Have you seen these ridiculous sheet masks for lips that are all the rage? Patches of gel, or sheets of serum-infused fabric which are pressed over the lip area and left on to have an “intensive treatment”. I mean, each to their personal and everything, but who wants to sit there having a floppy sheet of slimy jelly slapped over their mouth? It’s just absurd. Not only is it completely unnatural to have to keep the mouth clamped shut for minutes on end (for me, it’s almost an impossibility), the bloody things don’t work. I’ve tried quite a few of them now, and even the best of the bunch did absolutely nothing in terms of lip appearance. It merely gave an intense tingling sensation when i lay there like a prize idiot, my mouth area covered with a giant lip-shaped (nice touch) bit of plasma.
I do like the sheets and patches for under the eyes; the slimy, cooling sensation is actually nice – but on the mouth? Just weird.
So stick-on lip masks are in my bad books, along with those coffee body scrubs that come in paper packets. Have you tried those? Don’t. Your shower cubicle will look as though there’s been some kind of dirty protest. And you’ll find coffee granules inside your “secret areas” for days afterwards. Who wants coffee granules in their creases? Not I.
But a smaller amount of the moaning: onwards towards the beautiful (and infinitely more usable) lip treats I’ve come across over the past couple of months. The first, Espa’s Nourishing Lip Treatment, is really a non-greasy oil that can be used as a top-coat over lipstick or like a nourishing base. In consistency it’s rather like the Clarins Lip Comfort Oil, but (controversially, as the Clarins version is so well-loved!) I think I prefer the ESPA. It feels more “skincare” than “makeup”, the feel is just slightly more nourishing in feel and it’s a nice one to bung on alongside a weekend mask so that you wake up with plump, smooth lips. Additionally, it smells beautifully lemony. You can find the ESPA Nourishing Lip Treatment here* – it’s lb19.
And then the Fresh Sugar Treatment Perfecting Wand, that we thought I’d hate from the name alone – wand! – but actually liked very much. The lip treatment formula is very softening and leaves a lovely sheen to the lips, but it’s the rubbery, nobbly applicator that makes this special:
It does a fine job of giving the lips a low-key exfoliation session with no abrasion or risk of irritation and I love the feeling of the blood rushing to the surface and plumping everything out. It truly does give a bit of a temporary boost, though I don’t even know whether that’s one of the wand’s selling points! It’s cure session in one step – exfoliation, massage, plumping along with nourishing little top coat to send you on your way. Just excellent.
The Fresh Sugar Treatment Perfecting Wand is lb20 at Harrods here* or $24 at Sephora (with full ingredients list) here*.
Finally, the Liz Earle Superskin Superlip Balm; it has a similar feel to the remaining Superskin range, which is Liz Earle’s “power” range, for want of a better description. Smoothing, plumping, skin-boosting, the balm is formulated with argan oil and shea butter to nourish and moisturise along with variety of oils and extracts to boost hydration and help to protect the lips. If you value the sound of the ESPA oil above but you’re wary of the “oil” element, then go for this balm – I've found the effects, texture and smell to be really similar, but the finish is ever so slightly less tacky and the squeezy tube packaging a bit more familiar.
Superskin Superlip Balm is lb16 here* – you really get three times the amount that you do in the ESPA lip oil, making this a good cost-effective alternative too.
For those looking for a dedicated lip mask that’s not really a leave-on sheet of silly goo, I’m currently testing out the BITE Agave Lip Mask, as recommended in my experience by so many of you! It’s lovely. There’s no real improvement in formulation or texture compared to a good lip balm, like one of those above, it’s just marketed in different ways. “Mask” makes it sound more of a goody, doesn’t it? It’s lb20/$26 at Sephora here*. That one is lanolin-based (like Lanolips) but has a whole load of additional ingredients for hydration and protection, including resveratrol for a bit of antioxidant action and Jojoba oil for non-greasy healing. You'll find the full ingredients list here*.
Tell me: what is your opinion of a) these sheet masks for lips and b) coffee body scrubs. Please tell me I’m not the only one…
Gorgeous printed notebook is by Arden Rose at Ohh Deer – it’s lb3.95.
