It’s undeniable that there is a different set of makeup rules that apply to women in their twenties as opposed to those of us in our sixties (or older). But when applying our daily makeup, we all know that old habits can die hard. 

It can be difficult to remember that as we age, so must our makeup routines! After all, our twenties weren’t that long ago!

In an effort to help promote and encourage positive ageing, we’re joined today by celebrity makeup artist, Ariane Pool. She’s here to remind us that using makeup application techniques from our younger years will not actually work to make us look younger.

In fact, using makeup techniques from our twenties may cause us to look older. And Ariane is going to show us just how much older these younger makeup techniques can make us look.

Let’s watch!

Mistake #1: Too Much Coverage

Ariane explains that for women of the Sixty and Me community, applying too heavy of foundation, concealer, and powder can actually age you quite a bit. She demonstrates by applying a quality foundation that may be more appropriate for a younger demographic, as well as her own personal concealer palette, to half of her face.

When we are younger, we aim to achieve a more mature look. This is accomplished by applying a thicker foundation, heavier concealer, and a layer of powder. And while it looks artistic and lovely on a younger face, it doesn’t appear terribly natural on slightly older skin.

Go for a more natural base and try skipping the powder altogether.

Mistake #2: Incorrectly Made-Up Eyes

When it comes to your eyes, there is a lot to consider – the brows, the liner, the shadow. Many women believe that anyone over the age of 40 should be wearing matte eyeshadow.

Ariane reminds us that this isn’t necessarily true. While no one should go for a fully-frosted shadow, a bit of shimmer works well on slightly older women. And remember to avoid heavily shadowing the arch. This can give the illusion of a droopy eye on older women.

Another issue is that many women forget about their brows entirely. Don’t forget to shape and fill in your brows – they work to frame your entire face!

Lastly, many women either forget eyeliner altogether or apply it right down to the edge of their eyes. This is a big no-no for women of a slightly older age. Keep eyeliner application subtle and natural.

Mistake #3: Blush

There are a variety of issues that older women face when it comes to blush. Some forget to apply it altogether. Others choose too neutral of a color and apply it incorrectly.

Applying blush too high on the cheekbone can create a jowly effect.

Mistake #4: Incorrect Lip-Color

Surprisingly, lip color can actually have a big impact on the appearance of your jowls and the overall definition of your face. Many women choose colors that are too beige-y because they’re afraid of lips looking too harsh or bold.

Aim for a happy medium – not too neutral and not too harsh – when it comes to your lip color.

Mistake #5: Brow Shimmer

A very common piece of makeup advice is to apply shimmer directly beneath the browbone. But for older women, this does us no favors!

Shimmer under the browbone only brings the brow bone forward and sinks our eyes back. Since our eyes naturally sink in as we age, it’s not a good idea to accentuate this feature.

Keep It Natural

Ariane reminds us with her half and half face that while everyone has her personal preference when it comes to makeup, in general, a more natural makeup application is best suited for older women.

With tons of amazing products available, it really comes down to your application technique in terms of achieving a natural and flattering appearance.

Have you implemented any of the techniques Ariane mentioned? Do you think she is right and a more natural look would be better? How have you changed your makeup application through the years? Please join the conversation in the comments below.