Do Lip-Plumping Glosses Work? Check Out Our Before-and-After Pics!

Blame it on Kylie Jenner or nature: There’s something appealing about lips that look just a little plumper and more pillowy than the norm, right? Injectables still sound a bit scary to me, so I’ve been drawn to the friendlier alternative—glosses and serums meant to add a little bit of oomph. I spent the past week trying every lip plumper I could get my hands on, peering close-up at myself in the mirror (much more than normal), and asking everyone around me if me lips looked bigger. Now? But what about now?

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s lust-inducing lips

Throughout my nonscientific research, I was reminded of the simple fact that these products are meant to increase the look of your lips through irritation. With ingredients like pink pepper, cinnamon bark, and dehydrated marine sponge, lips swell a tad and often redden, a look that can be sexy and flattering or just…angry-lipped. Of all that I tried, there were two that I think actually delivered and made me feel like my pucker was (slightly) larger.

Smashbox O-Plump Intuitive Lip Plumper, $25

The pale pink color of this goes-on-clear gloss looked pretty, as it should—it’s formulated to react to your body so that the pink is most flattering for your complexion. My normal lip product of choice is classic Burt’s Beeswax, and the slight tingle of this gloss reminded me of Burt’s peppermint flavor. It provided shine, but not the glassy finish some glosses give (a pro for me, as I don’t love the high-shine look and am constantly getting strands of hair caught in it). Comparing the before-and-after plumper pictures, I saw slight bit of extra volume in the after shot on the right, but my lips felt significantly plumper.

Éminence Cinnamon Kiss Lip Plumper, $26

This organic pick had a definite cinnamon taste and smell, and though it looks like gloss in the tube, it goes on and wears much more like the oil it is. There was a very small amount of stinging post-application but nothing that had me fighting the urge to scrunch up my face in physical discomfort like a few other products I tried. My lips turned more red with this one, and if I got outside my lip line at all, the skin of my face looked a little angry.

A note on serums:

A range of serums came my way, and while none resulted in any visible volume, I loved the subtle feel of them—they provided the littlest bit of tingle and a heavy dose of moisture thanks to hyaluronic acid (a truth for all that I sampled). Clé de Peau Beauté has a serum launching next month that’s packed with antioxidants to protect lips’ firmness and resilience, and Lancer’s version uses Sichaun pepper extract for initial plumping and a brown algae derivative for long-term fatty acid production. Both felt nice, but neither made me think my lips looked bigger.

RéVive’s lip serum gave me the most immediate fullness (though still subtle), and I loved how it felt.

All three serums are recommended as part of your skin care regime—instead of tossing it in your bag for reapplications throughout the day, leave it with your lotions in the bathroom and apply when you smooth on your moisturizer.

PS: If you’ve ever thought about fillers, there’s a new baby step of sorts: Cinderella lips.