Lines and wrinkles are all part of the privilege that is getting older. And while many of us enjoy twinkly crinkles around the eyes and well-earned smile lines from years of laughter, there's arguably a bit less to love about vertical lip lines.
If you've noticed your lips losing definition, or creasing due to natural collagen loss and repeated movements (particularly if you are a smoker, or routinely drink through straws), there are things you can do - and they don't have to be as invasive as semi-permanent lip blush treatments, or injectable filler.
We've just learned a genius trick using an £18 lip stain that, according to the beauty fan who tipped us off, "helps to blur the appearance of the fine lines I've developed as I've got older, while making my lips look amazing." We're sold already.
If you're unfamiliar with all-day lip stains, these products are thick gels that you paint onto the lips, leave to set, then peel away to reveal the true colour of the stain - which then sticks around all day long, no matter what you eat, drink or do.
As our team's test of Sacheau Lip Liner Stain revealed, these products have incredible staying power as an all-day lip colour, but we've never heard of them being used in this way before.
Hayley, 52, shared with us that by overlining her lips ever so slightly with Wonderskin Wonderblading All Day Lip Stain, the long-lasting tint left behind obscured any lines around her mouth.
“This lip stain in the shade Bella keeps the colour on all day and helps to blur the appearance of the fine lines I've developed as I've got older, while making my lips look amazing with its gorgeous colour”, she explains. And we think the pictures really speak for themselves.
While overlining the lips with a lip liner to create definition and soften lines is a classic makeup artist technique, doing so with an all-day lip stain ensures that the blurring effect truly lasts the day - and looks so natural and diffused.
You will need a steady hand to apply the liner neatly just over the lips' natural perimeter, as once this stain sets, it really, truly sets on. If you prefer, you could use a very fine liner brush for extra precision.
Burt's Bees Lip Balm
It's also worth noting that, compared with normal lipsticks and glosses, these types of stains have about 100 times the staying power (which truly is a game-changer) but do sacrifice some moisture in the process. It's definitely worth having a lip balm in your bag to keep hydration and comfort levels topped up.
There's also no denying that neatly applying this stain and overlining your lips takes a little bit more skill and time than a slick of long lasting lipstick. But, you will get that time back tenfold in flattering, blurring properties and never having to reapply. It feels like a fair deal to us!
