How to get to grips with lipstick

[TableNiner]

As I get older lipstick would brighten up my face. I’m very pale but always get told I suit bright lipstick in warm oranges and reds. I don’t especially like this look but figure I may have to come round to it as I look quite drab otherwise. But it just seems so high maintenance.

My worst fear is putting bright lipstick on and it fading away within an hour and looking like I’ve tried but failed. I agree lipstick is a really quick way to look more put together (and in my case, alive) but how do you make sure it then stays put and any product recommendations?

Line your lips with a similar colour of liner, not just the outer line but bring it in to cover most of the lip. I do all but the centre of the bottom lip (where light would naturally highlight). Oldest trick in the book.

I've found any long lasting lipstick to be uncomfortable and drying after a while.

The shade of lipstick you wear will depend on what colour the undertone of your skin is. Sorry to complicate matters!

I am also very pale, and I have blue eyes and a cool undertone to my skin. Silver jewellery suits me better than gold, blue suits me better than mustards, I have visibly blue veins under my skin rather than green. If this is also you, you might want to look at mid-toned berry shades. Bond Girl by Charlotte Tilbury looks excellent on me: it's strong but not overwhelming: www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/product/matte-revolution-bond-girl

If you're pale with a warm undertone, you might find that your veins look greenish rather than blue, and gold suits you better than silver. In that case, you need to find a mid-toned shade with a warm undertone. Hopefully someone will be along soon who can advise!

I'm also older and one of my tips to prevent my lipstick looking too stark is to run my fingertips around the edge of my lipstick to blur it very gently so that there is no harsh line between the lipstick and my skin. I might also blot off the lipstick to take off the excess colour too.

Charlotte Tilbury illustrates all her lipsticks on different skin tones: looking at the illustration on the Bond Girl page, I wonder if something like Amazing Grace might look good on you.

I’m kind of ok with shades in that I’m a HOC Autumn and definitely more warm toned, it’s just they are so bright against me that I want to make sure I commit 100% and don’t walk around with it patchy or all over my glass or look like I am trying far too hard!

I’ve never tried a lip liner, @Ever, that could be worth a try

You can always blot them down a bit :-) Matte shades close to the shade of the inside of your lip won't smear so easily, and when they wear off will look more natural than something that's a very different colour to your natural lip that will look awful unless you keep touching it up (the "cats bum" effect). Avoid glossy or sticky lipsticks!

I’ve never tried a lip liner, @Ever, that could be worth a try

Definitely, I wouldn't wear a prominent colour without doing this. It will last so much longer.

I hate lipsticks for this reason

I tend to wear tinted lip balms as then when they fade they do gradually and it's not obvious. Burts bees are good.

For more colour the Revlon Colourburst lacquers are great. I have one in a bright pink that has lasted so long I'm not sure they still do the colour!

I always always always wear lip liner. And a lip line fixer too helps it to stop bleeding and feathering.

I'm a massive fan of the Maybelline Super Stay Lipstick, it does not shift - if I've put it on in the evening, it's still there the next morning. Even eating barely dents it. I'm cool toned and wear 'Lover', which is a beautiful rose pink, but there's quite a range of colours.

Have you considered a lip stain? Have a look at Benefit Benetint, comes in a few different shades. Lasts longer on me than a lipstick.

I find lip liners look too harsh as I look older, and stains bleed into the skin. I would go for a matt/satin shade and blot the edges, personally. Depends on what suits you, of course!