NYX Cosmetics Pump It Up Lip Plumper – Product Review

Several years ago I experimented with lip fillers. Listen I’ve been through some painful procedures in my lifetime. I’ve had a lot of dental work done (which is not fun, BTW). I went through 20+ hours of labor, an emergency C-Section. I feel like I tolerate pain fairly well. But I cannot recall ever, at any point in my life, experiencing pain that compares to those lip injections. Oh my gosh does it hurt! My lips looked great, but I cannot face that pain again.

So I’m always on the lookout for makeup products promising to plump my lips without injections. I’ve tried a few I liked over the years. One that works but is over my current budget is this one from Fusion Beauty. I’ve been determined to find a drugstore alternative. So when I recently spotted Pump It Up Lip Plumper from NYX Cosmetics, I decided to give it a whirl. I have and really enjoy several Butter Glosses from NYX and had high hopes for this one. Here’s the low-down on Pump It Up.

Pump It Up Lip Plumper from NYX Cosmetics. Shade Lindsay.

Pump It Up Lip Plumper from NYX Cosmetics. Shade Lindsay.


Price: $5.49 / 0.28 oz. tube

Color Range: NYX offers 9 shades are available, each have women’s names like Pamela (a pale baby pink without sparkle); Liv (a clear gloss); and Angelina (a brown nude with gold sparkle). I purchased the shade, “Lindsay,” which NYX calls a “baby pink,” but on my bare lips looks like 1980’s frost.

Pump It Up Lip Plumper Shades. Photo from NYX Cosmetics.com

Pump It Up Lip Plumper Shades. Photo from NYX Cosmetics.com

Application: This applies with the now standard doe-foot wand applicator. Because I’ve discussed my feelings about the applicators previously, I won’t repeat myself here.

Coverage: 8 of the 9 shades NYX created are very sheer. The shade “Liv” is completely clear. The shade “Pamela” is described as an “ultra sheer baby pink.” I’d say it’s close to clear with only the slightest hint of a pink tint. “Scarlett” is described as an “ultra sheer red” providing a wash of sheer raspberry color. “Elizabeth” is billed as a “soft mauve pink,” and it is the lone color offering slight opacity. But you’ll still see you’re own natural lip color (or the color of whatever lip product you apply underneath) peaking through.

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Texture + Finish: These glosses go on with minimal stickiness and frankly without a ton of shine. This is not the big, bold glassy shine you’d get from other products out of this cosmetics mega-company such as Maybelline’s LipStudio Shine Shot Lip Topcoat or Lancôme’s Juicy Tubes Lip Glosses (Both Maybelline and Lancôme are owned by NYX’s parent company, L’Oreal). The shine and moisture level are not quite on par with NYX’s own outstanding Butter Glosses and Mega Shine Lip Glosses, both of which offer far wider color ranges and lower price points as well.

Top: Swatch of Pump It Up Lip Plumper (Shade - Lindsay) Bottom: Swatch of Butter Gloss (Shade - Strawberry Parfait)

Top: Swatch of Pump It Up Lip Plumper (Shade – Lindsay)
Bottom: Swatch of Butter Gloss (Shade – Strawberry Parfait)


Wear: You will notice an immediate tingling sensation upon application of this gloss. I’d dispute Beautypedia’s claim that this is “the most painful lip plumping lip gloss ever.” (Read the full Paula’s Choice / Beautypedia review and commentary on this ingredient’s potential impact here). I’ve certainly tried glosses that cause more burning or stinging sensations than this one, and I’ve definitely found other glosses to be more effective in terms of plumping my lips! The ingredient responsible for the slighting tingle, Vanillyl Butyl Ether (in bold in the full ingredient list below), is actually the 2nd to last ingredient on this product ingredient list (meaning it’s among the lowest in terms of concentration) which likely explains the plumping effect is comparatively small.

Skin Beneficial Ingredients: NYX makes a big deal out the peptides. However, the actual peptide-containing ingredients are fairly minimal. NYX did include some Vitamin E, BHA and Aloe Leaf Extract (italicized in the ingredient list below) offering some antioxidant benefits. However, those antioxidants won’t remain stable or effective for long when exposed to air repeatedly with use and due to the clear tube packaging. The rest of this product’s ingredients are pretty standard for a lip gloss.

Full Ingredient List: Mineral Oil, Polybutene, PentaerythritylTetraisostearate, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, HydrogenatedPolydecene, Hydrogenated Styrene/Isoprene Copolymer, DiisostearylMalate, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate,Tocopheryl acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, BHA, Vanillyl ButylEther, Polyethylene Terephthalate. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide C.I.77891, Iron Oxide Red C.I.77491, Iron Oxide Yellow C.I.77492, D&C Red No.6 C.I.15850, D&C Red No.7 Ca Lake C.I.15850.

Read Good Guide’s Safety Rating of This Product’s Ingredients

Summary and Daily Beauty Wisdom Rating: Pass by Pump It Up and pick up one of NYX’s better lip gloss options.

NYC Cosmetics' Pump It Up Lip Plumper (On Top) along with a Trio of Superior NYX Butter Gloss

NYC Cosmetics’ Pump It Up Lip Plumper (On Top) along with a Trio of Superior NYX Butter Gloss


Additional Reviews and Ratings:
Makeup Alley Reviews (3.1 / 5 lipsticks)
Beautypedia Reviews (Expert rating = 1 / 5 stars; Community rating = 5 / 5 stars)
Influenster Reviews (Rating as of this writing = 4.2 / 5 stars)
Reviews from Amazon.com Customers (3.6 / 5 stars rating; NOTE this is a vendor website)

Check out NYX’s full product summary and info sheet here.

Wisdom for the Day:
“He touched my lips with the burning coal and said, ‘This has touched your lips, and now your guilt is gone, and your sins are forgiven.’
Then I heard the Lord say, ‘Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?’
I answered, ‘I will go! Send me!” ~Isaiah 6:7-8 (Good News Translation)
Read more here.

Clinique Superbalm™ Moisturizing Gloss – Product Review

Clinique Superbalm™ Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Raspberry - Simply the Best!

Clinique Superbalm™ Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Raspberry – Simply the Best!

Matte lips are a big trend these days. Practically every makeup line from low to high end offer liquid lipsticks, lip paints, lip tars and stains. As with most makeup trends, the look is incredibly flattering on some and not so pretty on others. Trends are by definition cyclical – going in and out of style – and I suspect the matter lip trend to be no different.

Something that never goes out of style is plump, moisturized healthy-looking lips. And that’s exactly what you’ll get from Superbalm™ – an all-time favorite lip gloss from Clinique. Here’s my review:

Price: $17 for a o.5 oz. tube.

Color Range: A total of five shades are available. Four are available from Clinique counters and at Clinique.com and a Fifth is available exclusively at Sephora stores and Sephora.com.
Lilac – a light purpley pink with more blue undertones
Grapefruit – a very light neutral pink that doesn’t lean too orange or too blue (my all-time fav topper for nude lipstick)
Raspberry – a brighter cherry red/pink with blue undertones
Currant – a slightly deeper mauvey purple that still leans toward pinky tones, especially when applied on bare lips

Clinique Superbalm™ Moisturizing Gloss in Currant. Photo from CLNIQUE.com

Clinique Superbalm™ Moisturizing Gloss in Currant. Photo from CLNIQUE.com

The Sephora-exclusive shade, Black Honey, is probably the most popular. Black Honey is a deeper wine-like shade that is perfect for fall and neutral enough to compliment a variety of skin tones.

None of the shades contains shimmer. Some previously available colors did offer shimmer but have since been discontinued. So if you’ve been afraid that gloss will make you sparkle like a glittery 70’s disco-ball, don’t worry. This one won’t.

Application: Superbalm glosses have a plastic slant-tip applicator which has a tiny hole through which the product dispenses when you squeeze the tube. That applicator is actually part of the tube. It’s actually more sanitary than the removable doe-foot wand applicators commonly used on many recently-launched lip products. When you remove a wand/applicator from a liquid cosmetic product and apply the product directly to the skin, you expose the applicator to bacteria and other contaminants in the air and on your skin. Those contaminants are then introduced to the product when put the wand/applicator back into the product. An external applicator (especially a hard plastic one) may be cleaned to remove dirt and contaminants. But an internal applicator, especially one made of spongy material, cannot. We spend so much time cleaning our makeup sponges and brushes, but I for one never consider the fact that I constantly reuse doe-foot applicators that I cannot clean. Something to consider.

Superbalm™ Has an Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Clean Applicator

Superbalm™ Has an Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Clean Applicator

Coverage: Each shade is sheer without shimmer, providing a tint of color and big-impact shine. Superbalm™ is designed to be worn alone or layered over color lip products. Because the colors are so sheer, you can literally layer any shade, with the possible exception of Black Honey, over any lip color. Even Black Honey won’t dramatically alter your basic lip color but will darken and warm it slightly while adding shine and moisture. Grapefruit is probably the easiest shade to pair with other lip products. Because it’s a nearly clear pink, it’s unlikely to alter the shade of a lipstick when layered over top. But because it’s so light, Grapefruit provides no meaningful coverage on its own. It will highlight your lips own natural beauty and make them look fuller and more attractive naturally.

Clinique Superbalm™ Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Shade Grapefruit

Clinique Superbalm™ Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Shade Grapefruit

Texture + Finish: This is big glassy shine, so expect some tackiness after application. I find the texture very similar to NYX’s Butter Glosses but more sheer and far more moisturizing. Some Sephora reviewers describe Superbalm™ as sticky but I don’t find the level of stickiness to be problematic and certainly no stickier than other more expensive glosses on the market. The glass-like shine lasts at least 30 – 60 minutes depending on your activities, whether you eat, drink etc. after application. The color remains about 30 minutes after the shine has dissipated depending on the shade (with deeper shades like Black Honey and Raspberry sticking around longer).

Wear: The glass-like shine lasts 15 – 60 minutes depending on your activities, whether you eat, drink etc. after application. The color hangs around another 30 minutes+ after the shine has dissipated. The moisture remains at least another hour which is fantastic, for anyone with chronically dry lips, those living in a dry climate, or anyone who gets chapped lips during colder winter months. So basically everyone can enjoy this product at some time or another!

Skin Beneficial Ingredients: Clinique includes several proven moisturizers like petroleum, wax, soybean oil, linoleic acid and squalene. Also included are several antioxidants – retinal palmitate (Vitamin A derivative), Vitamins E and C. This gloss is also fragrance-free.
Full list of ingredients available at here.

Summary: This is a terrific lip gloss suitable for all skin types and anyone looking for a hint of color along with big shine and a healthy dose of moisture. These glosses look great on their own but work very well with just about any type of lip product (the possible exception being liquid lip stains that specifically instruct you to avoid glosses that contain any oils). Otherwise, these glosses will play nicely with just about any lipstick in your collection! At $16 each, Superbalm™ glosses qualify as wise beauty buys!

Additional Comments and Notes: If you already love this gloss and live within driving distance of an outlet mall that has a Cosmetics Company (Estée Luader Outlet) Store, I encourage you to head on over to said mall and stock up because Cosmetics Company routinely sells these glosses for just $11-12 each. And the deals don’t stop there! You can save on all kinds of Lauder-owned brands of fragrances, skin care, hair care, and makeup (M.A.C., Clinique, Smashbox, Bumble & bumble, and more!). Click here to locate a Cosmetics Company Store near you.
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Wisdom for the Day:
“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will tell about your praise.” ~Psalm 51:15 (God’s Word Translation)
Read more here.

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