at all."
"There is no tingling to make it feel like it’s working."
Kissers Comments: "I didn’t feel any difference."

DuWop

"I don’t see any difference."
"I can feel it tingling a lot."
"I think it may have worked."
Kissers Comments:"Still no difference."

The testers were not fooled by the placebo, commenting on how it was different than the others and that it felt simply like a lip gloss.

Testers’ Verdict

The unanimous choice was the Rimmel Volume Boost. At only $7.50, it was the cheapest of the tested plumpers and offered the best results. It was the only one that our testers thought worked at all, however, our consumer savvy testers pointed out that they think the tingling sensation only makes the user think that their lips are bigger. Overall, our testers think that lip plumpers are overrated.

How Lip Plumpers Work

They work in three different ways. Most lip plumpers contain ingredients like cinnamon or ginger that irritate the delicate surface of the lip and cause temporary redness and swelling - which is supposed to last 3-4 hours. Others contain small molecules that are supposed to help the lip retain moisture and therefore, look plumper. Doctors however say this is really no more than an optical illusion. Still other plumpers contain protein that are supposed to trigger the production of collagen over time.

More sophisticated plumpers have ingredients like niacin and B Vitamins that dilate the blood vessels. Others use African chilies, hyacinth and jasmine.

Are they Safe?

Doctors have said that these products are safe to use. But a word of caution, Street Cents discovered that reviewers in several beauty magazines found that their lips became dry or sensitive with use and the "inflammation" caused by the lip plumpers quickly became painful. If testers have cold sores, split lips or any other wounds around the mouth, they're advised to pass on using lip plumpers. Also, some testers in magazine reviews complained that the products left their lips sore and chapped the next day.

How to Get Plumper Lips the Natural Way

Now that you know that lip plumpers are generally a waste of your money, here are a few tips to fatten your pucker naturally.

• Use a lip-gloss and pencil. Trace just the outer edge of your lips with a natural liner. Blend. Apply sheer lipstick in a medium or light shade (very dark colours can make thin lips look smaller) and then dot iridescent gloss on the middle of the bottom lip to make it appear fuller and more pouty. Remember, don't over-line the lips to make them look larger, that can look creepy in person and requires a lot of touch ups.
• Brush your lips with a toothbrush to increase circulation.
• Stop smoking - it sucks all the water out of your lips.
• Or just pinch your lips to make them look fuller.