Too Faced Fat Kiss

RRP: £11.50, though it's down to much less on some sites if you search.

no. of shades available: like the prices it seems difficult to get an exact answer; however, so far I've counted at least 5.

--What does the promo say?--
"FAT KISS will add oomph and va-va-va-volume to your thin and pouty pucker! Utilizing a secret mixture of natural essential oils, Fat Kiss will give you the appearance of having full and fabulous lips! Just roll out the perfect amount of wet and juicy gloss with its handy, retro roller ball "Diamond Pen."

--Packaging--
A rectangular (suppose a 3D one would be a cuboid or something?), transparent canister made of plastic, displaying the lipgloss suspended within. The lid is also clear and cubic, and the front simply has the Too Faced logo, the name of the product, and a short description in black. That's it. Oh, and that rollerball mechanism which you don't seem to see too much these days though I seem to remember this underwent quite a surge in the 90s when pretty much all free lipglosses that came with magazines seemed to work this way. However, the squareness of it all, plus the fact that the lipgloss is suspended inside the main canister within a smaller one, is probably what makes it most interesting to look at.

--Application--
Unscrew the lid, and then run the rollerball over your lips until suitably glossy.

--Appearance--
Now, I've got to say this mystified me. The shade I own - Fat Currant - is perhaps unsurprisingly a daring shade of purple. I didn't think this would make me look like a goth, but I was expecting a sort of purple sheen at least. And yet...nothing. THE GLOSS COMES OUT TOTALLY CLEAR, even though in the tube it is quite clearly purple. This is possibly the weirdest thing I've ever seen.

--Scent--
Fruity. Nice.

--Sensation--
Unlike this lipgloss' mummy, the Lip Injection Extreme (its sister being the original Lip Injection), you don't feel any citrus-fruit type stinging with this. Just a sort of cooling sensation, which is actually nice in a strange sort of way. Hmm. It wears off after a few minutes though.

--Does it do what it says on the box?--
To be honest? No. This is the coward's option if you're not up for the Lip Injection. It clearly says 'plumping' on the tube, but despite applying this several times today, my lips showed absolutely no signs of the needle-free Botox that we all desire.

--Value for money--
Not bad if you can get it on the cheap, but I wouldn't pay £11.50 for it (that's $23 - though with the global crash perhaps not for much longer!).

--Other comments--
If you want something that works, get the Lip Injection or the Lip Injection Extreme. If you just want a normal but overpriced lipgloss, get this and mystify at the wondrous packaging.

Too Faced Extreme Lip Injection

RRP: £17.00 (also available in the US and in Europe, though it's only marginally cheaper) for 6g/0.2oz.

--Ingredients--

Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Butylene/ Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Ethylhexl Palmitate, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Palmitoyl, Oligopeptide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Benzyl Nicotinate, Capiscum Frutescens Resin, Pentaerithrityl Tetraisotearate, Silica Dimethyl Silyate, Sodium Chondroitin Sulphate, Atelocollagen, Propylparaben, Flavour (Aroma). May contain iron oxides.

--Packaging--

The box is white with pink stripes, with all information and the Too Faced logo gracing it in black. While the majority of the writing on the box is in quite a neutral, professional font, the 'Lip' in 'Lip Injection' and the Too Faced logo provide a refreshing amount of girliness with the trademark curly writing that's quite synonymous with the vintage image that the company projects in all of its products. The gloss tube itself is c. 7cm long, 2cm of that being taken up by the applicator lid. The applicator lid is black and clear with the Too Faced logo in pink; the tube itself is transparent.

--What does the promo say?--

"Want a permanent plump?Lip Injection Extrême is a lip plumping serum that gives long term results based on four of the most scientifically proven and advanced lip plumping technologies. Increase lip volume and plumpness permanently with continued use! This serum is to be used in the morning and evening along with your normal skin care routine. Apply a generous amount of Lip Injection Extrême on clean dry lips. Wait one minute before applying lip color or balm to allow the unique formula to penetrate your lips. Use the original “Lip Injection” during the day between applications to prolong and increase your plump!"

--Application--

Easy peasy, just unscrew the lid and apply a very thin layer to your lips before rubbing in.

--Appearance--

On the lips it appears as a regular clear gloss, even though through the bottle there appears to be a slight pink iridescence to it.

--Scent--

Slightly fruity, though not overbearingly so. I was quite surprised by this - seeing as Too Faced promote it as a cosmetic alternative to Botox, I had expected it to smell more clinical.

--Sensation--

Too Faced warns you on the box that the product contains collagen and "instant blood vessel dilators", and that as such, you will probably experience a "slightly intense tingling sensation" on your lips that lasts between 5 and 10 minutes. They're not wrong - it's similar to the feeling you get if you've eaten some citrus fruit and you forget to wash off some of the juice from around your mouth. It's uncomfortable rather than painful, and as they point out, it passes quickly, but I can understand how people would find it unpleasant. Still, they do warn you, so if you're still daft enough to buy this knowing that you won't like the feeling...After the 5-10 minutes, your lips feel totally normal again.

--Does it do what it says on the box?--

Yes. I noticed a difference in my lips immediately (my lips aren't as thin as some people's, but they certainly benefit from this product), and while Too Faced recommend applying the product throughout the day to prolong and maintain the plumping effect, I don't think it's really necessary - you could get the effect you want for an evening out with just one application, in my view, and there's certainly no need to use for a minimum of 30 days, morning and night, for maximum long term effects, unless you have REALLY thin lips.

--Value for money--

If you're just going to use it from time to time, then I'd say excellent. However, if you're planning on applying it every day as they suggest to achieve long term results, I probably wouldn't recommend it unless you were really insecure.

--Other comments--

It does what it says on the box, and it's not a bad price either. However, my boyfriend did look visibly concerned at the prospect of me putting collagen onto my lips, and the list of ingredients certainly makes interesting reading, so I would be wary of using this stuff on a regular basis.