You're Making Yourself Look Older With These Lipstick Blunders

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Even if you've been wearing lipstick since you were 15, getting older can mean it's time to switch up your tried and true techniques. It's not just about changing what colors you rocked constantly in your 20s and 30s, but realizing that with the decreased production of collagen and elastin in our bodies, our lips take a major blow. In other words, the natural pout you had at 25 may be quite a bit thinner in your 60s and 70s.

"Underdrawing lipstick and/or lipliner can age you drastically as it makes your lips look much thinner," Nyane, Morphe Collab make-up artist and owner of Temper Hair, exclusively tells Women. Following the natural shape of the lips, the way you should when using the V technique, is essential, she adds. "A very slight overdraw can add youthfulness to your look. Excessive overdrawing on the other hand can be a little too much and too obvious at times, it doesn't work for everybody."

But it's not just about under or overdrawing when it comes to lipstick mistakes that can make you look older. If you want to look chic into your 60s and beyond, there are other factors to consider when you're doing your lips.

If you wore dark, vampy lipstick for the majority of your life, it may not be doing you any favors now that you're older, especially if your complexion is on the lighter side. "Wearing darker lipstick far outside your skin tone range can also make you look more mature," says Nyane. 

Although she points out that it can still serve an interesting look during appropriate occasions, it may be better to default to a lighter shade like Revlon's Fire and Ice, or a classic matte red like MAC's Ruby Woo. "To be safe don't go darker than one or two shades of your natural lip color," says Nyane. 

Not only should you be skipping the dark lipstick if you want to maintain your youthful appearance, but the dark lip liner needs to go too. "If [the lip liner] is too dark and especially when paired with a very light lip color it can make you look significantly older," says Nyane. While a dark shade of lip liner can enhance your look in photos, it's going to add years to your appearance in real life, she adds. So unless the paparazzi are constantly in your face, keep your lip liner and your lipstick on the lighter side and lean into this new stage of your life.