I Tried Fenty’s Plumping Lip Mask For A Week & My Lips Have Never Been Juicier

After the success of her Gloss Bomb Lip Luminizer range, it was perhaps only natural for Rihanna to delve into the lip mask space with the new Fenty Skin Plush Puddin', $28.

The intensive recovery mask contains vitamin E and pomegranate, and promises soft, thick and pillowy lips, with a clear sheen that could still pass as lip gloss to the untrained eye.

Just this week, it even got the tick of approval from Hayley Bieber, who shared in a since-expired Instagram story that it "feels so nice" to apply and wear on the lip.

The praises of this product have also been sung from the rooftops on TikTok, with users loving the nourishment that Plush Puddin' is laying down. "This is the most hydrating lip balm I've ever put down," says @sarah_wolak. "Look how juicy my lips look!"

It's a tough market to enter, given cult favourite Laneige Sleep Mask continues to have a stronghold as the number one brand in Sephora Australia. But unlike its main competitor, the Plush Puddin' is formulated to be used during the day as well, which means it's more lightweight than a nighttime-only mask, but still works a little bit harder than the average lip balm.

A major selling point — the proof in the puddin', if you will — is that it claims to make your lips smoother, firmer and bouncier in just one week.

Naturally, I had to put it to the test.

I tend to get chapped lips all year round, which is especially frustrating in summer when it shouldn't be as bad. So I was keen to throw myself into the deep end to see if Fenty's promises are really true.

When you screw off the lid — unlike a pot where you stick your finger in — you actually dispense as much or little product as you want by twisting the base of the vessel. From day one, I committed to a pea-sized amount, which glided on nicely and didn't take too much time to work in. Unlike many lip plumping products, there was no noticeable tingling feeling on my lips.

I noticed immediately that the mask's texture was a little bit tacky, but not so thick that it moved when I spoke. There isn't a strong fragrance (just soft notes of vanilla) and the baby pink pigment doesn't transfer when you put it on — rather, it blends into your natural lip colour.

To kickstart the experiment on the first day, I actually used it before going out, noting that it felt pleasant enough and made reapplying my party lip product a lot easier later in the night, thanks to its moisturising properties.

But as a creature of habit who also likes routine, I decided to commit to the overnight application moving forward and started popping it on right before bed instead. When I woke up the next morning, I found that my lips were still a bit flaky when I wiped off the excess product, but I didn't give it too much thought as it still had six more days to work its magic within the promised timeframe.

Day 3 was super hot, which is unsurprising for an Australian summer. I was worried the lip mask would bleed out and rub on my pillowcase but it thankfully had stayed put. Again, when I gently wiped off any product that remained on my lips with a tissue, my lips felt softer but still looked visibly dry. What worked for me was popping a regular lip balm on straight after which seemed to help retain moisture better and made the results last longer.

The next day, I noticed that my lips felt mildly tingly, suggesting a possible allergic reaction, but the sensation subsided and I had no problems after that. I had a party that night and finally tried it as a standalone lip care product before going out, and unsurprisingly, it stayed on for the entire event.

A big concern for me before delving into this experiment was whether I would break out from the lip mask — something that always takes a few days to find out after trying a new skincare product. I'm really susceptible to pimples along my upper lip and other lip masks I've used in the past have led to some nasty, painful and long-lasting whiteheads.

While I did get a few sebaceous filaments where I usually wouldn't around day 5 of using Plush Puddin', it wasn't nearly as bad or as noticeable as I thought, and they actually went away soon after. My lips were also looking really plump in the mornings at this point and that initial post-application irritation had all but disappeared.

On day 6, the product felt like it was sitting on my lips a lot better and when I swept it on with my finger, I couldn't feel as much roughness underneath. It also felt like the product was finally being absorbed properly.

Finally, day 7 rolled around and I definitely noticed a difference! The fine lines on my lips had smoothed out and even in between applications, my lips didn't need as much TLC. I'm not reaching into my purse for a lip balm half as much as I was before the experiment and thanks to them feeling a lot more hydrated, lipsticks are sitting nicer on me as well.

The Fenty Skin Plush Puddin' is worth pushing through with, especially if you don't have sensitive skin or aren't susceptible to lip pimples like I am.

It's easy to carry around, is less messy and more sanitary than a pot lip mask and makes for a pretty rad daily lip balm, worse case scenario.