How to Plump Your Pout Without the Pain

By guest blogger, Anne Houseman, of Beauty Xpose.

Dear Anne,
I love the look of plump lips, but I’m not about to run out and get collagen injections. I’ve tried a few lip plumpers, but I feel like they either don’t work or they sting so bad that I end up not using them more than once. Any suggestions?
-Courtney L.
Ah, Courtney, from the looks of it, you’re suffering from the age-old “stinging smackers syndrome,” which arrived en masse when Angelina Jolie came on the scene. True, injections do the trick, but for those of us who don’t want to pay someone to stab needles in our lips, topical lip plumpers are certainly another option. Of course, like you mentioned, we have a sneaky suspicion that the masterminds behind some pucker plumping potions are masochists at heart (just ask blogger Kelly Gould about her experience with the lip plumper she calls El Diablo.)
The bottom line is that without the help of a good doctor, your lips are not going to look exactly like Miss Jolie’s, but you’re probably better off anyway, since very few people can pull that off (and Octomom Nadya Suleman isn’t one of them). Nonetheless, all is not lost in your quest for a big mouth, so here are a few pucker-plumping pointers.

My lips before HydroPeptide and 10 minutes later

• Look for lemon. Pain-free plumpers like Huge Lips Skinny Hips feature lemon peel oil, which tends to counteract/neutralize the S factor (stinging). Rule of thumb: Products using the words “venom,” “injection” or “stings like a mo-fo” are probably best avoided if you’re terrified of tingling.
• Fork over the dough. Sure, the e.l.f. lip plumper is only a buck, but does it really make your lips any bigger? Not so much. In our ongoing search for plumpers that actually work, one really stands out above the rest — HydroPeptide Lip. Sure, it retails at $38, but the proof of a truly plump pout is staring you in the face, and it’s not that tingly either.
• Fake it. Who ever said fake is bad? You can create the illusion of fuller lips with lip liner, lipstick and a hint of gloss. Simply line your lips just outside of the natural line (keep it close, though, or you’ll look like Carol Channing), and fill in the rest of your lips. Apply a matching shade of lipstick for staying power and apply a dab of gloss in a lighter shade right in the middle of your pucker.
Good luck, and keep us updated on what you try out!
Photos: Cover – Stock Xchnge user loleia; Huge Lips Skinny Hips; BeautyXpose/HydroPeptide
Disclaimer: HydroPeptide provided complimentary for purposes of review


Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement.
Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2010,Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

The Best in This Week's Beauty

The Beauty Chick reviews Chella Enzyme Exfoliating Crema Mask.

A La Mer "addict," Best Things in Beauty tried out the new The Hydrating Facial.

Beauty Junkies Unite highlights some of the best beauty products for Breast Cancer Awareness.

Brown Suga has details on a new mascara that eliminates mascara waste.

Denim Debutante has the latest on one of the newest sample sale sites: Row Nine.

Fabulous Over Forty interviews famous makeup artist Sandy Linter and she offers wonderful advice.

Ferohhhsh Beauty 411: Tackling Tired Eyes.

A Few Goody Gumdrops has the perfect Fall find.

The Gloss Menagerie is thinking of trying a CVS beauty knockoff.

Gouldylox Reviews round up of the best in cosmetics whose sales benefit Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Hot Beauty Health shows you her love for fashion and technology with Microsoft's stylish phone themes.

The Informed Makeup Maven shares here Best Complexion Beauty Buys for 2009.

Krasey Beauty reviews and swatches all of the amazing fall MAC collections.

Marina from Makeup4all tells you everything you wanted to know about London Fashion Week.

The Makeup Snob wants you to check out the neutral side of Style Black!

theNotice celebrated its 2nd blogiversary, and you're all invited to do an audio tag!

Prime Beauty is loving L'oreal Colour Riche Anti-Aging Serum Lipstick.

Sicka Than Average's Fall Fragrance Extravaganza!

Go Ahead, Honey: Take a Chance. Break out of a basic wardrobe with tips from The Style and Beauty Doctor.

Visit our website for more information about The HLMN or how to become an affiliate.


Subscribe and never miss a thing! Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews. All rights reserved.

Shop For Good: October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Each year, 40,000 people die from breast cancer and thousands more get diagnosed with this pervasive disease. Cosmetic companies have created special products in order to help find a cure and are donating a larger percentage of the sales of these items than ever before. Consider purchasing one of these, not only to make yourself look better, but to help find a cure and to give others hope.


Purple Lab has partnered with the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation to launch SWAC “SEALED WITH A CURE,” a feel good lip gloss equipped with ingredients that boost beauty, health and confidence. This light pink is scented with vanilla and flecked with real gold. Gorgeous! Purple Lab is donating 20% to TNBCF! Available for $18.50 at b-glowing.com.


Shower For The Cure is Philosophy's pink ribbon shower gel - a creamy all-in-one formula that can be used as a shampoo, shower gel or bubble bath. This long-time Philosophy favorite contains a touch of milk proteins and fruit essences to provide a delightful experience for your senses. Shower For The Cure represents the spirit of every woman. 100% of Philosophy's net proceeds from the sale of Shower For The Cure will be donated to the Women's Cancer Research Fund. This 16 oz. bottle retails for $20.


In case you needed a good reason to finally pick up the skin care phenom, Clarisonic's limited editon model, Clarisonic Plus helps support the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Clarisonic will donate 50% of the profits from sales to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. To date, Clarisonic has raised $600,000 to support breast cancer research. This limited edition model retails for $250 and is available from Clarisonic.com.

Clinique is offering a very special key chain, complete with three mini glosses and two charms. These mini glosses contain an SPF rating of 15 and include the colors Air Kiss, Kissyfit and Whisper. $10 from each purchase will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. This is available exclusively at Sephora and retails for $19.


Tarte Cosmetics is also donating 20% of the sales of items in their Think Pink Natural Collection to the Young Survival Coalition, a network that supports people under the age of 40 who have survived breast cancer. Plus, if you use check out code PinkOct09 you will get a FREE pink go dutch clutch (with the purchase of $40 from the collection).


Finally, one of my favorite independent companies, Purely Cosmetics, is offering to donate 10% of their total sales in the month of October to breast cancer research. 10% of all of their sales! WOWZA! Now is the time to stock up on things like my favorite high-def powder, Diamond Perfect Finishing Powder.

What goes around comes around. Shop for Good!


Subscribe and never miss a thing! Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews. All rights reserved.

Huge Lips Skinny Hips

There has been a lot of chatter on the internet about Huge Lips Skinny Hips, the new lip gloss from PurpleLab. This lip gloss promises quite a bit - to keep your lips hydrated, to plump your pout and to help curb your appetite with the help of Hoodia, a popular appetite suppressant.

Ok, I'll bite. A lip gloss that looks great, works well and helps keep you skinny? Hmmm. It sounded too enticing to pass up, so I dove in and purchased Worship Kate (pictured below) from my new favorite online store, b-glowing.com. The website features a neat video to help you decide which color will work best for you. However, all of the shades are flattering on anyone, so you can't make a mistake. They are incredibly sheer. I mean really, really sheer, so you can't go wrong selecting a shade.




The first time I tried out Huge Lips Skinny Hips, I was instantly impressed by how hydrating the gloss was. My lips felt really soft and hydrated (side note: I hate to use that word twice, but I hate the word moist even more). This gloss claims to have a lemon extract that helps reduce the "uncomfortable feelings" you sometimes experience with other lip plumpers. (This plumper is still the devil as far as I am concerned. It HURT for about 30 minutes after I took it off. Run away from it if you are confronted by it.) Huge Lips Skinny Hips definitely wasn't uncomfortable when I applied it. In fact, there was a tiny sensation, but it was nice and made my lips feel oh so soft.

It may have plumped my lips slightly, but I think I am personally unaffected by lip plumpers (save for el diablo above) as they never seem to make that much of a difference. I still never look like a Jolie - perhaps I am expecting too much?

I do like the color (Shown below. Photos are not great. Ongoing apology about photography applies here.) but would probably suggest using a lip liner to prevent the edges from getting wonky, if you don't have a really strong lip line.




Then there is the appetite suppressant part of this gloss. I am not sure how I feel about that. I'm in the process of losing weight right now. I have tried Hoodia in the past and not had great results. Then again, I probably didn't take enough of it for long enough to make a difference as those supplements make me nervous. Plus I am sure I wasn't conscious of what was going in my mouth and how much I was moving, which is the only way to really change your body. Either way, do I need a gloss to helps me lose weight? I am fairly sure that this gloss does not contain enough of the particular type of hoodia that has done well in weight loss trials - Hoodia Gordonii. How much gloss am I expected to eat? I do love the smell, so eating lots of it isn't really out of the question. However, I think the creator of PurpleLabs sums it up best when she says, "The appetite really lives between the ears, not in your stomach. This gloss always helps me stay mindful of what I'm eating and how and that is the purpose!"

So if this gloss helps you feel fabulous, plumped and mindful of what you are eating, then go for it! It comes in 6 plumping colors and I believe new ones are hitting the shelves any day. If you are counting on this gloss to do anything besides color your pout, you need to look a little farther (and probably in another whole direction). If sheer, non-sticky, hydrating gloss is what you are after, you are in the right place!

I like how it feels, the color is really sheer.

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews. All rights reserved.