11 Makeup Tips for Older Women

Photo by Edward Cisneros on Unsplash

There’s nothing more captivating than a woman who’s confident in her own skin— and confidence is one of the perks of getting older. As you continue to mature and embrace yourself for who you are, your idea of beauty often shifts. Beauty becomes less about seeking acceptance from others and more about accepting yourself, fine lines and all. You’re not trying to transform yourself into a teenager but you’re honoring the woman you’ve become. And who says you can’t look good doing it? In this post, we’ll share makeup tips for older women with mature skin. Use the below advice to learn how to continue looking great as you enter into your 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond. Let’s get started.

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1. Apply Primer

When it’s time to apply your makeup, start with a primer.

Primers have all sorts of benefits. From controlling shine to concealing pores to hydrating dry skin, your primer creates a smooth surface for the rest of your makeup. Here’s a list of just a few of the reasons why primer is an essential step in the makeup routine for older women:

• Extends the wearability of your makeup
• Allows you to use less foundation
• Prevents makeup from sinking into fine lines and wrinkles
• Controls shine
• Hydrates your skin
• Evens out skin color
• Brightens your skin
• Firms your skin
• Improve the overall texture of your skin
• Conceals larger pores

Who knew that it did all of that? While primers don’t seem to get all the praise that foundations do, they should. When tinted, this easy-to-apply, oil-free lotion can actually be used instead of foundation. You may opt for a tinted primer instead of a full face when you’re on the run, or when you simply just want a more natural appearance.

2. Build With the Right Foundation

For maximum coverage, nothing beats foundation. However, the wrong use of foundation can backfire. Many older women women use more foundation in their makeup routing in an attempt to cover up fine lines and wrinkles, but that has the unintended result of making them even more pronounced.

When using foundation, remember that less is definitely more. Go with a light hand to avoid that caked-on look. The goal isn’t to completely cover your face, but rather to apply sheer coverage that blurs unevenness and counterbalances problem areas.

Also, the shade of foundation makes a huge difference as you age. Your skin gets paler over time. You can opt for a foundation that’s slightly darker than your go-to shade and mix them both together to bring a bit of warmth to your skin. Whatever you do, avoid using lighter foundation to brighten your skin— it will make your skin look washed out or sallow.

3. Add Color to Your Cheeks

Apply color to your cheeks to bring life back to your face. When applying blush, don’t sweep from your cheek all the way to the ear. Only apply blush on the apples of your cheek for a hint of color.

4. Choose a Darker Lip, But Not Too Dark

It’s no secret that lips can deflate as you age. But, you can plump them right back up by choosing the right lip color.

Although we’ve all been taught that darker shades can make your lips appear thinner, it’s not completely true. We’ve found that choosing a lipstick that’s slightly darker than your natural lip color can enhance your natural beauty. Avoid beige tones that can wash you out and go for corals or soft reds instead. Also avoid frosted colors that have a tendency to look dry.

Use a lip brush that allows you to control how much color you apply and where. Having a lip brush and learning to use one is one of our top makeup tips for older women.

You can also apply a gloss over your lipstick (or use the gloss alone) to add a bit of shine and plumpness to your lips. Shop our glosses here.

5. Use a Lip Liner

Another great makeup tip for older women is to prevent feathering and make your lips look fuller with a lip liner. But, instead of going darker to define your lips, consider staying as close as possible to your natural lip color for a more natural fullness.

6. Choose the Right Eye Shadow

Eye shadow can lift and open your eyes. It’s magic in powder form. However, as you mature, there are a few do’s and don’ts to remember:

• Do use an eye shadow primer underneath your shadows to avoid creasing and extend your shadow wearability.
• Don’t use glitter that has the tendency to settle into the fine lines of your lids and make them look more pronounced.
• Do use eye shadow with micro-shimmer which can reflect light to your eyes.
• Don’t go too dark, which can seemingly erase your eyes altogether.

Here are a few lovely shadows to try out:

7. Go With the Right Eyeliner Technique

Keep it simple with your eyeliner. Depending on your skin tone, you can go for an always-flattering, natural-looking brown or a more dramatic black.

8. Choose the Right Mascara

Mascara makes your lashes more defined and can single-handedly boost your overall appearance. Along with lipstick, mascara is essential to your makeup routine. It draws attention to your beautiful eyes and makes them pleasantly pop.

When choosing a mascara, avoid products that are laden with harsh chemicals and preservatives.

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Such artificial ingredients can lead to dry, itchy, and puffy eyes. Try our 2-in-1 conditioning lash mascara that will restore damaged lashes to their healthy glory.

9. Apply Falsies

Eyelashes not as full as they once were? Use falsies! Fill in a sparse lash line with false lashes. But instead of going for a full strip, choose individual falsies. This can give your eyes a more natural appearance.

10. Fill in Your Brows

Your eyebrows can age you. The wrong brow shape can age you by up to 20 years. Yikes.

Thin brows are the culprit. The thinner your brows, the more severe your face appears. Soften your appearance with fuller brows. Use a soft shadow, like Twinkle Taupe from our Rockin’ Cafe neutral palette, to subtly fill in brows for a more natural, youthful appearance.

11. End with Great Skincare

They say don’t go to bed angry. We say don’t go to bed without washing the day off of your skin. As you mature, it becomes even more important for you to take care of your skin. Here’s how to end your day of wearing makeup:

• Cleanse to remove makeup and revitalize the skin underneath.
• Moisturize your face with a lightweight, hydrating lotion that’s intended for overnight use.
• Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep gives your body the chance to repair damaged skin.

Final Thoughts

You can look radiant at any age. As you mature, you simply need to adjust how you apply your makeup. Start shopping for your makeup basics here.