Polite Society Big Mouth XL Gloss Had Everyone Thinking I Got Lip Filler

After a decade as a beauty editor, I am down to experiment with just about any product, and I am no stranger to a tweakment: An in-office peel for next-level exfoliation, Botox for the pesky forehead wrinkle—and I’m sure there’s more in my future (like an anti-aging laser). But the final aesthetic frontier I haven’t forged is filler. Maybe I’ve heard too many stories of overdone work—lips stretched so full it looks painful, or a celebrity getting their filler dissolved because they stopped looking like themselves. My one rule with injectables has always been: I need to know and accept what I look like naturally, at every age, and then I can decide if I prefer a needle-assist. This gloss has kept me looking natural, and dare I say, my age, but better. 

I’ve been testing Polite Society’s newest launch—Big Mouth XL Lip Plumping Concentrate for a few weeks now. And honestly didn’t think much of it until my friends started asking, ”Did you get lip filler?” No needles required—the gloss is just that good, here’s proof. 

I love a lip gloss and will even battle a tingle for that extra juicy, plumping effect. I won’t lie, though: The sting of the Big Mouth XL gloss is a bit more than a tingle. On the pain scale of zero to bee sting, I would say it’s at too much hot sauce on your tacos—that feeling where your mouth is slightly numb, lips are pulsing, and you gotta fight the burn. That effect only lasts about 15 minutes, and then you’re left with glossy, plumped lips. And while the gloss is colorless for this formula, I found my lips became a darker shade of pink, too. 

Big Mouth XL contains blood orange, infinity pepper, and ginger root oil to cause that filler-like reaction. The ingredients boost circulation and, unlike most plumpers, were designed specifically to add fullness to the top lip and temporarily make your pout bigger. Not only did this gloss give me full lips, but it also seemed to fill in fine lines and give them a super smooth appearance. Well worth the $32 investment, for a tube that will last months and months, when the average cost of lip filler is $647, according to RealSelf. I had impressive results with just the lip gloss, but overline your lips just a smidge, and the result is big, full, rounded lips. 

Shoppers have called this the “best lip plumper they’ve ever used,” and I agree: The results are obvious at first use and last for several hours. The brand claims it lasts 12 hours, but once the gloss wears off, the plumping effect fades, too, in my opinion. Even so, a little touch-up with their normal plumping gloss—Big Mouth Lip Plumping Oil Gloss—was enough to reignite the glossiness and volume. 

If you’re looking for a more subtle effect or a gloss with less of a fight-the-burn mentality, these lip plumpers were also winners in our testing. 

More Plumping Lip Glosses We Tested

Best Overall: Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Plumping Gloss

Best Budget: Maybelline New York Lifter Gloss

Best Immediate Results: Dr. Lara Devgan Platinum Lip Plump SPF 30

Best for Mature Skin: Ourself Lip Filler

Best Hydrating: Too Faced Lip Injection Maximum Plump