Lipstick: The Bare Essential
"Every woman should wear lipstick, regardless of her age," says Geller. "But if you have mature skin, the right lipstick can brighten up your entire face, making your skin appear more youthful."

Most flattering formulation: Lips get drier with age. To keep them moist and supple, choose cream lipsticks, which contain added moisturizers (such as Revlon Moon Drops Moisture Creme and Lancome Hydra Riche Hydrating Lip Colour), advises Geller. As a bonus, cream formulations soften the appearance of mature skin and draw attention away from lines and wrinkles, she says.

If you prefer a more natural look, try lip gloss. "It provides just a hint of color and a faint shimmer," says
Can't go wrong colors: If you're a fair skinned blonde, opt for soft shades of mauve (warm pink), says Paula Mayer, a makeup artist in San Diego. Blondes with darker skin look great in warm browns, such as sand, or orange based reds. Oliveskinned brunettes look best in shades of peach, orange red, wine, and burgundy. Fair skinned brunettes should favor bright fuchsias or softer shades of pink. Redheads with freckles look best in cinnamon and terra cotta colors.

Shades of mauve, apricot, and copper will "cool clown" ruddy skin or deemphasize broken capillaries, adds Milek.

All of us can wear what's called a true red, which contains an equal amount of yellow and blue. "True red lipstick looks particularly striking on women with gray hair," says Milek. Another foolproof color, according to Milek: Natural Mist Cream, made by Sally Hansen. "It's not brown, it's not peach, it's not pink, but a combination of the three. And it works on every woman," she says.

Whatever color you choose, stick to soft shades. "Lips get thinner with age," says Geller. "Very dark colors make them look even thinner."

Perfect application: Most of us slick on lipstick straight from the tube. Perfectly fine, says Geller. But if your lip color seeps into tiny creases above your lips, enlist the aid of a lip pencil, she advises. "The wax in the pencil acts as a barrier, keeping lipstick from feathering or bleeding," she says. For a soft, natural look, use a nude lip liner.

Tips and tricks: To plump up thin lips, choose a lip color with just a hint of frost. "Soft frosts reflect light, which makes lips appear fuller," says Geller.

To keep lipstick off your teeth, do what models do: After you apply lipstick, put your index finger in your mouth. Then draw it out slowly, with your mouth closed. "Whatever ends up on your finger would have ended up on your teeth," says Geller. Or you could just swab a little petroleum jelly onto your front upper teeth to keep the lipstick off, she adds.