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As someone who has piles and piles of beauty products on her desk to test for work, I’m not easily influenced (even if 80 percent of my FYP on TikTok is creators convincingly hawking glosses and concealers that are supposed to “change my life”). But when I saw a few videos of people showing their before and afters with NYX Duck Plump Lip Gloss ($13), I knew I had to try it, too. These influencers legitimately looked like they just got back from lip filler appointments. Could a drugstore gloss really give my pout a fresh-injected look?
Turns out, yeah?
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My Honest Review of NYX Duck Plump High Pigment Lip Gloss
I decided to test the shade “Pick Me Pink,” which feels spring-y, and nicely pigmented, but nothing over the top. It’s a classic, rose-y pink that should be flattering on everyone and look good with any outfit. Plus, I was at the office, and didn’t feel like doing anything that would stand out, lest I had a meeting and things went wrong (in my mind, I’m imagining Kris Jenner’s lip filler fiasco — welp).
NYX Duck Plump Plumping Lip Gloss
Shades: 18
Pros:
Easy to use
Effectively plumps lips with one swipe
Comes in a wide variety of shades
Reasonable price
Vegan
Not tested on animals
Cons:
Results are exaggerated on TikTok
Does sting lips like any other plumping gloss product
Luckily, things went according to plan. The formula was a bit thicker than I anticipated; with plumping glosses I’m used to a more watery formulation, but this stuff reminded me of the thickness of a matte liquid lip (minus the matte-ness).
I was a little nervous applying it, but with “Pick Me Pink,” it was easy. It glided on easily, giving my lips a sweet rose-y tint and ultra glossy finish in one swipe. I ended up waiting about seven-eight minutes in between first applying and taking an “after” photo.
Here are the results:
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The Plumping Effect
Okay — I will say, I think the influencers on TikTok are maybe(???) using a filter, because my lips didn’t look, like, surgically altered. But they looked a lot fuller, and the formula gave me the same plumpness as more expensive products like Too Faced Lip Injection ($29). This lasted for about an hour for me before reapplying. So, A for effectiveness.
The Plumping Sensation
About two minutes after applying, my lips started to sting. The formula features spicy ginger, which is a popular plumping ingredient, and the packaging does warn you that you’ll experience an “extreme” sensation. Don’t wear this if your lips are chapped! It will be painful! The pinching was definitely on the more extreme side (a bit more intense than Too Faced, IMO), but this was to be expected.
The Bottom Line
This is a fun lip product if you’re looking to fake lip fullness in minutes, and I love that it comes in so many shades. It really feels like a marriage between a traditional lipstick (the pigment) and lip gloss (the shine), except with intense plumping features. Did it look like I just got back from a lip injection appointment? Well, no. But it did enhance the size and shape of my mouth, and it was just as effective as pricier products. Worth the TikTok hype? I’d say so.
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