Makeup Tips for Women Over 40
I remember when I first started becoming addicted to makeup and beauty tutorials. I loved trying all sorts of new and different techniques! When I was in my 20s and 30s, I was more daring with my makeup looks. But ironically, it was a time in my life when I was a little more insecure. By the time I hit my 40s, I was much more comfortable in my own skin, which I think happens to a lot of us. I was generally more confident, but that’s when I started to notice the fine lines around my mouth, eyes and forehead.
I began approaching my makeup differently—more thoughtfully. Along the way, I picked up a few tricks that really upped my makeup game. After learning what works best on aging skin, I wanted to save you the learning curve and share these 7 fabulous makeup tips for women over 40 that won’t age your face.
For some very practical pro-aging skincare tips, you can check out my post on retinol and younger looking skin here.
Do you have any makeup tips for aging skin that I haven’t mentioned? Please share – we’d love to know!
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#1) Use Moisture-Boosting Primers
When prepping your face, you’ll want to use primers with hyaluronic acid and collagen to boost moisture, prior to your foundation like Charlotte Tilbury’s Wonderglow Face Primer. Victoria Beckham’s Cell Rejuvenating Priming Moisturizer is also a great choice. It’s a lightweight daily moisturizer that deeply hydrates while blurring pores and bonus—it’s a clean formula. Clé de Peau Beauté’s Long-Lasting Hydrating Veil fills in fine lines and wrinkles while offering SPF 21.
Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Face Primer
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Victoria Beckham Cell Rejuvenating Primer
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Clé de Peau Beauté Long-Lasting Hydrating Veil SPF 21
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Lancôme Prep & Hydrate Primer
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#2) Ditch Heavy Foundation
It might seem obvious, but too much full-coverage foundation on aging skin can make you look older. Getting heavy-handed with your base layer can cause the foundation to settle in fine lines and wrinkles and give you that dreaded cakey look. A radiant, lightweight foundation or skin tint blurs and smooths over uneven texture, rather than accentuating it. You can always cover heavier discoloration or broken capillaries by spot-concealing.
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer
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Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation
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Bobbi Brown Intensive Serum Foundation SPF 40
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Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15
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#3) Brighten Under Your Eyes
One of the first areas to show signs of aging are the eyes. Brighten both the upper- and under-eye using the “Triangle of Light” technique: Create an upside-down triangle under each eye, gently pressing the product into the skin. It makes the area look lifted. But beware of over-doing it! Similar to foundation, you don’t want to accentuate fine lines with gobs of concealer. A few drops of a hydrating concealer that’s the same shade or a shade lighter than your foundation should do the trick.
Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer
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Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer Broad Spectrum SPF 25
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Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Concealer
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Sisley Paris Eye Concealer with Botanical Extracts
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#4) Invest in Cream Products
Most makeup artists agree that cream or liquid makeup products can be ideal for more mature skin. Unless it’s finely milled, powder products tend to settle in fine lines and emphasize any crepeiness we may have. Powders can also look splotchy and uneven since our skin tends to get drier as we age. Cream products are pretty mistake-proof. Just start with a small dab and gradually build to a soft, light, flattering color.
NARS Air Matte Blush
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Westman Atelier Eye Pods Eyeshadows
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Vapor Aura Multistick for Cheeks, Lids & Lips
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Tower 28 Beauty Bronzino Illuminating Cream Bronzer
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#5) Apply Blush Upward
In order to create a more lifted illusion, work against gravity by applying your blush on the upper part of your cheekbones in a slightly upward sweep. You should start the blush further back on your face and not hit the apples of the cheeks as when you were younger, since that area tends to droop as we get older.
Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blush.jpg
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Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks
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Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate Blush Duo
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#6) Approach Shimmer Eyeshadow Cautiously
You’re never too old to wear a little shimmer on your eyes, but as with everything else we’ve discussed, less is more. Metallic eyeshadows can get chalky on dry skin and emphasize any imperfections. Opening up the eye with a soft matte or satin shade on the lid and blending it into medium and dark-toned shadows higher above the crease and the outer corner, makes a world of difference.
Victoria Beckham Beauty Smoky Eye Brick
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Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadow
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Tom Ford Mink Mirage Eyeshadow Palette
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Visart Neutral Petites Mattes
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#7) Use Moisturizing Lip Color
I think we’ve all gotten the picture that makeup over 40 revolves around hydration. Our lips are no different. Choose lipstick formulas with cream or lip balm textures. As trendy as they are, it’s probably best to avoid matte shades. Outlining your lips with a liner just slightly outside the lines will give you a fuller look.
Chanel Rouge Coco Flash Hydrating Lip Color
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Charlotte Tilbury Hyaluronic Happikiss Lipstick Balm
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Dior Addict Lip Glow Balm
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Chantecaille Lip Veil
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