3 Makeup Tips to Update Your Look

As we age, our makeup needs and preferences evolve. Updating your makeup routine can enhance your natural beauty and keep you feeling confident and vibrant! Here are three essential makeup tips for older women to refresh their look and embrace their beauty at any age.

If you are a woman 50+, chances are that if you are still using the same makeup techniques as in your 30s, you are ready to update your look. As we age, our skin changes, our skin changes, and did I mention… our skin changes! And that means in order to have that radiant look that brings out our best features, we have to change the way we do our makeup. And here is the thing… It’s easy to freshen your look with a few quick guidelines.

1. Focus on a Flawless Foundation

Whatever you wear for foundation, remember that because it is the basis for your entire look, it is important that you choose a product and application technique that works for you. And that means taking an honest look at your skin and how it has changed.

For me, I noticed that my sun damage and red veins are now on full display. But I also did NOT want to wear heavy, cakey makeup. (Nothing ages us faster!) Here is how to get your foundation right at any age.

The Right Foundation

First, you need to decide what level of coverage you want on your skin. Perhaps all you want is a tinted moisturizer for a little glow. Maybe, like me, you want a little more coverage. A good foundation will offer you the coverage you want, without caking or settling into lines. You can learn more about the makeup I use and love in my post, Best Makeup Products for Women 50+.

How You Apply

If you’ve always been a girl who simply swipes your foundation on with your fingers, it might be time to try tools that lighten the look. A foundation brush or damp beauty sponge offers an airbrushed look that deposits just the right amount of product.

Make It Stick

Using a primer to prep your skin before foundation can really help your makeup last longer, without creasing or fading. But since sunscreen is a must, try a product that is both! Protect your skin, and make your makeup look last through the day.

By focusing on a flawless foundation, you can create a perfect canvas that enhances your overall makeup look and gives your skin a youthful glow.

2. Embrace a Softer Eye Look

It happened to me just a few years ago… I noticed that the skin around my eyes had changed to the point that my makeup looked… well, weird. I discovered the eyeliner technique I had used for years was dragging down at the corners where my eyes were starting to lose elasticity. And my eyeshadow didn’t blend as well as it once did over my lids.

Your eyes may have become more hooded, and your under-eye may need more color correcting. The truth is what we need as we pro-age is not more product. It’s just different techniques.

Eyeliner

Cat eyes and liquid eyeliner are a thing of the past for me. I choose softer colors and apply them close to my lashes to create a more natural look. Learn how to tightline your upper lashes to enhance your eyes. Never apply beyond the end of your eye. And if you line your lower lid, use powder shadow on a brush instead of a harsh pencil.

Eyeshadows

Go for neutral tones that flatter your natural coloring and eye color for a subtle, more sophisticated look. Warm plums might be perfect for fair skin, whereas warm browns are a win-win if you have warmer skin. Notice I mention warm? As our skin tone changes as we age, warmer tones help make our faces look more radiant.

Mascara

At this point in our lives, mascara might be one of those things that make a big difference in your makeup look. It can visually open and lift your eyes. But if you use a clumpy mascara that smudges, or worse, is impossible to remove from the delicate skin around your eyes, then you might as well not use it at all.

If you check out my post Best Mascara for Women Over 50+, you will find the exact products I use, and find out why I love them. (And why they work for older women.)

3. Highlight Your Lips the Right Way

Let’s face it, as we age, our lips thin and fade in color. Nothing brightens a face faster than a swipe of the right color and product across those lips! Here is how to do it right.

Lip Liner

Yes, I use lip liner. I have never had well-defined lips, and now it’s even worse. But what I don’t do is the old “trick” of lining your lips with a darker color. Notice I used the word “old.” That, my friends, is way too harsh a look by modern standards unless you are a reality show star. Line your lips with the same color that you fill them in with.

What Lip Product?

Many of us have used lipstick since we were teenagers. And while there is nothing wrong with lipstick, it can have a heavy look. I like to use a high-quality lip gloss. I’m not talking about the super shiny lips of the ‘80s. Glosses today are a lighter product that offers a more sheer color than lipstick. And many of them are also long-lasting. The gloss adds a glow to your face that lipstick just can’t match.

What Color?

There is just one thing I want to say about lip color for older women. Whatever color you prefer, choose one somewhere in the middle of the shade range. No dark lipsticks, and nothing super nude either. The first will make you look like Cruella de Vil, and the second will make your lips look smaller than they really are. Choose a color that makes you feel bright and sunny.

So use these simple guidelines to learn how to update your makeup look as you age!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How has your skin changed in your 50s and 60s? Have you changed how you apply makeup to reflect those changes? What makeup products are you using less of or more of?