Every age has its own beauty. These tips are about making the most of your beauty and keeping up with the latest make-up trends. How you did your makeup 10 years ago will definitely not look right now!
First and most important…….
ROUTINE. ROUTINE. ROUTINE.
Over 50s tend to lose colour from their complexion and this leads to loss of definition leaving a flat, bland appearance that seems to fade into hair and eyes . Work on your skin with a good beauty regime. Have regular facials and a peel once in a while. Look after your skin with a good cleansing, exfoliating, moisturising and treatment routine. Your skin will glow with health and your makeup will slide on effortlessly . Otherwise it’ll be like spreading Marmite on dry toast……
SPF
You should wear SPF every day, particularly if you live somewhere hot such as Spain. There are two in the Glo Therapeutics range and the Oil Free SPF 40 is particularly good for the face as it doesn’t leave you greasy and shiny. Apply your SPF after your moisturiser and before any foundation, if you are wearing one. One application in the morning under your makeup should be sufficient unless you are swimming.
BRUSHES – get some
Buy yourself a good set of make-up brushes. You need at least six. Including foundation brush, powder brush, blusher and contouring brush , a couple of eyeshadow brushes and a lip brush. Shampoo them regularly, using a little conditioner and they will stay soft.
FOUNDATION
Always moisturise before applying foundation. This will temporarily plump the skin. Wait a few minutes after you have applied your moisturiser and sunscreen and pat dry with a clean tissue before applying your makeup or it will all slide off. Especially in Spain in the summer!
Use a makeup primer first. This will help the foundation to go on smoothly and feel like silk. And if you have mature skin, go for a lightweight liquid foundation. Dewy skin is what you’re aiming for, not floury, caked skin. You don´t want to end up looking like a marshmallow!
In the Glo range we do a Sheer Tint Base, which is perfect for the summer, and a slightly heavier Protective Liquid Foundation which is ideal for the winter and also for summer evenings. Make sure that you’re using the right shade for you and get an expert to help you choose.
Use a small brush to apply foundation to the problem areas first – dark under-eye circles, hyper pigmentation, broken capillaries, we’ve all got them. Use the back of your hand as a palette. Put a small amount of foundation on your hand and work from there. Cover problem areas first with a small brush and then use a larger foundation brush to blend the rest of the foundation up to the hairline and down to the neck. Blend in a few small dots of concealer under the eyes and into the inner corners. A very good concealer and highlighter all in one is Dior Touch Eclat!
BLUSHER
Blusher will add contour and a healthy glow to your skin. Use a mineral powder or cream blusher and subtly apply after your foundation just on the apples of your cheeks . Not too much! A good tip when buying blusher – look at the tips of your fingers, the little pads. This is the colour of blusher you will need for your skin.
POWDER
Don’t use powder unless it’s a mineral one. Old fashioned powder can make your skin look dry. With mineral powder you can use it with or without foundation. The Glo Pressed Base is great. Its light and goes on smoothly for a flawless finish. And you can layer it if you need to. Use a soft fluffy round brush and apply in circular motions. With mineral make up you can layer it if you want more coverage.
EYES
To make your eyes stand out, use whitening eyedrops. You can buy them in any Farmacia. As for eye shadow, you don’t have to use it. A little Touche Eclat on the lids and under-eye area and a dusting of powder is sometimes all you will need. If you want a little more, always use mineral powder shadows in natural shades of cream, beige, fawn and brown. Gold, bronze and pewter are great for evenings, but go easy because metallics on wrinkly skin tend to be aging. And silver only really works on brown eyes and darker complexions unless you’re 16 …..
If you want to use colours never try to match your eye shadow to your outfit. This technique went out with the ark. The only colours that will look good on you are ones that will flatter your skin tone not the colour of your jumper! Go for the opposite end of the colour spectrum . For example, if you have blue eyes, use browns and pinky beige shades. If you have brown eyes, use greys and subtle shades of blue or purple. If you have green eyes, purple and aubergine look great. Apply with a good brush using darker colours from the centre of the eyelid outwards to the outer edges and lighter shades in the inner lid area, subtly building and blending as you go.
For lining the eyes, use Kohl pencil rather than eyeliner which is too heavy on older eyes. Black can also be too much for older ladies. Go for dark grey or twilight blue, olive or brown. Use a smudger and keep it soft and subtle for daytime but a little darker for evening, and when applying kohl don’t use it on the inner lids if your eyes are small as it will make them look even smaller. Glo Precision eye pencil is perfect and smudges beautifully and it also comes in a great range of colours.
Mascara is always good. Use several layers for maximum effect but don’t let it clog. Lash lengthening and volume mascaras are best. And use eyelash curlers to make your lashes appear longer. Try to avoid waterproof mascara. It’s difficult to get off and you can drag your skin in the process. If you’re planning going for a swim use colourless mascara – we do a good one in the Glo range called Colourless Lash Thickener and Conditioner. It will define your lashes without adding colour so you won’t emerge from the pool looking like a Goth.
LIPS
Lip liner can look old fashioned if it’s a different shade to your lipstick. So always try to match ypur liner with your lipstick. Use Touch Éclat around the lips. It will enhance them and stop your lippy from bleeding. When using lip gloss don’t buy one that’s too glossy. For older ladies, a subtle sheen is best . Daytimes, go for natural colours, corals, browny pinks, nudes. Steer clear of anything with a bluey tinge. And very pale lips are for teenagers not grannies! You don’t want to look like a corpse just yet! Be confident using red. There are many shades and you will find one to suit your colouring. Use it in the evenings with a little black dress, but not glossy! Thats just too much! And if you wear bright red lipstick, make sure everything else is understated – not too much eye makeup or blusher.
Always make the most of your brows as they frame your face. Have them professionally shaped regularly and if you have very sparce eyebrows don’t draw a heavy line in a dark pencil. A few gentle strokes with a sharp pencil in light brown is best. Using the pencil take an imaginary line from the inner corner of your eyes straight up. Your eyebrowns should start here. And if you have sparce eyebrows you can make them look thicker by spritzing a clean mascara brush with hairspray and using that to brush your brows upwards and outwards.
Remember, use the following with care …….. sparkles, shimmers, frosted lipstick, metallic eye shadows or high shine lip gloss. And NEVER TOGETHER unless you’re in the local pantomime!
Drink lots of water. Eat lots of fruit. Get plenty of exercise and sleep. Take Vitamins A and E for your skin, hair and nails. And remember, a smile will instantly lift your face and make you look ten years younger!