Pucker Up Buttercup

Happy Friday ladies. I don’t know about you but wearing lipstick sure isn’t as easy as it used to be. Gone are the days when I can just swipe it on and go. Remember those days? I could apply my lipstick without using a mirror because I knew exactly where they were. That’s not a reality for me now because, after 50, my lips have thinned, lost pigment from sun exposure, and have vertical lines that cause my lipstick to bleed.

So are there solutions? It all starts with lip care and I have two words for you, exfoliate and moisturize.

Exfoliate

french girl lip scrub
French Girl Rose Lip Polish

With age, everything dries out, including your lips. That can cause flakes and an uneven surface which prevents your lipstick from going on smoothly. The skin on our face is often too fragile for a manual scrub over 50, but it’s the perfect solution for your lips.

Sugar lip scrubs make the most sense to me because they’re natural, taste good, and often organic.

herbivore lip polish for lips after 50I’m currently using this rose sugar scrub by Herbivore, which is so yummy that I don’t bother to wipe it off. I love a lot of things from this line because they are cruelty-free and have no nasty ingredients.

Sugar Lip Scrubs

Moisturize

After you exfoliate, you need to moisturize, just as you would the skin on your face. Look for products with shea butter, beeswax, cocoa butter, sea buckthorn, and hyaluronic acid which binds moisture to your skin. Many lip products contain good old Vaseline which is a petroleum product that may keep your lips soft but I’ve never wanted to wear or consume products made from petrochemicals. Here are some daytime treatments, serums, and overnight balms specifically targeted for the lips.

 

I am currently using this one and love it but it’s not quite heavy enough, so I’ve ordered this one and will keep you posted.

Lip Plumping

Over the counter lip plumpers have been popular for years. They usually contain an ingredient that tingles and helps to swell your lips subtly. The price range for these is wide so it helps to shop around.

PMD Lip Plumping System

 

There are also devices like this one and the ones below that use vacuum technology to create the appearance of more volume. I have no experience with these but more and more are hitting the market every day so they must be popular.

Fillers and Injectables

Lip fillers and injectables are other popular options. It’s critical you do your homework on this one. Go to a professional who has a lot of experience and see some of their work before you let them inject you.  Not all filler is used to enlarge lips. It can be used to simply replace lost volume and fill large lines to prevent lip bleeding. If your goal is a natural look, find a conservative doctor, and start slow.

 

What do you do to keep your lips in shape?lip care tips after 50

If you liked this post, I would love for you to pin it to your Pinterest board.

 

Thanks for reading ladies and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.

 

31 Comments

  1. I have awful problems with lipstick. It doesn’t stay on at all and then I get crispy at the edges of my lips. I usually use Burt Bee’s lip gloss in Pucker but I would love to wear regular lipstick. I have tried so many, if I have to order from England, I’m on it!

    My mother had beautiful full lips (that I did not inherit but my daughter did) and wore bright red lipstick every single day. And used Pond’s. Also, she used lanolin on her lips, hands and feet. My dad would order it by the pound, came in a large brown glass jar. Wow, that’s a trip down memory lane.

  2. When you said that “wearing lipstick sure isn’t as easy as it used to be”, I initially assumed that you were referring to face masks. Since we need to wear a mask now, I learned quickly to skip putting lipstick on before putting my mask on. LOL

  3. My lips are still okay, but I do exfoliate and moisturize a lot. I slather on ointment at night and lip balm is always in my bag as are Aquaphor ointment or Vaseline. I mostly use lip glosses because I never found a lipstick line I loved. A couple of years ago, I discovered Look Fabulous Forever, a cosmetics line from England. They have a great lip primer that I swear by – the Never Feather Lip Prime – and their lipsticks are great. I never could wear a red lip, a look I love until I tried their Cherry Red.

  4. Christine says:

    Thanks for the smiles and giggles on this one! I’m fair and freckled, and if I used lip scrub on my thin-skinned lips, they’d be a huge cold sore. I’ve burned and/or dried out my lips with the so-called plumping formulas. As far as the lip-plumping contraptions, I’d be afraid I wouldn’t fare well with the light gadgets, one item reminds me of the old Mark Eden bust device from the ’50s and ’60s, while for some of the others, I can only imagine the comments from my husband if he saw them! Sometimes women are crazy gullible when it comes to beauty!

    1. Thanks for the trip down memory lane:) I remember the Mark Eden bust developers. What were women thinking?

  5. I still put on lipstick without a mirror. Amazes my daughter’s younger friends. I have been using Clinique moisture tint lip color. It moisturizes and the color lasts.

    1. Lucky you Kay!! I can do it but it doesn’t always end up in the right place 😉

  6. My lips were always very dry, cracked and bleeding or peeling. Most lip balms I tried did not help me until I became an Avon Rep and started using the Moisture Therapy Lip Treatment. It worked wonders and I had nice uncracked lips. Then about a year ago, Avon came out with a Vitamin C Antioxidant Lip Treatment and it’s wonderful.It contains vitamins A and C and customers love it. I thought what I was using was good , but this Vitamin C Treatment is a game changer. My lips have never felt so good and smooth. I will never have injections or fillers and I don’t mind that my always thin lips are even thinner than when I was younger. My lips are soft, smooth and feel and look good. I love lipstick and of course, I have dozens, but soft smooth lips makes any lipstick look better.

    1. Vitamin C is so good for us. I haven’t tried it on my lips though. That’s interesting

  7. I’ve had great success using a moisturizer from Paula’s Choice every night. I’ve been using it for several years. Occasionally my lips great dry and then I use an exfolient and they’re back to normal after a day or 2. I also wear Mabelline 24 Hour lipstick that last all day without having to use a lib liner. It comes with lib gloss, which works great.

  8. I think if you can’t afford all these products, our grandmothers and Mothers who had great skin. Just used cold cream which is still sold today. Good old ponds. You put it on at night, lips too, and lightly wipe some off with a warm washcloth. Do the same in the morning. It leaves just enough moisture to keep your skin fresh snd glowing. Good base for your foundation and lipstick. This is info for us poor people. If you can afford the expensive creams, go for it. That’s got to be fun!

  9. Do you know what that gorgeous brand and color of the lipstick is in the top picture?

  10. Rosemarie says:

    I LOVE L’Occitane (from France – available in their shops or online) products.

    About a year+ they starting sell lipstick.

    Their lipstick contains pomegranate/carrot/pomelo oil = lips are so moist. Colours are very soft.

  11. Julie Anne says:

    Both my daughter & granddaughter swear by Lano Lips, available at Sephora. I‘ve ordered a tube from Sephora, so I shall see. It’s pure lanolin, the same and only ingredient in nipple ointment. I bought a tube in the baby good section, but found it very heavy.

    The Japanese product Yu-Be is my ultimate favourite. It’s almost Impossible to buy or even order in Canada now so I’ve ordered another product that is considered the same. YuskinA comes from Japan too.

  12. The best moisturizer I have found for lips and skin is hydration from the inside out … drinking water.
    If I don’t hydrate well, my skin shows it. And my eyes hurt & feel sticky. Get headaches. Frown a lot. So it’s a huge factor for me. I don’t have the lip picker problem nor seriously thinning lip volume but I do notice more muscle tension in my lower face so have adopted some facial exercises which are very helpful. . Face yoga. I highly recommend it.
    I love wearing pretty lip color but always chew it off in about 10 minutes.
    I read somewhere that over a lifetime the average woman who has worn lipstick throughout her adult life, will have ingested approximately 8 pounds of it. Don’t know if that is true but it unnerved me! Now looking for lipstick brands that are non toxic.

    1. I’ve heard the same thing so I always use lipsticks without nasty ingredients. What kind of face yoga. I’m intrigued

  13. I’m lucky to have naturally full lips so even as they’ve thinned over the years, they are still hanging in there. I love Tatcha lip mask for keeping them well moisturized. I wear it at night. Stay well!

  14. Phyllis Hughes says:

    I have to be very careful about the lipsticks that I use. Many dry out my lips and cause them to crack. I have found two products that really help; Agave Sugar Scrub and Agave Lip Balm. Both are by Bite. I find them at Sephora. The scrub is much like the one you described. I seldom use it anymore since I found the lip balm. I apply the lip balm to my lips before I put moisturizer on my face and by the time I have my makeup on it has soaked into my lips and I can put on lipstick. I put it on again before I go to bed.

    As for injections to plump my lips; no thank you. I have seen too many women that look ridiculous with their overly plump lips. I’ll stick with my thinning lips.

  15. I’ve been having filler injected for years to even out my lips, and lift the one outer corner that always wants to turn down. I don’t have my lips enlarged just evened out and it’s wonderful!

    I exfoliate every morning when I wash my face and always make a pass or two over my lips, and I apply a heavier balm at night before bed to keep my lips moist and soft.

    Lipstick is a must! I wear it hiking even! MAC and Milani are my two go-to brands right now.

    1. I have a girlfriend who does the exact same thing and you can’t tell. It works beautifully

  16. Good to have recommendations for lip exfoliating. I really need to do that. I don’t know about injections. I’ve seen so many that just look so obvious and fake.

    1. I think the trick is to find someone very conservative and skilled.

  17. For some reason, my lips are the one thing about me that hasn’t aged, and I’m grateful. That said, I always use a lip moisturizer. My favorite is Aquaphor Healing Ointment, which is a petroleum product. A few years ago, I was having a problem with my lower lip blistering. My dermatologist recommended Aquaphor as no one seems to be allergic to it. It worked great for me – low cost and easily available. I’ve never looked back!

  18. injectables are the best and last for one year. With any other product your LS is bleeding. But as you recommended surch for an experienced doctor and tell him what you will achieve.

  19. I can’t begin to imagine how many tubes of 💄 lipstick I have fell in love with over my adult life! Many of my friends and my 4 sisters Included, have never wore any lipstick. Then, why me? Lol
    That being said, you are so correct that the care of my lips has become more important as the years progress. My exfoliating process and moisturizing routine for my lips and face are crucial. I use much less foundation and a more neutral lip color. For me, there will be no lip injections. I just don’t think that plumping or tightening one part of my face and leaving the rest untouched would look very natural. I will continue to add a bit of lip cover that gives me a softer glow.

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