I’m very excited to share with you today my picks for the makeup products that can absolutely make the biggest difference in how we look – especially for those of us who are over 50. They are game-changers. And I have a pretty good hunch that two of these products may be totally new to you.

In the accompanying video, I’ll share with you some of my favorite products in each of these categories.

A Skin Care Game-Changer

Since how our skin looks certainly makes a huge difference in how our makeup looks, let’s start there. The first product is a skincare game-changer. It’s an exfoliating product.

Most skin care experts recommend we exfoliate our skin twice a week because regular exfoliation helps prevent dull skin, clogged pores and even skin discoloration by ridding the skin of dead skin cells. And, if you use any serums or special creams, regular exfoliation also allows these skincare products to better penetrate the skin and provide superior results.

Now our skin does shed dead skin cells, but not as often as we get older. Unfortunately, these skin cells don’t just dissipate into the air. They cling to our skin which makes it look duller. They also clog our pores and highlight lines and wrinkles. Just about every skincare and makeup line makes some kind of exfoliating product, so fortunately they’re easy to find.

An Eye-Opening Product for Our Eyes

Product #2 is eye shadow primer – and, it’s a great product to use even if you don’t wear eyeshadow. If you do wear eyeshadow, a good primer keeps the shadow from creasing or smudging and provides a base so the color goes on evenly.

But it’s also a good investment even if you don’t wear eyeshadow, and here’s why. Almost all of us have some discoloration in our eyelid area – it’s one of those interesting little changes that happen for most of us as we get older.

So, using an eyeshadow primer that matches our skin tone can totally cover up discoloration on our eyelids which helps our eyes look bigger and brighter – and let’s face it, younger.

Help for Those Under-Eye Dark Circles

Since many of us deal with dark circles, or just darkness under our eyes from the shadow created by eye bags, a color corrector can make a world of difference. Most of us are used to using concealer under our eyes, but using a color corrector first – before our concealer – really helps cancel out the darkness.

That’s because most of the darkness is a bluish/purplish tone. By using a color corrector in a peach or salmon color that is a complementary color to the blue/purple color, we can effectively eliminate the darkness.

Using a concealer alone – without a color corrector underneath it – doesn’t do as effective a job of eliminating the darkness and sometimes it can also make our under eye area look ashy. So, color correct first, then gently pat on a concealer that matches your skin tone or is half to one shade lighter.

Open Up Those Eyes Even More

Our fourth product definitely helps our eyes look bigger. Many of us have experienced our lashes getting thinner or sparser, so curling them creates the look of greater length and volume. I highly recommend using an eyelash curler to really open up and emphasize our eyes.

Erase Those Fine Lines

I have to say up front that I was skeptical about this product, which I was given to try out. It’s called Tight Eye and it’s from a company called ScienceSerum. The purpose of the product is to firm and tighten the area around the eye in order to decrease fine lines, wrinkles and crow’s feet.

You use one pump of the product to swipe it under and around each eye. It takes 10-15 minutes to dry and then you rinse it off with lukewarm water. They also make a moisturizer to apply on the eye area after rinsing off the product.

I don’t have terribly heavy lines on the outer area of my eye, but they were definitely there. You may have noticed that I just used the past tense were – and that’s because after two weeks of using Tight Eye those lines almost completely disappeared. I was frankly, amazed.

ScienceSerum also makes Tight Neck and Tight Lips as well as some other products. They were very kind to send me the Tight Neck product as well. Tight Neck also helps to tighten and firm fine lines and wrinkles on the neck and chest area and is meant to improve skin tone, resiliency and elasticity.

I definitely also saw improvement in the lines on my neck. And I also saw some tightening in what I affectionately call my “turkey neck.” It wasn’t a dramatic improvement, but it was noticeable. And frankly, I was really surprised to see any improvement since the extent of the lose skin on my neck is pretty dramatic.

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!

Hooded Eye Help

Our sixth product is for those of us with hooded eyes. Frankly, I have not personally tried this product yet, but I definitely intend to do so. I’m talking about it here because I’ve seen some amazing demonstrations and wanted to let you know about it.

It’s called Lids by Design and it consists of eyelid correcting strips that are available in six different sizes depending on how hooded the eyes are. It’s a one-time use product and is made from medical grade materials that are hypoallergenic and latex free.

You clean and dry your eyelids first and then carefully place the strip across the eyelid fold. Next, you press and hold the strip down for several seconds to insure a complete bond to the skin. And that’s all there is to it. Each box contains 80 eyelid tapes. Makeup can be worn over the strips if you apply the company’s Colorset All in One Pencil over the strip and eyelid before applying makeup.

Blur Those Pores

Many of us end up developing larger pores as we get older, and there are some excellent face primers that help to blur out the look of these pores before applying foundation or concealer.

Regain Some Glow

There’s no question that our skin doesn’t quite have that beautiful radiance that it once did, so we’re fortunate that there’s a makeup product that can re-create that beautiful glow for us – the highlighter. Since our skin usually gets a bit drier as we get older, a cream or liquid highlighter can work really well.

A Subtle, But Beautiful Finish

The ninth product is one that makes a subtle difference, but it’s a beautiful, subtle difference. It’s finishing powder. Now in addition to finishing powder, there’s also setting powder. Here’s the difference between the two.

Setting powder is applied after foundation and before other makeup, and its purpose is to absorb excess oil. A finishing powder is meant to be applied after all of our makeup, and its purpose is to provide a subtle blur of pores, wrinkles, fine lines and uneven skin texture. It’s a perfect finishing touch to makeup application.

Create Some Life for Lips

The next two products are for lips. First is a product which helps prevent our lipstick from feathering into those little lines that just seem to automatically start developing around our lips. It’s a clear, waxy pencil that helps fill in those lines around the lips so our lipstick doesn’t migrate into them.

Several brands make a product like this. The one I love is from L’Oreal’s Age Perfect line because it’s a colored lip liner that also has ingredients in it that prevent lipstick from feathering. Since I have pretty deep vertical lines around my lips, I apply this product a couple of times in the areas where the lines are especially prominent.

Next up is lip gloss. Our lips do get smaller as we get older, so by adding lip gloss to our lips, we’re adding light reflecting elements to our lips which makes them not only look fuller, but also healthier and brighter.

Two Must-Have Tools

The last two products are two very important tools: a foundation buffing brush and a makeup sponge. You can certainly apply products with your fingers, but there are a few advantages to using either a brush or a dampened makeup sponge.

First let’s talk about the importance of a buffing brush. What a buffing brush does is work the foundation into the skin so it looks more natural and seamless. It creates a natural skin-like look without any streaks or brush lines.

When you use a dampened makeup sponge, you’re adding moisture to the face, and sponges also provide a seamless, natural look to the makeup. Dampened makeup sponges can also help sheer out our makeup so it looks even more natural. And some sponges, because of their shape and size, can also get into the nooks and crannies of our face.

My personal preference is to blend in foundation with my buffing brush and then use a dampened makeup sponge to go over all my makeup before applying my finishing powder. This ensures that I have no harsh edges anywhere around my face and helps all the products on my face blend together beautifully.

What beauty products have worked especially well for you? Which are the top 3 that you use every day? Please share them with us!