It’s no secret in the beauty world that lip liner can only go so far. In my posts, you’ll notice that on nearly every image I’m wearing a liner as well as lipstick. Ultimately it’s to give a more defined shape and plumper effect to my lips. It’s not something I’m necessarily insecure about (don’t you just hate it when people always say that she must be insecure to get work done). I just think my overall makeup look is that little bit better with the help of a more prominent lip colour/shape. I use liner the way people use, say, foundation in their makeup routine – it’s just one of my staples. Now I’m not asking for Angelina Jolie lips. Just a little more shapely and luscious would be nice. 

Fillers & Enhancements

Working in the media industry, I see pictures of celebrities daily with too-many fillers, enhancements and other cosmetic work. It’s not something I essentially admire. In fact, more often than not it actually looks a bit ridiculous in the flesh. Working right near Harley Street for my day job at GQ, I  tend not to see it very much on the streets. They do such a great job (usually). However, when you do see some heavy handed work (lips too big, face too frozen, etc) I feel sad that someone’s ruined their body that way. 

Now there are many a lip-plumper on the market that offer a topical form of collagen to create more volume. There are also injections for fillers and other weird and wonderful (?) things to try. For me, right now, these aren’t what I’m looking for – especially as I faint if I have a needles. I once fainted giving blood and got wheeled through a waiting room and plonked onto a different bed at the doctors surgery which was nice! Even the thought of having a needle fills me with dread so lets move on…

Do Your Homework

Now, think about what your lip actually is. It’s a really sensitive part of your body and it’s there for a purpose. We use it to talk, to blow kisses and most importantly, to eat. The skin of the lip consists of three to five cellular layers. It’s very thin compared to typical face or body skin, which has up to 16 layers. Lips are lighter in colour as its skin contains fewer melanocytes (cells which produce melanin pigment, which give skin its colour).

With this in mind, you don’t want to mess about. Leslie Ash, (the TV pin-up in the nineties staring as one of the characters in ‘Men Behaving Badly’) had her lips done in 2002 and had such a severe reaction to the industrial filler used that they began to swell to an alarming size. They’ve never recovered since and it’s been well reported how Leslie became depressed and wanted to ‘hide away’ afterwards. Please do not think I am shaming anyone who has fillers – like I said, this is just my personal preference to not go down that route. 

Those who regularly read my blog will know that I’m a huge fan of CACI treatments. For those who don’t know, CACI is the UK’s best selling anti-ageing facial treatment system that’s produced from a multi functioning machine. You can find their treatments offered by over 10,000 of the world’s leading aesthetic clinics, Spas, Hotels and Health Clubs including Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges etc. You can read my review of the ‘His and Her Caci Facials’ that Dan and I had at Christmas time here and coming soon is my review of the incredible Face Lift (non surgical of course).

So what is the lip treatment?

So here’s the techy bit. It uses LED red light therapy, an Amino-Lift Peptide serum and the CACI wrinkle comb to plump up your top and bottom lips. Everyone has different levels of collagen in so people experience different results. I already have a plump bottom lip so I wanted to focus more on the top lip.

It’s quick (15 minutes), affordable (only £25 and Sedure Clinic in London’s Soho did an amazing job) and it’s relatively painless. I had to have some numbing cream because my lip was actually quite sensitive but if you can stand the feeling, you probably won’t need it. It’s a funny sensation – you can feel it vibrating and feel the current and sometimes it feels as though it’s rolling little pins across the skin. The results are instant and last for around three days so it’s perfect for a special occasion, a wedding or a party. My lips did look fuller  and the ease and convenience was just perfect. No mess, no pain, no embarrassment leaving the salon. I combined mine with a facial (review coming soon) but this can be booked as a stand alone treatment.

BEFORE AND AFTER (below)

Smoker?

The treatment is also fantastic for smokers. Smokers lines are minimised thanks to the CACI system rejuvenating and strengthening the muscles that have been weakened. This can be due to pursing of the lips or the direct damage from the heat of the cigarettes. CACI really is a fantastic, needle-free alternative to botox and fillers. It’s great for people like me in their twenties who want to dabble in enhancements but not too much. The CACI lip plump is available nationwide, simply ask your local salon if they’re one of the 10,000 places around the UK who offer the treatments. To see who else are using CACI and for some amazing testimonials from people such as JLO through to Lisa Snowdon simply head to www.caci-international.co.uk.

To make an appointment with London’s Sedure Clinic, call 02074399753 or email INFO@SEDUIRECLINICS.COM. Follow on Instagram,  Facebook and Twitter.

Shop the post & similar, (I’m wearing Barry M Matte Me Lip in the first image fourth below).