Beauty trends in the cosmetic world come and go like the seasons. By the time you just get used to it, a new one begins. And that’s fine, when all you’re doing is swapping out cosmetics. Unfortunately, it seems as if perceived “beauty ideals” are also coming and going like the season, and these ideals have women doing more than just their makeup to achieve them. We’ve all seen it - media paints a picture of what a woman should look like based on the celebrity of the moment - increasing the popularity of various surgeries or cosmetic procedures.
And in the past number of years, the beauty ideal of full lips have driven the demand of lip fillers up like crazy. But they’re not for everyone; and you can see the decline of interest in those maximum volume lips as women start to dissolve (or try to dissolve) their filler for a more natural look.
But the good news is, you can achieve and maintain beautiful, NATURAL-looking full lips that don’t require you to alter your body, then alter it again when the fad starts to fade. And naturally voluminous lips is a look that won’t go out of style.
But as we age, our lips get dryer and thinner thanks to the decline of collagen. We lose color, definition and noticeable volume. And if you don’t want permanent measures that come with extra risk, maintenance and cost, there are easy ways that you can instantly add visible volume and make your lips look fuller and more youthful? Here are five quick tips.
Tip 1: Avoid Dark Lipsticks
As unfair as it is, a lot of the makeup products and techniques we used in our teens, 20s and 30s just don’t have the same effect anymore - and can actually make us look older. Dark lipsticks will only make lips look smaller and thinner - not something you can necessarily afford if you’ve already noticed a loss of natural volume. And as our complexion gets more cool and gray with age, dark lipstick can add even more contrast, which can leave our skin looking, sickly and pale.
Tip 2: Go for the Gloss
Even if it’s all the rage, even if every single beauty influencer or celebrity is pushing it, please - avoid matte lipsticks. Since lips flatten with age, a matte lipstick will only make it more obvious. Always use lip products with sheen to attract more light and give the appearance of more rounded, full lips. You don’t have to go high shine or shimmer - but a buttery gloss that gives you a “just licked your lips” look will always be the most attractive and flattering finish for a woman over 40.
Tip 3: Overline Your Lips (Practice makes perfect)
Many women use the overlining technique to fake fullness - which can be effective when it’s not overdone. Here’s how to try it:
Using a lip liner slightly darker than your natural lips, draw along the natural line of your cupids bow just ABOVE where it actually is. Do this only in the center third of your top lip, then draw along or just inside the natural lip line on the outer corners. Repeat on the bottom, drawing just outside your lip line in the center third and connecting to your natural lip line. Fill in the lips with matching lipstick or crayon.
This overlining technique can help make lips look fuller without being super obvious. However, choose your products carefully, some can be extremely drying and also feather in lines and wrinkles, exaggerating them, and making you look older. Also be sure to carry your lip products with you to reapply as needed and avoid having the lipstick wear off while the lip liner stays on.
Tip 4: Invest in a Good Lip Plumper
Lip plumpers are a great way to give lips instant volume and definition, but many come at a cost. Unfortunately, most lip plumpers on the market rely solely on spicy ingredients to irritate the lips, therefore swelling them beyond their natural size. While the effect may look nice at first, these types of products can be extremely irritating, with burning and stinging effects that make them unbearable to wear. Continued use, or even one application, can cause lips to dry out and peel - not a good look at all.
Instead, use a lip plumper made for mature, dry lips, like Fièra‘s Fulluptuous™ Lip Plumper + Hydrator. Fièra uses a two step plumping technology that not only stimulates and boosts blood flow to add fulness and color, it also attracts and expands moisture under the skin to boost lips from within. It’s made with ultra hydrating omega-rich oils that nurture and condition lips for maximum hydration and buttery, comfortable wear.
Tip 5: Find and stick to your signature lip look
For lips that look full naturally, find your signature lip look and stick with it! That’s how you trick everyone into thinking you wake up like that. While lip liners, lipsticks, and coloured lip glosses can fake fullness and definition, the keyword is fake. Not to mention, the need for multiple products adds effort, time and money and is more difficult to keep up.
That’s why Fièra‘s Fulluptuous™ Plumper + Hydrator was made to be an all-in-one lip, plumping and enhancing solution. It contains pH adaptive colour – technology that reacts with the natural pH levels in your lips to immediately transform into a subtle tent that enhances your natural lip color, therefore complimenting your skin tone. The best part is you don’t ever have to worry about it looking fake, having pink teeth, or being too difficult and expensive to keep up!
Try these tips today!