6 Best Lip Liners for Mature Skin, According to Makeup Artists

As your lips change with age, so should your makeup. That's where upgrading to the best lip liners for mature skin come in: Paired with a good lipstick for older women, they can help restore definition, create the appearance of fuller lips, and keep color from feathering into fine lines around the mouth. “They’re the underrated MVP of the lip category,” says LA-based makeup artist Fiona Stiles. “They can help define your shape and maximize it while also giving your lip color more staying power.”

While many of us tend to focus on how our facial skin changes over time—leading to a newfound demand for targeted moisturizers and serums for aging skin—the lips get overlooked. But they have a naturally impaired skin barrier and few to no oil glands, so aging can be uniquely tough on them. “Structurally, the lips lose volume, and the border of the lips loses definition,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in NYC. Not only that, but "the lips often become dry as the skin barrier becomes weaker as we get older,” he adds.

• Best Overall: Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Long Lasting Waterproof Liner, $28
• Best Drugstore: L’Oreal Paris Blurfiller Blurring Lip Contour, $13
• Best Longwear: Huda Beauty Lip Contour Lip Stain, $25
• Best for Color Range: MAC Creamy Lip Liner, $25

That means formulas that drag or settle into lines can make those changes more noticeable. Instead, look for a lip liner that glides on smoothly but has enough grip to keep color from migrating beyond the lip line. You want to choose one that has staying power, but also isn’t too drying,” says NYC-based celebrity makeup artist Kirin Bhatty.

Luckily, that no longer limits you to a classic pencil. Today’s options include nude lip liners that look like your-lips-but-better, long-wearing stains, and chubby contour sticks that can softly bring back volume you’ve lost. Ahead, we found the best lip liners for mature lips, with expert-approved picks that make defining your shape a whole lot easier.

Best Overall: Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Long Lasting Waterproof Lip Liner

Why it’s worth it: There’s a reason this pencil has become a makeup-bag staple. Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Cheat Long Lasting Waterproof Lip Liner nails the trifecta, with a comfortable formula, impressive staying power, and an impressive shade range that makes finding a natural-looking match refreshingly easy. The formula, which can glide onto skin without skipping, is especially helpful for mature lips. “The texture is beautiful,” says Bhatty. “It's not dry but not too creamy, so it wears really well.”

Hyaluronic acid and jojoba oil, which both hydrate and moisturize, give the pencil that slip. Then comes polybutene, which is “a flexible film former that helps prevent feathering and smudging by locking pigments in place,” explains Kelly Dobos, a cosmetic chemist based in Cincinnati, Ohio. That means your color will stay in place even through multiple cups of iced coffee. We’re partial to the brand’s iconic Pillow Talk family, which includes four takes on the original rosy-nude shade.

Best Drugstore: L’Oreal Paris Blurfiller Blurring Lip Contour

Why it’s worth it: Lip shape can subtly change over time. “We lose not only volume in our lips as we age, but also the vermilion border—which is your visible lip line—tends to fade,” says Stiles. Enter L’Oréal Paris Blurfiller Blurring Lip Contour, a twist-up crayon that brings definition back to the picture without requiring a super-precise application (or your reading glasses).

The namesake blurring effect of this lip liner is especially forgiving for aging lips, with hydrated silica that "scatters and diffuses light to soften the appearance of fine lines and texture,” says Dobos. Combined with waxes, these ingredients create a soft-focus effect that makes lip contours appear naturally defined. The formula is effectively doing some of the blending for you, which is exactly why it appeals to Bhatty, who finds it so hydrating that she sometimes uses it all over the lips.

Best Longwear: Huda Beauty Lip Contour Lip Stain

Why it’s worth it: If your lipstick seems to vanish somewhere between your morning coffee and lunch, Huda Beauty Lip Contour Lip Stain offers a different strategy. It's powered by a film-forming polymer that creates a lightweight, flexible film on the lips. “That film helps anchor the colorants to the lip surface,” says Dobos, who adds that this contributes to the product's transfer-resistant and long-wearing properties. The staining effect comes from water-soluble dyes that tint the outer layers of the lips, rather than simply sitting on top like traditional solid pigments, she explains.

The felt-tip applicator glides across lips without tugging or skipping, making it easy to trace your natural shape—or subtly enhance it. One thing to note: Store the pen cap-side down to help keep the formula from drying out. As for the payoff, “the stain lasts for hours and doesn’t fade when a gloss or balm is added into the mix like a wax-based liner can,” says Stiles, who especially loves the shade Rosewood. “It’s a perfect muted rose that feels like it’s enhancing my vermillion border."

Best Shade Range: MAC Cosmetics Creamy Lip Liner

Why it’s worth it: Whether you’ve been rocking lip liner for years or just started wearing it, one thing reigns true: MAC lip pencils are the GOAT when it comes to the shade range. With more than 28 shades spanning neutrals, pinks, reds, browns, and other statement-making hues, MAC Cosmetics Creamy Lip Liner offers the kind of collection that allows you to match your liner to your lipstick, instead of trying to make one beige pencil do everything. “They are so saturated in color, and they have a beautiful opacity,” says Bhatty, who regularly restocks this classic in her kit. That intensity makes it especially useful when you're wearing a more dramatic lip and want the liner to pull its weight as part of the finished look.

The texture does run slightly drier than some of the other picks here, so give lips a little prep with a hydrating balm before application. For anyone who likes a true red lip, berry, plum, or any color that demands a precise match, the shade selection is unparalleled.

Best Lip Liner Stain: Sacheu Peel-Off Lip Liner Stayn

Why it’s worth it: Sacheu Peel-Off Lip Liner Stayn, which you apply and then peel off once it sets, made its way to TikTok virality—but it’s not just a gimmick. “They have good colors and the product stays on for ages,” says Stiles. While the peel-off application may feel like it was built for social media, it may have some functional benefit, too. “Because the film stays in place while the dyes are depositing, it can help create a more even stain and reduce the chance of immediate smudging or bleeding beyond the lips,” says Dobos.

There is a slight learning curve though. You'll want to apply a generous, even layer and give it enough time—about five to seven minutes—to set before peeling it away. (Stiles recommends applying it at the beginning of your makeup routine so the stain has plenty of time to develop.) Once you peel it off, soften the resulting line with your finger or a brush for a more diffused finish. The result is a wash of color that can act as a subtle lip contour on its own or as a base underneath lipstick or gloss.

Best for Lip Lines : Refy Lip Blur Lip Liner

Why it’s worth it: When fine lines around the mouth are your biggest concern, a traditional pencil isn't necessarily the best way to go. Refy's Lip Blur takes a smarter approach by pairing a blurring formula with a rounded applicator that diffuses the edges, rather than creating the kind of sharp, precise line that can look severe on lips that have lost volume. While the applicator helps, it also uses a mix of polymers and silicones to create a soft-focus effect, according to Dobos. “They scatter light and help visually soften the appearance of fine lines and uneven texture,” she says.

The domed tip is equally important. “A traditional pencil is sharpened to a point so the line you produce is very clean and sharp,” says Stiles. The rounded shape creates a softer edge, which can make lips look subtly fuller and more naturally contoured. In other words, it's an especially good choice when you want definition without drawing attention to your lip lines, or the areas where your lip line has become less defined.

Read our lips: These are the glosses, lip liners, and more that our editors can't live without:

• 7 Fall Lip Combos Allure Editors Can’t Stop Wearing
• 12 Best Lip Balms for Dry Lips to Soothe All Year Round
• 10 Best Lipsticks for Older Women That Won't Settle Into Fine Lines

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