By Victoria Moorhouse, InStyle
[post_ads]It’s not just brides who are freaking out over collagen lip masks. They are the most popular wedding beauty product on the platform, but the rest of us who aren’t
headed to be wed are loving them for their selfie potential, but even
more so for how they plump, hydrate, and nourish our lips. And while
there’s countless versions of them out there, one is getting road-tested
by some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, along with the most
influential bloggers.
KNC Beauty’s Lip Masks ($25 for 5; kncbeauty.com)
are made of the gel-like fabric you know and love and are shaped like
oversized flat lips. But even more intriguing than the collagen they’re
infused with? They’re all-natural, and the very first version at that.
Created by Kristen Noel Crawley, a Dior ambassador and beauty lover,
she felt the urge to create an all-natural lip mask after realizing it
was missing from the product category completely. After two years of
testing, the KNC Lip Mask was launched. It’s total ingredients list
consists of water, glycerin, collagen, rose flower oil, vitamin E,
bitter cherry extract, and hyaluronic acid. According to the founder,
what gives it the plumping power is a combination of the uber-hydrating
hyaluronic acid and the bitter cherry extract.
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And since its inception, the one-product brand has received celebrity
endorsements one could only dream of. Kim Kardashian debuted the
product on Instagram, while lifestyle blogger Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere made sure to document her trial.
But one of the biggest moments for the brand so far, Crawley says, is when a certain La La Land star gave it a whirl. "One super big moment for us was when Emma Stone wore the lip masks before the Golden Globes.
That was a huge moment for us, and I think that got people and women
thinking of this part of your beauty prep for your big day, or a big
day."
VIDEO: The Hottest Lipstick Trends Through the Decades
And
it’s no coincidence that they all took pictures testing the masks out.
We’d rather a product actually perform, but we also live in a day and
age where photogenic packaging—i.e. looking good in your feed—is a close
second. "It’s totally Instagrammable,” says the founder. "I didn’t even
think about that when I was creating the product. People want to take a
selfie with it. As we’re developing new products, I’m like, 'Is this
selfie worthy?' It makes people want to try it and click the picture.
That’s so integral in today’s world."
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With the urge to get in a good Instagram picture, and a desire for
smooth, plumped up, and moisturized lips, we gave the buzzed about masks
a shot. Soaked in serum, the thick gel material, perfectly colored in
millennial pink, melds over your lips. You leave them on for about 20
minutes and let the formula soak into your skin. Crawley says you might
feel a slight tingle, and we did, but it wasn’t painful or
uncomfortable.
After we peeled it off, our lips looked subtly plumped and minimally fuller, but definitely hydrated.
So what’s next for KNC Beauty? Like its OG hit, Crawley teased the
new addition will have just as much social media potential. Don’t you
worry.
