As Valentine’s Day approaches, many of us are looking for a lip product that stays put, keeps your pout hydrated, and gives you that effortlessly just-kissed look.
We sought the expertise of celebrity and professional makeup artists who recommend the best lip products for the occasion, including lipsticks, glosses, and stains, along with tips on the most flattering shades and formulas for women over 40.
Whether you’re looking for a product that has a striking, long-lasting color, or a gloss with a more subtle hue, read on for their suggestions and insight.
How To Find The Best Lipstick Shade For Your Skin Tone & Undertones
Heather Adessa Spadaro, founder of the Makeup + Hair Co.recommends "looking at your undertones" when shopping for lipstick, as "usually medium and warm undertones can steer in any direction, however cooler undertones usually look best in blue-based reds." She says neutral undertones can rock "blue-based lipsticks or a pink or peach-based red."
Olive complexions look "great in coral-reds," she adds. "Regardless of the red - wear it in confidence," she recommends. If you want to try red, but are scared to go all the way, Spadaro suggests starting with a "red gloss or a red liner and a more sheer lipstick or gloss over it." She says to "get yourself comfortable with color before jumping in." "If you want to try something bold but not red, hot pinks and bright corals are always fun choices," Spadaro adds. "Again, check the undertones."
For a final pro tip, Spadaro stresses that "if you are doing a bold lip, that is your statement," and that many women, and women over 40 in particular can "keep the rest of the makeup minimal to keep the focus on that lip."
6 Lip-Plumping & Hydrating Products Pro MUAs Praise For Mature Women
1. DuWop Lip Venom
When it comes to mature lips and skin, professional makeup artist Mandie Brice tells SheFinds that "one key thing is to make sure you're taking great care of your lips." She adds that "keeping them hydrated and exfoliated makes them plumper and look more youthful, and it helps when you add a lip color." Regarding skin with "extra texture like wrinkles," Brice says she is "fond of using the minimum effective dose, or least amount of product possible."
This, Brice explains, is because "product buildup can exacerbate the appearance" of texture or wrinkles. With that said, she recommends choosing a "stain in a flattering color, and then using a plumping gloss, like this DuWop Lip Venom in a lighter color in the center of the lips." This then "draws the eyes to the middle of the mouth and will make lips appear larger because of the lighter color."
2. Victoria Beckham Posh Gloss
Celebrity makeup artist Margina Dennis tells us that women over 40 can always "choose shades that are glossy or moist looking" when it comes to lip products for a plumper pout. "This conveys a healthy, youthful mouth," she goes on. Dennis notes: "I love lip balms and oils because they aren't opaque products and they make the lips look so juicy."
With that said, she recommends this Victoria Beckham Posh Gloss as it comes in "fantastic shades and makes the lips look so fresh." Before even applying lipstick to your lips, Dennis also recommends choosing a "slightly creamy lip liner" so that "when you rub your lips together, you can easily blend your lip liner with your lipstick, gloss, or balm, and they won't bleed."
3. E.L.F. Glossy Lip Stain
Dennis endorses the E.L.F. Glossy Lip Stain, praising its enduring wear and unique gloss-to-stain transformation. With just one swipe, it delivers a comfortable and long-lasting formula that resists transferring.
Products like these are great for mature women with naturally drier or thinner lips, Dennis shares, as they "help to hydrate the lips, and hydrated lips are more plump and youthful-looking."
4. Ilia Multi-Stick
If you're looking for a product that can work as a lip color, blush and even eyeshadow, look no further. Erica Marie Gatt, esthetician and makeup artist, tells SheFinds that this Ilia stick is great for its "multi-purpose aspect" and the "heavenly, creamy texture infused with hydrating ingredients like avocado oil and shea butter." She adds that this formulation is "buildable, so you can achieve a lighter or more bold hue."
5. Chanel Rouge Coco Baume Satin
To have a hydrated, supple and kissable look all night this V-day, Gatt stresses the importance of choosing a hydrating lipstick like this Chanel Rouge Coco Baume Satin.
As she tells us, "Chanel offers gorgeous buildable shades that coat the lip in hydration with the help of olive leaves and potent antioxidants."
6. E.L.F. Hydrating Core Lip Shine
Dennis also recommends this melting lip balm featuring a heart-shaped center that both moisturizes and adds a light touch of red and other hues to the lips.
It's ideal for women over 40, as it hydrates dry, cracked skin and offers a gentle tint rather than a bold color, if you prefer a more subtle look.
The Bottom Line
Overall, if you want to avoid lips looking thinner and drier over 40, Dennis shares one final tip: skip dark lipstick shades and matte formulas. This trend "can draw attention to the lines around the mouth and it can look dated," she advises.
Dennis concludes: "I recommend instead jumping on the lip oil and satin stain/ longer-wear trend in shades like peach, apricot, watermelon, coral, warm rose." These shades and hydrating formulas, she says, will make your pout "look hydrated and more youthful."
