Lipstick has been a beauty necessity among women, it seems, as far back as the pharaohs. Cleopatra had lipstick made by crushing carmine beetles, which provided a deep red pigment to the lips. Then along came lipsticks that gave shimmering effects, by using the preadolescence in fish scales. Red lips and white faces became a fashion statement during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. But, by this time, the lipsticks were made from beeswax and stains from plants. Later, the movie industry helped lipstick gain popularity, and it became an everyday addition to many woman's faces.
It's a fact of life and as a woman ages, her lips get thinner and smaller. It's not the end of the world. If a woman doesn't have the financial ability or inclination to get collagen injections, there are alternative methods to enhance and keep the lips looking desirable.
Lipstick looks best on smooth lips, so always use a lip balm before applying lipstick, especially in wintertime or when in the sun. Before any lipstick is applied, begin with a good quality lip liner. Outline the natural boundary of your lips, then color in with the lip liner pencil. This will keep the lipstick in place without feathering or bleeding.
Lip Tips:
Matte lipstick is the longest lasting, but is also dry.
To get extra definition, apply lip liner (again) after applying lipstick.
Moisturizing lipsticks are more likely to bleed than creme lipsticks.
Lip gloss makes the lips look fuller.
Medium colors make the lips look larger.
Neutral lip colors will match any color of skin or apparel.
Sheer lipstick and gloss does not last long.
Tips for 40, 50, and beyond:
Aging is a part of life, and if we learn to appreciate our faces we will feel more comfortable, and live a happier, stress-free life. Young women dwell on imperfections and flaws even though they're at the best physical state of their lives. But, many older women who feel good about themselves, and accept their faces for what they are, rejoice in living.
If you fret about facial lines and wrinkles, and want to feel better about your looks, the first step is to change your attitude about aging. Start to evaluate aging ideas and beliefs, and where you got them. If you view older women as unattractive, then you are going to have a hard time looking in the mirror as you age. I've met many women 50, 60 and beyond who are very attractive and self-confident, even though they have lines, wrinkles, and maybe not-so-perfect bodies. They're attractive because they feel good about themselves and know that beauty is much more than the outside wrapper.
Aging gracefully is all about taking care of yourself, staying fit, using skin care products regularly, diet, and positive qualities. As we age, we must learn to care for our skin and wear our makeup differently. Here's a few tips to get started on the road to being a beautiful woman of age:
1. Always use a moisturizer. Moisturizers help makeup glide on effortlessly, and keeps the skin moist.
2. Use a good concealer and foundation to hide dark spots under the eyes.
3. As we age, our skin tends to become dry. Use power sparingly, as power tends to accentuate lines.
4. Go easy on the eye shadows. Always use mattes and avoid iridescent and shimmery shadows attract light and accentuate lines and wrinkles. Stick to earthy tones, and apply dark colors to the outside of the eyelids in an upward motion.
5. Eyebrows are the frame of the face, but often as we age, eyebrows become less full or wiry. Use feather strokes to fill in sparse areas, and use a lighter color on the eyebrows than your hair.
6. Use blush to bring out a brightness to your face. But, blush should be just a glow, now make your cheeks look like two big, red apples!
7. Use lip liner to keep your lipstick on your lips instead bleeding vertical lines of color around them.
Makeup should be used to accentuate your best qualities, and to make you feel better about yourself. Pay more attention to the positive features of your face, and less about trying to cover or hide lines or wrinkles. Show off the beautiful you.
Lipstick has gone through many changes and many fashions rotate around lipstick colors. Fashion statements can be made or broke with the right or wrong color of lipsticks. Here are some of the lipstick changes throughout the past fifty years.
1952: Revlon began advertising a new color, "Fire & Ice" and it took off big time! From that day forward, magazines were filled with lipstick advertisements.
1957: Lipline, by Gala, promoted the first lipstick in a tube. Previously, women brushed on lipstick, kind of like paint! Lipstick in a tube was an overnight hit!
1958: Max Factor taunted the world of beauty by saying women who didn't wear lipstick were basically naked in the public eye - that is, unless she worked on a farm. Wow! Talk about pressure, so lipstick sales soared as no woman wanted to feel undressed.
1959: Marilyn Monroe dazzled the film world with "Some Like It Hot." And who could forget her bright red lips! Now, most women were wearing bright red lipstick to get the Marilyn-look.
1964: Women were breaking from traditional beauty, and white lipstick became the rage. Hot pants, Go-Go boots, straight, freshly ironed, hair, and white lips were the now-scene!
1972: Women were ready to try anything new, and even the most liberated woman did not turn her back on her lipstick.
1973: Bonne Bell came out with smell-good and taste-good lip-gloss, and it became the staple of many woman's pockets and purses.
1975: Just about now, came Disco, and a fuchsia lip gloss. This color was a bright hot pink, and actually gave off a glow on the dance floor. Oh, yeah, disco and neon lights, and your girl with the glowing lips!
1977: And, then, Hello, Punk! Now everything had to be different, so the fad became black lipstick.
1980s: This became a time when many women wanted to be known as rebels. This was a time of florescent lipstick colors and light-up lip glosses!
1990S: During this time, women wanted lip colors that denoted passages their expressions. Lip stains became popular, which is applying lipstick, rubbing it off with a tissue, leaving just a hint of tint on the lips. And, towards the end of the 90's, lipsticks that didn't rub off came about. Actually, this was great, because worries about those telltale 'lipstick on the collar' fiascoes could be eliminated.
