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Established in 2007, BUXOM Cosmetics products remain true to their brand name. Their plumping lipsticks, thickening mascaras and illuminating foundations are prized by a generation of bold, sassy fans who follow celebrities like Shay Mitchell, star of ABC Family Channel’s Pretty Little Liars.

That’s why BUXOM recently named her their Global Creative Brand Ambassador and the face of BUXOM’s new PillowPout Creamy Plumping Lip Powder.

Want her sexy, alluring pout? This product is not just another take on a matte or glossy lip “stick” – it’s a fine, moist powder infused with nourishing mango seed butter and vitamin E.

Cooling menthol and plumping peptides promises to give your lips a pillowy pucker without potentially harmful additives like parabens, sulfates and phthalates.

I was giddy when BUXOM offered to send me the same four shades worn by Mitchell in the campaign launch – So Spicy, Darling Dolly, Want You & Kiss Me.

To use, just twist the cap (rather than pulling) so that the sponge applicator is charged with powder. The product glides on effortlessly and the powder fills every crack, corner and line.

[Wearing Kiss Me]

The pillowy-soft wand is not very precise but gives lips a blotted, stained finish with lasting power. The wet-powder consistency lends to a bold, rich colour pigmentation that is easily buildable. One application endured morning coffees and lunchtime salads without smudging or clinging to my teeth although I certainly made my mark on cup rims.

The formula is feather-light and so comfortable that you may forget you have anything on when you flash your bold, confident smile.

After trying it for a week, one inconvenience is that the cap can get messy because the powder is housed there.

I also discovered that my lips were dryer than I liked and the plumping effect was minimal. The powder only has a slight, tingling sensation, unlike some lip plumpers that can sting. Since the “shiny lip” is all the rage for this fall, these drawbacks can be remedied by layering with BUXOM’s best-selling faves: Full-On Plumping Lip Cream (gloss shine) or Polish (sparkly shine).

The cap colour of the slim sticks doesn’t exactly match the powder within and can vary even more when applied to the natural colour of your lips. Darling Dolly is a dewy neutral on me while So Spicy was only a hint darker as a tawny mauve. 

I didn’t think I would like the purple plum of Want You but the berry shade was not as blue nor as dark as I imagined. Kiss Me will give you the classic crimson pout of red-lipped beauties.

BUXOM’s PillowPout Creamy Plumping Lip Powder is available in 10 playful shades so you can experiment. Each tube retails for CAD $26 and is only available in Canada through Sephora, in-store and online. Photos by Cora Li.

About Our Contributor Cora Li

Cora dabbles in arts, technology, food, and travel. She loves that Vancouver offers a vast playground for exploring all of her passions. Cora’s most memorable job to date was working with VANOC during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.