Makeup: Age changes things, ladies!

As you age, makeup needs to change!

In my time doing makeup, I quickly realized: Women begin liking a product early in their lives, and think they can use them as they mature. Sorry, ladies, it’s just not so! Sniff, sniff…please read on…

When I was in my 20s I actually had oily skin. Now that I am older, that oily skin has been replaced my thirsty, drier skin that even needs moisture day and night. When I moisturize I need less primer and even makeup. So, the first tip is simple: use a light day cream and a heavier night cream (using a serum underneath).

You also don’t need to scrub and cleanse your skin in the morning. You’re washing your skin at night, right. Just rinse it off with water, pat it dry and put on your moisturizer.

Drier skin means cream blush is now your friend. Unless your skin is really oily, cream blush will blend beautifully into your skin and look natural. I love cream blush now, even though I used to think my skin was too oily for it. I like some of the multipurpose products out there by Bobbi Brown and others. Maybelline has a really nice cream blush too, in many flattering shades.

Another familiar tool is the lip pencil, often shunned by our younger sisters as something “old ladies use.” While the darker lip pencil, topped by lighter lipstick is certainly a bygone look, lip pencils do have a function: they keep lip gloss and lipstick on longer. Fortunately, there is a new option: a “clear” lip pencil. It keeps on lip color, but doesn’t have any color, so your lipstick or lip gloss stays the color it was when you put it on. Makeup Forever (available at Sephora and Ulta) and other companies make these. Snatch one up, and start using it!

Finally…I am going to jump on my soap box: using black eyeliner. Unless you have “Doe” eyes like Twiggy did, there comes a time when it has to go…As women age, they develop darkness under eyes and on their lids. That’s when highlighters and eye base can brighten your eyes. Putting on a think black line under your eyes ages you, ladies! Don’t do it. If you really like black, put it on your upper eyelids with a brush and smudge it…with light shadow on top. Or switch to colors such as brown, navy, plum or dark pink. Be careful about outlining your entire eye.

Here’s a review:

1. Moisturize your face day and night.

2. Consider using cream blush

3. Start using a clear lip pencil.

4. Avoid using black liner on your bottom lashes.

5. Use an eye base and under eye concealer to cover up darkness around your eyes.

Happy shopping, girls!