How to Choose the Best Makeup Products for Your Skin

After I joined the 50+ group, I noticed one day (seemingly out of the blue) that my makeup wasn’t cutting it anymore. My foundation looked cakey and grabbed onto my previously oily skin, my eyeliner ran, and my shadow didn’t last and didn’t blend well.

At first, I blamed it on my changing skin. Menopause. Aging. And then I realized, it wasn’t me, it was the makeup products I was using. (You know, the ones for 25-year-olds?) If you’ve experienced something similar, you just need to learn how to choose the best makeup products for your skin. Not the skin you used to have.

Wearing the right makeup products can help you love what you see in the mirror. And makeup is a great tool to help build or keep your confidence as you pass 50, 60 70, or 80!

Prioritize Hydrating Formulas

First things first, you need to address that your skin is NOT the same as it was in your 20s. Or even your 40s. After menopause, our skin tends to become drier and less elastic. We have lines, dark circles, and texture issues we want to disguise, but without looking like a crepey mess. So, start by making sure you are moisturizing well before you start any makeup. Check out my list of best moisturizers for mature skin for suggestions and the products I use.

What to look for in foundation, concealers, and primers?

• Look for labeling with terms like hydrating, dewy or moisturizing.
• Hyaluronic acid – This is my top ingredient for aging skin. It attracts 1000 times its weight in water, helping to plump up lines and wrinkles and keeping the skin barrier healthy.
• Avoid matte anything. Such products are drying by nature, and some of them even absorb oils out of your skin. Not what we need at this stage of life!

Foundation – Opt for Lightweight Coverage

I know, I get it. You want to cover what you see on your face as imperfections. Your lines, your veins, your sun damage. But as we age, we have to find a balance. Your skin will look much healthier and more youthful (despite any lines) if you use lightweight products. Heavy coverage tends to grab and look cakey. Those products settle into wrinkles and actually make them more obvious, not less. Translated, not fresh and youthful.

So, what to choose?

• Choose CC creams, tinted moisturizers, or lightweight foundations to create an airbrushed look. You can check out my picks for the best foundations for mature skin and see which ones I love!
• Use a damp beauty sponge to apply your foundation. You will get a more natural, airbrushed look rather than applying it with your fingers. You can always add another light layer to areas that need a bit more coverage.

Choose Neutral and Soft Tones for Eyes

When choosing makeup for your eyes, think subtle. I know many beauty experts recommend cream shadow for dry, aging skin, but I disagree. Cream shadow tends to crease by day’s end. Not a good look. It also isn’t very blendable, and aging eyes more than others could benefit from some easy shading to help hide a hooded lid. That is way easier with a quality powder eyeshadow.

Yes

• Matte or satin shadows in soft browns, taupes, and warm neutrals.
• Use shadow as eyeliner for a softer look.
• Subtle shimmer is great on the lid for making the eye look bigger.

No

• Cream shadows that don’t blend.
• Harsh liquid eyeliner.
• Black eyeliner.
• Cheap or loose eyeshadows that drop powder all over your face and onto your lines.

Pick Products That Enhance, Not Mask

This goes back to what I mentioned about choosing lightweight foundation, but it applies to all your makeup products.

• Choose concealer made for women in our age group and apply with a light hand.
• Don’t wear dark lipstick. Choose fresh colors with a bit of shine or gloss.
• Wear quality mascara that lengthens your lashes but does not leave clumps. (No one looks good with spider eyes!)
• Apply neutral blush for a subtle lift, no more dark blush in the hollows of your cheeks from 1985.

Focus on Skincare-Infused Makeup

The more makeup products you layer on your skin, the bigger the chance that you will get a cakey look in the end. So, choose double duty prodcuts that combine foundation and SPF, or mousturizer and SPF. Mousturizer and tint. You get the idea.

Test Before You Buy

Here is the thing… Every woman’s skin is different, no matter what her age. If you want to try a new product, try these tips to save you money. (And aggravation!)

• Get recommendations from a social media personality or a company you trust and start there.
• Let someone at a makeup counter help you find the right shades. That having been said, go with your gut. They aren’t always right.
• See if you can get a test to take home, or start with a travel size.
• Only buy from stores with a great return policy. The two largest beauty stores in the U.S. accept returns if you try a product and it doesn’t work for you.

Remember, if you aren’t happy with the way your makeup looks as you age, make sure you are using the right products. The right makeup feels good, looks natural, and helps you shine at every age. Use makeup to make you feel confident and self-assured, not to make you look like someone else, or take you back to another time. Be proud of where and who you are, right now!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What changes have you noticed in your makeup after 60? Have you changed the products you use to ones that suit you better at this stage in your life? Which products did you have to change?