As I mentioned before there are tons of makeup ideas around, but not every one is the right one for every age. It is all well and nice to have tutorials made by young women in their 20s and 30s, but you will realise that when you start hitting 35, your skin and your facial features start to change and so should the way you think your makeup.

Eyeshadows

In my previous posts, I have talked about Clinique as a marvellous brand for skin care and also for foundations. Personally I find their products to be incredibly good, but when it comes to makeup, they are not the best makeup ideas. Their eyeshadows are average for results because the colours need to be applied more than one time for the colour to be seen on your eyelids. This to me is frustrating because it is a waste of my time. If I want to produce a strong result, I need to know that a dark brown or a black are true dark browns or blacks that are seen on my skin when applied.
As a general advice, highly pigmented eyeshadows are advisable for optimal results. Their colours are vibrant and they tend to stay in place for longer, while eyeshadows that are not highly pigmented look blah. They are barely seen no matter how many times you apply them.

1. Colours

Great makeup ideas for mature skins are to use few basic colours. As the colour needs to complement the individual’s complexion, the basic ones that agree with practically every skin are all shades of brown (earthy colours), grey/silver and darker for edgier looks.
Makeup ideas to avoid completely are pink colours that can make your eyes look weird and very tired.
Any other colours for me is a big no no in any case, no matter what the eye colour or the complexions are, and this is what we instruct every single makeup artist that come to our studio to work with us. I am perfectly aware that for a professional makeup artist can be quite boring to be limited to a lighter or darker tone of smokey eyes, but this is a great option that is pretty on everyone of us and therefore is a winning formula that 99% of our clients want for themselves. And I totally am with them.
Great pigments at a very little price are Kiko eyeshadows. Lovely selection, beautiful colours and a lot of choice. Highly recommended.

2. Matte vs Shimmery

For mature skins it is definitively advisable to use exclusively matte eyeshadows to avoid the shimmer to get into the creases of fine lines on eyelids and wrinkles and accentuate them. The shimmer reflects the light and highlights the little flaws you want to correct with makeup.

In photography, for example, this is immediately noticeable and therefore not advisable to use when photographing mature women. Even for more younger gals the use of shimmery eyeshadows can be tricky when using natural light to lit the subject. Sidelight in particular creates a weird effect with shimmery eyeshadow. It happens that having one eye in shadow whilst the other eye that is more lit, the makeup for one eye will be visible, while the other will be completely washed out. The end result is the punch in the face look that is not at all flattering.
In general, some shimmer can be used on the bottom lid to highlight the eyes, however it is better to avoid on the upper eyelid.

3. Blending

Very important for a good makeup look, and especially when dealing with dark smoky eyes. If the eyeshadow is not blended properly, you can definitively notice it and it looks awful. It is especially tricky when the skin ages, and it is not plump and smooth anymore. For this reason, choosing soft browns can help a lot.

Another thing is that there is very little point in colouring the eyelid, but it is better to colour the space between the eyelid and the eyebrow. The reason is that with age that part tend to fold and drags down the actual eyelid, therefore when the eyes are open, very little of the eyelids can be seen. Applying makeup there means not seeing any makeup at all. Have a go at the mirror and you will see that you will obtain much more just applying the eyeshadow on the outer space.

Eyeliners

Eyeliners are wonderful makeup ideas that I personally love and use every day. Eyeliners are great tools to give definition and shape to the eyes and I always ask my makeup artists to use it on our clients.

A word of caution here for liquid eyeliners. Depending on the condition of the skin of the eyelid, it may be a good idea to use an eye pencil or even a fine brush and a dark eyeshadow. The reason is that the the skin tends to sag because is less smooth, a line that is not straight is quite noticeable to an expert eye and can look unflattering and untidy. You need to blend it with your fingers or cover it with eyeshadows to make it look softer and smoother. Liquid eyeliners do not forgive mistakes…
The important thing is to counterbalance gravity and the tendency of the eyelids of going downwards. We need to give the eyes a lift without the use of surgery and eyeliners are the best to give a younger shape to the eyes. Avoid following the shape of your eyes, but flick slightly the liner upwards and make sure to fill the gap between the eyelids and the line.

False eyelashes and mascara

This is my favourite part because I find long eyelashes to be super sexy.
I have tried I do not know how many different mascaras, and they almost all let me down.
I tried expensive brands like YSL as well as more commercial ones like Max Factor, Rimmel and L’Oreal, but I have never found one that is not clumping. Not even Clinique has the right one for me. The only one that my heart starts to sing when I talk about it, is a mascara from Kiko, which is the Ultratech Mascara, and it is amazing. I have already bought 4 of them and they are all marvellous. I am not sure what and how they do it, but I have not had a single case of clumping. Even after months of use, they are always perfect. They curve my lashes, separate them, and colour as a mascara should do. The best piece of makeup I have ever possessed. Ever.

After getting all excited about mascaras, my second favourite makeup idea is false eyelashes. My choice goes to individual lashes because they look natural and give you the freedom to add volume or length only where needed.
Strip lashes look terribly fake instead. The problem with strip lashes is also that if they are very heavy, they are difficult to wear and they cast an unflattering shadow on your eyes and under eyes, making you look tired instead of fresh. And in any case to me it does not look as a stylish choice to be completely frank.

Let me know if there is anything in particular you want to know about makeup ideas for mature women by leaving a comment below, and I will do my best to fill you in the next blog posts.