Makeup Tips For Older Women

We have all seen the tutorials, so we know that makeup has the power to transform. The question is, can it transform you into a younger version of yourself? Yes, with the right tools and tips. Even if you are a beginner with no makeup expertise, there are a few things you can do to effortlessly wind back the clock. Get started today and look as young as you feel with these makeup tips for the mature among us.

Skip the Powder

The very nature of powder is it coats and mattifies our faces. If you are oily, this can be great, but oil production slows as we age. As we get older, powder starts looking dry, ashy, and dusty on our skin, which visually ages us. What we really want is a youthful glow. Instead of powder, use a setting spray to keep makeup in place. Add an extra layer of moisturizer to dry or dehydrated areas before applying any makeup. Many finer lines can be reduced or eliminated with extra hydration. Additionally, use liquid foundation with light-reflecting particles, cream blushes, and bronzers.

Translucent Powder Lashes

So you are going to ditch the powder that is been aging your skin, but you also want thicker lashes, so do not throw it away just yet. You can use a loose powder to coat and prime your lashes before applying mascara. You only have pressed powder? It is easy to loosen up with a clean mascara wand. Use the wand to dust the powder onto your lashes. Apply two coats of mascara, wiggling the wand in at the root. From there, sweep up and inward toward your nose. Use a clean brush to sweep away any excess powder that fell under your eyes.

Baby Oil Makeup Remover

Eyelash loss and thinning are another side effect of getting older. It is totally normal, but one thing you can do to slow this down is remove every single trace of mascara every single night. From there, you want to keep the lashes you do have conditioned, so have some baby oil on hand in addition to your regular remover. Drip a few drops on a cotton round. With your eye closed, swipe the round gently back and forth making sure to not get the oil directly in your eye. Apply one more drop to the other side of the round and repeat to clean up any smears.

Apply Eyelash Glue with a Bobby Pin

So, saving your eyelashes has not really worked out. The good news is that false eyelashes are easier to pull off than you think. First, begin with a “natural” looking strip where the lashes are not too dense. Cut off the inner third of the strip; you will only be applying to the outer two-thirds of the eye. Next, take the bulbous end of a bobby pin and drop a dab of eyelash glue on it. Use the bobby pin to lightly coat the lash strip with glue. Wait for five to ten seconds to let it firm up just a bit. Now, use tweezers to carefully “drop” the lash strip directly on top of your lash line. Press it on gently as it dries all the way.

Foundation over 50? Choose Yellow Undertones

Many makeup articles and tutorials place a lot of importance on foundation undertone. There are various techniques out there to help you determine what is best. Some of these include eye color and your preference for silver or gold jewelry. Like other things in life, foundation selection gets easier with age. Instead of wondering if you are pink or neutral, default to a slightly yellow undertone. It is not a universal tip, but many women look best with a warmer shade as they mature. The hint of gold adds a bit of warmth that is more commonly associated with youth.

Make Your Own Lip Color

We are all working with what we have. If you are the type of person who is really particular about lip color and does not want to try on a million different shades, experiment with creating your own. Use a blush or shadow in a color that you find flattering. Take tweezers or a bobby pin and scrape some of the powder out. On a clean surface, mix it with clear lip balm or some petroleum jelly. If it is not deep enough, add more pigment. If it is too deep, add in more balm.

DIY Tinted Moisturizer

Just because you are older now does not mean you need to cake foundation on your face – there is nothing to hide! Fresh, even, moisturized skin is more youthful-looking skin. Take a dollop of your favorite moisturizer and mix it with your foundation. It is the perfect “no makeup” makeup look. You can adjust the ratio for the amount of coverage you would like on any given day. This is also a good solution for winter, when your summertime foundation may be a little dark. Speaking of that, do not forget to layer your SPF underneath, no matter how little makeup you are wearing.

Lipstick Cream Blush

If you want to avoid dry formulas that stick in crevices and emphasize wrinkles, you go with cream formulas. Some cream blushes are much longer lasting than powders. The trick here is that you do not always need to go out and buy a new product. Experiment with using a peach, pink, or red lipstick as blush. You should only need a dot or two, especially if the lipstick is rather bright. Start by placing it further away from your nose than you would powder blush. Blend well with fingers and finish it off with a little brush blending.

Business Card Trick

Business cards, credit cards, key cards – these are all beauty tools. If the outer corner of your eye is drooping a little, whip one out. Place it at an angle up and out from the outer corner of your eye. You can now apply shadow and liner without worrying about going a millimeter too low and dragging your eye down. Also employ this trick when you are using a mascara with a messy wand or thick formula. Hold the card behind your lashes, against your eyelid, and go as crazy as you would like and when you pull it away, there is no mess.

Concealer Lip Contour

Any lines, hollowness, or sagging around your mouth casts subtle shadows. Therefore, if you want to make the most of your lips, conceal the area around them to cancel out any discoloration. This makes your lips stand out a little more. It can also be done after applying lipstick to clean up any little mistakes and keep the lip line crisp and uniform. Want lips to look a little more voluminous? A little concealer or highlighter can help there, too. After setting/blotting lipstick, make two to four very tiny dots in the center of your mouth with the concealer or highlighter. Use a clean, stiff brush to pat until blended. This will add more dimension to deflated lips.

Start Multi-Masking

Every area of your face has different needs. Dirt tends to clog pores at the sides of the nose and in the cleft of the chin. Cheeks easily get irritated from dryness or sun exposure. Foreheads can be rather oily for some, and dry enough to accentuate lines for others. This is why applying different masks to different areas of the face is highly effective. Clogged pores can unplug with clay masks, chamomile and gel masks can calm the cheeks. Balance can be restored to skin on the forehead with charcoal or rose essence. Do not forget hydrogel patches for underneath eyes.

Foundation Contour

Contouring is a mainstay these days, and as such, there are a lot of products out there specifically for it. However, you may find that some of these are too stiff, too dark, make your face look muddy, and more. The truth is that you do not need a special product for contouring. Instead, you can use a foundation stick in the shade of your choosing. This way, you can avoid contouring with unfavorable tones (after all, contour sticks are really just deep foundation sticks in a limited range of shades) and if you are new to contouring and a little worried about your skill level, you can just start with a foundation stick that’s a shade or two darker than your natural skin tone.

Do a Lighting Test Before You Leave

Is your bathroom lighting aging you? Overhead fluorescent lighting, for example, can add shadows to your face and make your skin look sallow. It might help to revise your lighting situation in the room where you apply makeup. Better yet, find a spot with good natural lighting where you can apply your makeup each day. In any case, when you are finished, test it out in different areas. The rearview mirror of your car, outdoors, lower-lit rooms, anywhere. This will give you clues as to what you need to pay attention to during application, such as too much blush or sloppy brow pencil.

Getting older does not mean we have to look older! I hope these tips help you to create makeup looks that flatters your face no matter your age and until next time, be happy, healthy, and beautiful!