Makeup After 50: Embracing Your Unique Beauty

If you’re here, you’re likely a woman over 50 looking to keep your makeup routine current as your skin evolves. You’ve probably heard rules like no shimmer or skip bottom eyeliner—but let’s debunk some of those myths. I like to start with my biggest issue, which is one-size-fits-all advice. 

The Problem with One-Size-Fits-All Advice

Age alone doesn’t dictate what works for your face—your skin type, features, preferences, and lifestyle do. As a professional makeup artist, I’ve worked with women of all ages and seen first-hand that beauty rules are never universal. Beauty is personal: I’ve seen women in their 50s need to lighten things up and alter beauty habits while others in their 60s continue to rock full-glam...and when I say "rock it," don't mean they do it because they want to and therefore it's acceptable and people need to let women just live their lives--I mean they do it, and they look damn good doing it. 

It’s About What Works for You

Many women over 50 ask me how to look more youthful. My go-to advice: opt for dewy, ultra-hydrated products and spot-conceal sunspots, avoiding thick makeup over your entire face. But some clients dislike rich, moisturizing formulas, associating them with greasiness. For these clients, we maintain the core concept, which is no thick cakey foundations or concealers, but we opt for mineral powders and satin finishes instead of "glowing" complexions. So, who’s right? Both are. You look the most youthful when YOU see it in the mirror. There is always more than one path to get to the youthful, more flawless you. I can tell you how beautiful you are all day long, but it only matters when you feel it for yourself, too. And for that to happen, we have to account for more than just age--which is a lousy metric as far as I am concerned. 

For example...

Age-Related Eye Makeup Myths...

• No More Shimmery Eyeshadow: Shimmer isn’t off-limits—it’s about placement, which is different depending on a combination of first, eye shape, with the second consideration being skin-texture. In. that. order. Features first, "age," second.  

• No More Bottom Eyeliner: Don’t ditch it if it flatters your eye shape! Soft, smudged liner can enhance your eyes beautifully without harsh lines; it's more about avoiding being "bottom-heavy" which is very different than bare-bottom's being an age requirement. 

The Toughie: Aging with Hooded Lids

You really need a post of your own...Listen, I will be completely honest and admit that, yes, it's a hard knock life for you. It's true. If this is you, point-blank, stop doing top eyeliner unless you can do it in the upper tight-line (waterline) or have major control and can keep it thin as you get to the inner eye. Lashes are your best friend. I will also add, if you are not willing to add dimension with your shadow colors, you should probably not bother at all because you could very well be doing more harm than good by only doing one light color. 

Discover a Routine Tailored to You

If your makeup routine feels outdated, let’s refresh it. Skip the generic tips—let’s design a look that highlights your unique beauty with a customized one-on-one makeup lesson with one of our artists (you'll especially want this if you feel icky with too much moisture/glow on the skin or you struggle with eye-makeup as you deal with hooded lids getting worse over time.).

Book a Consultation Today to create a makeup routine that’s distinctly you.