Make-Up Tips for Older Women

If you use make-up to improve confidence and body image, you may feel you’re losing your make-up skills as you get older. As the skin changes and matures, you may find you need to adapt your make-up techniques or even change products for good results, so what are the options?

Daily cleaning routine

Making sure your face is cleansed each day will help keep your face clean and free of bacteria before you apply make-up. There are many products on the market but shop around to find the right one. After menopause, the skin produces less sebum and so doesn’t retain moisture as well; always use a moisturizer, but use one that is lightweight as make-up doesn’t work well with heavy, oily creams. 

Using a good quality primer helps to increase the time that foundation stays on the skin and provides a smooth blank canvas before the real deal.  For an extra dose of preparation, you could invest in a facial toning device that uses microcurrent to stimulate areas of your face and neck to improve the appearance of any wrinkles or lines, along with enhancing facial features. 

The right foundation

Choosing the right colored foundation can make or break a face ascetically. Mismatched colors look cheap and draw attention to your make-up rather than the natural look of your face. This can be counterproductive when trying to retain a youthful glow. If you aren’t sure what shade of foundation to use, many brands offer a skin tone matching service to help you find the right color for your specific skin tone. 

Once you have the right color in the bag, you must choose the right finish. You may have been used to using matt or liquid foundation, but as you get older, they can make skin look dull and lifeless. Those designed for heavy coverage may sink into lines and wrinkles, making parts of your skin stand out and look unflattering. Opt for tinted moisturizers and or light liquid for a smoother, more natural finish. 

Eye make-up

As people enter their senior years, the skin around the eyes becomes thin and often takes on a translucent feature which can also cause them to adopt tones of red or purple, so when using eye color, always add primer first. Primer will create one tone, making adding color more effective and long-lasting. 

Keep eyeshadow simple. Soft colors on the eyes will look natural and detract from any minor imperfections. 

Lips

As you age, fine lines can develop around the mouth, and if you are clumsy with lip color application, the product can settle between these lines forming an unflattering look. Using a lip liner will help prevent lipstick from running outside of your lipline. Before applying any lip color, it’s useful to use a gentle lip exfoliant to get rid of dead skin. If you are prone to dry lips, you can use a simple lip balm to stop smudging. When it comes to lip color, don’t apply the ‘less is more’ rule; pale lips may make your lip line disappear, which you want to retain for full, youthful looks. Bright colors that aren’t over the top can create a lovely young and vibrant appearance. 

Aging is a part of life, but it doesn’t mean you have to surrender to the ravages of age-related issues. There are a plethora of techniques and styles you can adopt to ensure you look as good in your 50s as you did in your 20s.