Makeup has the power to amp up your look at any age, but routines specifically geared to and created for anti-aging purposes can deliver glowing, radiant results to mature skin. We checked in with professional makeup artist Saffron Hughes of False Eyelashes to learn more about helpful and timeless product application tips and specific steps to follow when experimenting and practicing with makeup! Read on for advice on how to not only find the products that work best for you and your skin, but also how to use them.
1. Find The Right Foundation Color For Your Skin Tones
One of the reasons that the glowing skin trend is so popular on Tik Tok and elsewhere is because it looks “effortless,” Hughes explains. However, she says, “it’s impossible to get this kind of look” if you’re wearing the wrong color foundation. “While you’re most likely aware of your shade such as fair, light, medium, deep, and dark, you also need to know what your undertone is to get the perfect color match,” she says. There are 3 undertones, according to Hughes: warm (golden, red, and yellow undertones), cool (beige and pink undertones), and neutral (a balance of gold and pink undertones). To determine your undertone, she advises to look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. “If they’re green, you have a warm undertone (the yellow in your skin acts as a filter and makes your blue veins look green), and if they look blue, you have a cool undertone,” she notes. If you see a combination of both blue and green veins, she continues, “you have a neutral undertone.”
2. Choose Cream & Liquid Products Rather Than Powder
As powder can “tick in fine lines and make your base look cakey,” Hughes only recommends using a small amount, if any at all. “Similarly, I’d stay clear of powder products altogether and instead buy their cream or liquid-based alternatives. This includes foundations, blushes, bronzers and even eyeshadows.” Plus, she says, most women’s skin tends to get drier as they mature so using cream products with more moisture is beneficial for this reason, as well. She also dubs them “mistake-proof,” and adds that “when it comes to liquid products, you just need to start with a small amount and gradually build.”
3. Add Light Layers of Foundation with a Soft, Buffing Brush
If you have mature skin and use more foundation than needed, Hughes stresses that this can cause products to seep into fine lines and creases, and overall make your makeup look cakey. Instead, you should use very light layers, she says, or if you’re short on time, apply your foundation, contour, blush, and concealer to your face at the same time in their targeted area, then “blend them with a makeup sponge, such as a beauty blender.” This will give a much glowier and youthful look without the heavy layers, she says. “The application process is just as important as the foundation itself. With this in mind, you should use a buffing brush to apply your foundation as it will smooth out your skin, instead of settling into fine lines.”
4. Create A Wing with Eyeshadow For An Instant Eye-Lift
The eyes are not only the windows to your soul, but also one of the most important features to enhance and define in any effective anti-aging look. “When my clients ask how to create a youthful glowy look, I always share this eyeshadow hack,” Hughes says. Firstly, she suggests using a dark eyeshadow shade “in your outer corner/crease and blending it out and up into a wing.” This will add a lifted appearance to your eyes and detract from any sagging skin. “You should then apply concealer underneath this wing and take it up and out towards your hairline, before blending.” This, she says, will emphasize the lifted look even further. “You should then add a lighter eyeshadow shade in your inner corner and on your eyelid below your crease to really make your eyes pop. Then to further emphasize this, I’d recommend applying white or nude eyeliner to your waterline to help open your eyes and brighten them.
5. Top it All Off with Mascara on Your Top Lashes
“Finally, apply mascara to your top lashes, focusing mainly on your outer corner lashes,” Hughes points out. “You can even add a half/accent false lash for an extra lifted look,” she says, but advises to steer clear of your bottom lashes in the efforts to not draw attention to eye bags or wrinkling. “Whatever you do, avoid applying any dark shadows or heavy mascara to your bottom lashes as this will drag the eyes down, making you appear older than you are,” Hughes concludes.
