Lip Prep
 Transformulas Ageless Beauty Lip Volume 10ml RRP £29.00
Winner of “Best Lip Volumiser”, Lip Volume is Transformulas cosmeceutical answer to surgical lip-plumping. Full of natural ingredients (Beeswax to sooth and soften, Macadamia Ternifolia Nut Oil to protect and keep lips looking youthful, Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E3 for anti-inflammatory and healing properties and Cera Alba for the natural production of collagen), this product is designed to lock in moisture and increase lip volume (did the name give it away?) on a semi-permanent basis, offering almost instant results with a minty-fresh sting-free formula.
Application is a simple affair; just smooth a little product on to the lips twice a day for a soft, glossy finish, with surprisingly little tackiness, and sit back and wait for results... Or rather, don’t, because the full effect takes up to 30 days, but the initial minty attack produces a nice little tingle while it sets about priming the lips for future glory.
Time constraints mean that I’ve not yet completed the full recommended 30 day trial, but about half way into this period, I have noticed a definite improvement in the texture of my lips; they’re a lot smoother and beautifully hydrated and although I’m not a patch on Angelina (and I’m not sure that I’d want to be!), I do have the beginnings of what can only be termed a pout!
At £29 a pop, the price of Transformulas may be a little prohibitive for some, but each tube is meant to last up to six weeks, and with all these things if you keep your eyes peeled there are always bargains to be found.
 Guinot Longue Vie Lèvres Vital Lip Care 15ml RRP £37.75
This is a new product in the Guinot range and it’s aimed at the slightly more mature lady, so I asked me dear old Mum to give it a try for me – after all, I only have one pair of lips and there’s only so much plumping and de-wrinkling they can take!
While I’m sure that it would be a perfectly good preventative, Longue Vie Lèvres is really designed as a restorative, to rejuvenate and nourish tired lips. Shea Butter, Amino Acids and 56 vitamins provide deep hydration to prevent cracking and bleeding, while UV filters prevent water loss. The product can be used either alone, or as a base under lipstick.
For all its moisturising properties, the cream is velvety, light and non-greasy, apparently a pleasure to wear and left Mum with really soft, healthy-looking lips. It would be wrong of me to say in print that Mum has many lines and wrinkles, but after a few weeks of use, her lip area did look smoother and, perhaps most telling of all, she’s intending to keep using it, which to me sounds like a pretty good endorsement.
Interesting fact? All of Guinot’s anti-aging products are based on a treatment originally created in a hospital burns unit for repairing and regenerating skin. While perhaps not the most glamorous of heritages, it certainly says something about the quality of the product.
Lip Lines
 Sodashi Every Face Eye and Lip Smoother 30ml RRP £96 (approx)
A holistic Australian skin care company whose products are 100% chemical free and natural, Sodashi are a new one on me, but I was sent a sample of the Eye and Lip Smoother to have a play with a little while ago, and I have to say that I love it! The products are created ‘using a unique combination of biochemistry, aromatherapy and Ayurvedic principles’ and are designed to be natural alternatives to high street cosmetics.
On a base of Shea Butter and Vitamin E, the Eye and Lip Smoother uses Gotu Kola and Rosehip Oil (and a refreshingly short list of other natural ingredients) to regenerate the skin and reduce the fine lines around the delicate eye and lip areas. The product is really finely blended to create a very light silky texture, which is quickly absorbed into the skin, leaving no greasiness and the – unusual in this type of cosmetic – feeling of having ‘naked’ skin.
The results aren’t immediately noticeable, although that may be partly psychological, given that one usually expects to experience that tight wide-eyed feeling when using a product of this ilk, but after a few days use the skin begins to feel markedly softer and more hydrated and after a few weeks lines do begin to look that little bit finer.
At around £96 a bottle, this is really a luxury item and I’m afraid that it’s not something that I can afford to purchase on a regular basis, but it will certainly reside on my birthday wish list. Full of the best quality natural ingredients, I can’t think of anything I’d rather use around my sensitive areas of skin.
NB, in Sanskrit Sodashi means ‘wholeness, purity and radiance’ and for this product at least, I think that rather apt. Visit www.sodashi.com for further information.
 Origins Plantscriptions Anti-aging Serum 30ml RRP £45.00
From experience, I’d say that Origins are always to be relied upon, so it’s always exciting when they have a new product to launch, and they didn’t disappoint when March saw the release of the Plantscription range. Created with natural and organic ingredients and free from parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, PABA, paraffin and animal products, the Plantscription Anti-aging Serum was something I was eager to get my hands on.
Formed on a base of Anogeissus, a tree bark which supports skin’s natural fibrillin, and Siegesbeckia and Rosemary Extract to support the skins collagen and elastin respectively, the Plantsciption Anti-aging Serum is designed to help to decrease the appearance and the depth of lines and wrinkles. Five years of research in partnership with plant scientists at the University of Strasbourg went into the creation of this product and it has so far been clinically proven to have ‘up to 88% of the wrinkle-reducing effects of a leading prescription wrinkle ingredient without the challenging unintended effects of photosensitivity, skin shedding, burning, stinging, redness, dryness, flaking and itching.’ This is a very grand claim to make, so I was keen to put it to the test, and in this case, with particular focus on those pesky lip lines.
First impressions is that it smells great, which any cream to be used close to the nose really should if it possibly can, but then, with Mandarin, Star Anise, Pink Rose, Lavendar and Geranium oil all adding their anti-oxidant, soothing and anti-irritant properties to the mix, this couldn’t really help it. The cream itself is very light weight and absorbable, and with no tacky residue is perfect for use under your usual make-up.
After a weeks use, to my astonishment I noticed that the lines around my mouth – big ol’ laughter lines excluded – had begun to diminish, there was no big fanfare, but as the weeks slipped away so did my wrinkles. Now, I must admit that I have pretty good skin for my age (32 sshhh, don’t tell!), probably partly due to the fact that I have so many of these lovely products to play with for a living, so I don’t have drooping jowls, or saggy eye pouches to deal with, but for my fine pursed-lips-wear-and-tear lines this has done a wonderful job and I’d be really interested to see the results on older skin, or a face that’s had a slightly harder life. At £45 a bottle it is quite expensive, but a little goes a long way and using it twice a day as I have been, I believe that I could probably get about two to three months from each purchase, which is pretty good going in my book.
Lip Care
 Lush Pow Wow Lip Scrub 25g RRP £4.25
A lip scrub created from Popping Candy infused with beneficial oils? As soon as I saw the press release for this one I knew that I had to try it! Yes, it sounds like a cynical publicity stunt to get customers through the door, but let’s face it every single manufacturer in the world is guilty of the same with every new product, so get over it and enjoy a fantastic new cosmetic.
The Poppy Candy is infused with Jojoba, Rose Hip and Argan Oil, which moisturise and soften the lips while the candy gets to work on your rough bits and Goji Berry powder does its nourishing thang and an energy hit of Ginseng Root and Caffeine Powder get your lips on their feet and ready to dance... Or think about it at the very least.
My very first thought on opening this little green goodness jar was that I wished they’d missed out the oils as the fruity sherbetty scent is so completely mouth-watering that all I wanted to do was eat the stuff! Getting over my hunger pangs however, I proceeded to the main event and my goodness me, what a great product. With all the snap crackle and pop of a bowl of Rice Krispies (I shall never cease to be irked by that spelling!), a little bit of Pow Wow will leave your lips raring to go and ready for anything. If only there was a full body version!
For all you Lush fans out there, it’s also worth taking a look at their range of great moisturising Lip Tint’s (10g £4.95 ). Once I’d managed to open the fiddly tin, my fave was the Chilli Tingle, but there’s a shade for everyone so do have a look when you’re next in store.
 Anatomicals Lip Balm – Never Lose Your Cherry, Stop Cracking Up, Snog Me Senseless Minty Tingling 15ml RRP £2.49
Ok, so your first thought is probably ‘Golly gosh, that’s a little bit kitsch,’ but I’m afraid to say that I like the odd bit of kitsch from time to time. I wouldn’t want to over-do it, but I must admit that it was the kitsch value that first attracted me to these products; I like the cheeky title, I like the packaging that instructs me not to keep my legs crossed and, after sampling it for a few weeks, I really like the product, particularly Never Lose Your Cherry. That said, where as I adore the scent of NLYC and feel an almost uncontrollable desire to eat it, it may be a little strong for some tastes, so do take a sniff before you purchase.
Sales gimmicks aside, this is a simple, friendly, easy to apply lip balm. With a sheer, glossy finish that doesn’t seem to bleed, it’s perfect for those plain days when you just fancy a bit of polish, as well as for giving lipstick a slick of lustre. And the best thing is that even though you’re obviously aware that your lips aren’t naked, they are not horribly sticky. All in all, I have to say that I like it.
 Blistex Lip Brilliance 3.7g RRP £2.49
One thing it’s always worth remembering is that you don’t always need to spend a fortune to get great results – I am a very long-term Blistex fan, I’ve been using it for years as part of my bedtime routine and with the release of Lip Brilliance I now have a great new pocket-product for those un-made-up days. Packed with Vitamin E, Silk Extracts and Grape Seed Oil, Lip Brilliance adds a lovely shimmer and rosy tint to everyday lips and, most importantly, leaves them wonderfully kissably soft. I love this product!
Skin Wisdom Instant Benefits Lip Shine 15ml £4
Skin Wisdom’s Instant Lip Benefits is one of those items that I’ve walked past in the supermarket many a time and never once paid it any notice, but I was given a sample to try a little while ago and for something so very affordable it turns out to be really rather good.
This is something of a three in one job, mixing lip balm, lip gloss and lip plumper. The balm and shine are obvious components, but the plumping comes from a trademarked active ingredient called Septilift, which works with a not unpleasant tingling sensation and is designed to ‘reduce wrinkle depth’ and consequently leave lips looking much fuller and softer. As mentioned earlier, I’m lucky enough not to suffer from serious signs of aging just yet, so I’ve not given this a difficult trial, but I tried this on a slightly dehydrated wintery day and it really had a noticeable impact on my lip volume. It’s not a long-lasting effect – you’ll have to pay a lot more if you want that – but for a quick fix this does a great job.
Finishing Touches
 Transformulas Professional White 4.5ml RRP £35
There is, of course, one final point to remember – there’s no point spending your energy developing the perfect pout if you ruin it all by revealing stained teeth. Coffee, tea, wine, tobacco, even the simple process of aging, all have a negative impact on our gnashers , leaving them with yellowy brown stains. With professional whitening taking weeks and costing £300-500 it is outside of the realms of possibility for most of us, which is why this great Transformulas product is so very welcome.
Super simple to use, all you need to do is brush the whitener on to clean teeth and allow it to dry for 30 seconds. Do this two to three times a day and the theory is that you’ll notice results within seven days, although you’ll help yourself along a little if you lay off the caffeine and nicotine during this period. I’ve tried home whitening kits in the past and been none too impressed with the results, but although I don’t have the sparkly white teeth they show on the box, I have noticed an improvement, which after 15 years as a four-lattes-a-day kinda gal is both surprising and pleasing, so I shall persist with the application a little longer and see what happens next. |
