How to apply perfect lipstick on a mature face

There’s something about how a lipstick can make such a difference in your appearance.

As you get older, the problem is that your lips can lose their fullness, and gain a few wrinkles at the same time.

It’s not a reason to skip the lippy though.

Paula Nagel, who developed her own make-up collection called PS Paula’s Secret, shares her tips for getting the best look you can with your lipstick.

Read more: Finally! A make-up range created for the over-50’s.

Colour

First comes the very important colour choice. “As you get older, you have to think carefully about the colour of your hair and eyes and how your make-up will complement,” Paula Nagel said. “For example, my hair is blonde/white and I have dark coloured eyes. I tend to make my eyes the feature and keep the lips quite neutral. It’s all about balance!”

You also need to think about the colour of your lip pencil too. Nagel prefers a neutral pink lip pencil such as the PS Soft Lip Pencil in shade Pink Plum in her range. “This shade should suit most women because it is close to our natural lip colour. I use this over my lips to give the lipstick a base. Never put on a bright coloured lip pencil, I believe it ages you.”

Application

Nagel  suggests putting foundation over your lips before applying lipstick. It creates a perfect base for lipstick and helps prevent feathering. “Feathering is a really common problem as you got older, because of the wrinkles.” It will also make the lipstick colour more true.

With lip pencil don’t just do the outline of the lip but fill in the entire lip. This will help make your lipstick last a lot longer.  Follow up the lip pencil with the lip colour of your choice.

“I use two shades of lipstick. I first use a gentle, pale coral colour, then a paler neutral lipstick on top of that. That way, I can tailor the shade.”

Shine

Don’t forget to apply some gloss, Nagel  says. “I find it’s very important because flat colour on the face is ageing. We want to add shine and glow to maturing skin and need to do so on the lips too. It’s the finishing touch. You don’t have to use a lot, just whatever you’re comfortable with. Again, it’s about balance – light/dark and shine/glow.”

Storage

Nagel’s last piece of lipstick advice is about making sure it lasts the distance, and it’s all about being mindful of where they are kept. “Try to avoid keeping your lipsticks and your general make-up out of the heat. You don’t want to spoil the products.”

Do you still wear lipstick as part of your make-up?