Same tools, different intent
The 'permanent lipstick' popular from the 1980s into the 2000s treated the lip like a colouring-book shape: draw a firm line, then fill it solidly. It often used heavier pigment loads and a full lip-liner outline, which is why healed results could look like a ring around the mouth as the fill faded faster than the line.
Lip blushing keeps the outline minimal — sometimes none at all — and relies on many light shading passes to build colour from the inside out, fading it into the skin at the vermilion border.
Why the modern look heals better
A soft, gradient edge disguises the two things that age a lip tattoo: uneven fade and migration. If the border was never a hard line, there is no hard line to blur.
Sheer, layered colour also lets the artist and client stop at 'enough'. You can always add more pigment at the touch-up; you cannot easily remove it.
If you already have permanent lipstick
Old work can often be softened, re-shaped or colour-corrected, but it depends on how saturated and how dark it is, and whether the pigment has gone cool or blue. Some cases need a few sessions; a minority need laser or saline lightening first. Bring photos to a consultation.
