The fabulous 50’s giving you makeup woes?

Fret not, with just a few small tweaks to your makeup regime you can sport a youthful look!

As time passes by we learn to appreciate ourselves and a lot of care goes into our skincare and makeup regime. As women, at any age, we love maintaining ourselves with our fancy clothes, shoes, makeup and our beloved accessories.

Your makeup can make or break your look, if done properly it can enhance your features and if not, it makes you look aged.

Let’s run you through some common makeup DO’s and DON’Ts for women over 50:

1. What you reap is what you sow

Trying to look fresh-faced and young? But, did you sow the right seeds?

Without a proper skincare routine your skin is left dry and lifeless. Applying makeup on dry skin is as bad as putting foundation on sand, it’s going to look cakey and rough. So before you begin your makeup, make a habit of- Moisturising your skin, exfoliating at least 2-3 times in a week.

Also, always remove your makeup before hitting the hay and apply sunscreen whenever you go out. If you follow these steps religiously, your skin will glow vividly making you look youthful and fresh.

2. Foundation faux pa

As you age your foundation choices must change and evolve. If applied inappropriately, it settles in the fine lines and creases which drawing more attention at the wrong spots. Avoid a powder foundation as it may leave you looking flaky, instead use a liquid foundation or a setting spray.

Go for the dewy look. Light foundations are better in your 50s, you cannot go for the foundations you were using when you were in your 30s. You can also go for CC creams as they cover imperfections very nicely and improve the skin’s texture. It gives you a dewy finish and makes your skin look younger and fresher.

3. Concealer calamity

There’s no cookie-cutter approach to picking a concealer. You need different sets of concealers for under eye use and for covering dark spots. If the concealer isn’t picked wisely, meaning it’s too thick or doesn’t match your skin tone – then you may end up accentuating what you were aiming to conceal. As under eye skin is much thinner, it must be touched with a light layer of concealer.

Face Powder – A big NO

Powder makes your skin look cakey and your wrinkles more prominent. It's better to switch to creamy formulas as with age our skin tends to dry and powders only make it worse. So, whenever you are going for a foundation, blush, or any other makeup essentials prefer cream-based formulas.

Blushing beauty

Unless you are in your 20-30’s steer clear from applying blush to the apple of your cheeks. Don’t apply too much blush and avoid darker hues of red and brown as they look muddy on aged skin. A light pop of blush on your cheeks can brighten up your face. Again, liquid or creamy blush is best to capture that youthful glow.

6. Pout it up

You will notice, your lips are getting thinner as you grow older. To get a plumpy-lip-look ease away from darker shades of lipstick. Your lip makeup should only include a lip liner and a lip gloss. The red’s and purple’s will make you look older, it’s better to just add a little dab of lip gloss over your nude lipstick and you are done for the day.

7. The eye enchantress

Your eyes aren’t as taut as they used to be and so the eye shadow colour and texture must be chosen with caution. Avoid bright and dark eye shadows, go for some muted colours as they make your eyes look bigger and youthful. They will also take the attention away from the fine lines and wrinkles. Also, avoid glittery eye shadows as the powdery glittery will inevitably settle in the fine lines. If you absolutely must use glittery shadow, then only apply it to the centre of the lid not on the corners to avoid contact with fine lines.

8. Sleep it off

A good night sleep makes a heck of a difference in the way your skin looks. Lack of sleep will make your skin lifeless and dull while also accentuating your dark circles and leaving you with puffy eyes. 7-8 hours sleep is a MAKEUP-MUST for women over 50!

9. Hydration is the key

Drink at least 9 liters of water a day. Water is vital to maintaining optimal skin moisture and delivering essential nutrients to your skin cells. It helps to replenish the skin tissue and assists in increasing its elasticity, thus delaying the occurrence of wrinkles and fine lines.

10. Turn that frown upside down

A smile is the best makeup! Dry and chapped lips are big turnoff. Put on some lip balm and paint the town red with your hearty laugh!

In the end, I am reminded of a quote by famous fashion designer Coco Chanel, she said, “Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at 50.” So, don’t let yourself go.