— BEAUTY
10 Makeup Tips to Look 10 Years Younger
My 12 year old niece came to visit this week, and she’s starting to experiment with cosmetics, so naturally she wanted to do my makeup.
I told her she could give me a makeover as long as she promised to wear sunscreen and moisturizer every day (it’s never too early to teach them).
She obliged, and started rummaging through my makeup bag.
I’ll be honest, I was expecting to come out looking like a clown, but surprisingly, I didn’t look half bad!
My niece watches a lot of YouTube videos, so while she had some techniques down pretty well… she did my makeup similar to what’s en vogue with the 19 year old beauty vloggers (video bloggers).
So when I looked in the mirror, I realized the way I do my makeup is completely different than what a younger woman might do.
Over the years, I’ve learned tips and tricks that enhance my best features without accentuating my dryness, wrinkles, and loss of volume.
And today, I’ll be sharing ten of my best makeup tips that help you look up to ten years younger!
So I hope you enjoy these little reminders (or perhaps new insights) on how to enhance your beauty, lines and all.
Makeup Tips for Mature Skin
1. Start with toner
Toner balances your skin’s pH, which helps it build a healthy protective barrier. So apply an alcohol-free toner on your face after cleansing to keep your skin radiant.
Makeup artist Joseph Bogess (who has over 40 years of experience), says toning also signals your skin to start producing its own natural defenses. This makes it more resilient to whatever toxins you may have in your makeup.
2. Always use moisturizer and primer
This is a given, but you should never put any makeup on your skin before it’s properly hydrated. Otherwise you’ll only dry out your skin under makeup (especially if you’re over 50).
And don’t believe the myth that moisturizer will cause your makeup to slide around. Simply choose one that fully absorbs without a greasy feel (heavier creams are best for nighttime).
Then, follow with primer. Primer is a game-changer if you want a smooth, long-lasting finish. It prevents makeup from creasing and comes in a variety of formulas — from illuminating to mattifying — so you can find the right one for your skin type.
If you’re still not convinced, try putting foundation on a lemon — one half with primer and the other without. The difference is night and day.
3. Admit that powders are not your friends
Powder gets trapped in wrinkles and creases, and can make your skin look flaky and dry — not exactly the look you’re going for…
Instead, reach for cream, gel, and liquid formulas that give your skin a hydrated, bouncy look.
Today there’s a long-lasting, non-powder formula for every type of face makeup, so there’s really no reason to hold on to your old powders.
However, there is an exception. If you have oily skin, use translucent setting powder in your T-zone only, and very sparingly. If you’re not oily, a liquid setting spray will do just fine (plus, it will make you look dewy).
4. Prep your lips
As you get older, your lips get thinner and dryer. You can keep them looking their best by making sure they’re smooth and hydrated.
To achieve a luscious look, start by gently exfoliating your lips to remove any dry skin. Use a homemade brown sugar scrub, a soft washcloth, or a flannel to do this.
I personally like to use the built in tongue scraper on the backside of my toothbrush. When you pick an exfoliant of choice, use an oil with it (coconut or olive oil works great) for a smooth glide. Do this once or twice a week.
After you exfoliate, it’s important to seal in moisture. Use a product containing a humectant — which prevents water loss — to condition your lips (the Hyaluronic Acid in City Lips Clear is a wonderful humectant).
Allow the hydrating product to absorb for a minute or two before applying any color. And if you have issues with lip color bleeding into the fine lines around your mouth, use a lipliner to trace the outline of your lips first.
To create the illusion of plumper lips, use a lipliner in a shade darker than your natural lip color. Then, fill in the rest of your lips with a pink-nude gloss. Gloss reflects light, so it instantly makes your lips look larger.
5. Try a warm toned foundation
Whether you have a warm, cool, or neutral skin tone, a foundation with a warmer undertone gives you a golden, healthy glow
You don’t have to go full on yellow — for example, if you usually wear the neutral shade N25, you could try a different undertone in the same color, such as warm W25. You’ll be surprised at what a difference a small change makes.
And because yellow neutralizes redness, you might find yourself requiring less coverage.
Speaking of which — less is more when it comes to foundation. Use concealer on blemishes or dark spots, and a BB cream, tinted moisturizer, or sheer foundation on the rest of your face. These will give you enough coverage to even out your skin tone, without looking obvious.
Tip: You can turn any foundation into a sheer coverage foundation by applying it with a damp sponge. This technique thins out the product, and allows you to build more coverage only in areas that need it.
6. Highlight your cheek and brow bones
Highlighting your cheekbones creates an instant lifting effect— making sagging less noticeable — and makes you look like you just finished a long hike (in a good way).
Look for a highlighter with a sheen — anything too glittery will look unnatural.
You can also put a little highlighter on your brow bone to open up the eyes and draw attention to the top part of your face.
Some women put highlighter on their temples, bridge of the nose, forehead, and cupid’s bow as well. This is a personal preference, but all you really need to get that “lit from within” look is to highlight the cheeks and brow bone.
7. Fill in your brows
Filling in your brows is one of the easiest ways to look younger, instantly! “It wipes 10 years off your face,” says Anastasia Soare, Jennifer Lopez’s brow guru and founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills.
You can create the effect of an “eye lift” by slightly arching the brows and extending the tail.
For the most natural finish, use a precision tool like a thin angled brush with brow pomade, a felt tip brow pen, or a thin brow pencil to create the look of individual hairs.
If you over-plucked your brows (the 90s was a special time), fill in the “bald” patches as well to create a voluminous shape.
Tip: Draw hair strokes in the same direction your real hair grows. For example, use upward strokes towards the middle of the brow, and downward strokes towards the arch and tail.
8. Use neutral eyeshadow to make your eyes appear larger
When it comes to eyeshadow for mature eyes, it’s better to stay away from darker colors (which accentuate wrinkles). Look for neutral hues in brown, beige, cream, and peach.
Makeup artist Missy Loewe recommends avoiding shadows that are too shimmery or iridescent, as they can seep into lines and “crackle”.
And if you want to make your eyes appear larger, line your bottom waterline with white or nude eyeliner.
Avoid dark liner on the bottom of your eye, as it can drag your whole face down and make your eye appear smaller. Instead, use a brown (it’s not as harsh) liner on the top lid only to make your lashes appear fuller.
9. Bring color to your face with blush and bronzer
They always say, “Apply blush to the apples of your cheeks,” but finding these apples can be tricky — especially when your face isn’t as full as it once was.
Here’s a tip: pinch your cheeks to see where you naturally flush, and apply your blush there.
Keep in mind that pink and coral hues look more youthful than brick and red ones.
As for bronzer, a light touch is all you need to bring a sun kissed glow to your face. Apply anywhere you’d naturally tan – outer edges of forehead, bridge of the nose, cheeks, and jawline.
10. Conceal the under eyes
Concealing the under eyes illuminates your under eye area and makes your eyes look bigger and more awake.
To apply, dab concealer underneath the lower lid. This way, you’re concealing dark circles instead of applying product on lower lid wrinkles.
Then, blend the concealer out in an inverted triangle shape (not a semicircle, which can actually make the eyes appear smaller). This gives the illusion of an elongated under eye.
Tip: choose a concealer that is one shade lighter than your foundation color — this brightens a particularly shadowy area of your face.
All of these subtle tips make your skin look healthier — whether it’s to make it look more hydrated, illuminated, or sun kissed.
They’re not meant to “hide” you behind a mask.
I hope you enjoyed reading them, and maybe even learned a new thing or two along the way.
Also, I’m curious — do you agree or disagree with these tips? Are any of these “rules” meant to be broken? Let me know in the comments below!
And remember, there’s no expiration date on beauty.
