Are you over 50 and looking to make your eyes pop without emphasizing fine lines? We reached out to professional makeup artists to learn more about trendy metallic, glittery and sparkly eyeshadows and how they could be inavertently unflattering for mature beauties.
Keep reading to discover why this type of shadow is often avoided and what experts suggest as a better alternative to highlight your favorite features. We checked in with celebrity makeup artists Kerrin Jackson, creator of The Makeup Refinery blog, and Meredith Boyd, founder of Meredith Boyd Cosmetics.
Eyeshadow Tips For Women Over 50
1. Avoid Sparkly, Glittery Eyeshadow
While Jackson acknowledges that "metallics" are back and trendy as seen on BeautyTok and other social media sites, she points out that they can look "harsh" on mature skin. Ultimately, she stresses, these shadows often create an effect that wasn't the intitial intention.
"A shimmery eyeshadow can be particularly cruel to even the most slightly textured skin," she says. "Due to the light-reflecting flakes or ingredients in many shimmer products, this kind of eyeshadow can end up highlighting every wrinkle, line or textured surface you usually spend your makeup time trying to soften," she adds.
"They work against you," Jackson continues. She notes that she "avoids metallic eyeshadows on older skin" because "they can cause lines and wrinkles to look more pronounced than they actually are."
Boyd agrees. "I avoid chunky or overly sparkly eyeshadow," she says, adding that she prefers "using an eyeshadow with a pearl finish." Jackson recommends opting for "neutral matte" eyeshadows instead, and also offers a clever tip for making your eyes look radiant over 50.
2. Try Pearl Finish and Neutral Matte Types Instead
Your best bet when it comes to creating stunning makeup looks on mature skin, Jackson says, is to "avoid shimmer eye products and stick with neutral mattes instead."
If you "must use a shimmer eye shadow," she advises trying a "cream-based product that you can blend in softly."
This type, Jackson continues, will be "far more flattering and flexible on your skin than a powder metallic or shimmer eyeshadow."
Boyd concurs and also recommends giving a "pearl finish eyeshadow" a go. This type of shadow, she explains, "is not a matte and not a shimmer shadow and it’s super blendable."
"It's the best of both worlds between matte and shimmer finishes and provides the payoff and pop to your eye look every time," Boyd goes on. A pearl finish "glides on the eyelids with ease and doesn’t emphasize creases and eyelid folds," she concludes.
The more you know!
