Remember the days of youth when you could cover your blemishes, slap on some mascara and gloss, a little makeup and look “done”? Why on earth did so many of us waste that opportunity to embrace natural beauty?
The irony is that many of us 40+’s now find ourselves using a lot less makeup believing everything should to be soft and muted. Mature women are featured in makeup videos and made up like soft focus grandmas! Enough!
Makeup for the mature (I prefer to call it Youth Enhancing Makeup) is not about hiding behind multi layers of pastels, it’s about two things; defying gravity and redefining the features.
And while makeup does not guarantee a more youthful appearance; some of the most common makeup mistakes can actually age you!
Mistake No 1: OVERLY PAINTED BROWS
Yes, we need brows to look youthful; they frame the eyes and lift the face. Many of us tweezed our brows to thin lines in the 80’s only to find they never grew back. However, harsh, red toned brows (for some reason many brow pencils are red toned?) make us look hard and older. The goal is to create natural looking thicker brows like the ones we used to have. Opt for taupe colour brow products instead of warm browns; these will frame your eyes beautifully without taking over your face. Apply the brow product in soft stokes to create the illusion of natural hair.
We recommend ELES Brow Blenders, the soft pencil is easily used to fill in the gaps and then simply brush through the brows to soften the effect.
Mistake No 2: COOL SKIN BASE
Many foundations and BB Creams come in warm and cool tones. Opt for warmer tones that help counteract complexion pinkness that comes with thinning of the skin and exposure of fine capillaries. Warmer tones also conceal shadows better which means you need less concealer.
We recommend ELES BB Cream, it’s packed with nature’s anti-ageing actives and leaves the skin glowing.
Mistake No 3: WRONG CONCEALER AND WRONG COLOUR
As we mature and the face loses its youthful “plumpness” shadows appear; under the eyes, around the nose, at the corners of the mouth etc. It’s tempting to reach for a heavy duty, ultra-light shade concealer to hide these dark areas. The problem is that they just make the dark shadows look grey as opposed to concealing them. Opt instead for peachy toned, lightweight concealers that won’t cake on the skin and counteract the blue in the shadows.
We recommend ELES Dual Action Concealer, this is like 8 hours sleep in a tube!
Mistake No 4: EYE MAKEUP THAT MAKES THE EYES DROOP
As the upper lid of the eye is crepe paper thin it tends to droop as we age and the upper crease of the eye becomes obscured, therefore the eyeshadow on the upper eyelid also becomes obscured. If you are extremely skilled at applying makeup you can fake the crease with exacting eye shadow application. However many of us don’t have the time or inclination on a daily basis to fuss with this, so apply a dark fine line through the upper lashes and a softer brighter eyeliner beneath the lashes instead. This “lifts” the eyes making them appear younger, then simply apply a warm shade of brown on the eyelids with the eyes open to ensure you can actually see the shadow. This method is quick and easy! Finally apply two coats of mascara to the upper lashes only to help conceal the eyelid that has dropped. Remember; Darker on top, light below. Shimmer shades under the lower lashes brighten the eyes and give a more youthful look.
We recommend ELES Superwear Gel Eyeliner, its soft and easy to blend out and once set won’t transfer to the lids.
Mistake No 5: COOL BLUSH
Simple, use warm coral and peachy shades, which always look more vibrant on the skin rather than cold pink/mauve shades. This will also make the iris of your eyes more vibrant!
We recommend ELES Baked Blush in Bouquet, it’s natural and warm and suits almost everyone.
Mistake No 6: COLD FROSTED LIPSTICK
As we lose volume in our lips fine lines not only appear around the lips but on the lips themselves. Frosted lip colours enhance these lines. Instead, opt for cream lipstick that makes the lips look fuller and smoother, many of these contain moisturising molecules that plump the lips and keep them hydrated longer.
We recommend ELES Colour Balm in Nude, its super hydrating, lasts for hours and looks like perfectly coloured natural lips.
Follow these steps and you’ll create a youthful, flattering makeup that re-defines the features which is always more effective than trying to hide flaws!
See this example of makeup mistakes on the left and correct application on the right and you be the judge, which one looks better?
First Heidi used ELES Mineral Matte Shadow in Sand to help create a perfect base for a natural smokey eye…
Heidi then pressed the ELES Mineral Matte Shadow Twig to the eye socket, blending out into the crease and used the same shadow under the lower lashes for a soft and pretty effect.
This was followed with the ELES Lash Fortify Mascara which Heidi stated she loves for its great wand and the way it lifted her lashes.
Heidi then used the ELES Age-Defying BB Cream 30 saying she wanted a natural and light alternative to foundation for humid days and nights. She applied this with a damp Pro-Blender Sponge for a light and sheer effect.
Heidi then used the ELES Brow Blender in Dark Taupe to fill in and shape the brows and softened the effect with the brush end.
Finally she swept a little Bronzer and Blush from the Summer Daze Collection Palette to complete the look saying she loved the bronzer which was so easy to blend out.
The Finished Look – simply stunning!
