Let’s be real: it’s 2017 and everyone and their mother has gotten something done to their face by now, so when my friend Shoshana told me she’d found an actual lip filler goddess in TriBeCa, I figured it was now or never. I was born with pretty full lips - literally, the first observation my mom made after pushing me out and taking a good look was that I’d have a grand old time putting lipstick on throughout my life, and she was right, for the most part...but I’m no Kylie and sometimes the grass is truly greener on the other side of a syringe full of Restylane.

I did a bit of research prior to our joint appointment, and most articles I’d found generally advised against having anything planned after a round of injectables, particularly for the first time. Seriously though, there was no actual way I was going to clear an entire day for any reason (who even does that?) so I left my calendar as-is and decided to hope for the best. Besides, if there happened to be any crazy bruising, I was fully prepared to slather on some dark matte lipstick and call it a day. Here’s how it all went down.

[Photo by Leslie Kirchhoff courtesy Celine Bossart]