Aging and Red Lipstick - YouLookFab Forum

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Aging and Red Lipstick

deb

Veteran

As I have gotten older I find I am wearing red lipstick more and more. In fact, I prefer it now over other colors. Chapstick was my lip cover for the first 60 years of my life so I have no clue what has pushed me to go to the other end of the spectrum.

How has your lip colors changed over the years?

General

37 replies

Latest reply was from Anna

Angela K

Veteran

I find the same to be true--I used to use a nude or brownie red but now I find that I love the new fuchsia/violet shades--fun, bright, and make my teeth look really white! Total win. But I also find that I am dialing down the rest of my make-up--no foundation, just a little illuminator, and very light nude/brown eyeshadow with just a little liner--no mascara. I guess its a balance thing.

Jane

Veteran

I love red lipstick and I am with you Deb, I am wearing it more and more now that I am older. I also wear a gloss, sometimes with a dab of red beneath. I think it brightens my skin colour, and eyes!

tulle

Veteran

I have a pretty narrow bandwidth when it comes to lipcolor--basically a knocked-back berry pink like Chanel's Mademoiselle looks best on me--but am always trying to find something different that will also work. Just yesterday I bought a light red lipgloss that I'm trying to convince myself might work with a tan. Not really sure about that, but I do know that pale, nude, frosted and dark shades are truly terrible for me!
Is your hair graying, Deb? Many women seem to rediscover the appeal of red lipstick when they go silver.

unfrumped

Veteran

I may be going in the opposite. I was never a classic " red" lipstick wearer, but did sometimes wear deep berry tones- especially with black and for nighttime/ party.
I'm finding that's just not as flattering now. I wear more toned- down colors, not pale nude but with a skew toward that.
I think that could be outdated if too much brown do I try to watch for that. But I still seem to do best if the color is only s shade or 2 darker than my lip color and if not too obviously a color. In summer I can veer into some more fresh- looking pink - watermelon tones.
I do have friends who still rock red and so I think it's a " feature of your features"-- mine don't seem to stand up to a lot of color- and just personal sugar- eye.

deb

Veteran

Tulle, no my hair color has not changed. It is still my natural dark blond but I am seeing a few greys around the temple area. The big hang change I have made is that it is long now. You may be onto something there.

KikiG

Veteran

The colors I rocked in the 1980s are a little harsh now. Fresh's Passion (essentially colorful Chapstick) put on with a lip brush is my current go-to red. The sheerness seems to help tone it down.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I haven't tried a true red but might experiment now hair is silver. I usually wear various tones of berry. I haven't noticed a need for a big change despite silver hair and greater age.

JAileen

Veteran

Deb, I was visiting my mother last week and she had some chapstick out. I borrowed it. It was the "medicated" kind. Wow! That really took me back to camping in the Sierra as a kid.

Before I went grey I used a brickish lipstick called Rum Raisin or something like that. Now I use one called Perpetual Peach. It's kind of frosted. I think it was suggested on a grey hair blog that has since vanished.

Style Fan

Veteran

I have never worn red lipstick. It looks amazing on some women but I always go for MLBB (My Lips But Better). My favourite is NARS' Dolce Vita followed by Laura Mercier's Cinnamon. I also like Bobbi Brown's Brown.
This past week I bought a totally new lipstick colour recommended to me by a trusted make up artist. It is MAC's Ravishing. It is a corally peachy and I got lots of compliments on it but when I got home and looked at myself I just did not feel right. So I will continue to wear my usual.

shedev

Veteran

I've always worn cool dark reds.

Sal

Veteran

You look terrific in red! I think it can be a mix of preferences, fashion and colouring that makes a shade work or not. I wear four colours- true red, bright warm pink, rose/ natural and a pale glossy pink. I am fussy with colours and can't wear cool pinks, mauve shades or Browns.

jill58

Veteran

I generally wear pink lipstick but as I get older I feel a general need for more color (I was not a lipstick wearer for many years--like Deb I wore chapstick). Might try a red now. Without any lipstick I feel washed out

Anonymous

I'm having a bit of a time with this lately, and am glad you brought it up. I'm finding the pale nudes I normally wear are not doing it for me now - and I catch myself in the mirror (especially in artificial light) looking washed out and ill. I love the look of a real red or berry lipstick, and finally got one I liked for last winter. I have fairly visible and annoying liplines radiating up from my top lip into the skin above (you'd think I was a smoker - ugh- and I'm not!) so that makes wearing heavily pigmented lipstick a problem. (bleeding etc) I wish I could figure it out.

Runcarla

Veteran

When I remember it's Revlon Lip Butter Berry Smoothie or Clinique Black Honey. Dark but sheer.

Lisap I think we share similar colouring. I can relate to 'feeling washed out'. Everything is the same low contrast colour! I do get lashes and brows dyed, though not my hair.

barbaraq

My problem is prune lips. I think red or any really bright colored lipstick just makes them look worse. But then, I am a '60s girl and grew up in the era of frosted pink lipstick. Maybe something red and sheer might work?

Barbara Diane

Veteran

I wear red, also a red that's not as pigmented, and in the last year or two, a berry color that has more of a purple/fushia hue to the red. I also sometimes put Banana boat sunscreen lip balm under or over the first and third colors to lighten them. Putting it over or under gives a different effect. I do recommend SPF on your lips as my grandmother had lip cancer.

Peri

Veteran

I have so many different favorite lipsticks in all ranges of colors...I can't choose! It depends on what I'm wearing and my mood. I go for anything except corals and dark browns. Well, I don't go for the odd shades either...no green or blue for me. For a long time I couldn't find a red I felt comfortable in but now I've got that covered too. I don't know if it is age or what, but I like experimenting more than ever.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

High five, Tulle! Chanel Mademoiselle is a no-fail color for me. I am currently wearing a more nude-for-me shade that I got during my recent summer makeover. I feel it's not that flattering, but it's something different, and I'm committed to wearing it for summer, just for a lighter, less made-up look.
Deb, I feel I'm going the other way with red. If it's too dark I feel like it emphasizes my age, whereas I used to really like bold lip colors, at least for going out. Those colors are still good for me, but I just don't like them on my lips; may have some of the "prune-lip" thing going on that barbaraq raises.

CHANEL ROUGE COCOUltra Hydrating Lip Colour

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Gaylene

Veteran

I've never been a fan of a bold lip on me, so my version of "more color" is switching from a light pinkish gloss to a sheer berry tone just slightly deeper than my natural lip colour.

Brighter lips look great on some older women, but I've also seen some rather frightening versions in nursing homes where all I can see is a red slash on a wrinkled face. But, if it makes the wearer happy, why not.

deb

Veteran

I really started last year with my red phase with Chanel Suzanne. I hate the lipstick taste and found Chanel has no taste. Then before my visit to Seattle last month I got the new Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo in Recit. while I was in Seattle, I decided to look at all the brands that I do not have here at home and bought Burberry Kisses Sheer in Oxblood. What I find is I can blot it for a stained effect during the day and full on when I want more pigment. I also think, my glasses have something to do with me liking the red.

CHANEL ROUGE COCOUltra Hydrating Lip Colour

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CHANEL ROUGE COCO STYLOComplete Care Lipshine

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Burberry Kisses Sheer

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Suz

(website)

Veteran

I'm sure the glasses do make a difference, Deb -- it's "bookending" for your face. I loved wearing my fuchsia specs with a purply-pink shade on my lips.

Now, if Angie shows up in green lipstick, that will be another issue....

Joy

Veteran

Deb, I am wearing bright lipstick for the first time. When I started in the 60's, Brigitte Bardo was the muse for every woman and white or pale pink lipstick was the trend. Then came the nude lipsticks to match your skin. The idea was to go heavy with eye makeup and play down the lips. Wearing specs, I do better with emphasizing lips. My favorite is s bright coral or even orange.

donnat

Veteran

I am a red fan. I have been wearing reds for awhile. I think a red lip seems to light up my face. Brave red (MAC) is my current fave . Ladybug also mac was a past fav , rebel red another. I have a nice chanel one and a gorgeous revlon one. Oh yea.. I am a red girl . I will buy a brown one, or a pink shade, they all sit in the drawer, I will one day be an eccentric old lady with Red lips, and dark hair. I found that elizabeth arden lip fix keeps the colors from creeping into the lip lines. Lip liner just doesn't do the job

Staysfit

Veteran

My red is fuschia, and I have definitely brightened my lip as my hair has become grey. I think it's about confidence more than hair color though. I would never dare to wear those colors when I was younger.

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

Red lipstick is tricky because it tends to make lips thinner, and can make a face look harsher. I tried a red lipstick years ago, a popular Mac colour, but it really looked harsh. Recently, I found a beautiful red, leaning toward the purple family, by Bite Beauty and love it. It's dramatic, especially on an otherwise nearly bare face, but the colour makes me happy.

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Janet

(website)

Veteran

I think I look awful in bold lip color, and age is doing nothing to improve that. I don't really know why, and it's a bummer because it makes me feel like I can't really do makeup trends very well. I feel like my basic approach to makeup has changed very little over the years. I don't know if anyone has suggestions for me in that regard -- I think sometimes it's hard to assess these things on our own faces when we have certain things we've grown accustomed to wearing and seeing on ourselves.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I have been playing with lipstick like never before since I stopped coloring my hair. I love a bold lip look with grey hair, but not always sure I can pull it off. I did a strong pink the other day and liked it though!

Nishaa

Yay.... Lipsticks!
Confession... What Joy said. I was myself in love with skin nude lips till very recently. * hides face/lips in shame *
However I agree with red making lips look thinner. I seem to have that problem with all dark shades, I guess. Lip balms, lip gloss, even balm stains work better. Though not all. Revelon just bitten balm stains are good but chambor Intense lipgloss which is true blood red sometimes ages me or looks OTT to me.
Bobbi Brown's brown gets a thumbs up. And I do think a berry ie purple toned red would look good on me. Though I honestly have to try it. I had one but that's gone ages ago.

What are prune lips, btw?

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

JANET--it could be a bit of both. Part of it is that a change in lip colour is so obvious and outstanding on the face that we notice it immediately on ourselves. If we're not accustomed to the bold change, it can look jarring, even when it's the right colour. After you've selected a colour that you (or others) think is perfect for your face, you could try building up to a bold lip over the week. Staining the lips is a good halfway step to getting used to the colour.

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