Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Spring Summer 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Beauty

    Wearing Red Lipstick Could Make You Look Younger

    Scientists say it increases facial contrast

    By Marie Claire
    Published 18 March 2013 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Red Lipstick
    Red Lipstick
    (Image credit: REX)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Scientists say it increases facial contrast

    Wearing red lipstick could make you look younger, according to new research.

    Scientists have found red lipstick could increase facial contrast between facial features and the surrounding skin, therefore making you look younger.

    The research, published in journal PLOS ONE, saw experts measure facial contrast in 289 images of caucasian women aged between 20 and 70.

    Several volunteers were then asked to guess the age of 150 of the women in the pictures.

    You may like
    • Low contrast brows As a Brunette, I Was Scared to Try the 'Low-Contrast Brow' Trend—My Features Have Never Looked More Defined
    • Ata-Owaji Victor reviews Clinique Black Honey Collection Clinique Just Turned Viral Black Honey Lipstick Into a Full Collection—I've Tried Them All, and I Have Thoughts
    • best long lasting lipstick - model backstage with red lips I’ve Tried Hundreds of Lipsticks, but These Are the 10 That Last the Longest

    Then the team manipulated the facial features of the women to create new images - one with more facial contrast and one with less. Volunteers thought the women with more facial contrast looked younger.

    Researchers say bright red lips and rosy cheeks could amplify the facial contrast and make women appear younger.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Female faces also have greater facial contrast than men's.

    OUR TOP RED LIPSTICKS

    LATEST WORLD NEWS

    Marie Claire
    Social Links Navigation

    The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique – and sometimes unchartered – travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered.

    Read more
    Low contrast brows
    Make Up As a Brunette, I Was Scared to Try the 'Low-Contrast Brow' Trend—My Features Have Never Looked More Defined
    Ata-Owaji Victor reviews Clinique Black Honey Collection
    Make Up Clinique Just Turned Viral Black Honey Lipstick Into a Full Collection—I've Tried Them All, and I Have Thoughts
     
     
    best long lasting lipstick - model backstage with red lips
    Make Up I’ve Tried Hundreds of Lipsticks, but These Are the 10 That Last the Longest
    Best foundation balms
    Make Up If You’ve Fallen Out of Love With Foundation in Your 30s, This Hydrating, Blurring Alternative Still Gives Impressive Coverage
     
     
    Latest in Beauty
    Autumn Nail Trends 2026
    Nails From Fawn Print to Milky Matcha—These Are Autumn 2026’s Defining Nail Trends
    Fenty Beauty Pro Filtr Fluid Flex Foundation Review
    Make Up Fenty Beauty Just Replaced Its Most Iconic Foundation—3 Editors Put Its “Flexible” Full Coverage to the Test
     
     
    Ata-Owaji Victor reviews Clinique Black Honey Collection
    Make Up Clinique Just Turned Viral Black Honey Lipstick Into a Full Collection—I've Tried Them All, and I Have Thoughts
    Charlotte Mensah Afro Hair
    Hair Charlotte Mensah Has Spent 40 Years Changing the Conversation Around Afro Hair—Now, Her Legacy Is Going on Display
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Autumn Nail Trends 2026
    Nails From Fawn Print to Milky Matcha—These Are Autumn 2026’s Defining Nail Trends
    Fenty Beauty Pro Filtr Fluid Flex Foundation Review
    Make Up Fenty Beauty Just Replaced Its Most Iconic Foundation—3 Editors Put Its “Flexible” Full Coverage to the Test
     
     
    Ata-Owaji Victor reviews Clinique Black Honey Collection
    Make Up Clinique Just Turned Viral Black Honey Lipstick Into a Full Collection—I've Tried Them All, and I Have Thoughts
    Charlotte Mensah Afro Hair
    Hair Charlotte Mensah Has Spent 40 Years Changing the Conversation Around Afro Hair—Now, Her Legacy Is Going on Display
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.