The Dona Plumping Lip Balm is another of the very extensive items in the Dona bath and body collection. This lip balm is advertised to both moisten your lips and plump them. While it didn't appear to plump, it still does the job of keeping lips moist and protecting them from winds and cold weather. The lip balm has mostly common ingredients you would find in other lip balms and cosmetic products.

It took me a moment to find the supposal culprit for the lip plumping. Essentially, lip plumping balms work by irritating your lips. The slight irritation causes an increased blood flow to your lips, and increased blood flow adds more volume to your lips. The usual ingredients you'll find in plumping products will be capsicum (what makes hot peppers spicy), cinnamon, or mint products. The ingredient that seems to be used as a plumping agent is menthoxypropanediol, which is a derivative a menthol. Menthol is the oil obtained from mint plants that gives that cooling effect. You do feel a tingling when using the product, which might irritate some too much and might be a pleasing sensation to others.

If you have used lip plumping items then this product should not irritate you. If you are sensitive to mint products than I would suggest trying a different product. The bulk of this balm is made of oils and moisturizers.

The Goji Berry lip balm is a opaque-ish yellow color. It looks like it would be lemon scented. The starts of my tube was a little flaky and crumbly. This sometimes happens with balms when the tube is two filled or is a bit uneven. If it is a bit uneven and you use it you might have little pieces come off or clump. It can be annoying at first but after a few uses the balm becomes normal and easy to use. If it clumps on your lips you can either remove the large bits from your lips or rub it in with your finger.



The other properties of the lip balm are like any other balm. The balm holds its shape in it gelatinous form. It won't fly or flow out of the tube. It does not require extra care so long as you cover it after use and roll down the lip balm before closing the cap.

While the balm is not designed for consumption, it is made of ingredients that are safe to consume in very small amounts. This is because you will ingest small amounts of any lip balm you wear no matter how careful you are. That is why the ingredients in balms must be able to be consumed safely in at least very small amounts. If you put some on and lick your lip you will get a a shadow of some fruit taste. Mostly you will get the taste you get if you accidentally ingest a bit of lotion. There is a slight mint effect as well.

It smells pretty nice. It smells like a sweet fruit with a slight chemical undertone. It does not smell bad in anyway. It smells like an average fruit balm.

So... did this plump?

The lip balm did have an ingredient that is a slight irritant to the lips. In theory, the menthol derivative should cause some irritation that would result in swelling or plumbing. If you use some you are likely to experience a light tingling sensation. This means your lips are responding to the menthol derivative. How much an effect you get depends on both you sensitivity to irritants and the amount present in the lip balm. I'm betting there is not a high amount of mentol derivative in this balm. If there was too much then users might get irritated to the point of it being uncomfortable or itchy. Too much could also cause contact dermatitis.

You may see some very slight plumbing but don't think you'll get Angelina Jolie results.

In terms of moisturizing: the balm does its job. It protects lips from the cold and keeps you moist. It would have been nice if there was a sun protectant in the balm as well. As with many lip balms, you are rubbing a grease/oil onto your lips. You will feel the residue on your lips protecting them. You can wipe it off with a cloth or you hand if you want it gone.

The lip balm came in a little plastic bag. Then it came as so:



It's nothing fancy. It's a simple plastic tube that most balms come in. It doesn't leak in most weather, but it's possible it can melt in extreme heat.

I have a lot of Dona body products and I was curious to see how this balm worked. I think the ones with capsicum are more successful. However, those tend to cause a more burning than tingling effect. The menthol derivative is probably a more tranquil ingredient to use for plumping, but it probably doesn't work as well. It's a cost-benefit scenario. Still, it does the job to protect your lips from getting chapped. It is good to have on hand, in a pocket, or in your purse.