Hot and Helpful Make-up Tips for Women Over Fifty
Judith Marshall is definitely feeling her oats on the Feisty Side of Fifty. In fact, these days her motto is: “Live long and pester!”
As the author of Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever, she writes with skill and wit of the deep and lasting bonds of female friendship. And, true to her theme, on her website Judith encourages her fellow writers by sharing her tips on: honing your craft, marketing your work, and networking with fellow writers and authors. Be certain to check out her informative and helpful site and take a look at her remarkable book—it’s a great read for any mature woman who treasures her friends.
As a young woman, Judith lived the life that many of us dreamed of: she was a model! So, again true to her belief in supporting her fellow females, Judith is sharing her make-up tips for those of us who celebrated our half-century birthday a while back. Just because we now find ourselves inhaling huge quantities of air to blow out all of those candles, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look great doing it!
So here are some of Judith’s must-try make-up techniques in her own words:
“Has your look expired? Are you still following the same make-up regime you did when you where 35? Or 40? Wake-up, girlfriend. The Big Five-Oh decade and beyond means it’s time for a make-up makeover. So put down your black eye liner and pay attention.
As we age, we have to be more specific about the colors and textures of make-up we use. So let’s start from the beginning…
Face: Don’t use a heavy foundation and beware of mineral make-up (it can settle in cracks and creases and make you look drier than the Mojave). Try liquid foundation mixed with moisturizer. Apply it with a flat foundation brush and then pat it in with a sponge (don’t rub or you’ll wipe it off.) If you have dark circles or puffiness under your eyes, dab on a tiny (and I mean tiny) amount of concealer with your ring finger after you’ve applied your foundation. I like Effacernes Waterproof Undereye Concealer by Lancome, but any lightweight product will do. If you use powder to set your make-up, do so sparingly and use a translucent powder. A little bronzer can be nice in the summer, but again, use sparingly only on forehead, cheeks, and chin.
Blush: Although they can give you a more dewy look, I find cream blushes hard to control. I prefer powder in a peachy or pink tone. I like Orgasm by Nars. The key is where to apply it. Here’s the trick. Smile and apply blush on the apples of your cheeks, then sweep your brush up and out toward your temple, as if drawing the number 6.
Eyebrows: As we age, eyebrows become sparse. You sometimes loose the tails completely. Use a pencil rather than powder, which can be too harsh. Make sure the pencil is sharpened to a point and use short, feather strokes to fill in your brows.
Eyes: Even if your eyelids have more folds than an Origami swan, covering your lids with a pale peach or pink shadow opens the eye. (Rule: light bring out, dark takes away.) Forget about a deeper color in the crease (if you can even find the crease). Those days are gone. Next comes eyeliner. Yes, you can still wear it. But choose a softer color — brown or charcoal. My new favorite is navy. It looks good with any eye color and makes the whites of your eyes pop. Use a powder or pencil, liquid is too hard to control. Keep the line close to your upper lashes, and extend it a smidge (no Cleopatra eyes, please) beyond-and-up from the outer lid to create an uplift. Smudge it with a Q-tip, curl your lashes, and apply mascara.
Lips: By age 50+, your lips tend to be dry and perhaps flaky. Prep them with a lip balm or primer, then before applying lipstick, line them with a nude lip pencil or one that matches your selected shade. Avoid anything darker – the 80s are gone. If you have a problem with feathering, there are lots of lipsticks and stains targeted for this. Remember, darker shades exaggerate little lines and flakes and can make your mouth look smaller.
One last tip: Don’t spend a lot of money on color. Save it for your skin care or perhaps even a facelift!”
Thank you, Judith!
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May 17th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
I’m glad I found your website. I have had quite a few questions about my changing body etc. so found some good information. I agree with most of your makeup hints except the eye liner. I have spent years trying to find a liner pencil that would work on my loose eyelid skin. I cannot tell you how much I have spent. I found the best was really Lauren Hutten’s eye shadow pencil. I use it as a liner and it comes in gray/lavender pencil. It is creamy enough to flow over the crepe of my eyes. I also use the liquid eye liner still but lightened it up to a charcoal to dark brown, using a thin line, I do have to be careful with the under eye. My eyes seem to tear more so have to make sure I get close but not too close to the edge of the eye. I do use a good moisturizer with a creamy foundation. I have been playing with shadowing though and found that a bronzer around the edges of my face close to the hair line, allow for depth and distract from the width and hide my joules. I then highlight to bring out the check bones and eyes.
May 8th, 2010 at 5:43 am
I have been doing my makeup as you mention and am looking good and getting all kinds of compliments, so Thanks!
April 25th, 2010 at 11:30 am
I AGREE WITH ALL YOUR ADVICE, BUT,PINK AND PEACH ON LIDS CAN MAKE EYES SEEM SWOLLEN OR BRUSED. THAT IS WHAT i HAVE READ.
April 25th, 2010 at 10:56 am
I will try these make up tips and we will see if it will improve. I hope it will help me to finally find a great boyfriend and make more friends.
March 12th, 2010 at 10:58 am
I couldn’t agree more on the importance of skincare and spending your cash on that rather than on colour. But my heart is sold mineral makeup. With a good moisturiser underneath, it is still my favourite makeup because it is light, works well on sensitive skin, and doesn’t cause or contribute to age-related flushed cheeks!!
March 11th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
That one tip about using a darker color in the eye crease is one I’ll be adding to my make-up kit – I’ve always used a darker shade there but will no longer! Tell Judith thanks!
I have always used shades of mauves or pinks on my eyelids anyway – they work well with my coloring but the burgundy in the crease is going bye bye!
Good tips!
March 10th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Whew! I am so thankful that a minimalist approach is ‘in’. Thanks gals for the info……just pare it down and you’ve got cougar glam!
March 10th, 2010 at 10:24 am
So glad to hear you are finding my tips helpful. And yes, Magnolia, never buy makeup from a twenty-year-old. I’m very lucky to have a makeup artist in his 50s (one of the top artists in San Francisco)whom I trust implicitly. He modifies whatever the current trend is for my age. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, I’ll hook you up!
March 9th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Hey Judith,
Wonderful post and great advice on the makeup. I just bought some hypoalergenic eye makeup yesterday as it seems allergies and dry eyes are attacking me lately. It seems to help. I agree with your makeup choices, although I often use lipstick as blush when in a rush and it matches my lips. Thanks for an interesting post and good advice.
Micki Peluso
March 9th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
These are exactly the tips I’ve been looking for about make-up! They are so perfect, I printed them out and am taking them shopping with me for new foundation, lip liner, etc. Bless you, Eileen, for your incredibly practical blog and for your little (actually BIG) part in Keeping America Beautiful. Considering the percentage of the population we feisty-fifty-plus gals “make up,” you’ve made a significant contribution to the view out there, LOL! I can’t wait to see my new look.
March 9th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
You know, I’m so glad to hear this. About 10 years ago I began to notice that what worked in my 30′s was NOT working in my 40′s and beyond. My skin tone was changing. Hair color was changing. I looked horrible in those dark browns, bronzes and taupes that used to make my face glow and shine. Now, I looked like dracula’s daughter!
I mentioned this to a young girl (probably 20′s) at a make-up counter and that I felt I need to change my color palette. She stared blankly at me and shook her head “NO”. HUH???? Nevah, Nevah, again will I buy make-up from a 20-something.