As women age, their skin tone, lip texture, and overall facial features evolve.
When this happens naturally, it is common to need to rethink your makeup choices, especially when it comes to picking out the right lip color.
Finding the right shade of lipstick can make women over 50 look better, feel better about their skin, and boost their confidence.
These are some tips for choosing the right lip color, and how to make your lip look even better.
1. Know Your Skin Undertone
The first step in selecting the perfect lip color is to understand your skin’s undertone. Skin undertones generally fall into three categories: cool, warm, and neutral.
- Cool Undertones: If your skin has pink, red, or bluish hues, you have cool undertones. Lip colors with blue or purple shades, such as berry, plum, or mauve, will complement your complexion beautifully.
- Warm Undertones: If your skin has yellow, peachy, or golden hues, you have warm undertones. Lip colors with orange, coral, or warm red shades are ideal for you.
- Neutral Undertones: If your skin has a mix of both warm and cool hues, you have neutral undertones. You can pull off a wide range of lip colors, from pinks and reds to browns and nudes.
Expert tip: Test your undertone
Look at the veins on your wrist to find out what color your skin is underneath. If they appear blue or purple, you likely have cool undertones.
You have warm undertones if they look green. You may have neutral undertones if you can not tell the difference between the two.
READ ALSO: How to Choose the Perfect Blush Color for Your Skin Tone After 50s
2. Prep Your Lips for a Flawless Application
It is important to prepare your lips before applying any lip color to get the best results.
As you get older, your lips may change texture, becoming drier or more likely to get fine lines.
If you take good care of your lips, your lipstick will look better and last longer.
Exfoliate
Scrub your lips gently to get rid of dead skin cells and make the surface smooth so that you can put on lipstick.
You can use a lip scrub or make your own using sugar and a bit of honey.
When you exfoliate, your lip color goes on more evenly and does not settle into fine lines.
Moisturize
After exfoliating, apply a nourishing lip balm to keep your lips hydrated.
Try to find balms with hyaluronic acid, shea butter, or vitamin E in them.
Keeping your lips moist keeps them from getting dry and makes them look healthy and full.
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3. Choose a Lip Color That Enhances Your Natural Beauty
As we age, our natural lip color tends to fade, and choosing a shade that enhances rather than overpowers your natural lip color is key.
Soft, muted shades are generally more flattering for mature women, as they add color without looking too harsh.
- Nude Shades: Perfect for a natural, everyday look, nude shades can enhance your lips while maintaining a subtle, sophisticated appearance.
- Soft Pinks and Mauves: These shades add a gentle pop of color that brightens your face without being too bold.
- Coral and Peachy Tones: Ideal for women with warm undertones, these shades add warmth and vitality to your overall look.
Expert tip: Avoid dark and matte shades
Dark and matte lipsticks can make your lips appear thinner and more lined, which can be unflattering as you age.
For fuller, younger-looking lips, choose finishes like creamy, satin, or sheer that keep them moist and give them a subtle sheen.
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4. Use Lip liner to Define and Enhance Your Lips
Lip liner is an essential tool for women over 50. It helps define the lips, keeps lipstick from feathering into fine lines, and can even make lips look fuller.
Line and fill with lip liner
Start by lining your lips with a lip liner that matches your natural lip color or the lipstick you plan to use.
Then, fill in your lips with the liner to create a base for your lipstick. This technique not only enhances the color but also increases the longevity of your lipstick.
Line outside the natural lip line
You could line your lips just outside of their natural line to make them look fuller.
Avoid an over-the-top look by being refined and subtle. This tip will help you a lot if your lips are getting thinner as you age.
Lip plumper
Before putting on lipstick, you might want to use a lip plumper. There are ingredients in many lip plumpers that temporarily increase blood flow to the lips. This makes them look fuller and smoother.
This can be a great way to enhance your lip shape and make your lipstick look even better.
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5. Pay Attention to Your Overall Makeup Look
Your lip color should complement your overall makeup, not compete with it. If you’re wearing bold eye makeup, go for a more neutral lip color to balance the look. Conversely, if your eye makeup is subtle, you can experiment with brighter lip colors.
Expert tip: Keep it balanced
For a fresh, youthful appearance, aim for a balanced makeup look. Use a soft lip color with an eye color that is neutral or not very defined.
Avoid overloading your face with too much color, which can be aging.
6. Adjust Your Lip Color for Different Occasions
Your choice of lip color can also be influenced by the occasion. For daytime wear, lighter, more natural shades are appropriate.
You can wear a little bolder colors to events in the evening, as long as they still go with your skin tone and overall look.
- Daytime: Stick to nudes, soft pinks, and light corals for a fresh and polished daytime look.
- Evening: Deep pinks, soft reds, or muted plums can add sophistication and glamour to your evening makeup.
Expert tip: Keep a lip palette
You should buy a lip palette with different shades so that you can mix and match them for different events. This way, you’ll always have the perfect shade at your fingertips.
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Closing Thoughts
Choosing the right lip color is an important part of making your natural beauty stand out as you get older.
Know your skin undertone, choose colors that enhance your natural lip color, prep your lips, use lip liner strategically, balance your makeup, and adjust for different occasions to find the perfect lip shade.
Choosing the right lip color can brighten your complexion, make you look younger, and boost your confidence, so take your time.
