Last February, we started a brand new series on STYLE Canada: #BeautyFind Friday, otherwise known as your new #BFF. Every other Friday, STYLE editor Anastasia Barbuzzi will present you with a #BeautyFind to help you enjoy a weekend of self-love and care like no other. She’s all over the green beauty scene and on #BeautyFind Fridays, she’ll be giving you the inside scoop on products and brands that are changing the space, and one’s you’ve just gotta try. Full permission to begin daydreaming about your next *Add to Cart* item.
After trialing hundreds of beauty products, I’ve found one commonality between lip plumping and lash enhancing serums from brands that promise way too much: they usually don’t work.
For those that haven’t been able to make their visits to medical spas for lip injections or aestheticians for eyelash extensions, I can only imagine how frustrating this must be, as upkeep becomes an increasingly difficult task.
Now, for the girl who does not use artificial enhancers for their lips and lashes (like me), underperforming products are annoying all the same – especially in a pinch.
Before attending my best friend’s wedding at the end of May, I looked over my beauty routine to ensure I was all set for the big day. Needing a little something extra for my dry lips, I reached for Lip Service Beauty‘s Vegan Lip Plumper and Lash Growth Elixir.
When it was crunch time, these new additions came in clutch thanks to Annette Smith, founder and owner of the Grimsby-based wholesale and private label formulation lab.
To read my full review of the Lip Plumper and Lash Growth Elixir from Lip Service Beauty, keep that cursor scrollin’.
First impressions: After experiencing a major health scare a few years back, Annette was inspired to start a natural, ethical and plant-based beauty brand with simpler ingredient lists. This is something I can appreciate as a clean beauty enthusiast and someone who’s been on a long journey to recovery from a life-threatening car accident.
Annette’s belief that “ingredients matter” and that beauty products can be “fun and effective” is reflected in Lip Service‘s packaging. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s cute and colourful, and Annette sources her raw materials and packaging as locally and ethically as possible.
The specifics: I’m very into the fact that Lip Service products are made with ingredients that are so safe, you can literally ingest them (not that I’d recommend eating spoonfuls of some – i.e. cayenne powder – but still!).
In addition to the cayenne powder in the Vegan Lip Plumper, ginger, cinnamon and peppermint essential oil create a slightly warming, tingling sensation that does not just make this product feel like it’s working – the ingredients dial-up the circulation in your lips and produce the desired effect.
To lengthen and strengthen your lashes, the Lash Growth Elixir contains a simple mixture of castor oil, vitamin E and fractionated coconut oil for deep conditioning. Bonus: You can use it on your brows and hairline too.
The Vegan Lip Plump + Lash Elixir Duo from Lip Service Beauty
The experience: Right off the bat, I absolutely loved the feeling of the Vegan Lip Plumper, which is blended with sweet almond oil so that your lips are never sticky (I’ll take a no-hair-stuck-in-my-gloss type of deal any day). I also found that it layers beautifully underneath lipstick, without melting it off or looking “greasy”.
I’m also obsessed with that “slightly warming, tingling sensation” it produces, and I’m pretty sure my lips crave it now. A few minutes after applying, I watch the reaction to the formula in realtime; my pout is noticeably smoother and plumper, and my lips feel less dry.
When it comes to the Lash Growth Elixir, I’ve seen small improvements towards the inner corners of my eyes, where my lashes tend to be a bit shorter and more sparse. The mascara brush that comes with this product is especially helpful for reaching those tiny nooks and crannies, and it gives you the opportunity to control the amount of product you use.
All in all, I think the Lash Growth Elixir has done a great job of conditioning my lashes, and because of that, I’ve started to apply it to my brows. I’m excited to see how it works on the scantier parts.
The verdict: If I had to pick a favourite of the two products, I would choose the Vegan Lip Plumper. It’s such a great natural alternative to some of the conventional formulas out there, not to mention lip injections. And if your eyes are sensitive like mine, I recommend giving the Lash Growth Elixir a go. I’ve experienced no irritation, which is highly uncommon for me.
Basically, if you choose to try this lovely little duo from Lip Service Beauty, you can consider skipping your trips to the medi spa. For a total of $42, I think it’s more than worth it.
To shop Lip Service products, tap or click here!
