Full, pouty lips — you know the kind that Angelina Jolie was born with — are something of a fascination for me. I am not interested in getting fillers, injectables, or plumpers in a doctor's office... yet. But in the hunt for a fuller pout I could test for a day, I tried a different sort of Kylie Jenner lip challenge — one that is said to be safe and clinically effective. I used the Candy Lipz Plumper, an apple-shaped and rubbery suction device that functions like cupping, to get a sexy, fuller pucker.
Candylipz Lip Plumper Model B, $48, Amazon
I was pleased with the end result, even if there are a couple of drawbacks that will be deal breakers for some and inconsequential for others. I definitely fall into the latter category, but we'll get to that later.
First, let's understand the limitations and the logistics of my pout as is. I have mismatched lips; my top lip is thinner than my bottom, which is actually a bit puffier than I realized before. Also, my lips are very pinkly pigmented. I had a hunch that both of these would possibly mess with the experiment.
Candy Lipz comes with a small but informative instruction booklet that reminds you of the following important details.
You need to clean the contraption after every usage. Make sure your lips are in good, non-chapped condition with no open cuts or sores before you use it. Understand that there is a conditioning period that leads to lip hickeys when you first use the tool, but those will decrease with continued usage. And, of course, the product is safe when used properly. Alright, let's do this.
This is the inside of the single-lobed Candy Lipz device. It has two compartments for lips. You stick it on your mouth, compress it, and inhale, trying not to let saliva drip into the holes.
I felt a pinch and a burn, but it was nothing agonizing. If your pain tolerance is low, you may find the sting to be quite unpleasant. Mine is high so it wasn't that bad.
It looks ridiculous, I know.
If the suction is right, you can be hands-free. You leave the apple on your lips for about two minutes and then release it.
Here are my lips pre-Candy Lipz.
And here they are after.
My bottom lip was visibly poutier. I wanted more top lip fullness, so I went another round.
I felt like I was well on my way to Kylie x Angelina. It was addictive! I couldn't help but kinda wish my lips to looked like this all of the time. However, the puffing period lasts only two or three hours before deflating. You can, however, use it multiple times per day after you complete the conditioning period in which you use it with some days off to allow lips to adapt.
I used it yet again and my paltry top lip increased in volume.
My lips felt tingly afterwards. Now, despite the fact that pouty effect only lasted a few hours, there were still "next day" results (below), which I actually liked. You, however, may not.
The next day, I went to the doctor's office to get my moles checked (sun safety, everyone!). The lighting was amazing and that's where I noticed that my lips were super purple from the hickeys. According to the booklet, this is not because of bleeding and broken capillaries — which is what gives a hickey its purpleish hue. It's because the suction pulls toxins from deeper layers to the surface, as is the case with the Gwyneth Paltrow-approved cupping. Again, this is all according to the booklet, but I can also attest that it didn't hurt like a typical bruise would.
Honestly, I didn't care about the violet tint either. It looks like I am wearing purple lip gloss and I don't have any color-depositing products on my lips here. It's just a dot of clear MAC Lipglass. I liked that effect, oddly enough.
You can also see some hickey action on the skin above my top lip, too.
A few days later, I tried the Candy Lipz device again in hopes of achieving top lip pout perfection. It worked.
This aerial shot shows demonstrates hickeys and redness above my top lip... again!
Here's another look at the purple-y pout.
I applied Sara Happ The Lip Slip One Luxe Balm for added gloss and was dunzo. For two hours. If I want more volume and pout, I'd go for another round of Candy Lipz.
The Lip Slip by Sara Happ One Luxe Balm , $24, Amazon
Overall, I found Candy Lipz to be easy to use, not very painful, and it produced the desired effect: fuller lips. I just wished it lasted longer, though perhaps it's for the best. Being Kylie Jenner for more than a few hours does sound a bit exhausting.
Images: Amy Sciarretto (16)
