Let’s face it somewhere after the age of 50 lipstick becomes a bit of an issue. Gone are the days when we could just whip on a lipstick and run out the door. With the good fortune, wisdom. and confidence that comes with age so does the problem of how to apply makeup to an aging face (sigh) Sure it is a little (well a lot more work) especially the lip area. Need help in that department? Read on for my sources that the experts claim are the best lipsticks and lip care for mature women. I want to look like Elsbeth Egholm below. I might be able to pull off her look if I had a facelift (well maybe not). She is lovely, isn’t she?.
Let’s move on to the expert’s tips for applying lip color to mature lips.
#1 Exfoliate From my research (I will admit I am an over-researcher) the best exfoliant is plain old petroleum jelly (or a more organic option) applied with an old toothbrush. Save your money for other products you are coveting. Here is a natural alternative to petroleum jelly (thanks readers!!) that you can find on Amazon.
#2 Use a Lip Primer
I don’t know about you but my lips are continually dry and flaky. I now need to give my lips the “love they deserve” before I can even add any color. Here are five of the experts favorites. I have used the much loved “two-faced” for quite a while. I like it but I don’t love it. Any suggestions? Have you tried any of these?
#3 line the outside of the Natural lip line with a neutral lip liner
According to my research, the cult favorite here is Lipstick Queen Invisible Lip Liner. This is also the one I use (if I am not too lazy and don’t use any).
#4 Line and fill in with lip liner. I LOVED one that Ulta carried in their own brand line. It wasn’t too dry and it wasn’t so moist that it was worthless. They discontinued it. I am on the lookout for a good one any suggestions?
#5 Choose Apricot Berry, Rose or Peach Lipcolors
I have been on the hunt for a great lipstick that moisturizes, doesn’t bleed into the fine lines of the lips, and stays on. Is there such a lipstick out there? Here are my favorites and those of the experts. I used the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick for several years. It doesn’t harden like concrete like some of the all-day lipsticks. It has great staying power but I would love to find one that stays on that is a little less drying. My friend Elizabeth (aka the Vintage Contessa) swears by the Bobbie Brown Art Stick. I might add Elizabeth is younger and more youthful than I. I am using it and I like it especially on lazy days when I am babysitting Summer. You can slather it on…it stays for quite a while and it is not too drying. I am also using the Mac Matte (I like Ruby Woo). It is a tad drying but it does last for hours and doesn’t creep into the cracks and crevices so much. The other in the group that seriously does not come off is the CHANEL LE ROUGE DUO ULTRA TENUE (Chanel could you come up with a simpler name, people could actually find your product!) All of the rest of the lip colors listed come highly recommended by multiple sites. I will link to them in the shop the post widget at the bottom of the page.
Check out this list from Harpers Bazaar and you are sure to find a lip color that you like. Susan from Une Femme d’ Un Certain Age has a great tutorial for obtaining fuller lips here Oprah has a great tutorial on How to Prevent Lip Feathering on Oprah.com Need suggestions on what lip colors look best with gray hair (I do!!)
Allure has their list of the best lip treatments. We should try some! Let me know what you think. The Today show has their picks of the best Long Wearing Lipsticks. I bet Kathy Lee and Hota know! And what about USA today here are their pics for the best lipsticks.
- You ladies have always been a great source of inspiration for me. Please share what products are your suggestions for the best lipsticks and lipcare for mature women like us!
- You might want to check out my post-Anti Aging Lip Care Tips
SHOP THE POST FOR LIP PRODUCTS
I’ve always been such a lipstick snob but you are absolutely right, my old favorites just don’t cut it anymore. I’ve found that for staying power and moisture, I’m loving Revlon Colorstay lip liner in Sienna and Colorstay Ultimate Suede lipstick in Iconic or Boho Chic. They truly last all day and don’t dry out my lips and I can pick them up at Target.
For color and moisture, Charlotte Tilbury in Walk of Shame and Bobbi Brown Pink Mauve lip liner are great but they just don’t last. I’m excited to read and try your suggestions. Thanks for another great post!
Joe Anne Hust
@joeannehust
Hi Joanne
I think what we need to do is exfoliate and moisturize at night. During the day we have to go with a more longwearing lip color. At least in my case all of the moisturizing ones creep into the “unwanted areas”. I used Revlon Colorstay for years. I am going to have to revisit that one! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Cindy
Lipstick has always been a problem for me for all the reasons you’ve stated. Mostly, long lasting lipstick almost instantly dries out my lips, to the point where I feel like I’ve just walked the desert without water. I’ve read some of the links and made a short list of product that sounds promising. I’ll let you know if I find a winner.
Thanks for this, I love these posts!
Karen
Big Confession: I’m just not a lipstick kind of girl. Never have been. A little gloss and good to go. As for lip scrubs I like https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/diy-lip-scrub/#gref. Not a fan of petroleum jelly for any human purpose! You are such a wonderful advocate for our “up vs over” the hill gang! Thanks.
Patti
I am so jealous that you can still pull off “gloss”. I wore so little makeup for years. After about 62 I had to step up my game darn it! I added a natural alternative for good ole vaseline friend. I know…should have thought of it on my own!!!
I love a good lipstick as my lips are so pale without it. And I get chapped lips I have to alternate days using a long-staying color with a simple gloss. The long wearing lip colors are getting a lot better as far as the drying out your pout! And I agree, a primer is the main thing to make a soft barrier between your lips and the color, and makes it last. My favorite brands are Bite, Bobbi Brown, Nars, and Urban Decay.
The lip liner is important to keep the color from bleeding. You can make that last by lining in a soft color just outside the lip line, pat it in with the tip of your finger, pressing a little, then go over it again. You get a more muted line and it makes your lips look fuller. I always put on two ‘coats’ of lipstick…the first is full on, then blotted with a tissue, then another which it press in with my finger. It looks very natural!
Thanks Cindy!
Jane
Jane you always have great suggestions. I agree about alternating. Try the Bobbie Brown Art Stick. It isn’t as drying and works for the days we can’t have “concrete” on our lips. I am going to try the Bite it comes highly recommended by the experts and now you.
SO those lip liners are basically a wax like my old secret……….never heard of them before!I do use a lip liner and color the whole lip.I SWEAR BY THAT FAT CRAYON by BOBBI BROWN even their lipstick in RED is staying put!I got a small sample when I went back to buy MORE FATTY Crayons.
Also, another GOOD one is THAT VERY EXPENSIVE LIPSTICK and I FORGET THE NAME!COME in a GOLD VESSEl………..last year at CHRISTMAS time.COST $100.00!!!!YES, I DID IT.Bought one as a GIFT and decided I needed ONE TOO!!!!!I LOVe IT……….it’s a BLUE RED which is MY COLOR!
EXFOLIATE THE LIPS………SOUNDS PAINFUL……..with a TOOTHBRUSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NO THANK YOU!
YOU ARE A WOMAN ON A MISSION THESE DAYS!!!!!!!!!
I ADMIRE YOU NO END!!!!!!!
JUST WISH I COULD KEEP UP WITH YOU!!!!!!!
YOUR PRETTIER than THAT WOMAN IN THE PHOTO!!!!!
XX
Oh Elizabeth you can run circles around me!! You are famous. Use a soft toothbrush you don’t want to rub your lips off! I do like that fat crayon although since I am older than you I think it works better on you…just wait a few more years!! The creeping gets worse. I should have linked to your secret. It didn’t work for me…but you always have great suggestions.
Once I stopped wearing Mac Lipstick my lips improved. I like using Fresh lip Balm on my lips at night. I find it works. I also love Dior I think it’s called Bal or #250 from Sephora. Again I think it’s the lipsticks that do us in.So Dior lipstick is my lipstick of choice. Is it expensive? Yes. But my lips have never been better. I also love the Bobbie Brown lip crushed colors. I wear two colors at a time. I do always use a lip pencil underneath. Yes I do if I remember.
Oh, Elizabeth the lipstick you’re trying to remember is Laboutin. I know my lipsticks.
Hi Sandra!
I am going to try the Fresh. I know you are the lipstick and lipcare queen! I have not tried the Dior either . I will give it a try!
Great article! I used the Bobbi Brown art stick for years and would add a little gloss for moisture. It was great, however I just bought the new Chanel product you mentioned and it is outstanding. My daughter told me about it because one of the blogs she follows really recommended it. We both bought the chic rosewood color and I am now a huge fan!
Thanks for another great article, Cindy. Please, I beg of you, stop using Vaseline on your skin right this moment. Not only does it contain petroleum which is absorbing into your skin (as anything does when it is applied to the skin, your largest organ), it is actually dehydrating. I’m surprised you didn’t find this in all of your research. If you are looking for an inexpensive or home made lip scrub, dedicate a small bowl of sugar just for this purpose and use your toothbrush, or simply your index finger. It works. The trade-off we make in lipsticks is this: long-wear formulas are drying, “regular” formulas don’t dry us out, may actually moisturize, and have to be applied more frequently. I’ll take choice number two. As for lip liners, I like the DuWop Reverse Lip Liner; it’s colorless and helps keep lipstick from “creeping.” Brands of lipstick I like that aren’t drying to the lips are: Bare Minerals, Dior, Lipstick Queen, and Urban Decay. Some of the Clinique ones are pretty good as well. I know nothing about lip primers, but will try one because you recommend it. I’m somewhat new to your site, so you may already have written about this, but I would like to see you do a post about botox and fillers; I just got a tiny bit of filler above my upper lip and LOVE the results. For reference, I believe i am around the same age as the Contessa.
Lush and Elf both make really nice lip scrubs. Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk is my favorite lip liner- neutral color and I often wear it with the Dior Addict Lip Glow.
Lipstick is a challenge, it’s good to hear everyone’s ideas and suggestions – for most of my make-up wearing life I used a true red, usually Chanel, or a deep berry, and while I can still wear those colors in clothing, directly applied to my aging face they can look a little intense. I like a sheer these days, but haven’t found quite the right color – I’ve been using a medium berry-ish liner all over, as lightly as possible, topped with lip balm. I like Burt’s Bees tinted lip gloss/balm whatever it’s called, color wise, and it’s very affordable since I like to keep tubes in my desk drawer, purse, etc, but it’s kind of sticky and doesn’t stay on long. The struggle is real.
Man….I need to study this post! Looks like lots of good tips!
So, I’m over 70 (barely) – decades over 50 (how horrifying) and I haven’t been brave enough to go gray, but I do love your make-up, hair and fashion tips applicable to my life and look. What can I say — a California-born gal now living in Florida, not feeling or looking my age (at least I don’t think so), still pretty much in shape (except where did that waist go?). I look forward to your new entries and find myself going back over old ones. A BIG thank you for your inspiration. Also, love your blog in general. You’re right on!
About 10 years ago I read an article on how the Hollywood makeup artists give the stars such luscious looking lips. Their secret was using a lip balm first; then using the Wet and Wild #666 lip lining pencil to outline and then fill in the lips. I’m a silver-haired 76 and you wouldn’t believe the compliments I get on my lip color. I also love Burt’s Bee’s Lip Shimmer in Fig and Rhubarb. This proves pretty lip color doesn’t have to be expensive. Try it, you may like it.
Bebe
I should have mentioned the wet and wild it came up in my research a couple of times. I am going to give that a try. I love the Burts Bees in those same two colors we must have similar coloring. I am going to hit the drugstore for the wet & wild #666! Thanks for the tip!