Aging With Makeup

Foundation

Mature women should stay away from heavy cream foundations; the coverage is way too heavy and sits in the fine lines. Liquid sheer or luminous foundations work best for mature skin. Then, spot-treat specific areas — such as dark spots, pigmentation problems and under-eye circles — with a silicone-based concealer to smooth them out.

Try using primer, which helps keep foundation looking luminous, fills in fine lines, minimizes the appearance of pores and fills in imperfections. Apply it after moisturizer but before foundation.

Eye Makeup

Heavy eyeliner and “the smoky eye look” are not recommended for mature women because age weakens the collagen around the eye, causing lid droop and under-eye circles. Instead, line your eyes thinly and kick out a little at the end to give the appearance that the lid is going up instead of down.

Shadows should not be too dark — just enough to define the crease. Keep the inner part of your lids to light pinks, light peach and cream-colored matte shadows. Shimmer shows fine lines on aging lids.

Non-permanent lashes are a great way to make aged eyes pop and enhance natural beauty. “I have a lot of clients who come to me every week to apply lashes. They love the way it makes them look, and they feel like they don’t need a ton of eye makeup on with them,” Lauren says.

Lips

Red lips are timeless and ageless. Red gloss looks beautiful on girls in their 20s and 30s, while a red lipstick with shine looks great on 40-somethings and up. “I’m not a big fan of the matte lip; it tends to show lines in the lips and look dry, making a woman appear older than she is,” says Lauren.

Glitter nail polish

“Glitter nail polish is something I’d say stay away from unless you’re 18 or younger,” says Lauren. It is not a flattering look, and it is too young and festive for the workplace and on a mature woman. Pearlized nail polishes, however, are pretty for all ages. Just be aware that, if hands are starting to age, reds, dark purples and bright pinks aren’t recommended. Lauren says to stick to a classic French, neutral pink or marshmallow color.

Prevention that works

Lauren is a strong believer in protecting the skin from harmful UV rays. Too much sun exposure leads to a loss of collagen and subsequent thinning of the skin, which creates wrinkles. Age spots and sun freckles appear over time from too much exposure.

Always look for sunscreen in foundation; it’s a foolproof way to ensure protection. Try mineral makeup such as that from Jane Iredale and Bare Escentuals, both of which contain sunscreen.