Makeup for Mature Women

As women age, their face is going to go through changes and those changes directly affect their makeup needs. An aging woman will have any of these three problems, age spots, dark circles, and wrinkles. Another aging phenomenon is that the natural color in the cheeks and lips fade and an older woman’s face can start to look pale. Here are a few simple FAQ and helpful makeup tips for the mature woman.

What is the best way to cover Dark Circles like under my eyes?

I recommend using a concealer to cover dark under eye circles. You can dot the concealer lightly on with your finger tips or use a soft makeup sponge which is what I like. If you use a tiny bit of thick moisturizer on your face prior to using the concealer, the concealer will go on smooth and give you a perfect cover with no caking. If the concealer is still not working as you would like, try a different brand concealer with another consistency. Concealers vary widely so don’t be afraid to try different types until you find the just perfect for your skin flaw covering concealer. Using a small amount of thick moisturizer is the key to minimizing the appearance of wrinkles.

How do I make my Makeup Stay on Longer

Many makeup artists use a translucent powder to set makeup and fix the base (liquid foundation) makeup. The translucent powder does not make the base any heavier, it just fixes it and gives your face a finished matte look that stays put. Translucent does not have any color to it. There is a translucent powder from Smashbox cosmetics that I know is a popular one. However a lot of the translucent powders actually have some pearly opal quality to them so beware (pearly frosted makeup is not good for mature skin).

I personally like to use an inexpensive skin colored powder compact (to match the foundation color) or a light amount of bronzing powder in lieu of the translucent powder because I think it does the job for me and sets the makeup nicely (and I also want that final touch of color). That way, I don’t have to add a separate makeup step. Any powder really, is going to set your makeup nicely. You can use a pressed powder compact matching your foundation, or a loose bronzing powder with color (or both but don’t overdo it). Since aging skin lacks color and vibrancy, I prefer to use a powder that adds to the sun kissed effect rather than pure translucent.

I do not like cheek blush and would say go for natural tones of beige. A matte allover the face beige skin tone color minimizes under eye wrinkles where as reddish cheek blush accentuates the wrinkles by drawing the attention right to them. Therefore, I sincerely recommend that you avoid red, plum, rose or any obvious cheek blush at all costs.

How to I see what I am doing when applying EyeLiner

Believe it or not, vision becomes a problem for older women trying to accomplish a good makeup application. There are two tricks I use. First, when applying eye makeup I put my reading glasses on low on my nose. It gives me room to do the eye makeup but I can look through the glasses and see what I am doing. I have to go fairly close to a mirror and reading glasses work for me. If you have the luxury of a makeup vanity you can use that mirror (I have a mirrored cabinet where I do my makeup in a well lit location). Having a good natural light really helps too.

The other trick I recommend is that you get a makeup mirror that rotates around and has a magnifying side to it. A magnifying makeup mirror helps you see what is going on as there is eyebrow hair to be tweezed and makeup to check. My makeup mirror is from Ikea and screws into the wall and pulls out with an accordion like handle. You definitely need good lighting, the magnifying glass and/or glasses for a neat makeup application.

Liquid eyeliner can be messy so if you have difficulty seeing what you are doing get an eyeliner pencil instead and forget liquid liner. Spend a bit of money on the eyeliner pencil though as cheap ones don’t give enough color coverage. Try the high intensity pigment eyeliner Revlon makes, or Physicians Formula mineral eyeliner. Both of those brands give good lasting color in a fool proof pencil form at drugstore prices. Get a good makeup pencil sharpener too for a fine precise pointed pencil tip. If you can afford it you can also get a MAC eyeliner pencil. Mac cosmetics also has good pigmented eyeliner pencils. Concealer and eyeliner pencil are the two makeups where you should spend money to get quality. All other makeup you can get for cheap because as long as the colors are good, they work fine.

What should I do with my thinning eyebrows?

Thinning eyebrows have an extreme aging effect. If your eyebrows are missing then your face turns upside down and attention is drawn down to the mouth rather that uplifting focus toward the eyes. First you will want to tweeze hairs that are totally outside your natural brow shape. Then, use a little eyebrow scissors to trim the long hairs that are swirling out of bounds.

Giving your too long eyebrows a trim along the top of your brows will really help neaten up your brow look. Take an eyebrow pencil that is slightly lighter than your eyebrow colors and fill in any gaps. The color can be taupe or a little lighter than taupe if you are blond. You can go for tan or soft brown if your natural brows are darker. This will frame your eyes yet still look acceptably soft. You can also create a little apex to the brow (the arch) to decorate it, depending on your tastes. You don’t want to get too like the joker however, so follow the natural line if you want a natural looking result.

What is the best lip color and lip liner for me?

Lip liner is not a must. In fact, having a softer edge to your lips can be more flattering. You can a dab color onto naturally thin lips with a kleenex, fingers or lipstick brush, gently blending it in. If you do use a liner, go for a color that matches your lips. Use only a dot of lip color and blend it into your lips with your finger or a lipstick brush. Using a fat lip stick tube is not recommended. Dark colors are way harsher on aging lips. Stay with light nude colors on the lips and avoid all glossy pearly or sparkly shiny glosses.

Use a natural lip color blended in with a basic lip balm over it to make it look moist. Your face should be brightened but the lips should look totally real as if there is nothing obviously on them. A more nude lip definitely looks younger and minimizes an aging mouth, nose lines and crepey neck. Again, accentuate the eyes with mascara and natural earth toned shadow to draw focus upward towards eyes. And upward drawn focus gives you a free face lift effect.

Remember that bright pearly or shiny colors tend to draw attention to aging flaws and should be avoided at this age. The same make up that worked decades ago will no longer work at 50 and 60 years of age. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t wear makeup because the right colors and wearing makeup can help tremendously to illuminate your mature face and bring youthfulness and life back into your appearance.