Kiss dry and lined pouts goodbye: Your guide to the best lipsticks for soft, youthful-looking lips

Women have an arsenal of wrinkle-eradicating skincare and anti-ageing make-up to keep complexions young and supple, but all too often, we neglect the skin on our lips. The truth, of course, is that lips aren’t immune to the signs of ageing.

As time goes by, those once-plump puckers lose collagen and volume. Lips become thinner, fine lines get more pronounced, and the shape of the lips becomes less defined. Mature skin is also dryer since less oils are produced. But fret not, there are still myriad ways to rock a bright lip and revel in the power of a good lippie, regardless of age.

TREAT YOUR LIPS TO REGULAR TLC

First order of business – hydrate your lips and prime them for lipstick perfection. Unlike the rest of the skin on our bodies, lips don’t have the benefit of oil glands, which means it’s up to us to keep them moisturised. Before popping on lip colour, make sure you’re regularly using a lip balm with skin-loving ingredients such as shea butter or Vitamin E to hydrate the lips, and apply this as religiously as your skincare.

Products that contain SPF are a plus, and many brands have balms that have hyaluronic acid for that hydration and anti-ageing boost. A little lip scrub to remove dead skin cells around the lips can also go a long way to eradicating dryness and helping lips look healthier.  

INGREDIENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN LIPSTICKS

The good news is that lipstick formulas have become increasingly sophisticated – many are formulated with hydrating ingredients, so that colour is less prone to seeping into the fine lines on mature lips. Look for emollients such as shea butter and cocoa butter, and the aforementioned hyaluronic acid, so that your lipstick can act as skincare at the same time, locking in moisture and preventing dryness.

CHOOSING BETWEEN GLOSS AND MATTE FORMULAS

While it makes sense to go for glossy and creamy nourishing formulas, as these offer more hydration and add a healthy sheen to your lips, as well as a plumping effect, it doesn’t mean that matte lippies should be banned from the make-up playbook of those who are more mature.

Not all matte lipsticks are drying and lead to that dreaded lip feathering effect, as some matte formulas contain moisturising ingredients. Good lip care and prep, such as a nourishing lip balm or a lip primer before slicking on a matte colour, can also make matte lipstick work for mature skin. 

A nice compromise between glossy and matte could be a satin lipstick, which has the matte-finish look, but has shiny and glossy properties and glides on more smoothly than a matte lipstick. 

OTHER TRICKS TO HELP MATURE LIPS LOOK PLUMP AND HEALTHY

To make up for the loss in fullness and definition, add these to cart: Lip primer and lip liner. A lip primer will create a great base for lipstick by smoothing out fine lines and skin texture and help to prevent colour from feathering and migrating outside the lips.

Next up, a lip liner to create the illusion of fuller lips. Line the lips with a colour one to two shades darker than your natural lip colour just outside of their natural line. This helps to define the lips and help them look instantly plumper.

The last trick is to dab a bit of gloss or highlighter in the centre of your lower lip, which is the thickest part of the lip, to draw attention to it and again, to give the appearance of more voluminous puckers. When it comes to colours for mature lips, avoid dark colours, and go for softer coral, rose or pink shades to add brightness to complexions. 

5 LIPSTICKS THAT WON’T ACCENTUATE FINE LINES

1. Chanel Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lip Color, S$62

A luxe lippie with all the right ingredients: Plant-based waxes in the form of mimosa, jojoba and sunflower to provide hydration, nourishment and comfort, and a silicone wax for blurring away fine lines and for a smoother application. A little shine thanks to a new polymer film and silicone microbeads lends a healthy, plumping sheen. 

Available at Chanel Beauty boutiques and counters.

2. Hermes Rouge Hermes Satin Lipstick, S$116

This satin formula offers a slight matte-finish look, without the dryness of matte lipsticks. A nourishing formula with white mulberry extract leaves lips radiant and luminous, while highly concentrated pigments do the job with one slick.

Available at Hermes boutiques.

3. Guerlain KissKiss Shaping Cream Lip Colour Lipstick, S$63

A creamy satin-finish beauty with plumping hyaluronic acid spheres to help lips regain fullness and softness, and commiphora oil to hydrate the lip surface.

Available at Guerlain boutiques and counters.

4. Gucci Beauty Rouge a Levres Voile Sheer Lipstick, S$65

A moisture-rich lipstick serving up a sheer and glossy finish with an ultra-light and smooth feel that's perfect for dry lips.

Available at Gucci Beauty boutiques and counters.

5. Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity Refillable Lipstick, S$60

Comes in a sleek gold case that is refillable and promises a creamy yet saturated and long-wearing satin-finish formula that won’t feather or smudge, which is great news for mature lips. The ultra-slim bullet is built for precision application, especially on thinner lips.

Available at https://www.sephora.sg/