14 Exclusive Makeup Tips for Older Women from a Professional Makeup Artist
When I first met Ariane Poole several years ago, I knew that she had an empowering message to share with our community. Her emphasis on positive aging was refreshing and her practical makeup tips were exactly what our community had been asking for.
Here are our top products discussed in the exclusive makeup tips:
Features: Oil-free, blurs imperfections, absorbs quickly.
Perfect for: Creating a smooth canvas for a lightweight foundation.
Features: Combines moisturizer, Vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid for hydration and even tone.
Perfect for: Mature skin needing a lightweight, luminous finish.
Features: Designed for liquid and cream foundations for even coverage.
Perfect for: Achieving a flawless, natural base with less effort.
Features: Cream-to-powder eyeshadow with long-lasting wear and crease resistance.
Perfect for: Subtle, defined eyes without smudging.
Features: Cream blush that blends easily and doubles as a lip tint.
Perfect for: A natural, fresh look with a focus on the cheeks and eyes.
Keep reading to discover even more fantastic products featured in the article.
Who Is Ariane Poole?
Ariane Poole is a celebrity makeup artist. She has worked with women of all ages, helping them to discover makeup and use smart techniques to look and feel their best. She is passionately focused on positive aging, not anti-aging.
Ariane believes that contemporary makeup formulations and techniques can be used to highlight your best features and manage any small areas that you feel need a little enhancing!
Start with Healthy Skin
Ariane says that cleansing, exfoliating and protecting your skin is essential to getting the look that you want at any age. Keeping your skin healthy also gives you a good foundation to work with as you apply your makeup.
She points out that you can spend all the money in the world on expensive foundation, eyeshadow, and concealer, but they will be useless unless you keep your skin healthy. This is especially true as we age.
Read 6 HEALTHY SKIN CARE TIPS FOR OLDER WOMEN.
Here Are Ariane’s Top 14 Beauty Tips for Older Women
Ariane has developed these simple techniques during her years of experience and says they are perfect for us, mature women.
#1: Use Primer
Primer evens out the skin and holds lighter weight foundations in place. Consider a tinted primer which gives the benefits of a primer, moisturizer, and foundation all in one.
Lancôme La Base Pro Perfecting and Smoothing Makeup Primer is an oil-free face primer that absorbs quickly, leaving skin looking blurred and softened.
Bare Minerals PRIME TIME® HYDRATE & GLOW PRIMER plumps skin’s hydration, boosts glow, and evens skin tone.
#2: Use Lighter Weight Foundation
Don’t use heavy cream foundations or powders that create an unnatural mask. Instead, use a lightweight luminous formulation that will create a more natural look.
Read BEST FOUNDATION OPTIONS FOR MATURE SKIN.
Simply Ageless +Olay Liquid Foundation is where Covergirl meets Olay. This moisturizer and Vitamin C infused foundation evens out your skin tone. Hyaluronic acid delivers firming hydration.
#3: Use a Foundation Brush
Apply foundation with a brush instead of a sponge. It will give you better coverage and longer-lasting results.
Wonder Cover Complexion Brush is a foundation brush from EcoTools that works great with liquid and cream foundations.
#4: Apply Concealer After Your Foundation
If you are a foundation person, always apply concealer after foundation rather than before. This way you can place it exactly where you need it, and you’ll use less product. It also looks much more natural.
Read 8 BEST CONCEALERS FOR MATURE SKIN.
#5: Put Concealer in the Right Place
Apply concealer on the top of the cheekbone, not right under the eye. This allows the light to reflect back up to hide any dark circles that you may have. Look straight ahead into a mirror. Now tip your chin down and look into the mirror. This will emphasize the dark circle and help to apply concealer in the right place.
#6: Go Darker with Concealer
When trying to deemphasize age spots, apply a slightly darker shade of concealer than you think you need. Remember that putting light concealer on a dark spot doesn’t work and will make it look ashy.
Read 7 BEST ALL NATURAL CONCEALERS FOR AGING SKIN.
#7: Mix Concealer Shades to Cover Pigmentation
After you have applied your favorite foundation, mix a combination of shades from a concealer palette, like this Graftobian HD Glamour Creme Palette, to match your natural skin tone. Apply it only to the areas that need extra coverage.
#8: Use This Trick to Shape Natural Brows
Brush your eyebrows down, draw a light line along the top of the brow line and then brush the brows up again. The Anastasia Beverly Hills – Brow Wiz is a great tool for this job.
Read EVERYTHING EYEBROWS! HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT EYEBROW FOR MATURE WOMEN (VIDEO)
#9: Use a “Cream to Powder” Eyeshadow
Apply a long-lasting “cream to powder” eyeshadow on the lid. Do not extend the color beyond the end of the eye because this can make your face look tired and accentuates jowls.
PRO LONGWEAR PAINT POT by MAC comes in several natural colors and can be worn solo or combined with complementary shades. As the name suggests, it is designed to stay put all day without creasing.
Read 9 BEST EYESHADOWS FOR OLDER SKIN.
#10: Choose the Right Mascara
Since we want our lashes to look full and lush, avoid lengthening and curling mascaras and choose a thickening formula.
Read our Best Mascaras for Older Women article to find your next favorite mascara.
Also read 7 BEST NATURAL MASCARAS FOR OLDER WOMEN.
#11: Try Navy Blue
Use eyeliner and mascara in a navy blue color instead of black in order to make your eyes look whiter.
Great Lash® Royal Blue Washable Mascara from Maybelline is a best-seller that gives a pop of color to flatter all eye colors. It’s also very affordable!
#12: Use Illuminators and Highlighter Correctly
Do not use a highlighter pen as a concealer. Instead, use it on the outer and inner corners of the eyes to light up the face and make your eyes sparkle. A great product to explore is Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat All-Over Brightening Concealer Pen.
#13: Apply Your Blush Lower
Apply cream blush, such as the Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks, with a brush and place it on the apple of your cheek. Smile to find the right spot. This placement is lower than you might think, but the technique gives more emphasis to the eyes and less to the wrinkles.
Read MAKE ME BLUSH! HOW TO USE CREAM BLUSH AFTER 50 TO GET A STUNNING LOOK.
#14: Make Your Lips Voluptuous
First, place a little highlighter above your lips. Then apply a natural color liner, such as the M.A.C. Lip Pencil, on the outer edge of your lip line rather than inside. This will make your lips look naturally fuller and your lipstick will stay on longer.
Read CHOOSING THE RIGHT LIPSTICK FOR OLDER WOMEN (VIDEO).
Let’s take a look at a few extra useful tips and tricks when it comes to makeup for older women. Do seasons matter? Do you need to do your eye makeup a special way if you wear glasses?
All About Seasons and Makeup
Summer Makeup Tips
You might want to switch your heavier foundation to a CC cream in the hotter months. CC creams have quite good coverage. They provide better coverage than tinted moisturizers, but they’re more lightweight than a foundation. So, in the summer months, this can be something to look for.
If you are looking for more coverage, add some concealer in the areas you need, for example, age spots.
You can put powder just in the t-zone where you get a little shiny, not all over your face. You don’t want to look too matte in summer because of how the sun hits your face – it doesn’t work very well.
Too shiny? Try a shine-absorbing sheet, available in most pharmacies and drug stores.
Want to achieve a Faux Summer Glow? We all know the risks of getting too much sun, but that doesn’t mean we have to forfeit that radiant glow. Applying non-metallic bronzers such as Bobbi Brown Bronzers or Christian Dior Bronzers with a large brush around our hairline, jawline, across our cheekbones, and down our necks will create a fresh, contoured look that isn’t harmful to our skin.
Hay Fever, Seasonal Allergies, and Makeup
During the hay fever season, try to keep your eye makeup simple. For example, use one simple eye shadow. Use a waterproof liner, if you’re going to use one. Try not using anything underneath – if you can get away with it.
Water-proof mascara is a savior during this time of the year. You may only use it for a few months of the year, but it can make a big difference! This is one of my favorite makeup tips for older women.
Use a white pencil on the inside of your eyes if they are irritated, to camouflage the redness. White pencils are ophthalmologically tested and won’t additionally irritate your eyes. However, be careful to use one that is a creamy white, not a blue-white. The blue-white ones tend to look like Tipp-Ex. One great product is the NYX Professional Makeup Faux Whites Creamy Eyeliner Pencil.
Fall/Winter Makeup Tips
Autumn and winter are seasons filled with change – changing weather, changing the clocks, even changing over to a new year! That makes this the perfect time of year to change up your makeup routine and try out some fun fall trends. Try darker shades on your eyes and lips. Green and navy eye shadows suit all eye colors. A great palette for this season is Tarte’s glamazon™ Amazonian clay eyeshadow palette.
Spring Makeup Tips
The perfect, fresh look for spring includes splashes of color in your makeup kit. Ariane suggests combining intense shades with softer, more subtle hues, such as the ones in the NATASHA DENONA Retro Glam Eyeshadow Palette, to create a look that pops with your personality and your skin tone.
Makeup and Glasses
It’s good to remember that if you’re nearsighted, your lens prescription can have a shrinking effect on your eyes. In this case, you want to do as much as possible to open up your eyes and make them look larger.
If you’re far-sighted, your prescription can often magnify your eyes thus pulling focus from the rest of your face. Hence, it’s important to ‘balance’ your face makeup. One way to do this is to consider wearing slightly brighter or bolder lip color, such as the Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick from the SEPHORA COLLECTION.
Since wearing glasses changes how others perceive the depth and dimension of your eyes, use a darker color in your crease – and slightly above your crease if you have hooded eyes – to add more dimension.
Note: A key to many makeup techniques for women 60+ is to work against gravity by applying eye shadow, liner, and blush in an upward sweep.
Read 12 BEST EYEGLASS FRAMES FOR WOMEN OVER 50.
Balance Your Eyebrows with Your Frames
Give your face more dimension by making sure your eyebrows ‘fit’ with the look of your frames. If your frames are thick and bold, consider keeping your eyebrows more neutral, simply fill in any sparse areas with eyebrow powder, pencil, or pomade. A brow powder, such as Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo, is a wonderful fill-in product.
You can give more emphasis to your eyebrows if you wear plain or rimless frames. Always keep your eyebrows well-groomed, even if your frames cover them.
Using an eyelash curler to curl your lashes not only prevents them from brushing against your lenses, but it also lifts your lashes to allow more light to reach your eyes and make them look larger. A product to look into is the Shiseido Eyelash Curler.
That’s it! 14 simple tips to improve your makeup and beauty regime. Armed with this list, you can update your technique and make the best of the new products. Have fun experimenting with makeup and achieving a natural, fresh, and positive appearance.
Makeup Brushes and Tools: Are You Using the Right Ones?
Using the right tools can completely change how your makeup looks and feels, especially on our mature skin. Brushes and sponges aren’t just accessories; they help your products go on smoothly, blend properly, and stay put longer. If you’re still using the same brush set you bought a decade ago (or fingers for everything), it might be time for a refresh.
- Foundation Brushes: A dense, rounded brush works well for applying lightweight foundations and tinted moisturizers. It helps buff the product into the skin for a smoother, more natural finish without streaks. Try applying in circular motions rather than dragging.
- Blush and Contour Brushes: For cream blush, a small stippling brush or angled blush brush gives you control and blends product evenly into the skin. Avoid large, fluffy brushes, they can make cream formulas patchy.
- Concealer Brushes: A small, flat concealer brush or your ring finger (for warmth and precision) helps target specific areas like age spots or shadows around the nose and eyes without tugging.
- Eyeshadow Brushes: Soft blending brushes are key, especially if you have hooded or crepey lids. Look for dome-shaped or fluffy brushes that won’t drag or irritate delicate skin.
- Sponges and Blenders: A damp makeup sponge can help press product into the skin, especially around areas with more texture. Just make sure it’s clean. Sponges need washing after every use to stay hygienic.
- Don’t Forget Cleaning: Even the best tools can cause problems if they’re dirty. Clean your brushes weekly with a gentle cleanser or baby shampoo and allow them to dry flat. Clean tools mean better application, fewer breakouts, and longer-lasting products.
- The right brushes and sponges don’t have to be expensive, they just need to be well-designed for your skin’s needs. A small brush upgrade can make a big difference in how your makeup performs.
Try SEPHORA COLLECTION The Total Brush Set.
FAQ
Why is skincare essential for makeup application?
Healthy skin creates a smooth foundation for makeup, allowing products like foundation and concealer to perform better. Ariane recommends regular cleansing, exfoliating, and protecting your skin.
What type of foundation is best for older women?
Lightweight, luminous formulations work best, as they avoid the heavy, mask-like effect of thicker creams or powders.
Why should primer be part of a makeup routine?
Primer evens out the skin’s texture and helps hold foundation in place. A tinted primer can also combine the benefits of primer, moisturizer, and foundation in one.
How can makeup be adjusted for glasses wearers?
Use darker eyeshadow in the crease for added dimension. If your lenses shrink your eyes, focus on opening them up with lighter tones. If lenses magnify your eyes, balance the look with bolder lip colors.
Read more: How My Makeup and Skin Care Changed after Menopause.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Which of these makeup tips did you find most useful? Which one surprised you? What one question would you like to ask Ariane regarding how to get the most from your makeup? Please join the conversation!
Please advise, I am due to have my hair dyed silver gray from a mid brown with grays,( salt and pepper) affect, due to the sun, some parts have turned almost ginger, so not a great look!
As I am going a lot lighter what shade of foundation make up should I use? at present I use Garnier skin active BB medium, would this be to dark with lighter hair
How about organic makeup recommendations? The products in this article are heavy on carcinogens!