This article has been updated since its initial publish date.
Lipstick is undoubtedly one of the most powerful makeup tools in existence. From classic Old Hollywood red lips to trendy nude shades to 90s grunge matte styles, lipstick can transform and elevate your whole look, if done correctly and with intention.
There are so many lipsticks, lip liners and other related products that will look amazing on women and people over 40, and there are also some to avoid. Certain colors can emphasize fine lines, and better choices can highlight your other timelessly beautiful features.
We reached out to professional makeup artists to learn more about dark lipstick, and how using a shade that is too dark for one’s skin tone can unintentionally draw attention to smile lines.
The Ultimate Lip Product Mistake: Using The Wrong Color For Your Skin Tone & Over-lining Your Lips
Whether you're going for a gothic vibe or looking to match the evening sky, dark lipstick colors can look stunning, bold and powerful. For beauties over 40, this is still the case, but lip products that are *too* dark for someone's skin tone can have the reverse effect.
They can highlight more of what you might be trying to conceal. After moisturizing with balms, lip liner is often the next step before lipstick in one's beauty routine. The key here, according to makeup artists is to match the lip liner to the lipstick or choose a lighter one. A mistake many people make is using a lip liner that is darker than their actual lipstick.
Celebrity makeup artist Christina Flach says that anyone over 40 "should not use a darker lip liner" than the lipstick or lip gloss they are using. "Using a lip pencil that is a shade lighter is a good rule of thumb," Flach says.
She also notes that keeping the lip liner "close to the actual lip line" and not making the lips look "unnaturally larger" than their actual lips will give a more youthful appearance overall.
Ultimately, using too much product, over-lining your natural lip lines and using the incorrect shade can draw more attention to fine lines near your mouth. Read on for more quick tips and easy fixes to avoid this, and to highlight the features you do want to show off!
More Lip Liner & Lipstick Tips for Anyone Over 40:
As we age, our lips begin to develop smile lines. Beauty expert Sanem Ahearn says that while this can be a "beautiful sign of our years' worth of smiles," it can also make lip liner more difficult to put on as it can "bleed into those lines."
"To prevent bleeding, after you apply your lip liner and lipstick, run over it with a lip brush to bind the two together," says Ahearn. Afterward, she advises running around the edges of your lips with a long-wear concealer and brush. "This should prevent your lipstick from being anything but perfect," says Ahearn.
Makeup artist Mary Winkenwerder explains how using an "extremely sharp tip liner on dry lips" or on lips with a dry lip area can make someone look older.
"Lip liners with softer tips go on smoother and last longer," says Winkenwerder. She says that lip liners with sharper tips tend to skip when applied, finish dry, and lack the full color you're aiming for.
Winkenwerder says you can avoid sharp-tip lip liner debacles by taking the sharp liner and rounding the tip. "Doing this is simple," Winkenwerder says. "Take a textured piece of paper or a paper towel and gently roll the tip of the liner on the paper towel until the liner tip is rounded."
She also stresses the importance of storing lip liners with their caps on "at all times" to maintain product quality and round tips. "Keep your lip liners in a moderately warm room to avoid cold skipping when enhancing lips with this type of color depth," Winkenwerder says.
Overall, there are several things to keep in mind when shopping for colored lip products. Firstly, choose a shade that isn't too extreme for your skin tone and get a lip liner that is a shade lighter. Secondly, avoid over-lining your lips and follow your natural mouth lines.
Thirdly, run your lips with a lip brush and use concealer around your lips to set the color, and lastly, keep the ends of your lip liner rounded and stored away for safe keeping. Show off your timeless beauty with these tips! With this makeup artist-approved advice, you'll become a master at applying lip products in no time.
