Do you ever wonder how celebrities in their 40’s manage to look so good? Apart from having teams of experts to take care of their skin, their nutrition, their makeup and their hair, they tend to follow these 8 makeup tips for women in their 40’s, keeping them looking youthful and radiant.
And by the way, 40 is the new 30…
8 Makeup Tips For Women In Their 40’s
This post contains affiliate links. See Disclosure.
Hydrate.
Before you even think about putting on makeup you need to think about the skin underneath. If you apply makeup to undernourished/dry skin it is going to suck any moisture out of your foundation and leave you looking both drier and older. Neither of which is the look we are going for! Make sure your skin is well moisturized and that you apply a liberal coating of eye cream, but also apply a serum or facial oil.
Color Correct.
One of the most aging things you can do is use the wrong undertoned shade of concealer and foundation. Either you are a cool tone (pink undertone) or a warm tone (olive/yellow undertone). You must use concealer and foundations with your undertone. The End. I’ve seen all kinds of nonsense out there on the interwebs telling women they need yellow toned makeup. If you are JLo, yes, if you don’t have an olive/yellow/latin toned skin, hell no!
Choose Your Texture.
The most flattering textures for women in their 40’s+ are creamy textures. I personally use Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, I’m a cool tone, so I use the honey shade. In my pro makeup kit I use ginger on my warm toned ladies and honey on the cool toned girls.
Related Post: How To Choose A Concealer
If you are in your 40’s (or any other age) avoid crushed mineral powder foundations like the plague. Their dry finish is very aging, they tend to be quite opaque which stops light passing through, and they flash back a ton of white from the titanium dioxide SPF. Instead look for a silicone based foundation like Makeup For Ever Ultra HD Foundation
I think this is perhaps the loveliest foundation I have ever used. I use it in my pro makeup kit and I use it on myself. (I also use Makeup For Ever Water Blend Face and Body Foundation) Ultra HD has a silicone base, so it reflects light and makes the skin glow. It also makes the skin look smoother and fresher. Ultra HD is insanely pigmented and concentrated, so you use a very small amount.
Related Post: How To Find Your Perfect Foundation
Use A Light Touch
Heavily applied makeup doesn’t do anyone any favors. Use a light touch and aim for the sheerest application of your makeup products. Just enough to give you the coverage you need, and nothing more.
Creamy Blush
Keeping with the soft, glowy complexion, use a cream blush instead of a powder. If you are not comfortable with a cream blush then make sure your powder blush doesn’t have any sparkle or shimmer to it (super aging). Choose a blush with a soft finish that is in your color group. (Remember cool tone vs warm tone.) Blue based pinks tend to be quite aging, so if you are a cool toned girl and want something pink look for a warm pinky-nude rather than a barbie doll blue pink.
Fill In Your Brow.
As we age our brow hairs get thinner and more sparse, so gently adding back color and structure to the brow can be the fountain of youth. Most importantly, ignore everything you see on Instagram and Your Tube – don’t create heavy, squared off brows! Apply a pencil like Anastasia of Beverly Hill Brow Definer using soft hair-like strokes. Enhance the brow but don’t overwhelm it.
Related Post: How To Choose The Perfect Eye Shadow Color
Ease Up On The Liner.
You are still going to use eyeliner, but you need to be aware that the heavy liner looks that are so killer on girls in their 20’s are really aging on girls in their 40’s. Use eyeliner for definition rather than drama. Instead of black eyeliner opt for a dark espresso brown. It will give the same effect but wont be quite so harsh.
Lighten The Lip.
The most aging thing you can do is wear a dark lip. Look for lighter and brighter colors instead. If you are wearing nude lips, choose a warm pinky nude. Don’t go paler than your natural lip color (super aging!) instead choose a color 2 or 3 shades deeper than your lip color, this will enhance and define your lip. Mattes can be very aging, soft satin finishes are incredibly flattering. Tom Ford MoistureCore Lip Color is both hydrating and has a satin finish.