5 Wedding Makeup Tricks that Make Mature Skin Look Radiant (Not Cakey!)
Wedding season brings so much joy, but if you are anything like me, it brings a certain amount of anxiety with questions like, “What will I wear? How should I do my hair and makeup? Will {fill in the blank} person be there and how can I avoid them?” Sound familiar?
Whatever situation you find yourself in, you want to look and feel your absolute best! Having said that, most modern bridal makeup tutorials are designed for 20-somethings. They rely on thick foundations, extreme baking powders, and heavy contours. In the real world, those techniques tend to settle into fine lines, emphasize dry patches, and make mature skin look masked. We’ve all seen this train wreck, and today we are going to learn how to avoid it.
To look elegant, photogenic, and completely comfortable in your own skin, you don’t need more makeup, you just need a few strategic adjustments. Here are 5 pro makeup tricks to transform mature skin for a wedding day.
1. Primer Is Your Secret Weapon
Primer used under foundation helps it adhere better to the skin and last all day. Even if you are in hot weather, dancing all night, or someone who’s skin naturally eats makeup, primer helps control shine and is a girl’s best friend. Apply it after the moisturizer sets, and if you want your foundation to be more sheer, mix it with the foundation instead and apply together. Thank me later!
2. Swap Full-Coverage for “Stealth Coverage”
When we see a spot or redness, our instinct is to reach for a heavy, full-coverage foundation. However, blanketing the whole face in thick makeup flattens your features and accentuates texture.
Instead, opt for a lightweight CC Cream or tinted moisturizer. Apply it thinly across the face just to even out your skin tone. Then, use a high-pigment cream concealer to target only the specific areas that need extra help, like dark spots or redness around the nose. This is called “stealth coverage”; it gives you a flawless finish while letting your real skin breathe.
3. Lift with High-Placement Cream Blush
Powder blushes can cling to dry areas and look dull in wedding photos. Cream formulas are a mature woman’s best friend because they mimic the natural, dewy bounce of youthful skin.
The trick is all in the placement. Avoid the old advice of applying blush strictly to the “apples” of your cheeks; when you stop smiling, that placement can visually pull the face downward. Instead, apply your cream blush about one finger from your eye and two fingers from your nose and blend it upward and back toward your hairline. This creates an instant, beautiful optical lift.
4. Open the Eyes with the “Upward Flick”
Heavy, dark liquid eyeliners can look harsh on hooded or softening eyelids. To create a softer, diffused look, use a water repellant eye liner in a soft brown, taupe, or plum shade instead.
When applying the shadow to the outer corner of your eye, blend it outward and upward toward the tail of your eyebrow. This elongates the eye shape and counteracts any natural drooping of the lids, making your eyes look wide awake and beautifully defined.
5. Redefine Fading Lip Borders
As the years pass, our lips naturally lose a bit of their volume and their crisp borders, which can cause lip color to bleed or feather into fine lines. It’s such a bummer!
Always start by applying your chosen lip color, and then add lip liner after to avoid too heavy of a line. The liner acts as a barrier to keep lip products from migrating and makes everything look more polished and stylish. Finally, avoid ultra-matte lipsticks, which can shrink the appearance of the mouth and make lips look dry. Instead, try a creamy lipstick or hydrating lip balm or gloss for a pretty fresh appearance.
Weddings can be amazing; seeing old friends and family, dancing like a crazy person, and tasting yummy wedding cake. They also can bring in people you’d rather not see, and cause you to manage your look for hot temperatures and late nights. Hopefully this has helped you to navigate better and feel prepared!
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Is there a wedding coming up in your life? Have you been looking for an appropriate makeup tutorial? What other information would you find helpful?
