If there was ever a makeup dilemma that can make us scream out loud it’s crepey eyelids. Having had my share of meltdowns while applying eyeshadow to dry, crepey lids, I have some valuable ideas to navigate this problem.

Applying eyeshadow to a crepey lid can be frustrating; however, there are some easy solutions that start by taking care of your inner and external health.

I also have some tricks with makeup that will make it much easier to manage. That being said, here are my top four suggestions to navigating crepey eyelids like a savvy senior.

Treat Dryness and Improve Health

What causes crepey skin? Our skin becomes more crepey with the collagen loss that comes with age. It is also enhanced by dehydrated and nutrient deprived skin and poor health. In order to improve crepey skin, I recommend taking care of both your inner and outer health with hydration and nutrients.

For example, taking essential fatty acids like Omega 3 and 6 makes a huge difference in the smoothness and suppleness of your skin. So does drinking plenty of spring water and taking supplements that strengthen your immune system and overall physical health.

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The more nutrient dense foods, skin care, and vitamins that you take, the greater improvement in skin elasticity and plumpness you will find. Having said that, each body is unique in its needs, and it’s up to all of us to develop a self-care strategy that benefits our well-being to the highest degree.

As far as skin care goes, I’d recommend getting an excellent serum. Serum is like a powerful multivitamin for the face! If you’re going to spend money on a single product, then I suggest buying an effective serum and using it all over your face and around your eyes if the product allows.

I use Transdermal C Serum by Truth Treatments, and it’s helped me enormously.

Or, if you like eye cream, try Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Eye Cream and tap it all around your eye one to two times a day.

Very Little Makeup on the Eyelid

As you work on your health and use your serum, you’ll notice a definite change in your skin texture. As your skin improves, you can use more makeup products on the lid, but in general, keep products like concealer, foundation, eye base, and powder off the lid area.

When you put products on crepey eyelids, they tend to look garish and not settle into the skin as they normally would. As your skin improves, though, you should be able to use all of the above items without difficulty.

Speaking as a professional makeup artist, I generally use foundation on the lid to even out the skin, and I use an eye base on oily lids to keep the powder eye shadows from creasing.

Urban Decay Cosmetics Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion

On my own lids, I use concealer to help cover my hyperpigmentation, but I don’t have oily lids so it doesn’t crease up. A word of advice: keep powder and powder foundation off dry skin as much as possible as it tends to set in those fine lines.

Avoid Shimmer Shadows

I love a little shimmer in my life. I love it on my jewelry and in my eyeshadows! Trouble is, when my skin, or anyone’s skin, is dry or dehydrated, shimmer can look gaudy and flaky. My advice in this instance is to either forego using frosted and shimmery shadows for the time being or to use them sparingly.

For a wonderful matte eyeshadow palette try Jane Iredale’s Daytime Eyeshadow Palette.

To apply shimmer strategically, using your ring finger, dab a little iridescent shadow right in the center of your lid, avoiding the crepey bits as much as possible. That way you get a little glamour without looking overly made up.

Focus on Liner

If you have crepey, hooded, or small lids, I suggest focusing on eye liner rather than eyeshadow. It takes practice but learning how to apply eyeliner can change your entire look and make you feel like a rock star. And who doesn’t want that?

For a detailed tutorial on how to apply eye liner, click here. If you’re looking for guidance on hooded lids, then watch my video on how to make hooded eyes pop.

In short, apply liner mainly to the upper eye as opposed to under the eye, and blend well to remove any sharp lines. Also, chose a complementary eyeliner shade that enhances your eye color.

For example, blue-eyes come alive with blue-gray, lavender, or warm browns. Do you have green eyes? Try grape, bronze, or purple liner. For you brown-eyed beauties, go for charcoal, green, navy, or black for darker skin tones.

SEPHORA COLLECTION 12 Hour Contour Pencil Eyeliner

Hopefully, you’re not like me having meltdowns over crepey eyelids. As I’ve aged, self-care has taken a higher priority, and I’ve noticed a definite improvement not only in my skin, but in my love and acceptance of my body.

Our skin can bounce back from dryness and crepey-ness, and there are fabulous ways for a savvy senior to apply makeup on crepey lids. I’d love to hear from you and any thoughts, suggestions, or questions you might have.

What do you do for your crepey lids? What has helped improve your skin? Please share in the comments below!