Our skin has changed just a bit since we were in our 20s and 30s, so those beautiful makeup looks we saw in Seventeen Magazine or Glamour may not be our best looks at this point in our lives.

As a professional, working makeup artist, who specializes in helping those of us over 50 look like the very best version of ourselves, I love sharing makeup techniques that work the best for us now.

So, today we’ll cover eight makeup techniques that can make a huge difference in how beautiful we can look in our 50s and beyond.

How-To Techniques for Gorgeous Eyes

I think we’d all agree that when we’re looking at someone’s face, one of the first things we’re drawn to is that person’s eyes. So, let’s start there.

Mix Warms and Cools in Eye Shadow

Though using all cool colors or all warm colors in eye shadow can be lovely, by combining warms and cools, we can draw even more attention to our eyes and add more interest to our entire eye area. Check out the video above for a demonstration.

Use a Color Gradient

The second technique focuses on how to create a gradient of color from our crease to our eyebrow area going from darker color in the crease to lighter color toward the brow.

One easy way to create this gradient is to start out with a light shadow and put it in the crease. After depositing most of the color in the crease, take the small amount of product that’s left on the brush and apply it above the crease to create this gradient of color that gets lighter as the color moves toward the eyebrow.

Then deposit a slightly darker mid-tone color in the crease, blend it thoroughly and only carry that color slightly above the crease.

Use Eye Shadow as Eyeliner

When we use eye shadow as eyeliner, we’re creating a softer, more natural look. It still adds wonderful emphasis and delineation to our eyes, but it’s not quite as strong or harsh a look as a heavily defined line across our eyelid area.

Another benefit is that it’s far easier to apply because we don’t need to go for perfection. Just apply the eye shadow as close to the lash line as possible with an angled or flat top brush. Then use the brush, an eyeliner pencil “smudger,” or Q-tip to gently blend out the shadow to create a gorgeous, soft look.

Now, of course there will be times when we want our eyeliner to look stronger, but for a natural, everyday look, eye shadow as eyeliner looks lovely.

Ensure That Our Eye Makeup Looks Flawless

When we’ve completed our eye shadow and eyeliner, it’s extremely helpful to look in the mirror and tilt our head back. This allows us to see our entire eye area – from the brow, down to the lid, and to the lashes – so we can quickly and easily assess whether there’s a spot we need to blend out more thoroughly.

We may want to take a brush with no product on it to do some more blending, or we may want to use a color close to our skin tone to soften the look. Blending – and then more blending – is definitely the secret to a gorgeous eye shadow look.

Be sure to check out Elise’s YouTube channel which specifically focuses on makeup tips, techniques, and product reviews for those of us 50+. Don’t forget to subscribe!

Curl Our Eyelashes

I know an eyelash curler can be an intimidating tool. However, curling our lashes makes a huge difference in definition, length, and fullness. The secret to getting the very best curl is to start at the very bottom of your lashes with the curler.

Once you have the lashes in the curler, raise your arm holding the curler so your elbow is parallel with your body at about eye height. This will give you the very best curl.

Hold the curler in this position for five seconds and then “walk” the curler up slightly higher and hold for another five seconds. Continue this “stair stepping” process until reaching the end of the lashes.

How to Foolproof Your Blush Application

I’m a huge fan of cream blush products because I feel they work so beautifully on older skin. Cream blush blends in without looking splotchy as powder blush sometimes does. And there’s a technique we can use to apply cream blush which not only makes the application easier, but which adds more moisture to our skin while also creating more glow.

We can simply put some moisturizer on the back of our non-dominant hand, and then put some cream blush next to it. Then mix in just a tiny bit of moisturizer into the cream blush and apply it with fingertips or a brush. It will glide on effortlessly, and it will also blend in so easily.

And the added bonus, as I mentioned, is that this technique adds more moisture to the skin while creating more glow. You can’t go wrong with that!

How to Create an Overall Flawless Look

Technique number 7 is all about how to create an overall flawless look to our face with our foundation and blush. It also helps if we use contour or highlighter.

The secret here is to use a buffing brush and/or a makeup sponge to go over our foundation and the edges of any blush, contour, or highlighter that we’ve applied. This technique ensures that everything blends in seamlessly together, so we don’t see lines where our blush, contour, or highlighter begins or ends.

How to Still Look Great at the End of the Day

My last tip pertains to the final makeup step we can take to ensure our makeup looks as good at the end of the day as when we first applied it. Of course, we do that by using setting spray.

We can either spray it directly on our face with our eyes closed, or we can spray some onto a dampened sponge and then press that onto our face. Even if we choose the former option, we may also still want to take a dampened sponge to gently pat the spray onto our makeup.

Have you tried any of these techniques? If so, did you find them helpful? What makeup techniques do you use that have worked especially well for you? Please share in the comment below.