This article has been updated since its initial publish date to include more expert insight.
Mastering TikTok-popular makeup techniques like how to perfect a cat-eye eyeliner wing or a matte red lip are difficult to begin with. Anti-aging makeup routines can be even harder to navigate when taking wrinkles into account, but professional makeup artists explain that as with everything, practice makes perfect and your makeup can enhance your beautiful features at any age.
We spoke with professional makeup artists Hillary Clark, Lindsay Kastuk, Jen Cayle Gaum and Mandie Brice to learn more about 3 common mistakes people make with eyeliner, lipstick and powder foundation (that instantly make them look older). Read on for tips on how to avoid these undesired effects!
1. Using Too Much Powder
The first mistake aging beauties often make when it comes to makeup is wearing a foundation, most notably, a powder one that is too heavy and cakey. “A heavy foundation will settle into fine lines, making them more noticeable and exaggerated and will only emphasize wrinkles,” Gaum says.
While powder is a great coverage choice for people with oily skin, our skin dries more as we age, meaning that anyone with dry skin won’t have the same effect.
Powder can dry out the skin even more, Katsuk says, and this creates a “cakey,” patchy and crusty look. “This can make anyone look older because it highlights fine lines and wrinkles,” she says, advising to “keep the powder to a minimum and only apply it where you really need it (any mobile part of the face).
Instead of powder, Guam says to try mixing together a “moisturizing face tint and face primer then apply it directly to the face with a foundation brush.” This, she says, will give you a well-blended, even (and youthful-looking) complexion with a warm, natural glow.
Brice agrees, saying that the main issue is when people use foundation that is drying.
“Skin with texture (wrinkles) works best with a cream or serum foundation, as anything drying can accentuate the wrinkles,” she says, noting that “skin prep” (cleansing and moisturizing before application) can also help the foundation last longer.
“Also, many people are in the habit of using powder as a last step, and they may not need it. Our skin produces less moisture as we age, so we may not need powder to mattify and set anymore,” she says. “We could be unnecessarily applying it, again accentuating the wrinkles.”
2. Choosing The Wrong Lip Color For Your Skin Tone & Teeth
Lipstick has the ability to enhance your look instantly, that is, if the color matches the undertones of your face and doesn’t clash with the color of your teeth.
Brice notes that the wrong lip color can make someone look older than they are, so making sure that it matches can help as well.To avoid choosing the wrong shade of lipstick, Brice says “it's important to not only look at how it interacts with your skin tone, but also with the color of your teeth.”
Certain shades that are yellow-based or red-based without any blue or purple tint “can make teeth look more yellow, which is a sign of aging,” she adds.
Brice also says that using color cosmetics that are either dark or very bold can accentuate lines, “so if you can live without expressing yourself through bold or bright lip colors, it may help you look younger.” Sparkles can also settle into fine lines and wrinkles and accentuate them.
3. Drawing Eyeliner Wings & Eyebrows That Are Too Long
If your eye area has little to no wrinkling around it, a long, sharp eyeliner wing can look bold and powerful. If there is wrinkling to account for, Clark says, a long line will only draw more attention to it. “as we mature, our brows become lower, and the outer corners of our eyes can droop and fold,” she says.
“The tails of our brows and the cat-like flicks that once lifted and complemented our features can begin to crumple, slouch and even land right in the middle of a new wrinkle or crease.”
She says it’s important to really assess your new angles, trade brow pomade and liquid liner for softer powder versions (for easier blending) and map out new complimentary placement.
She notes that doing this can help you avoid “angry-looking” eyebrows. “If your brows are much darker at their heads and lighter at the tails, you will look like you are scowling, and it will emphasize your 11 lines,” she says.
“The new sweet spot for your brows is the outermost edge of your arch. When that is the darkest point of the brow, your eyes will look more open and awake.” Good to know!
Overall, wearing makeup that helps you feel beautiful is ideal, and with so many product options out there, only through experimentation and consulting with a professional will you know what’s best for you. These tips are only here to help if you feel lost when it comes to anti-aging beauty and confused why your products aren’t giving the effects you want.
Ultimatley, practicing eye, face and lip makeup can feel daunting but it can also be fun at any age! For more information, contact a professional makeup artist for tips specific to your skin type and face shape.
