If you haven't really updated your make up routine since you bought your first treasured Revlon lipstick in Fire & Ice circa 1995 you're not alone.
Hawkswell recommends flattering creamy eyeshadows and switching to brown eyeliner.Credit:Alamy
In a recent article for US Vogue actress and writer Lena Dunham wrote of "chaperoning" 16 year-old Iris Apatow, daughter of producer Judd Apatow and actor Leslie Mann on a trip to London and learning a lot of lessons about beauty, "glow ups"(Urban Dictionary defines a glow up as an incredible transformation) and rediscovering your life-force. In it she admitted to not really adding anything to her beauty routine in over a decade.
"My makeup routine has also aged. It feels like yesterday that I visited Sephora for my first NARS Orgasm—a blush so popular that even Christian grannies don’t mind asking for it by name—and a woman at the MAC counter at Bloomingdale’s showed me how to pat my under-eyes with bone-white concealer. But it wasn’t yesterday; it was 15 years ago. All that I’ve added to my routine is the application of a brown powder along my wispy hairline, if I have time," she wrote.
Thing is though, you should consider switching up your makeup routine. As you age your requirements of a beauty product can change. Skin tends to become dryer, eyebrows thin, things … droop as skin loses elasticity and collagen. Your go-to smokey eye with lashings of black eyeliner of your 20s might not be as flattering in your 50s. But if you still want to rock-it? By all means, go for it.
Makeup artist Mia Hawkswell suggests women make a subtle change to their makeup routines every five years or so.
"As we age, we experience subtle changes – therefore it’s less overwhelming if we make adjustments gradually as well. It’s common to start noticing changes in our late 30s early 40s – skin texture and loss of collagen starts to become noticeable which creates shadows and droopy areas. So makeup becomes more corrective," she says.
Common mistakes women make with make up is things like applying shimmer from lash line to brow bone which, when skin texture changes, this can serve to highlight loss of elasticity rather than be the high voltage glamour you're going for. Hawkswell says heavy black eyeliner on the bottom lash line and under the eyes can also draw focus to dark circles under the eye.
If you're looking to switch up your routine Hawkswell suggests starting with your foundation. Look for hydrating foundations rather than matte or powdery ones. Some good options include Giorgio Armani Maestro Glow and NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. If you can swing the dollars, La Prairie’s Skin Caviar Essence in Foundation (infused with caviar!) is worth it. You could also try a CC cream that also offers good coverage such as the cult It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC cream.
Hawkswell also suggest swapping black eyeliner for brown or a coppery brown which is a little softer but still offers definition, replacing shimmery eyeshadows for matte or satin finish ones and only using a tiny bit of highlighter rather than using it all over.
Janet Muggivan, founder and CEO of Beauty Dossier, a subscription series of how-to videos on makeup and skincare for the "ageless" customer agrees that making some switches in your makeup products and technique as you age will help create more flattering looks and boost confidence.
Her advice is to introduce a skin primer (try one like Benefit Stay Flawless 15 Hour Primer) into your routine if you're not already using one to help correct the skin. It will also help make your foundation and eyeshadow (yep you can use on your eyelids) last longer.
Muggivan also advises learning how to apply undereye concealer properly, just in the inner eye or just under, not all the way under and choosing creamy lipsticks in neutral colours rather than frosted shades which can make lips look drier and thinner.
Ultimately Muggivan encourages women to be open to experimenting, trying new things and seeking out the advice of experts such as the staff at the makeup counter.
"We need to update products from time to time. Experiment! Use the stores and all their amazing beauty advisors to show you different products and different looks. It's meant to be fun," she says.
What to buy this Thursday
Your weekly recommendation for a late-night shopping trip …
Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Sheer Dry Shampoo
Like many women my age, women before my time, women everywhere, I am juggling motherhood and work. Like many women this leaves little time for self-care, let alone washing my hair. Dry shampoo then is my saviour. Yes, you shouldn't use it too much as the build-up can irritate your scalp and weaken your hair (looking after your scalp is crucial for hair health!). But still, find a good one and you'll give it a little kiss on every second/third day of not washing your hair. This one from Alterna is a powder form and doesn't have any parabens or sulfates. It's lightweight, doesn't leave hair crunchy and I carry the small 34 gram bottle in my handbag. $39.50. ozhairandbeauty.com.au
Skin Deep, our weekly beauty column, is not sponsored. All product recommendations are genuine endorsements.
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