I Was Debating Lip Injections Until I Found This $29 Plumping Gloss
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I recently came across one digitally unearthed photo from the early 2010’s that sent me spiraling (in the way that Facebook memories often do). But no, it wasn’t a regretful Ed Hardy outfit that caused the panic as usual. It was the perplexing question of what exactly happened to my lips since then.
As far as naturally pouty lips go, I used to be pretty blessed. Lining them with liquid lipstick was easy thanks to my crisply defined cupid's bow. Just a slick of Burt’s Bees chapstick on makeup-free days and I was good to go. Simpler days!
Well, time does what time does best: It passes. And while I’m still staying proactive and ahead of the game with some skincare woes, it’s clear my lips have lost some of that youthful pout I used to take for granted. The good news? I found a hack that gets it back for me as much as a non-invasive product can: Too Faced’s Lip Injection Extreme Lip Plumper.
RELATED: The Best Lipsticks and Lip Products of 2020
I never used to have much luck with lip plumping glosses. Sure, they tingled in that you-can-feel-it-working way at first, but upon further inspection, I never really saw much of a difference. If I did notice a slight change, it was short lived at most. But after the Great Facebook Memory Spiral of 2020, I found myself weighing my personal pros and cons list of whether or not I should get lip fillers. First, though, I knew I owed it to myself (and my bank account) to do a deep dive to see which products beauty sleuths consider to be viable alternatives.
My search immediately took me to the Too Faced Lip Injection plumping gloss. With more than 156,000 ‘loves’ on Sephora, the popular gloss — in all its high-shine wonder — is a clear favorite among shoppers. Plus, the cruelty-free formula achieves serious results without the use of harmful sulfates, parabens, or phthalates, which is something I can feel good about.
My favorite way to use the plumping gloss is by swiping it on as soon as I begin my makeup routine. That way, by the time I’m finished with my face and eyes, my lips are plumped up and ready to be prepped with lipstick or stain (depending on the day).
While I’ll probably forever continue to fawn over my pouty lips of days passed when they pop up on my timeline, I like knowing I have a budget-friendly product in my corner working to keep them as plump as possible, sans needles. You can head to Nordstrom or Sephora to snag the plumping gloss for yourself.
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Shop now: $29; sephora.com or nordstrom.com
