Oh, the agonies of picking the right lipsticks!!! Younger women seem to be able to just grab any color, and it looks fine. But, something happens to the skin once you hit menopause, and before you know it, you’ve got a whole stash of terrible lipstick colors that you never wear. But that is a common thing, so don’t be too hard on yourself….

Traditionally, makeup artists will pile on thick layers of foundation and mark your lips with harsh looking lip pencils outside your natural lip lines. The result is far from flattering! It is not going to make you look any younger; rather, it will make you look like you are trying very hard to be something you are not…

The truth is, your skin isn’t as smooth as it used to be, and your lips are naturally less defined. But, that is ok, because you don’t have to look like you are 20 to be considered beautiful!

Remember the Idea of Ageless Beauty!

Ageless beauty is something you can have no matter what your age is. You just have to learn how to bring out the quality of beauty that is unique to you! So, how do you know what lip products to choose? And, what products should you stay away from?

Personally, I would stay far away from matte lipsticks and really bright colors! Matte lips look unbelievably boring to me, and, I also think it makes you look older, especially if they are dark colors.

And, really bright colors makes me want to run the other way. They are soooo ugly, especially colors like bright bubble gum pink, neon purple and crazy orange! These colors are so far removed from any kind of natural looking lip colors that it makes you look almost clown-like. Your brightly colored lips can become such a distraction that it is the only thing people see when they look at your face. And if your lipstick is too orange, it can actually make your teeth look yellow as well! Lipsticks with bluish undertone are a better option if your teeth aren’t bright white any more.

Another one of my pet hates is nude lipstick, and by nude I mean skin colored. I understand that some people think it looks sophisticated with dramatic eyes and nude lips, but on the wrong person, it can make you look deathly pale…

How to Pick the Best Lipstick Color

The easiest way to pick a flattering lip stick color is by first looking in the mirror to see what your natural lip color is. If your lips are naturally pale, you can get away with soft pinks and corals, maybe even some pinky-nude shades. If your lips are more pigmented, you’ll look better in medium or darker lip shades.

You can also see if your lips are naturally pinkish or more bluish in color. This will give you a good idea whether you need blue based, orange based or neutral colored lipsticks. Being Norwegian, I have yellow based skin and bluish lips. So the only way I can match both lips and skin is by choosing a neutral color, like a brownish shade.

The most flattering lip color is just one or two shades different from your natural lip color. So, for me, that means a medium intensity shade. Anything too light, too dark or too bright makes me look sick. So, use your natural lip color as a guide to finding the right color for you.

Here is a tip to avoid lipstick on your teeth:

After applying your lipstick, put a finger in your mouth, close your lips around your finger, and then pull it out. All the lipstick on your finger would have ended up on your teeth! So, use this super easy trick whenever you use intensely pigmented lip colors.

Think SOFT…

Because all of your natural colors are getting softer as you mature, your makeup also has to reflect this. This is why I love translucent lip tints that allow your natural lip color to show through.

I’m also not a great fan of harsh looking lip liners on mature lips. Even though lip liners define lips that are lacking definition, it is difficult to do it in a way that doesn’t look harsh.

Instead, I love to add a touch of lip gloss on the bottom lip. Why? Because if your lips are getting narrower and losing definition, a bit of gloss adds some lusciousness back to your lips and make them look soft, inviting and kissable.

How to Apply Lipstick to Make it Last Longer

If you want you lipstick to last longer on your lips, put the color on with a lip brush. A lip brush can help you use less product and it lasts a lot longer. You can even add powder on top of your lipstick, blot with paper and apply more lipstick on top if you wish.

Personally, I don’t like the idea of powder on my lips. I just carry my lipstick or lip tint in my purse and re-apply when needed. You just have to experiment to find what works for you…

It is also a good idea to stay away from lipsticks that uses a lot of synthetic colors. Why? Because synthetic colors are often water soluble. The result is migrating color, which is an awful effect that you should avoid at all cost! We all know the dreaded lines that form and migrate towards your nose! Not a flattering look!

If you use lipsticks or lip tints made with iron oxides, this never happens!

Please let me know in a comment if you have found a lipstick or lip tint that works well for mature lips. It would be helpful for everyone if you share your favorite brand and color…

Photo by Henry Gillis on Unsplash