FROM the rise in popularity of lip fillers to social media filters that fake an instantly plumper pout, the desire for bigger lips shows no sign of disappearing any time soon.
One particular lip-plumping product is currently going viral on TikTok. Plump It! Volumising Lip Plumper is billed as a no-needles way to get the effect of lip fillers, claiming to “enhance the size and profile of lips naturally for up to 12 hours” – and there are certainly some impressive results circulating on social media. But it’s exactly how it does this that’s really got people talking.
Plump It! appears to create such an intense tingle on the lips that it’s causing shoppers to call it “quite literally the most painful but effective lip filler to exist”. It’s even been bringing TikTokers to tears.
These results are down to a couple of key ingredients in the formula: capsicum (a.k.a. chilli extract), which works to increase the blood flow to your lips, and vanillyl butyl ether (VBE), which dilates blood vessels.
Results can differ from person to person, but consumer testing from the brand revealed that most people felt that their lips got 25% bigger after using this product, and 84% would use it instead of lip fillers.
As a beauty editor, I’m no stranger to a little pain in the name of looking good. From regular waxing appointments to the odd injectable tweakment, I’m willing to put up with a little discomfort in order to get results. So I was curious — albeit also a little apprehensive — to try this viral product out.
So does it really work, and just how painful IS it? I've done a Plump It! review to find out.
- Plump It! Volumising Lip Plumper, £23 from PrettyLittleThing – buy here
Pros:
- Makes lips temporarily look bigger and fuller, like lip fillers without the needles
- Gives lips a natural-looking pink colour
- Quick and easy to use
- Vegan and cruelty-free
Cons:
- Really intense sensation
- Results aren’t permanent
- Not particularly cheap
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Overall rating: 4/5
4Plump It! review: quick summary
I’ve tried Plump It! out three times now and it really does make a noticeable difference to the size, shape and colour of my lips – but you’re going to need a high pain threshold, as customers weren’t wrong about the burn…
- Plump It! Volumising Lip Plumper, £23 from PrettyLittleThing – buy here
Plump It! review: full review
First impressions
I knew this was going to be something more than your average lip gloss when I opened the box and a warning note fell out with the product.
“This WILL tingle!” it read next to a caution symbol, presumably for anyone who had bought this without first reading anything about it.
The tube itself is thin and chic, a bit like a silver YSL Touche Éclat, with a slanted rubber applicator and a button at the other end that you click to release the product. It’s lightweight, easy to handle and looks great in your make-up bag.
Performance
Unlike a traditional lip gloss, Plump It! is a milky serum that gets completely absorbed into the lips in about five minutes (longer if you apply a thicker layer or multiple layers).
As it absorbs, the ingredients start working, increasing blood flow and dilating blood vessels to boost the size and colour of the lips. It’s during these five minutes that the intense sensation kicks in, gradually subsiding over time.
Once fully absorbed, lipstick, lip gloss or lip liner can be applied over the top if desired.
Plump It! states that the effects can last up to 12 hours, but I personally found this to be more like three hours on me (although I only applied one thin layer).
My lips are naturally quite big so I’ve never felt the need for injectable lip fillers, but I do still like to enhance them with lipsticks, liners and glosses. I can’t deny that I’ve also played around with some of Instagram’s ‘beautifying’ filters and been quite taken by the Disney Princess-like features they’ve given me.
Before using Plump It! I applied a thin layer of lip balm, because my lips are constantly dry. To make any effects extra noticeable, I applied the product to the right-hand side of my lips first, top and bottom. The serum glides on really easily, and you don’t need much to coat the lips.
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After about 20 seconds I began to feel a slight warmth on my lips, which gradually increased in intensity. And WOW, it was like nothing I had ever felt before.
Forget about the mild tingle from a minty lip balm; this felt like I’d rubbed a freshly cut chilli over half my mouth. My eyes streamed, I was salivating like crazy, and I even felt the burn in my gums.
After about five minutes of this, just at the point when I’d begun to think I’d made a huge mistake and reach for something to scrub it off with, the sensation began to subside into a slightly more bearable warmth – and the difference in the two sides was immediately noticeable. Of course, I then had to suffer again to do the second half…
Once both sides were done, I was actually really impressed with the results. My lips looked bigger and more rounded, with a natural-looking pretty pink flush that I struggle to achieve with make-up. It definitely gave a ‘lip fillers’ effect, yet still looked natural.
Overall the tingling lasted about half an hour, gradually decreasing, and my usually-sensitive lips didn’t feel sore or irritated at all after using Plump It!.
I also liked that the serum was completely absorbed, giving a natural effect, and I felt extra confident on my lunchtime walk to the supermarket.
- Plump It! Volumising Lip Plumper, £23 from PrettyLittleThing – buy here
How to use Plump It! lip plumper
Click the button at the end of the pen to dispense the serum from the tip – you’ll need to click it 20 or so times on the first use to get the product flowing.
It can either be applied directly to dry, clean lips or over the top of a lip balm (Plump It! sells its own Hyaluronic Lip Plumping Balm), and you can apply as much or as little as you like, depending on your desired results.
After about five minutes the product will be fully absorbed and the results should be visible. You can also apply additional layers for a greater effect.
How long does Plump It! last?
The Plump It! website states that results can last up to 12 hours, but I found that my lips were back down to their normal size after about three hours, with just a little pink tinge remaining – enough time to take a few selfies or last through a couple of drinks, say.
My results were just from applying one coat, however, so if you can face building up multiple layers, the results may last longer.
The pen contains 3ml of product, which is about the same as a small bottle of lip gloss, so you’ll get a decent number of applications out of it.
- Plump It! Volumising Lip Plumper, £23 from PrettyLittleThing – buy here
Is Plump It! safe?
Yes, Plump It! is completely safe and has been clinically tested.
However, the website advises that shoppers avoid using it during pregnancy or while breastfeeding as, while there is nothing harmful in the ingredients, it has not been tested on pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Is Plump It! expensive?
At £22.99 per tube, it’s certainly not the cheapest lip product on the market – although significantly cheaper than getting actual lip fillers, which starts from around £300.
There’s also an option to ‘subscribe & save’, with a repeat order delivered every 30 or 60 days for £17.24 each.
Where to buy Plump It!
Plump It! is widely available to buy from the brand’s own website, Plump-it.com, and it’s also stocked on Prettylittlething.com. Both websites charge around £3-£4 for delivery.
Depending on your postcode and whether or not you have a Prime subscription, you can get free Same Day delivery on Amazon, although it's RRP is slightly more expensive (£27.99 rather than £23).
Plump It! alternatives
For a plumper pout with less pain, these other lip-enhancing products also come highly recommended:
- Barry M That’s Swell XXXL Extreme Lip Plumper in Flames,
£4.99£2.49 from Superdrug – buy here - Dior Addict Lip Maximizer, £28 from Boots – buy here
- Lip Plumping Gloss, £6 from e.l.f cosmetics – buy here
- Too Faced Lip Injection Maximum Plump Lip Plumper, £26 from Boots – buy here
The verdict: Does Plump It! actually work?
In short, yes. It absolutely made my lips look bigger than any other cosmetic product I’ve ever tried and I really liked the results, and it was interesting to see what I’d look like with lip fillers.
However, I can’t deny that those few minutes of pain have put me off wanting to use this on a regular basis. The results were also fairly short-lived.
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Plump It! wouldn’t be something that I would reach for every day, but for a night out or to snap that perfect selfie, I’d brave the burn and use it again.
- Plump It! Volumising Lip Plumper, £23 from PrettyLittleThing – buy here
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