I once read that ‘you should never wear bright lipstick if you’re concerned about looking older than you are’. As if colour belongs only to youth. Hmmm… Tell that to celebrity makeup artist Caroline Barnes, who works with ageless icons such as Kylie, and has just shown me how to give bright lippie an instant anti-ageing update. Because the truth is, bright lipstick doesn’t age you. Outdated rules do.
As skin tone softens, lips lose contrast and the face can look flatter, so a flash of colour can add that zing – the thing that makes a face look fresh and awake.
‘Colour therapy is so powerful,’ Caroline tells me. ‘Makeup is like jewellery – adding a spot of colour to adorn yourself is always a positive thing. Whether you’re wearing a denim shirt or a white T-shirt, it’s just a wonderful way to elevate your makeup if you haven’t changed it in a while.’
I used to be an avid red lip wearer in my 30s, applying it with precision to create a solid block of colour that looked confident and fierce, if a little fake.
Fast-forward a decade or so, and this type of statement lip isn’t wearing as well as it used to.
Caroline explained why. ‘Instead of sharp outlines and heavy matte textures (which can feel ageing), in mid-life, it should be more about softness in the application and good skin prep,’ she says.
What’s needed instead is a ‘bright blur’ approach – an ageless new way to keep your lip colour impactful, fresh and flattering.
How to blur away the years
Softly-diffused creamy or satin finishes sit more naturally on mature lips rather than ultra-matte formulas, which can emphasise dryness and fine lines. Regular lipsticks are packing in moisturising extras – I tried this out with Charlotte Tibury K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in Velvet Underground, which has hydration plus light-diffusing spheres for a flattering, soft-focus effect.
Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick
Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick
Even liquid lipstick – traditionally the most drying and puckering of all formats – has a fresh update.
Caroline’s favourite new ageless lip swap is a liquid format: Plume Lip by Violette FR, £32: ‘As the name suggests, it’s as light as a feather and doesn’t feel as if you have any colour on your lips,’ she says, in an Instagram tutorial.
The best way to apply a liquid formulation is by tapping the colour on to your lips using your ring finger rather than painting it on perfectly.
‘This gives you a very soft diffused finish rather than that hard graphic edge that a liner or a lip brush might give,’ explains Caroline. ‘A very soft lip line looks more beautiful and flattering, rather than jarring, especially when wearing red shades.’
How to create an ageless bright lip
From skincare to application, here’s how to copy Caroline’s technique
1. Watch your skincare at night
‘Be aware that retinol can dry out your lips if you apply it around your mouth or it transfers on to your pillow,’ says Caroline. Toothpaste residue can also be drying, so remove it thoroughly.
2. Hydrate properly
At night, Caroline swears by a lip mask (her go-to is Laneige). In the morning, she applies a hyaluronic serum over the lips, lets it absorb, then seals with balm.
3. Remove slip before colour
Before lipstick, pat off any remaining balm. ‘Leave the hydration there, but you don’t want slip or the colour won’t adhere.’
4. Smooth the edges
Caroline loves using a blurring product around the lip line to soften fine lines and stop colour bleeding. ‘It’s like retouching for lips – I use it every day,’ she says of Trinny London’s Miracle Line Filler, £28.
Trinny London Miracle Blur Line Filler
5. Lift with light
If the corners of your mouth turn down slightly, take a brightening concealer pencil (Caroline recommends Lisa Eldridge Pinpoint Concealer Pencil, £27) and gently lift the shadow at each corner. ‘It’s like injecting a smile into the lip shape.’
Lisa Eldridge Pinpoint Concealer Micro Correcting Pencil
6. Finish with a blur
Apply lipstick, then soften the edges with your ring finger or cotton bud. Perfect symmetry is not the goal.
Best blurred-out bright lipsticks
