It's not uncommon for an Islander to exit the Love Island villa and undergo a little nip and tuck (coupled with a PLT deal and a lifetime of Saturday morning screening invites), but a face tattoo is a new one for us and our post-series sleuthing.
No, Luca Bish and Gemma Owen haven't decided to tattoo each other's names on their foreheads in blood red ink – although, if they're still as intense as they were in the villa, we wouldn't put it past either of them.
Isn't it weird that if Tasha Ghouri and Andrew Le Page did that we'd find it totally cute?
To clarify, get that image of an aggressive face tattoo out of your minds, because this is something far more slick and subtle – and growing in popularity.
Beauty and cosmetics company Impact Beauty recently posted an Instagram video featuring their latest celebrity client, Love Island bombshell Lacey Edwards, undergoing what appears to be a lip blushing procedure.
The video showed Lacey's lips transforming on screen after receiving an SPMU lip tattoo to give her lips a semi-permanent, deep, reddish shine.
We can't be certain exactly what procedure lovely Lacey has undergone, but Impact Beauty captioned the video, "A LOVE ISLAND'S KISS 💋 I finally got to transform my girl @layedwards lips today after months of her waiting due to making her appearance on @loveisland but it was sooo worth the wait! 😍."
They listed the products used as @everafterpigments Divine Mauve & Incantation, @cosmedic_supplies The Lite Pad and needles, @buffbrowz Bare Necessities Pro palette and @invisadrip Gel. The account also included the following hashtags in the post: #lips, #spmulips, #lipblush, #cosmeticlipstattoo, #lipfiller.
As such, it's likely that Lacey underwent a lip blush procedure with Impact Beauty - and one that was clearly worth the pain and effort as those lips look, well, LUSH.
In 2016, the GC herself, Gemma Collins, introduced the term 'lip blush' into our beauty lexicon after unveiling her procedure results to her millions of followers on Instagram. The Essex diva told her followers all about her fuller lips, saying: "So everyone today I've had my eyebrows done and my lips done. Not surgically enhanced, I don't agree with that.
"So I've had this thing called lip blush."
Lacey Edwards left the Love Island villa after just a few short days, but did leave on the arm of fellow bombshell Deji Adeniyi. Unfortunately, early last month, the bombshell couple (aptly voted "least compatible" by Love Island viewers towards the end of the show) called it quits, before it even really begun.
A Love Island source told The Sun that was officially over between the two and that Deji's connection to another bombshell (spoiler: they allegedly sh*gged) was the "final straw between them".
The source revealed, “Everyone could tell it was awkward between them at the reunion after Lacey delivered some home truths. Now they've called it quits and are no longer seeing each other.
"Lacey didn't want to force something that wasn't meant to be and then the rumours about Deji and Coco Lodge were the final straw between them."
What is lip blush?
According to Impact Beauty lip blushing is a treatment used to "create a natural lip stain effect which focuses on both colour and shape to create the perfect pigmented lips." Lip blushing is a semipermanent cosmetic tattooing procedure achieved by depositing pigments in your lips using small needles, according to Healthline.
How does lip blushing work?
Healthline summarise the steps nicely (well, we say 'nicely' - that sort of depends how you feel about needles and pain):
"First, your provider will numb your lips so that you’ll feel less pain and discomfort.
"While you’re waiting for the numbing agent to take full effect, your provider will go over your desired lip shape and tone, as well as any sketches that need your approval.
"Next, they’ll insert a natural-looking pigment into your lips using small needles. This is done in multiple layers to help create an even tone.
"In all, the process can take between 1 and 3 hours."
WATCH: LIP BLUSH TATTOO | FULL PROCEDURE | The Hottest New Permanent Makeup Trend in 2022
How long does lip blushing last?
Lip blush treatments can be retained for two to five years, but will require at least one top-up procedure.
The lip blushing healing process
The healing process for lip blushing is roughly three to four days.
Does lip blushing hurt?
Impact Beauty says of all semi-permanent make-up procedures, "Everyones pain threshold is completely different, I can only explain that the sensation is the same as a scratch. Majority of clients expect the procedure to feel a lot worse. With clients consent we will apply numbing cream the area which will avoid any discomfort."