Glamglow Lip

I remember spotting GlamGlow Lip products on US sites a while back and being excited for them to arrive in the UK. Everything always seemed to launch in the US first with this brand but now that it’s been bought by the Estee Lauder group, hopefully, we’ll see more even timing going forward. The new-to-the-UK lip treatments are launching in February and I’ve been putting them to the test.

The main focus is Poutmud Fizzy Lip Exfoliating Treatment (there really is a sudden rush on lip exfoliators across the brand board so we are spoilt for choice) and Poutmud Wet Lip Balm Treatment, although you can see wands for Poutrageous Matte and Gloss Lip Treatments in the picture, too. I am telling you, I don’t think I have known a more powerful plumper than DuWop Lip Venom! What a great idea to make a matte version – good for boys and also good to wear beneath a matte lipstick. So, they both give an intense tingle (although I can’t find on the ingredient list exactly what it is that gives that tingle – tripeptides?) but they’re a next level in terms of plumping and good-for-skin ingredients combined. Babassu Seed Oil, Coconut Oil, Tiare Flower Extract, Tamarind Extract, Licorice Root, Date Extract – the list goes on. The wands for both are fiddly in the packaging design.. I opened them wrongly to start with, so do read the instructions first.

So, back to PoutMud Fizzy Lip. It’s a sugar lip exfoliator that uses fine grains (important so you don’t scratch your lips), sea salt, again, fine grains, and Hibiscus Flower Powder which I’ve never heard of as an ingredient before. The grains are set in a very emolient base that contains sweet almond oil, guava, starfruit, lychee and mangosteen, alongside Moroccan Mint Leaf. Taste-wise, it’s like gummy bears met a mojito. It’s not horrible at all! You need to massage at this stage for a few seconds, before adding a little water – that’s when the fizz comes, and the second part of the exfoliation. In truth, I think the first does more than the second, but I love that it’s different and actually fun to use, as well as effective. My lips are truly super smooth. GlamGlow does tend to use powerful ingredients so if you have sensitive lips you might want to proceed with caution, and if you have chapped or broken lips, don’t use this at all. PoutMud Fizzy Lip is the matte lip lover’s savour – matte lipsticks always need a very smooth backdrop to look good and that’s exactly what you’ll get with this.

PoutMud Wet Lip Balm Treatment is a very good name for a glossy balm, but I found it very nourishing; even after the initial ‘gloss’ had worn away, I could still feel that my lips were smoothly coated. Both treatments use the ingredient that made GlamGlow famous in the first place; Moroccan Mineral Clay, but I don’t think you’d ever guess. Wet Lip is described as a super-hydration treatment, and I’d agree with that because it has superior last to many balms I’ve tried. Ingredients are sweet almond, babassu, tamanu oils and cocoa butter, shea butter and Kombucha extract. It has a minty-sweet scent.

If you’re prepared to step up the lip love level in terms of price, what marks out this collection from other balms is that these feel like active skin care for the lips rather than regular basic balms. PoutMud Fizzy Lip is £18, Wet Balm is £16 and the Plumprageous treatments are £18 each. I’m a big fan of GlamGlow masks – again, powerful and effective – so my expectations didn’t fall short with the lip collection.