I tested £29 viral lip balm which rivals injectable filler – could it give me Love Island pout in just THREE minutes?
My lips, though, were never one of them.
Even when wearing a basic lipstick, they always looked full and plump.
Fast forward (a few) years though, and sadly I'm facing thin, flat lips like many women my age.
Now 44, this loss of volume has given my whole mouth area a more wrinkled appearance and the shape of my lips has flattened.
Aesthetic doctor Dr Rita Rakus – dubbed 'the lip queen' – tells me: 'Young lips contain lots of collagen, which makes them plump and smooth.
'As we age, we lose the collagen in our lips and this is when we begin to see loss of volume and crepey skin. So our lips appear thinner than they may have looked when we were younger.'
Pumped-up lips are all the rage. On a recent episode of Love Island, nearly all the female contestants admitted they'd had their lips done. Jessica Myott, 24, said she'd been having filler in hers since she was just 18.
It's also one of the most Googled treatments online, with over 40,000 internet searches per day.
But I'm old enough to remember Men Behaving Badly actress Leslie Ash 's lip filler disaster. The star, now 65, hit headlines in 2002 with her over-inflated trout pout – and I've heard all sorts of horror stories ever since.
Many were detailed in The Sun's ' Had Our Fill ' campaign, while several friends have quickly had them dissolved as they didn't like the look.
All this has definitely put me off ever having lip fillers myself.
The Inkey List has launched new tinted lip balms, and they have saved my dry lips this summer
I have tried a few products in the past, including Plump It!, a no-needle formula from Superdrug, costing £39.99. It's not cheap and it made my lips tingle like hell. One online reviewer said: 'I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy'.
While the burning sensation is pretty painful, it worked and the effect was immediate – but it wore off pretty quickly, so I wasn't sure the pain was worth the gain.
So imagine my joy when I heard about a new product – no pain, no needles – that promises fuller, plumper lips.
RoC's Derm Correxion Lip Volumizer balm costs £29.99 and promises results in just THREE minutes.
Many users claim the results are so impressive that it rivals the effects of injectable filler.
Created in collaboration with aesthetic doctors, its power supposedly lies in a concentrated formula packed with 25 per cent active 'filler' ingredients, including 10 per cent hyaluronic acid, which intensely hydrates lips for up to 48 hours, leaving lips soft and supple.
It also contains 15 per cent of a pro-collagen peptide complex that smooths the surface and redefines lip contours – making skin look youthful and fresh.
The cutting-edge formula certainly seems to tick a lot of boxes, without the risk or discomfort of needles.
RoC – a French beauty brand founded in 1957 – say clinical trials revealed a two-fold increase in size after just four weeks of use and the countless TikTok videos and user testimonials flooding social media seem to back up their bold claims.
Excited to give it a go, I followed the instructions and apply a thin layer of the clear, gel-like substance over my lips, staying inside their natural contours.
The consistency is thick, but not sticky, and it is easy to apply with the smooth metal applicator.
And although I did notice a slight tingle, it wasn't painful – maybe a one out of ten on the pain scale.
Subtle look
Almost immediately, my lips looked fuller and plumper.
My cupid's bow was more defined and the product seemed to bring back some colour to my lips, enhancing my lip line area.
That said, the effects didn't last long, wearing off after one to two hours – so you may need to reapply it during a night out.
Within a few days of applying the balm two to three times a day, my lips looked healthier and more moisturised.
They began to look fuller for longer and the colour improved, too.
It wasn't quite the Love Island filler effect, but at 44, that's not something I wanted. I preferred a more subtle, enhanced look.
People began asking me not whether I'd had filler, but what lipstick I was wearing – even though I wasn't wearing any.
Suddenly I felt like my lips were a part of my face again and my confidence has been boosted.
For less than £30 a pop, I'll definitely be buying another tube.
ENHANCE YOUR POUT WITH THESE TOP TIPS
Celebrity make-up artist Aimee Adams shares her top tips for creating fuller lips:
1. Apply a lip liner that is a shade or two darker than your natural lip colour and line slightly outside your natural lip line to create the illusion of bigger, plumper lips.
This is called 'overlining'. Not only does it add definition to your pout, but it also helps create a lip shape with perfect symmetry. I recommend Sculpted by Aimee Line and Shine Duo (£17, boots.com).
2. Use lip gloss. While it won't change the actual size of your lips, the added shine and light reflection can give the illusion of a fuller, more voluminous lip.
A neutral shade, or a colour slightly paler than your natural lip, is best for enhancing a pout, such as Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil in Pink Quartz (£8, superdrug.com)
3. Apply a darker liner to the cupid's bow and centre of your bottom lip only – don't draw the full outline. It's a minimal effort look that is easy to master and really enhances your cupid's bow, giving the illusion of fuller lips.
A good option is the Sosu Cosmetics Precision Lip Liner in Cinnamon (£5.60, beautybay.com)
4. Ignoring your cupid's bow, use an ombre or dark brown coloured lip pencil to draw right around your lips in a full circle. This provides a more dramatic look than using liner only in the centre – as mentioned above – and is a common trick used by Love Islanders and other reality stars who want a super-plumped pout.
You can use a dark brown liner, such as the Mac Lip Pencil (£16, maccosmetics.co.uk). For fair to light skin tones, I'd recommend Oak or Stripdown, for medium, go for Cork and for deep skin tones Chestnut would be perfect. Fill in with a lip plumper such as Pixi LipLift Max (£12, pixibeauty.co.uk) for a full effect.
5. Highlight above the lip using a highlighter cream or powder, as this really makes the lip 'pop'. Don't use anything too glittery or shimmery. I like Avon Glow On Highlighter in Sheer Glow (£9.50, avon.uk.com) or Delilah Wake Up Radiant Elixir (£36, delilahcosmetics.com).
Then, apply a small amount of bronzer just underneath the bottom lip. The contouring effect really creates an optical illusion and makes the lips stand out on the face.
@aimeeadamsmakeup
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