I won’t even pretend that this tiny shift holds any real purpose other than a quick stroll through vanity park, and yet, a small step it is…
My friend Beverly boasts the most plump, hydrated lips around. I realize that’s an odd thing to publicly laud, and yet, if you’d see her, you’d ask the same question I asked of her three weeks ago over an Eggs Benedict in Santa Monica: What’s your secret?
She smiled, laughed, and told me this:
Add cinnamon to your lip balm.
Her grandmother, an Italian chef, taught her the trick. Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon with whatever lip balm you’ve got – Vaseline, chap stick, coconut oil, anything at all – and let the spice work its magical plumping properties as you apply. Because cinnamon is an irritant, it sends blood to the surface of your lips (yes, you can feel it tingle!) and in a few minutes, you’ll notice the tiniest difference in fuller, hydrated lips.
The effect lasts an hour or so, which for me, is just enough time to wrangle Ken for a tall glass of wine on the back porch and a slow dance to the tune of Scout’s baby monitor.
Twinkle, twinkle indeed.
p.s. These are a series of small steps that will (hopefully) provide one giant leap to greater things. Not for mankind, but for me, and perhaps for you, which will always be good enough in my book. First two here and here.
Thank you for this small bit of vanity. I can’t wait to try it! I’m usually a pretty low-key person makeup-wise. But all I really, really, want is plump, hydrated lips. Let’s give it a shot!
Oh I can’t wait to hear how you like it!
I’m game for anything that leads to slow dances on the porch and twinkles. = )
AMEN sister.