Do you think you can’t pull off bright colors?  Here are some ideas to think about.

Choose the occasion to use color.  Going out?  Choose a bright lip and pair it with a matching sheer eye.  Choose a color that you like or that matches you outfit or compliments your skin tone.  Liquid matte lip colors are very vivid.  Jeffree Star Cosmetics has a gorgeous range of colors if you feel adventurous.  More affordable options include Milani and NYX.  Below is a picture of me wearing Jeffree Star’s Watermelon Soda liquid lip color.  I have a light wash of eye shadow in a complimentary color from bh Cosmetics Galaxy Chic palette.  I used no eyeliner and little mascara.

If this lip color is too bright for your comfort, keep the same color scheme but tone the brightness down with a metallic overlay.  Metallics are popular right now and they keep some boldness with a slight blur and shift of color.  Here I cover a metallic that’s in a similar shade and add a pink overlay on top.  As I toned down the lip color a little, I added some liner and more mascara to balance the look.  But that is completely optional.

Still too much?  Going to work?  Maybe you want a more casual look.  You can further tone down lip color and create a more pastel color with concealer or powder.  Start slowly and build up to where you like the look.  Below, I patted concealer in the center and moved outward until I liked the color.  It’s an ombre lip with dark on the outside and light in the middle.  You can put as much or as little as you like.  I added a dusting of powder to further mute the color.

Don’t forget that the final look may include glasses, which create another focal point on your face, so a dark lip or smoky eye isn’t so prominent.  Unless you want them to stand out.

Color can be great for mature skin.  Even if we aren’t totally dewy and wrinkle-free, bright, vivid colors can still work, depending on your level of comfort.

In the interest of total disclosure, I do use a filter on my pictures.  Here are two in outdoor light show the texture of my skin.

And here are the products used.  I hope  you try some different colors!  Let me know in the comments.