You're never too old to wear lipstick. Here's 4 expert tips for women over 50...

Back in 2011, women over the age of 50 bought more lipsticks than any other age group.
Since, however, the rate of older women purchasing lipsticks has dropped substantially, while those under the age of 25 can’t seem to get enough* (blame Kylie Jenner and her lip kits if you will).
RELATED: 8 of the best age-fighting foundations
And while these stats could be interpreted to mean anything, we couldn’t bear the prospect of women over 50 avoiding lipstick because they’re unsure of how to wear it. Or worse, if they consider themselves 'too old' to rock a red lip.
So to put all stigmas and uncertainties aside, we asked experts Janet Muggivan (Founder of Beauty Dossier) and make-up artist Liz Kelsh for their best lipstick tips for older (wiser) ladies...
Tip #1 Everyday care
As you age, your lips can lose fullness and form a thinner appearance. To keep them in good condition, Janet recommends using a hydrating lip balm liberally. “[This] is the very first step to a fuller, more youthful-looking mouth.”
Try keeping one of these lip balms on you at all times and apply throughout the day as needed:
- Blistex® Deep Renewal
- Rubifresh Skincare Lip Balm
- Carmex ® Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm
- asap hydrating lip balm+
Liz adds that exfoliating the lips every now and then can help give them a more youthful, smoother appearance. And if you suffer from pesky cold sores, keep ViraproX Lip Balm and COMPEED® Invisible Cold Sore Patches in your arsenal.
RELATED: What you need to know about cold sores
Tip #2 Colour choice
If you want to wear purple, green or even blue shades – we’re all for it. But when it comes to making mature lips look fuller, shade selection is very important. Janet recommends neutrals: “Neutrals for mature women are different to neutrals for our younger counterparts. A ‘nude’ for a young woman is usually light, and quite beige in tone. Mature ‘nudes’ are soft, muted roses or corals. They give a natural flush to the lips which is universally flattering. The beige tones on mature lips are very unforgiving and they can also make teeth look yellow.”
Liz agrees with opting for nudes, and suggests how to nail the perfect shade. “A more flattering nude is ideally one or two shades darker than your natural lip colour,” she says.
bh recommends:
- Clarins Rouge Eclat Lipstick in 'Nude Rose'
- MUD Lipstick in 'Coral Crush'
- Burt's Bees 100% Natural Lip Crayon in 'Sedona Sands'
- jane iredale PureMoist™ Lipstick in 'Rose'
- Avon Luxe Couture Crème Lipstick in 'Lustering Nude'
Tip #3 Find your finish
While matte lipsticks may be leading the charge on Instagram, both Janet and Liz think a cream finish is best on mature lips. “If you currently wear a frost, next time you are in [a] store, try the same colour but in a cream formulation and you will see it gives a really soft, flattering look. Frosts can also make your lips appear dry,” explains Janet.
“A gloss finish can also bring more radiance to your overall look,” says Liz. So it’s a good thing glosses are making a comeback…
RELATED: Do you have stained teeth?
Tip #4 Try this trick…
We’re not talking about dramatically overlining your lips – that can be tough to pull off at any age. Instead, Janet says, “An incredible tip I learned from Halle Berry’s make-up artist on a shoot in LA was to apply the teeniest, tiniest amount of an eye primer around the lip line. Not on the lips, only around the lips. This smooths lines and acts as a barrier to stop lipstick feathering into those pesky lines we all have. It really works!” See here for more tips on how to hide wrinkles around the mouth.
Would you like to see more makeup tips for older women? What’s your best lipstick tip?
*Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), January-December 2011 (n=10,352) and January-December 2015 (8,791). Base: Australian women 14+
120 Member Comments
Lip primer is great
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I find that red lipstick looks great on women of all ages! I feel like mature nude colours would make you look older
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Not me Miss19 - red and darker colours are hideous on me.
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Really? Why do you think that is?
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Probably because I don't have white teeth. I guess some people can really rock the red lippy and they do look great. My mum loved red and wore it all the time. My ex mother in law wore it and it was hidenous on her.
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There are red lipsticks that make your teeth look whiter, I believe ones that have a blue undertone but I understand if you don't like how it looks on you. I think we all have certain colours we don't like or don't look good on us
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Yes Miss19! I noticed that too! Nude colours do make one look older, especially when lip lines become deeper, nude shades accentuate them sooo much and... make lips look like a...not nice at all.
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Definitely! I feel like they don't brighten your complexion either which can make your skin look more sallow
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Oh yes I heard the La Mer lip balm preps the lips
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Once upon a time when younger I only had 1-2 lipsticks. Today at age 62 I now have 12 sitting on my dresser and another 2 favs in my handbag.
I cannot wear reds or bright colours though but I like the pinks that I buy, I wouldn't say the other colour I have is nude but I wouldn't really know what shade you call it but I like it for me.
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I bought my first ever lipstick when I was 39. Now almost 3 years later I have 13!! Woooow! And all deep colours (2 coral, few reds, pink or two, deep burned orangey terracotta and a vampy deep purple. Zero "nudes"...what is the point. My lips "but better"? Nope. My lips ARE better!
All this "age" thing....do not comprehend at all...
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Five years ago, jatz, I owned only about 6 lipsticks and now I have 46. I think I've gone lipstick crazy.
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Oh wow 46 is a lot. I would probably have more but ones that are too dark for me I give them to friends who love bright lipsticks.
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I like the tip of using eye primer around the outer lip area to reduce the look of lines
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I love the sounds of that trick too Indie!
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I never liked a nude lippy on me but usually go for the slightly pinker variety. Makeup tips for mature ladies are always welcome, particularly an eyelid primer for a wrinkly Asian eyelid.
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I love lipstick it adds color and a freshness to my face. I tend to wear alot natural lip colours that are rich and soft for day and love the plum/raisin shades for night. I don't like a Matte finish on me as they are so drying and flat.
I can't imagine not wearing Lipsticks and If I'm feeling down its a new lipstick or nail polish to cheer myself up!
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As I've gotten older I've been purchasing more lipsticks than ever before - I go against the statistics as when I was younger I wasn't confident enough to wear lipsticks so much but as I've gotten older I feel more entitled to wear a lippy!
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I think that there's an assumption that as women age that their lips reduce in size, but this is not always the case.
NOTE TO BH: When you recycle articles, please update the products in them. The brands Rubifresh, ASAP and Avon are no longer listed on BH so the links to the products don't work.
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Also, maybe don't put up articles like this when you exclude older women from trials.
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Tend to wear Nudes mixed with a Rosy Tone also occasionally wear pink but more like dusty rose colour. Sometimes it is difficult to find the right colours but I wouldn't wear bright colours anymore.
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You go with what YOU feel comfortable with and enjoy your life.
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Yes! I'm over 50 but still wear bright red, pink and orange lips. I pick colours that suit my skin tone and leave the rest of my face neutral. I don't feel I look like a sheep dressed as lamb, just modern.
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In my humble opinion, a girl can never have too many lipsticks! I tend to go for nude pink colours.
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