The Beauty Diary by Rebekah Scanlan: Forget lip filler, this is the only lip boosting product you need

It sounds like a fancy tub of Vaseline that will set you back almost $30 — but this stuff will leave people wondering if you’ve had some work done.

There’s one beauty dilemma that I’ve never been able to solve no matter how hard I tried — my dry, flaky lips.

I’ve tried absolutely everything to banish the shedding skin that occurs in the most noticeable of places. This has included using a dry toothbrush to desperately rub away the flakes, smothering my lips in olive oil and even resorting to applying an antiseptic nappy cream.

Until recently, the latter was actually my most trusted method. It didn’t taste great but the sensitive and nourishing formula proved to be a winner. In fact, it’s a beauty hack Margot Robbie has even boasted about.

Still, it didn’t stop me suffering with those awful dry lip side-effects, such as red wine stains and my favourite bright pink lipstick seeping into cracks.

That all changed recently when I was whingeing about my gross problem in the office and my boss casually mentioned a lip mask she “can not live without”.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is $28 for a tiny 20g tub, so I thought the Korean-made beauty product was a bit of a rip off — especially as my trusty Bepathen costs less than $10 for a huge tube.

I've suffered with dry, flaky lips forever. Picture: Supplied

But the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask managed to get rid of my flakes and also give me plumper looking lips. No lip filler here. Picture: Supplied

While it sounded like a fancy pot of Vaseline, I decided to give it a whirl because I’m not afraid to slather myself in a whole lot of weird stuff in the name of #beauty.

And it was worth it. A few weeks into using this ridiculous sounding product — because let’s face it, is a “lip sleeping mask” anything but a lip balm with a wanky name? — a friend I hadn’t seen in a while asked me a question that made me realise this item was worth every cent.

“Have you had lip filler?” she said, much to my surprise and joy.

Yeahhh, it may seem a little offensive to some, but among my friends it was the biggest compliment you could ask for — especially when the answer was a super smug “no”.

Here’s my full review of the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, along with a few other Korean beauty products I’m fully frothing over at the mo.

Missed a column? Catch up on all The Beauty Diary action here.

LANEIGE LIP SLEEPING MASK

'Have you had lip filler?' No. I've just been using this lip mask, thank you very much. Picture: Supplied

Available at Sephora

Price: $28

I honestly didn’t hold out much hope for this product. I mean, what even is a lip mask? It’s just a swanky name for lip balm. So this all sounded like a massive beauty con to me and I wasn’t going to fall for it. No way.

Even when I had a quick scroll on Twitter and saw just how many people were raving about it, it only made me doubt its abilities even more, putting the hype down to a clever marketing scheme.

According to the packet, you apply it at night before bed to allow time for the magic to happen — so that’s exactly what I did.

The next day, nothing had changed but I persevered in the name of journalism. You’re welcome.

A few days later, I started to notice a difference, my lips were smoother and less dry. Within a week there was a serious improvement in the dryness of my lips and the pesky flakes had pretty much disappeared. My lips felt softer and looked better under lipstick and I genuinely was stunned.

But it was the unexpected plumping that has really sold me on this item. I’ve just got back from a trip to New York where I saw a good friend I hadn’t seen in a while — and her reaction to my lips was truly something.

She legit couldn’t believe I hadn’t had lip filler injected into my pout, insisting no beauty product could have that sort of “juicifying” effect. But honestly, it really has. Just look at my before and afters, there’s no denying my lips, particularly the top one, are more plump and prominent.

I’m not 100 per cent sure how it all works, but according to the product description it’s down to the fragrant formula that “removes dead skin cells while infusing lips with berry extracts, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid”. This unique formula makes lips supple and smooth by the time you wake up.

While it may sound totally ridiculous, the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is worth every cent. I’m officially a convert for life.

INNISFREE JEJU CHERRY BLOSSOM JELLY CREAM

Forget all preconceptions you have on moisturisers, this cream is like nothing you’ve used before. Picture: Supplied

Available at Innisfree stores and Innisfree.com

Price: $36

Cherry Blossom season may be six months away, but the stunning flower is now the ingredient of a weird and wonderful new cream from Innisfree that’s made with extract from the plant’s leaves.

Forget all notions you have of a cream, as this clear jelly is nothing like the stuff we’re all familiar with. It’s light, absorbs quickly and smells like a tub of delicious lollies.

I’m obsessed with it as it’s not sticky and is a really refreshing skin moment, one that brightens my day as well as my skin.

No wonder the stuff sold out when it landed in the brands eight Aussie stores recently. Thankfully I’ve been assured it’s definitely back in stock — just in time for summer. So get in quick.

LANEIGE CREAM SKIN TONER & MOISTURISER

This milky liquid is an absolute delight to use and leaves skin feeling fresh AF. Picture: Supplied

Available at Sephora

Price: $41

Back in the day, toners were full of alcohol used to strip skin of its oil — which also left us traumatised and terrified of using it for the rest of time.

Laneige has now created a 2-in-1 hybrid, that claims to removes oil build up but also soften skin and it left me super intrigued. The scentless formula — which is almost milky looking — picks up dirt easily, wiping it away without being too harsh. It not only leaves my skin fresher and softer, but it’s super calming on my skin, making it great for those who suffer with redness or sensitivity. The directions state you should apply with a cotton pad which is how I’ve been using it, but I saw some savvy beauty junkies online who hated the idea of “wasting” the product by leaving half of it on the pad and instead put the product in a small spray bottle which “totally changed the experience”.

I would totally recommend this. It’s especially great if you’re trying to maintain your skincare but short on time.

GLAMGLOW GLOWLACE RADIANCE-BOOSTING SHEET MASK

This face mask may give you a fright but I love how snug it fits and how generous it is with the serum. Picture: Supplied

Available at Mecca

Price: $14

We’re all utterly obsessed with sheet masks and it’s all thanks to the Korean beauty scene for introducing it to us. While it may seem a little on the steep price, its definitely not stingy on the serum side as it was literally dripping when I pulled it out to apply it.

Despite being super juicy, it was easy to put on and was lovely and snug to my face. There was no slipping and none of that breathing in fabric around the nose area either which happens so often to me and I hate it. It says to leave it on for 10-15 minutes but obviously I want the full relaxation experience with my sheet masks and left it on for the time it took to drink a glass of wine — about 30 mins. After my skin was supple, dewy and fresh and there was heaps of serum still in the packet that I smothered all over my neck and décolletage.

This column is not advertorial content. Every review is independent, honest and ad free.

If you have a question about a beauty product or an item you’d like to see road tested in The Beauty Diary, jump into our official Facebook group where you can join like-minded beauty junkies. You can also catch me on Instagram or tweet me — don’t forget to hashtag #TheBeautyDiary.