Fashion + Beauty

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Ask the Fiend: What the heck is Lip Venom?

Dear Product Fiend,

So for quite some time there has been a lot of buzz about "Lip Venom." I've done some research on my own but the most I can get from most sites is basically the same: "I like it." Or "It's tingly." It would be really great if you guys could do a post about it or just tell me a bit more about the product.

Thanks,
Maddie


Hi Maddie!

Just like "Kleenex" has come to refer to any brand of tissue, "Lip Venom" has practically turned into the generic term for any kind of lip plumping topical agent. DuWop released the stuff about five years ago, and now everyone from Perricone to Juice Beauty have rushed to crank out similar glosses, lipsticks and sticky goops meant for giving you an Angelina Jolie pout. They all smell nice and work pretty much the same way--by stinging your lips with some kind of mildly irritating essential oils, such as cinnamon, peppermint, and/or ginger, causing your lips to have a mild reaction. You'll notice that after you apply, your lips will get about 20 percent plumper and I typically noticed that the lips of my friends get about two or three shades darker.

Of course, it works by irritating your kisser so you might notice that your lips start to tingle, get warmer or, if you have chapped or cracked lips, feel like they've exploded into a fiery kiss of death. Am I bitter? Yes, maybe. If you can bite into a cinnamon Altoid and not blink, you'll probably do just fine and at $16 for the original, it seems like an affordable experiment.

There's also another kind of lip plumper that works by applying micro-collagens or silicone to your lips, which temporarily absorbs. In theory. Supposedly, a gradual build-up over several days is enough to see a difference. I use the drugstore favorite Sally Hansen's Collagen Lip Lift as a nightly lip balm before bed because the cocoa butter in it is super emollient, but if you want to drop $50 on your pucker for the high end Lip Fusion XL, go for it.

Thanks for your question! If you have more questions, feel free to shoot them our way!

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Comments 1-7 of 7
  • Heather H's Avatar
    Posted by Heather H Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:47pm PDT

    OMG my date loved this. He couldn't stop kissing me with this stuff on my lips.

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  • First L's Avatar
    Posted by First L Wed Jul 23, 2008 1:12pm PDT

    lol ..

    sounds Rad ..

    Report Abuse
  • Asami's Avatar
    Posted by Asami Wed Jul 23, 2008 2:09pm PDT

    I prefer Bare Escentuals Buxom plumping lipgloss to DuWop. It feels a little more chilly than spicy, and doesn't burn. It plumps just as well while it smells and looks better. I don't want my lips a few shades darker, at least with Buxom I can choose different colors.

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  • Sarah B's Avatar
    Posted by Sarah B Wed Jul 23, 2008 4:35pm PDT

    I used this and it did nothing more than make my lips hurt!

    Report Abuse
  • miss_kitty94's Avatar
    Posted by miss_kitty94 Thu Jul 24, 2008 1:22pm PDT

    wait... so... if i like sucked on a peppermint altoid, i'd get fuller lips, but ya know, if i got some of it on my lips? im kinda confused. lolz. X P

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  • queenofwands022's Avatar
    Posted by queenofwands022 Thu Jul 24, 2008 1:41pm PDT

    I use LipFusion XL. It's pricey, but I got it on HSN with a lip gloss as well for that price, so was only $25. It's clear, doesn't sting and I've had it over 6 months and use it every night. Some of these beauty products seem expensive, but if they last for 180+ applications that's not a bad return when it does what it says.

    Report Abuse
  • Catherine Schetting Salfino's Avatar
    Posted by Catherine Schetting Salfino Sat Jul 26, 2008 12:00pm PDT

    This junk does NOT do anything. Make lips 20% plumper? Yeah, right.

    Report Abuse
Comments 1-7 of 7

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