I've had a lot of requests lately to write about makeup application for aging skin. I have put together a list of tips that I think can significantly help hide wrinkles and give the impression of a youthful moisturized complexion. The single most important tip for aging skin is always remember to moisturize the skin prior to makeup application. Moist skin helps to plump the surface and hydrates preventing the look of deep wrinkles. It also aids in the elasticity of the skin. When selecting a moisturizer for aging skin stick to an oil based petrolatum moisturizer as a base as well as incorporating alpha hydroxy acids and antioxidants if possible.
Some to try: Prevage Day Ultra Protection Anti-Aging Moisturizer, Curel Life's stages Lotion, Philosophy Miracle Worker Anti-Aging Moisturizer, and Kinara Intense Moisturizer with Peptides
Once your skin has been properly moisturized then apply a thin layer of silicone based primer to your face. The primer will help your base adhere to your skin but will prevent the makeup from settling into any lines or wrinkles. One to try, Too Faced Primed and Poreless. Once your base is set begin applying your foundation. Stick to buildable coverage foundation. A light to medium coverage base is best. Stay away from a matte finish as that will dry your skin. It will not offer any luminosity to your skin. A creamy and moisturizer type foundation is best. After all we want to keep the skin hydrated so anything drying will give a cakey appearance to your face. The key to applying your foundation is to blend very well. I prefer to use a sponge when I am applying makeup to aging skin because I like the way the sponge allows me to move the foundation around and I feel like I can blend it a bit easier than a brush. Don't forget to dot a light concealer under the eye. A good pick for aging skin is an illuminated concealer such as Clinique Airbrush or Stila illuminating concealer. The light diffusing properties help detract from any lines under the eyes and help to brighten the skin and add a healthy glow. Once you have applied your foundation add an eyeshadow primer such as Too Faced Shadow Insurance or Urban Decay's Shadow Primer to your lid. For eye color selections I would stick to mostly matte neutral shades with a hint of shimmer for the top of the brow bone. Taupes, greys, peach and pink shades, coppers and golds are ideal as long as they aren't too frosty. Those shades can brighten aging skin with warmth without appearing gaudy. This picture of Meryl Streep is the perfect example of how natural shades give her a classic youthful appearance. If she were to have worn a deep red lipstick or harsh smokey eye look she would have significantly aged her look and added years to her appearance. Instead she adds symmetry to her look and no one product overtakes or detracts from the others. She looks balanced and well put together.
For blush you can either go with a cream blush that is blended well with your fingertip or a sponge. Or a powder blush applied with an angled blush brush. Again, the key is well blended. Focusing on contoured sweeps up the cheekbones to help define your bone structure. Choose warm pinks and light peach colors. Leave the bubblegum pink shaded blushes to the 20 somethings. Lipstick, lip gloss and lip liners. When choosing a shade remember neutral is key. Pink mauves and peach shades are your best friends. Dark lipsticks are not. They will not only make your lips look thinner and they will also make your skin tone appear washed out. Darker lip shades can also appear to bleed around your lip area and draw attention to any lines around your mouth. Instead line your lips with natural colored pencils and select soft shades to add fullness to your lips. Glosses help to add shine and appear to make lips looks fuller and plumper. You can even invest in a lip plumper such as Lip Fusion but again stick to soft shades in that product line. Once more tip I recommend is applying a highlighter to your eye area. I love Benefit's Watt's Up. I like to sweep that around the outer corners of the eye and blend into the skin. This helps to hide any crows feet by illuminating the area and masking the wrinkles. Also, brighten the inner corners of the eyes. make a half moon mark just at the inner corners of your eyes near your tear ducts. You can use a pencil such as Benefit's Eye Bright to make the whites of your eyes pop and give you that fresh and wide awake glow.If you need to line the inside waterline with the Eye Bright. You will look refreshed and ready to go.
I hope you enjoyed my tips. Please feel free to share any of your favorite anti-aging tricks with me.
