Ageless Beauty

When a mature woman does her makeup, the overall goal is usually to create a smooth, lifted, youthful appearance. There are certain trends nowadays that can really cause a more mature face to look droopy, dull, wrinkled and gaunt.

As we age, the skin’s collagen and elastin production slows down. These helps to give skin its plumpness and stretchiness. With depleted levels, skin becomes more prone to wrinkles, sagging and dryness. Always hydrate the skin adequately.

If texture is an issue, you might want to consider priming to smooth the skin and create a more uniform canvas. You should avoid thick, matte foundations because they can settle into lines and wrinkles, accentuating them and causing the skin to look lack luster and dry.

Opt for sheer, luminous finishes. If you need additional coverage, use a concealer. It should also be noted that your under-eye concealer should match your skin tone. If it’s too light, it can actually highlight your under-eye bags and amplify the texture there. Personally, I like to use cream blush as opposed to powder blush because it sits better on mature skin.

When it comes to blush colour, you might find that wines, mauves and dark colours can make you appear gaunt, and bright pinks, oranges and reds can make you look garish. Opt for softer versions such as rose, coral and peach to liven up the complexion in a more natural way. Heavy contour or bronzer can also have a similar effect, so use sparingly.

I don’t recommend powdering the face. If you have oily skin, you can powder lightly on the forehead, nose and chin but avoid any areas with wrinkles or lines. Do not bake! Baking on mature skin is a cakey, cracking nightmare waiting to happen. If you want to set your makeup, opt for a setting spray over a powder.

If your eyes have become uneven with age, your lids have become hooded or droopy or you have any sort of _ ne lines, wrinkles or crows’ feet, you may want to avoid winged eyeliner. It may end up being an odd shape or downturned, which will actually make your eyes appear droopier, thus making you look older. Instead, you can apply a pencil eyeliner at the roots of your lashes to make them appear fuller. Since lashes tend to become thin with age, this will help to create definition and the appearance of thicker lashes.

You can make the liner a bit thicker at the outer corner of your eyes to create a lifted effect.

Don’t forget your brows! Similar to lashes, if you create fuller eyebrows, you’ll appear more youthful. Avoid adding too much dark eyeliner or eyeshadow under the eye, as this will visually pull the eye downwards.

When it comes to eyeshadow, you should take the utmost care in blending; Harsh lines will be all the more unforgiving. Contrary to popular belief, shimmer isn’t bad, but overly frosty, metallic shadows can accentuate texture.

Similarly, pastel and matte eyeshadows can appear dry and chalky. The finish that will be the most flattering is satin. It’s not as flat as a matte and not reflective like metallics. There’s a subtle, natural luminosity to it.

Your lips are the next area that age likes to toy with. Lips can lose fullness and develop wrinkles which will cause your lipstick to feather. You can line your lips with lip liner to reduce feathering and recreate the appearance of fullness, but I’d avoid going overboard for the sake of looking unnatural. If your lips are thin, bear in mind that dark colours will make them appear even thinner.

Also consider that matte lipsticks will dry the lips out causing wrinkles to become prominent. That means liquid lipsticks are a no-no! Opt for balmy, sheer, moisturising colours. Sometimes nude lipsticks can be a bit much for a more mature person. If you want to do something nude, try to add a touch of pink or peach to the nude colour to liven it up.

With a little customisation, these tips and tricks can take years off your face. Feel free to experiment and find a happy medium that satisfies your personal tastes while helping you to look your best!