Give your pout youthful clout
Barcode lines? Losing volume? Time isn’t always kind to lips, so here are my latest must-tries
It’s one of the cruelties of ageing that as our bottoms generally get plumper, lips only get skinnier. And, to add insult to injury, their moisture levels decrease. As does their natural pinkness, too. Joy.
And let’s not even get on to the ‘barcodes’ – those vertical lines that suddenly appear above the mouth in midlife.
This is all rather dispiriting, because mouths matter to us. As humans we are drawn to them: they’re the focal point of the face and vital to how attractive we feel.
We want them to wear lipstick well (no feathering). And, with mouths boasting the highest density of nerve endings, we want them to be kissable too – as we know, there’s nothing sexy about chapped, dry cat’s-bottom-like lips.
But the good news?
Beauty brands have (finally!) responded to the needs of more mature customers with a new generation of lipsticks that flatter less voluminous mouths, making pouts look more luscious and, crucially, hydrating and rejuvenating lips as well.
Tweakments have also advanced in this area, with new formulas and techniques for fuller lips that don’t look freaky. Really.
Here’s my roundup of the treatments and products mature mouths need to know about… Double-duty oils Clarins
Lip Comfort Oils €24, clarins.ie) recently sold out, and with reason. They hydrate and leave both a sheer tint of colour and a beautifully flattering sheen. The good news is they’re back in stock. Run, don’t walk.
Softer-look liners Remember lip liners that left a hard ring around your mouth? Not now. They’re soft, creamy (but still stay put) and can be used to create definition as well as to colour your lips (so no need for a lipstick). Our favourites: Jones Road The Lip Pencil €25, jonesroadbeauty. com); Monika Blunder Beauty Hot Line Lip Liner (€25.02 cult beauty.com) and Kiko Creamy Colour Comfort Lip Liner (see
As we get older our lips lose their plumpness
opposite).
Balm – but better Full of rejuvenating actives, Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment in Strawberry Glaze (€20, rhode skin.com) gives long-lasting hydration and plumpness. Created by model Hailey Bieber, it’s an internet hit (but don’t let that put you off).
Fuller-effect lipsticks
Creamier formulations and flattering shades make lips look naturally fuller and more luscious. We love Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lipstick (€34, charlotte tilbury.com; Nars Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick (left, €31.50, narscosmetics.com) and Elf O Face Satin
Lipstick (see opposite).
No-needle instant plumping
A favourite of make-up artists for temporarily (and subtly) inflating pouts, Plump It! Volumising Lip Plumper (see right) is a serum that works by increasing blood circulation in the lips to boost their fullness. It stings, but really works.
Big-impact matte finishes
While matte lip colour looks chic and has staying power it can make mouths look smaller, which isn’t flattering as you get older. Not so with the new formulations that have a sumptuous suede texture. Top picks for powering up your pout are
Lisa Eldridge Velveteen Liquid Lip Colour (€26, selfridges.com) or
Giorgio Armani Lip Power Matte lipstick (€40, brownthomas.com).
Filler – but not as you know it!
Done the right way, filler can be rejuvenating. ‘It’s not about creating a new shape,’ says consultant dermatologist Dr Alexis Granite, ‘but restoring what was there to begin with.’ She keeps lips looking super subtle with soft fillers such as Belotero Balance or Teoxane RHA. If you’re cautious about fillers, injectable moisturisers such as Belotero Revive or Volite will deliver subtle enhancement.
Bye-bye barcode lines
Dr Granite addresses these with retinol products such as Medik8 Intelligent Retinol Smoothing Night Cream (€60, eu.medik8.com). To soothe them away temporarily she likes CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum (€15.99, inishpharmacy.com). Alternatively, ‘lasers can help boost skin quality by creating micro damage to trigger rejuvenating repair’, she says. ‘I recommend Fraxel, Morpheus 8 and Moxi.’
‘Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick and pull yourself together’ Elizabeth Taylor
Fake fullness with Botox ‘For patients who are nervous about tweakments,’ says Dr Granite, ‘I’ll inject just a little toxin to evert the lip – flipping it up shows more of it. The result is very natural.’