You`re over 40, you`ve changed, your skin has changed. Your makeup should change as well.
While wearing the bright colors of youth may sound logical, it doesn`t always work-especially when it comes to cosmetics.
”The ideal look for women over 40 is subtle and subdued,” said Elsie Harris, a skin-care specialist for Clarins Cosmetics.
As a woman gets older, she should wear less makeup to create a softer look, Harris said. ”The soft and flattering effect camouflages any signs of aging and accentuates features.”
Many women, though, take the more-is-more approach and wear too much foundation in an effort to hide lines and blemishes and cover up aging.
”Instead of covering wrinkles, they`re accentuated,” said Michel Constantini, owner of Michel Constantini Cosmetics Inc., New York.
Constantini noted other common makeup mistakes: ”when women mismatch shades of foundation, apply harsh strips of rouge, the wrong lipstick, garish eye shadow or hard-edged eyeliner.”
A word from the wise
A tip most cosmetics specialists agree on: It`s better to try to correct the problem than to hide it.
”Applying more makeup takes away from your youthful appearance,” Harris said. ”It`s better to develop a skin-care regimen and concentrate on products that minimize lines and refine the texture of skin.”
”Better yet, once or twice a year treat yourself to a professional makeover. New products and colors should be introduced and you`ll learn to apply them skillfully,” said Melanie Jones, a makeover professional in Memphis.
To illustrate her ideas about makeup for more mature women, Jones did makeovers on two women over 40. Her models got the full treatment, including three colors of eye shade.
For starters, she checked the models facial structure and skin type. She then cleaned and moisturized the skin, putting on the moisturizer with an upward motion.
Next came the concealer, which she applied on lines and blemishes using a cotton swab. Jones believes concealer is a must for women over 40. She recommends that it be two shades darker than your natural skin tone for broken capillaries, age spots and other areas of discoloration. She blended concealer into the skin.
Foundation, lipstick, blush
Jones then applied liquid, water-based foundations. The foundation chosen was a shade lighter than the neck in an effort to connect the different colors of the face and neck. She dabbed it on the models` cheeks, forehead, nose and chin, then blended it up to the jawline, avoiding eyelids and throat.
A lip fixative was applied to keep lipstick from bleeding. Jones doesn`t recommend lining the entire lip; just the curve at the top and the middle portion at the bottom. To keep lipstick from smudging, she recommends applying foundation and one coat of lipstick. Then brush lips with powder and apply a second coat of lipstick.
Jones suggests keeping blush to a minimum and blending it well. She avoids shimmery or glossy formulas on women over 40, because they reflect light and may emphasize lines.
If your face is round, she suggests the blush be applied while stroking from the corner of the mouth to the temple. This helps elongate and narrow the face. If your face is thin, Jones said blush should be applied from the corner of the nose to the temple. This creates a fuller look. Rouge should never be applied higher than the base of the eye.
An eye-opener
Jones suggests using powder shadow underneath eyes rather than a pencil. First, she applied a highlighter shade over the entire lid. Next a darker, but neutral contour color was added just above the crease of the lid. Finally, she added an accent color at the outer corner and along the lower lash line, which was blended well with a large brush.
She said women over 40 should avoid creams and gels in eye shadow because they crease and accentuate lines. Applying color with pencils and crayons pulls the delicate skin around the eyes.
Jones said applying your makeup should take about 15 minutes, with a minimum of touch-up during the day.
Once your makeup is on right, forget it. You may need to reapply lipstick after lunch, but that should do it.
