One area of the face that commonly experiences signs of aging faster than other areas is right above the upper lip. Whether you call them vertical lines or smoker’s lines (and you don’t have to be a smoker to get them) these teeny, tiny fine lines above the lip can be unsightly to you, and if you love wearing lipstick, they can also wreak havoc on your lip color. When you apply your lipstick, you may notice that the shade sinks into these fine lines, making them look worse, as well as messing up your overall lipstick look.
Many people may handle vertical lines by avoiding lipstick and lip liner altogether, but there’s no need to be scared of great products. What you need instead is an effective lip liner technique that can conceal those lines and keep your lipstick from bleeding.
A beauty expert shares her favorite lip liner tutorial that hides vertical lines.
Overline Your Lips
We can thank Kylie Jenner for bringing the “overlining lips” technique to the masses, but it’s really nothing new. When you subtly overline the lips you create the look of a naturally full pout and this also takes the attention off of any fine lines above the lip. Using a lip liner pencil that is close to your natural lip color, create a line below your middle lower natural lip line. Pull this line up to meet your lip line but stop right before you get to the corners of your mouth It’s important to avoid lining the corners of your mouth because this is where lipstick often bleeds, and this can also make your mouth look downturned.
When it comes to overlining your top lip, you can take the line higher than your cupid’s bow and exaggerate this area. But then it’s important to drag the liner down to meet your natural lip line again as you move outward toward the corners of your lips. Just as you avoided the corners of your bottom lip, take care not to add lip liner to the corners of your upper lip, where lipstick bleeding can commonly occur.
To make your lipstick last even longer, you can dab the lip liner than you applied and then re-apply the liner over the same areas. This is especially effective if you have vertical lip lines because it can help to conceal them.
Add a Light, Creamy Lipstick
After you’ve lined your lips, add a creamy and lighter shade of lipstick. Avoiding dark and matte colors is one way to keep your pout looking as full as possible. Blot your lips to help the color last longer.
You can stop at this step and your lips will look fantastic. But if you want to add a little pop, apply a dot of lip gloss to the center of your lower and upper lips. Remember not to apply the gloss too far out to the corners of your lips or you’ll run the risk of your lipstick bleeding.
This technique can help mature lips look fuller and more hydrated, while helping to conceal vertical lines and keep your lipstick lasting as long as possible.
