Ah, the burning, stinging, eye-watering feeling of a lip plumper. Swipe one on and you can almost hear your grandmother telling your 8-year-old self that "sometimes it hurts to be beautiful" as the hot rollers got dangerously close to your tender little earlobes. Heh!

For true masochists I highly recommend LORAC Lip Addiction in Super Hot, which I'm actually not sure you can even get anymore. It's probably been outlawed in several states. This stuff BURNS. And...I kinda like it. But if you don't buy into the "no pain, no gain" thing, the new crop of lip plumpers get the job done while making your lips feel cool instead of hot. The refreshing factor makes them perfect for the impending (please! faster!) summer, too. Two standouts:

DuWop Lip Venom 2nd Sin is the evolution of the legendary elixir that started the plumping craze in the first place. It has the same smooth texture, glassy shine, and plumping properties of the original, but the "venomous" sting has been replaced with a fresh minty tingle.

2nd Sin goes on clear, so it's perfect on its own for everyday, or layered on top of your lipcolor for added shine and plumping. (And...it's a CEW Beauty Awards Finalist for 2007!)

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips has a similar minty feel and plumping benefits, but this one comes in 4 sheer, shimmery shades. Right now I'm loving Candi, a shimmering berry pink that's perfect for spring.

The Buxom Lips glosses are shiny and surprisingly long lasting, with a fab vanilla scent to go along with the minty taste. Vanilla mint! Delish! And the packaging is so adorable that I wanted to save the box...each is decorated with a pouty "buxom girl" dolled up in saloon girl gear. So cute!