The gradual changes to your appearance that come with age should always be embraced. They can also mean that your makeup and skin care routines require some shifting.
According to veteran makeup artist and makeup department head Lindsay Garrison, what worked for you in your 20s and 30s might not be serving you in the same way during your 40s and 50s.
″[You should] learn new techniques and don’t be afraid to try new products. Our faces are changing, and so should the products we use on them,” Garrison said.
Whether you’re feeling insecure about the appearance of a new wrinkle or volume loss in your cheeks, Natalie Setareh, a cosmetics instructor with a belief that makeup can be for everyone, said that makeup can also be a tool to help you feel more confident.
“I’m near 40 and I’m already using makeup to give me a more youthful appearance. It’s natural to want to do this,” she said.
Setareh said makeup is often just a play on light, and her techniques involve bringing focus to your favorite features using highlighting, while helping to downplay anything that makes you feel self-conscious.
Keep reading to learn just how Satareh, Garrison and other makeup artists achieve this, along with a description of their favorite products and tricks of the trade for achieving a youthful glow.
An active enzyme exfoliator
“When it comes to makeup application, mature skin needs to be polished to remove dead skin, dry patches, and increase skin cell turnover,” she said, adding that exfoliated skin will also make foundation look smoother and more even.
She uses this active exfoliator which uses potent fruit enzymes to gently slough off dead skin cells along with nutrient-dense plant oils and honey to help restore moisture and clear congestion.
A skin corrector stick
Gonzales recommends incorporating a skin corrector into your makeup routine, like this one from Bobbi Brown, because they cancel out imperfections on the skin like dark spots and under eye circles. This convenient glide-on stick promises to be comfortable to wear, is never cakey and is infused with ingredients to provide a dose of moisture.
A glowy medium coverage foundation
Jeanette Aguirre, a Los Angeles-based lead makeup artist for Glamsquad, said that she loves this luminous silk foundation by Giorgio Armani on mature skin because it won’t settle into fine lines and wrinkles. The hydrating formula claims to blur imperfections and offer a glowy finish.
Other similar formula foundations recommended by our makeup artists include Future Skin Gel Foundation by Chantecaille, Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture foundation and Dior Forever Skin Glow.
An SPF-infused color correcting cream
For a more natural, everyday makeup look, Aguirre reaches for this color correcting cream from Supergoop that contains mineral SPF50 for protection against UVA and UVB rays. She said she likes the customizable and buildable coverage offered by most CC creams as well as the skin-perfecting, natural finish that it leaves behind.
CC Screen is also infused with some skin care ingredients, like apple extract to help brighten the complexion and red seaweed extract which can help protect skin against free radical damage.
A lightweight setting powder
“Use a very finely milled loose powder,” Zeytuntsyan said. “I love the Hourglass one because it has reflective particles that help maintain that glow while still setting your makeup.”
A rich, multi-tasking moisturizer
“For mature skin, use a really rich and emollient moisturizer as a base for your foundation,” she said. “I love Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre.”
This iconic French face cream actually functions as both a moisturizer and a makeup primer and contains a blend of calming aloe, soy proteins, skin-softening shea and beeswax.
A natural airbrush bronzer
He suggested using Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless bronzer. Its pressed powder formula is made using micro-fine perfecting powders for a silky feeling on the skin as well as hyaluronic acid to hydrate.
A highly rated lash curler
“Once lashes are in the curler, squeeze and hold for a quick count of 10,” he said, cautioning against “pumping” lashes with the curler, which he said “won’t really ‘set’ a curl. It won’t last.”
This highly rated stainless steel lash curler promises to never pinch the delicate skin around the eye and uses elongated silicone pads that won’t break lashes.
A brown eye pencil with a slight shimmer
He loves Mac Cosmetics’ Eye Kohl eyeliner pencil in the shade Teddy, because it’s the perfect deep brown with the right amount of shimmer to catch light and add depth.
For even more definition that won’t drag eyes down, Freedman also suggested using a slightly lighter brown, like Mac Cosmetics’ Powersurge, on the bottom lash line.
A brightening under-eye cream
Garrison said that it’s important to prep your under-eye area with moisture. One of her favorite eye creams is the iS Clinical Youth Eye Complex, which is packed with peptides and potent antioxidants to help support collagen production, protect the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines.
A “glow from within” complexion booster
“You can mix it in with your foundation for an all over dewy finish or just apply it to the high points of your face, like the tops of your cheekbones, for added radiance,” Garrison said.
A smoothing lipstick primer
“As we age we develop fine lines around our lips and if you’re not using a lip primer, your lipstick is more likely to bleed,” Garrison said. Her solution? To always line lips prior to lipstick application and prep using this lip primer that can smooth lips and prevent lipstick from feathering.
A creamy lip liner
She also said she avoids drying lipsticks or matte lip paints, and that lip liners by NYX are what she typically grabs for most. Available in a large variety of shades, these lip pencils are creamy and long-wearing.
A neutral matte eyeshadow palette
“I use a matte or satin highlighter in the corner of the eyes and move it upwards under the brown bone. This is better than trying to use concealer under the eyes, which creases tremendously,” she said.
For an extra wow effect, Setareh also applies a flesh-toned or white liner to the waterline, which can help the eye appear more open and bright.