Do you need to change your makeup as you get older? It’s completely up to you, but it’s certainly worth assessing your products and seeing if they’re still right for you, right now. As a beauty editor in my 50s, I have some “forever” favourites that have been in my makeup bag for years (you can bury me in Benefit Bad Gal Bang mascara), but in many cases, I’ve found new and improved formulas that are far more flattering on my midlife skin, not to mention easier to apply.
The experts agree, too. “I think you do have to change and adapt,” says makeup artist Ruby Hammer. “My skin isn’t the same as it was in my 20s, so I don’t try to hang on to certain makeup just because it looked perfect in the past. There’s no point thinking, ‘Oh, I used to be able to…’ Always address what works for you now.”
Less is more (ish)
One of the most flattering midlife tweaks is to opt for cosmetics with a sheer, natural, softly diffused finish – “less is more” makeup that floats over skin and enhances features with zero harsh outlines. As Jones Road founder Bobbi Brown tells GH: “You just want makeup that makes you look less tired, more awake, polished and pretty.”
However, it’s less, but it’s not too little. “If you do less, less, less of everything, you’re going to look washed out,” warns Ruby. “As we get older, brows become sparser, lashes aren’t as lush. You lose volume from the face and lips. So you need to put the definition back – but gently. That way, people see you, not your makeup, from 10 yards away.”
Foundation
A good foundation tip for older skin is to choose the sheerest one that suits your skin’s coverage needs, and apply the least amount possible. (Think the difference between blotchy bare legs and 10-denier tights.) Base doesn’t have to be applied all over, either – try patting it on the centre of your face and feathering it out.
Mature skin is more prone to dehydration, loss of elasticity, pigmentation and dark spots. To keep skin looking fresh, swap out full-coverage foundations for lighter bases with skincare benefits. Ruby says: “Even if you have pigmentation or rosacea, choose a buildable base and apply in thin layers. You can always add more on areas of concern.”
Vieve Skin Nova Complexion Balm
An instant classic on the GH beauty desk, Skin Nova gives a radiant, second-skin effect that can be built up to suit the needs of your complexion. It comes in 20 stretchy shades (no tidemarks here), and has a nourishing feel thanks to built-in skincare benefits courtesy of moisturising polyglutamic acid, plumping amino acids and balancing, skin tone evening niacinamide.
Max Factor Miracle Pure Skin Reset Serum Foundation
Now 19% Off
A great bargain buy with an expensive-looking finish – and that’s just half the story. Not only does it make skin look immediately fresh and healthy, it’s proven to leave your actual skin more even in tone with repeated daily wear. Hardly a chore once you’ve seen the flattering, blurring instant effect.
CHANEL Vitalumiqère Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15
This featherlight foundation is wonderfully flattering and buildable. You don’t have to be a makeup pro; just melt it into your complexion with your fingertips to enjoy luminous skin.
Estee Lauder Estee Lauder Double Wear Sheer Long-Wear Makeup
Controlling shine and blurring imperfections for hours at time has never been easier, thanks to this ultra-sheer (and buildable) liquid foundation. It’s infused with hyaluronic acid and fruit extracts to lock in hydration.
Skin brighteners
For a “can’t put your finger on it” boost, try swapping traditional base for a brightener. “These subtle products enhance skin without looking makeup-y at all,” says MUA and author Hannah Martin. The coverage is lighter than even a traditional tinted moisturiser, so you might need a separate product to address issues such as pigmentation (more on that in a minute), but for a quick injection of glow, these new formulas can be incredibly flattering.
Jones Road Miracle Balm All-Over Glow
For healthy skin in a pot, GH adores this multi-tasker. It’s especially beautiful in place of base on low-key days, with extra patted onto cheeks and lips. A gorgeous light-reflecting, soft-focus veil, it’s available in a range of shades to suit all complexions.
Concealer
When you’re leaning into lighter bases, concealer is the discoloration drone that you can target exactly where you need it. Use a slightly thicker one for rosacea or pigmentation, and one of the new skincare-first fluids for brightening your under-eyes. For the latter type of product, “there’s a shift towards strategic placement of concealer to brighten and lift,” says Hannah. Instead of covering the entire under-eye area, “blend a touch in the inner corners and the edge of dark circles, then a dab at the outer corners – sweep it upwards and outwards. You can’t defy gravity, but you can give it a little tilt,” says Ruby. You can sweep concealer lightly beneath cheekbones and brow bone, too, for extra lift.
“Using a brush will help you target your area with more precision and have it look less obvious,” says makeup artist Amalie Russell.
Lisa Eldridge Pinpoint Concealer Micro Correcting Pencil
A highly pigmented pencil with a 3mm tip that’s brilliantly precise for disguising age spots and blemishes. The buildable gel formula is based on a blend of waxes and silicones, ensuring it glides on easily and balances coverage with a believable, long-lasting finish.
Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Concealer
Nobody has done more for modernising the way we apply concealer than Gucci Westman, the iconic MUA who pioneered the pared-back ‘dot it, don’t swipe it’ approach. She’s combined that sparing approach with this sophisticated formula that blends like a dream.
NYX Professional Makeup Bare With Me Concealer Serum
Now 13% Off
As the name suggests, NYX’s formula is skincare-led and GH is impressed by how well it brightens the undereye area without creasing or emphasising fine lines. It’s well priced, too.
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer
This easy to blend product was a worthy winner in GHI’s Hall of Fame awards, scooping the ‘best concealer’ crown. In fact, it received the highest score EVER for a makeup product, with our reader panel wowed by its light-reflective finish, and long-wearing yet creamy formula.
Powder
You might feel nervous about using powder on mature skin, but don’t be. “The technology has advanced so much, it’s not like those old, heavy talc formulas,” reassures Ruby. “A lovely loose translucent powder doesn’t just set your makeup without drying skin, it enhances your complexion with a line-blurring, illuminating finish.”
“Opt for using a powder with a fluffy brush, rather than a powder puff, as this will keep the effect airy and radiant,” Amalie says.
Laura Mercier Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
This breathable and comfortable powder is really worth the hype. With makeup artists and journalists alike having sung its praise since its launch, expect a gorgeous modern matte complexion.
Sculpted by Aimee Loose Setting Velvet Veil Powder
This translucent, mineral loose powder utilises the power of hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to deliver skin-first goodness whilst creating a soft blur.
Jones Road Tinted Face Powder
Tailored to your skin tone, this ultra-fine powder is ideal for setting foundation and minimising any shine. Apply with a small fluffy brush to anywhere you experience oil.
Glossier Glossier Wowder
The definition of ‘matte not flat’, this powder seamlessly sets makeup and reduces the appearance of pores, whilst keeping dimension to the face.
Cheeks
Mature skin comes to life with a sheer wash of cream blush: “It instantly makes you look bright and happy,” says Bobbi. A pinky blush is her favourite natural flush, while Ruby calls out red as a surprisingly soft, suits-all shade. “It’s the colour of the blood that runs in all our veins, so red gives the most natural effect. Smile, put a little where the cheek pops, then blend it upwards and outwards. Blush gives you a bloom, so never skip it. Even if you have rosacea, you still need a tiny bit of something.”
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush
With a handy applicator, this liquid blush is so blendable and has recently had a shade extension. Easily build up or sheer out pigment depending on desired look.
Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick
This multipurpose colour stick is great for applying to not only cheeks, but lips and eyes, too. With six vibrant shades, the hydrating formula gifts a perfect hue.
Ruby Hammer Cheek Colour in Red
This formula is as blendable as it is beautifully pigmented, so a little goes a long way. We love the handy stick formula, and this suits-all red shade is great for lips as well.
Bronzer
Avoid contouring. “It never looks natural and says something about you is ‘wrong’,” says Bobbi. Instead, aim for a gentle glow, using cream bronzer “a shade or two darker than you – no more, or you’ll look muddy, and blend it on the high points of your face that catches the sun,” says Ruby.
No7 Pro Artist Soft Glow Cream Bronzer Medium Glow
Part of No7’s premium range, created by top MUA Nicola Chapman, this luxurious formula melts into the skin to give a seamless, sun-kissed effect.
Eyeliner
Swap harsh black liquid liner for a butter-soft deep-brown pencil on the upper lashline. “Use a brush to soften the line and work it into the lash roots,” says Ruby. Focus on the outer corners for a subtle lifting effect and apply less, if any, on the lower lashline to avoid pulling the eye downwards. “I love kajals as they’re so blendable. There’s no dragging like you get with some eye pencils,” says Hannah. The Victoria Beckham kajal is loved by every MUA we know, and for flattering softness plus longevity, GH loves the new Jones Road Gel Liner.
Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Eyeliner
Eyeshadow
Faithful to your smokey eye? Fantastic! But if you’re open to a few eye makeup tweaks, MAC senior artist Debbie Finnegan is here to guide you. Firstly, eyeshadow primers are essential if you find your eyeshadow disappear by midday. They’re also great for smoothing out crepiness and creating a neutral base for the eyeshadow pigments to “pop’.
As for the shadows themselves, matte and satin textures are less likely to highlight fine lines, says Debbie, but avoid heavily frosted shadows as these can look dated and harsh.
VIEVE Soul Shadows in ‘Terra’
With four complementary shades, these shadows are highly pigmented and have a buttery, easy-to-blend formula.
Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in ‘The Sophisticate’
A gorgeous curation of cream, tan, taupe and chocolate shades make this palette extra special. Use the lightest shade in the corner of the eye to draw attention.
Trinny London Eye2Eye T-Tones
The shades in this split pot eyeshadow duo can be used for layering or worn separately. Simply use fingertips to apply, or a small tipped brush to pack on even more pigment.
Perricone MD Perricone MD No Makeup Eyeshadow
Now 52% Off
This not-quite eyeshadow uses light-reflecting pigments to deliver a pearlised effect that creates an awake, bright eye.
If you’re fed up of huge palettes with just one or two shades you actually use, try switching to an eyeshadow crayon – a formula that looks gorgeous on older women. “I love long-wear cream sticks for an easy, polished look – they take time to blend, but once they’ve dried, they stay all day,” says Hannah. A single shade of shimmer across the lid epitomises pared-back prettiness. L’Oréal Paris Paradise Le Shadow Stick is a bargain, and we always get compliments on Trish McEvoy 24-Hour Eyeshadow and Liner in Topaz.
eyeshadow crayon sticks
L’Oreal Paris Paradise Le Shadow Stick Eyeshadow
In 10 matte and shimmer shades and costing under a tenner, this is a great high street alternative to pricey designer shadow crayons
Trish McEvoy 24 Hour Eye Shadow & Liner
This formula lasts all day, and we always got complimented on the bronzy-gold Topaz shade
Lips
Shock news: Bobbi hasn’t worn regular lipstick for years: “I don’t think proper, full-coverage lipsticks look good on me or a lot of women. They look too hard and too ageing,” she recently revealed. For a softer look that won’t slide off like gloss, go for a balm-stick hybrid or a tinted lip stain in a shade close to your natural lips.
Or apply nude liner as an outline, then buff in across the lip for a clean, modern look. As well as preventing feathering and bleeding, “liner is the quickest way to achieve fuller, more defined lips,” says makeup artist Grace Fodor. Try her Studio 10 Lip Perfecting Plumping Liner, £25.
Huda Creamy Lip Stain
It’s transfer proof but leaves lips nourished rather than shrivelled, so flattering on older lips. We like the way that the pigment can be built up from semi-sheer and subtle to a bolder pop of colour.
Clinique Almost Lipstick Black Honey
It’s a classic for a good reason. If you’re looking for a nourishing balmy formula that gives a bitten lip effect, Black Honey is eternally cool.
Glossier G Suit
This demi-matte, ultra-silky and highly pigmented lip feels like you are wearing nothing. Plus, the rich blend of oils stops any unflattering feathering.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Glossy Lip Stain
A grown-up take on a lip gloss, this stains lips to give a long-lasting sheen of colour but without the tackiness.
Studio10 Lip Perfecting Plumping Liner
Pair this liner with lipstick to define and prevent feathering, or wear it all over. We love the dual ender which makes the Cupid’s bow pop, making lips look instantly fuller
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