New Viewpoints on the Color Differences between Upper and Lower Lips and Proposed Makeup Procedure

Abstract

Generally, the color of a lip is affected by the amount of hemoglobin and melanin. Further, the lip is medically considered to have two parts, i.e., skin and mucous derived ones. In particular, capillaries of the mucous derived lip are located near its surface so it makes the lip look redder. It is reported that the lip gets dull as capillary condition changes with age. However, those reports have not referred to the color differences between upper and lower lips. In this work, first we evaluated the color of upper and lower lips and confirmed that the latter was redder in any generation. Then we evaluated how the difference in color between upper and lower lips gave impact to the visual effects by changing their colors. Then, we found that the color difference between upper and lower lips gave a great impact to their impression. As a result, it was found that when the color of upper and lower lips was made the same, it gave a natural, young and healthy impression. Formulation of MgTube in the lipstick was found effective to actually adjust the color of upper and lower lips. Further in the case of sheer lipstick, a combination of MgTube and pearlescent pigments was effective. By using these findings, we could develop a new makeup procedure.