Fading, Thinning, Bleeding Lips? YIKES! |

“Not only do we lose color in our face as we mature, but our lips tend to fade as well. Lipstick shades that may have once been flattering can begin to look drab. The solution is simple–brighten up your face by brightening up your lip color.” …page 106, Quintessential Style. I wrote these words over 10 years ago with co-author Janna Beatty, and sure enough, my lips have changed a lot since then.

(Barbie turned 65 this year, just like me. Wonder how she has changed?)

Along with fading, What other Changes Occur in our Lips as we Age?

Thinning

Just as our skin begins to thin over time, so do our lips. This change begins slowly and subtly as the body slows down its production of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. According to dermatologist Dr. Gary Goldenberg, “When we lose this precious collagen, our skin’s structural integrity declines and our overall volume diminishes. Essentially, our lips deflate with time. And unfortunately, this process starts earlier than you might expect–in your 20’s–and continues at about a 1% loss every year after.”

I’m picturing this, but it’s not really this bad:

Shrinking

When I googled, “Why have my lips gotten smaller?” here’s the answer I got:

Some people just naturally have thin lips. But, aging, sun exposure, and smoking can all result in the appearance of shrinking lips. As we get older the collagen in our lips breaks down and the muscles tire, leaving lips looking and feeling thinner.

Lipstick Feathering

Lipstick feathering (or bleeding) happens because of wrinkles on the surrounding area of the lips. Again, these wrinkles appear over time and are caused by loss of collagen. Lipstick loves to sink into these tiny crevices.

What does lipstick bleeding look like? Lipstick bleeding, or feathering, looks like the lipstick is creeping outside of your lipline. (It’s more noticeable with brighter and darker lip colors and seems to occur most often with lipsticks that are glossy or balm-like.)

Darn that Collagen! But, we’re not about to get botox or fillers we say! What Can We do?

I’m here to give you some tricks you can use to get those luscious lips back.

Choose a flattering lip color.

The Most Important Thing to Remember when trying on a lipstick is TO LOOK AT YOUR ENTIRE FACE, NOT JUST YOUR LIPS. Stand back from the mirror and ask these questions: Does this lipstick light me up? Do my eyes look brighter? Does it complement my skin?

Take a look at this example of beautiful 58 year-old Paula Porizkova. See how lip color brings her entire face alive? Yes, she has on a bit of blush and mascara, too, but notice how her eyes pop in the second photo!

Make your lips appear fuller and reduce feathering

Here are tips straight out of Q Style (page 108)

Use lip liners and lip colors that are the same or nearly the same color to give you the most natural look. Outlining and filling in your lips with a lip liner that is very close to the color of your lipstick is long-lasting and when your lipstick wears off, you won’t be left with a ring of liner around your mouth.
To create fullness, or balance a top lip with a fuller bottom, line from the outside corner inward to the cupid’s bow (as shown below). This creates more of an arch and gives the illusion of fuller lips.
Powdering the edges of of skin next to the lips is a good way to retard lipstick bleeding.
For a romantic look, apply lipstick first, then finish with lip liner. This creates a softer line on the lips.
If your lipstick color seems too heavy or too deep, simply apply a bit of concealer over it to make it appear lighter.
Using too much lip gloss can cause the edge of your lipstick to bleed. Try dabbing a dot just in the center of your lower lip for a bit of shine.

Some of you might remember my friend, Lori, from a post I made back in 2015, when Janna gave her a color consultation. (see blog here). These photos show Lori before and after. What a difference just a little color makes. What a beautiful model she was (and is).