Welcome to the gloss•a•ry, a monthly
roundup of all that glitters from our own wand-toting
shimmer expert, Michelle
Carney. Tune in each month for the latest
and greatest in pout perfecting products utterly
devoted to your sparkly, sexy and oh-so-shiny
lips.
Full, luscious,
bee-stung lips are the latest obsession in our
constant quest for beautification. But have
you ever considered why we desire such fullness?
We did, and here’s what we found. Scientists
at the University of Louisville announced research
findings earlier this year that state “the
size of human lips plays a key role in determining
whether we are sexually attractive to others.”
A quick glance at Angelina Jolie’s lips
support their findings. What is it about full,
soft lips that get us going? The answer, they
say, lies in receptivity. “In the lips
are touch and pressure receptors which fire
off messages to the brain, and we are programmed
to respond to these messages. So sometimes just
seeing a full, warm pout is as good as feeling
or kissing one.” Hence our cultural love
affair with lips and an explanation for the
wide selection of lip plumper products now available.
You don’t have to break the budget to
plump your pout to perfection nor do you have
to endure burning sensations that can rival
the spiciest of cuisines. We’ve put our
lips to the test, checking out everything from
cinnamon (a natural lip enhancer) to the latest
cosmeceuticals on the market.
It’s The Balm!
The Balm’s Plump Your Pucker, $14,
involves a unique combination of folic acid,
menthol and Vitamin C that work together to
help increase blood flow to the lips and reduce
the look of fine lines. With an innovative
French formulation called “Maxi-Lip,”
these glosses actually build a cumulating
effect with fullness continuing with everyday
use. What we love most about The Balm? The
slick feel on our lips, tasty scents that
match their sweeter-than-sugar names and most
of all the nice price. Color Picks: Bing My
Cherry and Cocoa My Coconut. Available at
www.thebalm.com.
Alpha Dog
N.V. Perricone M.D. ALA Lip Plumper, $35,
is the leader of the pack when it comes to
nourishing chemical formulas that promote
fullness and hold in vital moisture. This
lovely concoction combines Alpha Lipoic Acid,
which restores metabolic energy in cells,
protects natural antioxidants and helps smooth
fine lines and wrinkles; Amine Complex, a
combination of amino acids that hold moisture
in the skin; and NTP Complex, which is comprised
of DMAE, an antioxidant membrane stabilizer
that provides immediate lifting and toning
benefits. With continued use, the treatment
smoothes the appearance of fine lines and
wrinkles while enhancing lips’ natural
color. Apply four to five times daily to the
entire mouth area, and relish the orange sherbet
flavor. Available at Nordstrom and online
at www.nvperriconemd.com.
Plump up the Volume
Modele Collagen Lip Treatment, $29.99,
is literally collagen in a tube. That said,
it’s not exactly a gloss but it works
just like one. This lip treatment reduces
the appearance of fine lines, hydrates lips
and promises to keep them soft with continued
use (apply at least three times a day for
30 days) thanks to a patented formulation
of PAL-GHK, a potent amino acid protein blend,
along with the addition of Biocrystal Complex,
which contains mother-of-pearl extracts for
added sheen and softness. Use alone or before
applying your favorite lipstick or gloss for
a fabulous photo-finish. Vital stats: this
formula has been clinically proven to visibly
increase lip volume up to 40%, reduce wrinkle
and fine line appearance up to 30% and improve
lip hydration up to 60%. Available at most
drug stores like Walgreens, Osco and CVS.
Click
here to find a retailer near you.
Get Naked!
Naked Kiss Plumping Collagen Lip Treatment,
$20, is another sleek product that
looks more like a stick than a gloss but still
meets our strict glossary standards. Armed
with antioxidants, emollients and Vitamin
C to moisturize, flower and plant botanical
extracts to reduce wrinkles and a Vitamin
B6 derivative and “Maxi-Lip” to
help plump lips continually. This classy packaging
also includes its own pop-up mirror and jeweled
case. Try it in crystal clear; or rose, sienna,
gold or bronze for great color. To purchase
online, click
here.
Ice Ice Baby!
Freeze 24-7’s PlumpLips IceSticks, $42.50,
smoothes, moisturizes and plumps lips without
any tacky, stickiness. The moisture-rich formula
contains GABA, the body's natural muscle relaxing
agent, as well as Vitamin B-Niacin and white
orchid to plump and smooth. Freeze’s
revolutionary technology increases circulation
on the lip surface without any drying, burning
or irritation. With the addition of the brand’s
“Age-Less Technology” component,
mature lips will appear more youthful, and
thin lips will appear fuller and more sensual.
A fresh palate of five icy shades like First
Frost, Frost Bitten, Wind Chill, Arctic Glaze
and Brr Berry offer a sheer wash of color.
Our color pick: Frost Bitten, a shade of warm
rose that looks great alone or over lipstick.
Apply as often as you like. Available at C.O.
Bigelow Apothecaries and online at www.freeze247.com.
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Cinnamon and Spice
Bella Il Fiore’s Cinnamon and Honey
Lip Plumpers, $22, not only have
the most adorable packaging (little cardboard
“purses” that house three minis),
but the product uses natural cinnamon and
honey for plumping perfection. The infusion
is delightfully spicy without any sting. Pick
your shades: “Pillow Talk” (soft
and pretty shades) and “Some Like it
Hot” (darker, sexy hues). Available
online at www.bellabeauty.net.
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Bee-Stung Lips Minus the Stinger
HydraPlump, $19.99, is the revolutionary
offering from fragrance-chain giant, Perfumania.
For the first time in the company’s
17-year history, it’s aligned with top
product developers to create its own version
of non-injectable lip plumping gloss. The
product relies on a new technology that instantly
plumps lips with a patented formula that “micro-injects”
the lips subsurface with dehydrated marine
filling spheres derived from collagen. Once
the spheres penetrate the lip tissue, it is
re-hydrated with water, and the replenishment
causes the collagen-derived spheres to enlarge,
imparting a genuinely fuller, plumper mouth.
Besides the non-irritation and zero-redness
factors, the product also minimizes fine lines
and wrinkles. Apply generously to clean, dry
lips; if using as a primer, wait two minutes
before applying color. Pick from Iced Clear,
Sheer Petal Pink and Sheer Bronze Kiss, our
fave. Available exclusively at Perfumania
stores and online at www.perfumania.com.
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Cheap Trick
Rimmel Volume Boost Liquid Lip, $6.68,
costs less than ten bucks and still delivers
beautiful shine and extreme plumpness. The
high-impact lacquer uses innovative lip-plumping
technology that enhances fullness and provides
a collagen-effect-like boost. Rimmel promises
that lips will appear up to 40% fuller in
just one swipe. Upon application, a sensory-stimulating
molecule tingles to immediately produce the
look and feel of plumper lips, while a moisturizing
formula smoothes lip contours and fills in
fine lines. The precise brush applicator delivers
full color and spot-on shine. Available in
ten sassy shades like Bossy, Patent, Boast,
Parade and Out Do, which is a sparkling strawberry,
and our most beloved. Available at most drugstores
and Wal-Mart. To find a store location near
you, click
here.
Click here for Past Glossaries
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gloss·a·ry: n: an alphabetical list of technical
terms in the specialized field of lip gloss;
i.e. PrettyCity.com's guide to lip gloss from
A to Z
A = Application, a wand is better than a pot, keeps the fingers clean.
B =
Burt's Bees Balm, always use a balm at bedtime to lips hydrate overnight.
C = Clinique, this department store brand is one you can always count on.
D = Delux Beauty, this darling brand is from Hollywood makeup artist Jillian Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy hottie Patrick Dempsey's wife).
E =
Everyone who comments on our perfect pouts.
F = Fresh Lip Sheers, our perennial favorite with flawless texture.
G = Glitter, a kiss of glittered gloss puts a sparkly touch on a night out.
H = Hard Candy, a kitschy brand for flirty girls, and those who dare to go bold with color.
I = "I", as in "it's all about me and my gloss."
J =
Jane Iredale's
PureGlossT for Lips. Organic ingredients impart
pucker perfection without preservatives and
chemicals we can't pronounce.
K = Kiehl's, the brand's Lip Therapy is cold-weather catch.
L = Lips and all the things we do to make them luscious.
M = Maven, the line's Lip Exotics are a healthy alternative.
N = Nars, the Barney's of lip gloss, with such a delicious color range, you can't buy just one.
O = Orgasm, the must-have shade from Nars based on the line's famed blush, available exclusively at Sephora.
P = Pout, it's not how you do it, but what you do with it.
Q = the Queen you are.
R = Revlon - a rock-solid drug store brand that's got serious celeb power.
S
= Smashbox, never tacky, always shiny.
T = TheBalm, an excellent brand that packs a lot of punch with its plumper.
U = Undeniably Addicted.
V = Vincent. Vincent Longo. The make-up artist to models and celebs has a gloss that's super silky.
W = Wet. Wet shine, wet slicks, anything wet, that's the look.
X = XXX Shine Lip Gloss from Urban Decay, ultra-glassy and minty-fresh.
Y = the Yummy flavors infused in Jessica Simpson's Dessert Beauty line, like chocolate, caramel and vanilla.
Z = Zipper pocket, where gloss should always be stored.
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