3 ‘Aging’ Makeup Mistakes Pros Want Women Over 40 To Stop Making Because They Accentuate Wrinkles & Instantly Make You Look Older
We wear makeup for different reasons. For some of the us, the power of transformation drives us to create a heavier brow, lifted eyes, and darker lips. For others, it’s the desire to feel fresher, more modern, and more awake and ready to tackle the day. Then there are those of us who just want to look like ourselves — but slightly more fierce versions of ourselves.
Whatever your reasons for choosing make-up, you probably aren’t looking for ways to age yourself or look more tired. Unfortunately, the wrong colors or makeup placement can do just that — and it doesn’t take much to go from a gorgeous look to one that looks all wrong. Don’t date yourself: avoid these three aging makeup mistakes that pros want women over 40 to stop making. They can accentuate wrinkles and instantly make you look older.
Ignoring Your Eyebrows
It’s hard to ignore eyebrows these days — they’ve made the shift from occasional facial feature that you maybe fill in and pay attention to on special occasions to a feature many of us highlight each morning.
The reason for this is because we’ve come to realize just how important brows are when it comes to shaping and framing the face. Blame the ‘90s and early aughts thin-brow trend for our sudden adoration of all things brows. All of that tweezing and unflattering shaping (like creating arches when our brows don’t naturally arch) have made many of us realize we shouldn’t take our brows for granted.
As we age, brows can become more sparse. They can also turn white or gray. The fading of our brows can make the face appear older than it is. So, naturally, one way to create a more youthful face is by filling in sparse brows and allowing them to grow in where possible. If you’ve been neglecting your brows for years, a trip to an eyebrow specialist for a proper shaping can help you understand which shape works best for your face. From there, it’s fairly simple to invest in an eyebrow pencil that is the same shade as your brows or a shade darker. Use brush-like strokes to fill in sparse areas and then, using a spoolie, brush your brows up. Secure your brows in place with a brow gel.
Wearing Too Much Foundation
Foundation can be a tricky cosmetic to get just right: too little of it and your skin can appear splotchy; too much of it and all you can see is caked-on makeup over your pores. If you have to choose between too much or too little though, a minimalist look will always appear fresher. Many makeup pros recommend applying a primer and foundation only where you need it — meaning, on areas of your skin that have dark spots or blemishes.
Makeup artists are also big fans of not expecting foundation to do the work of a concealer or color corrector. If you have redness on the skin, a green color corrector can address that; a peach color corrector can help tackle blue and purple tones under the eyes. But once you start relying on foundation to do it all, that’s when you often get into the trouble of applying too much makeup with a heavy hand. Start slow, with just a few swipes of makeup here and there, and blend well.
Too-Dark Lipstick
There’s no age limit for any makeup product, including lipstick. If you feel like your lips look a little smaller or less pouty than they used to, choosing lighter lipstick colors in hydrating formulas can make a big difference. If you are wearing very dark reds, berry tones, or browns, these dramatic hues can put the spotlight on fine lines around your mouth and can make your lips look smaller. A better option is a medium or light pink, rose, or nude tones. Lining your cupid’s bow and your bottom lip with a nude liner prior to lipstick can make your lips look more youthful.
These makeup mistakes can really bring your look down, but they’re simple to change. Try swapping the way you do things with new methods and cosmetic colors to look fresher and more modern.
