Makeup Tips for My Over 50 Face

If you’re like me you like to wear a little makeup to enhance what nature gave you. No matter your coloring, a little touch of liner or wand of mascara can bring out your eyes color like nothing else. I feel I really need to wear at least some makeup, although lately I’ve been using a lot less. My reasoning?

My eyes disappear without a frame of liner and mascara as I’m a light skinned blonde with blue gray eyes. Without the contrast of dark to light I tend to look washed out, so at the very least I wear a little eye makeup and foundation.

If you have gorgeous dark eyes and hair or even lovely silver  hair with light eyes, you can probably roll out of the shower and look stunning without a drop of makeup.

My advice is for those of us who reach for a little help to add contrast and color to our faces. Or who have a little skin damage from sun exposure they’d rather cover up.

Here goes, my Favorite Makeup products!

BASE:
I start with a foundation of either a sheer color or primer on my eyelids. I use either of these two products;

BUTTER Sheer Wisdom Serum Shadow (this is gorgeous, goes on super sheer and doesn’t hug wrinkles)
URBAN DECAY Eyeshadow Primer Potion (I smooth on with my pinky finger)

NYX HD Studio Photogenic Concealer in Yellow. While that’s setting, I dot a bit of yellow base concealer in the hollows above and below my inner eye. Think of that shape as a pair of brackets like this )( and dot and blend along it. I like this concealer because it has a wand applicator which makes it easier to have a light touch.

MAYBELLINE Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles in Medium or Fair. It has a nice dial feature and is easy to use to touch up dark spots anywhere on my face.

EYES:
Once that’s all set I’ll add some taupe or brown eye shadow with a small brush on top of my base to deepen the color.

I touch up my brows with a PALLADIO eye pencil in Taupe. Glides on. If you can’t find that brand, I’m also using an ELF Brow Pencil in Taupe.

I may use my Shu Uemura lash curler to give my skimpy lashes a bit of a curl boost.

ALMAY liquid liner in black glides on as well and creates a smooth line that’s easy to control. I do top and bottom. During the day, I’ll just soften the line a bit with a damp QTip. At night I smudge the top of the upper line by blending a little PALLADIO Immortal Kajal  “Mystery” lasting cream liner over it.

Last but not least is mascara. I’m currently using L’OREAL Lash Paradise in Black.  Just the top lashes.

FACE:
Once my eyes are done, I finish my face.

L’OREAL True Match Super Blendable Makeup in Classic Beige C5. I’ve tried other expensive foundations, but this one works! No funny odor, light and not greasy, blends perfectly with my skin. So many colors to choose from you can really fine tune to your skin tone. I don’t do a heavy base, just lightly on my cheeks, a bit on my nose and blend it down to my jawline.

The best tip is to use a bit of  your concealer in the folds on either side of your nose prior to adding foundation. Takes away that dark crease!

Finishing touch is a quick sweep of URBAN DECAY Naked Flushed in Strip. It’s a three blush strip with bronzer, highlighter and blush. I just sweep all three on at once! Lovely glow and glides on easily and looks natural. The trick is to use a big natural Kabuki brush and don’t linger with it.

LIPS:
Long ago I got a free lipstick from Clinique and have used it ever since. The color is perfect. You will know when a shade is right. It blends with your coloring, adds a little lovely blush to your lips without screaming look at me. For me that shade is Think Bronze. I’m not especially fond of the lipstick itself, but haven’t been able to find another color that works so well for me.

So now you know all my secrets  for makeup that works for me. Find what works for you and go out and be gorgeous!