8 Makeup Tips For A Fresh Youthful Look Over 40

beauty, featured, Make-up, Style at a Certain Age

The lucky ones get older. I cannot remember where I first heard this, but obviously it stuck in my mind. And it’s 100% true. Of course the reality with each year we are gifted, is that our skin takes a hit. Our faces begin to dry out, wrinkle, develop age spots, lose elasticity…you get the picture. This is all very normal however - but definitely not the most fun part of aging - Ha! So today I am sharing 8 Makeup Tips For A Fresh Youthful Look Over 40.

But on the upside - this is where makeup, skincare products, and yes even cosmetic procedures, can come in really handy. And despite what the internet or social media makes you think or feel - you are NOT invisible just because you’re not in your mid 20’s anymore. Our faces can look incredible at whatever age we are. It just takes a bit of effort on our part to pay a little attention to it.

As a makeup artist for over 16+ years and being in the fashion industry for 10+ years, I’m going to share what I believe to be THE MOST powerful, simple, but impactful ways to highlight and enhance our faces as we mature past the age of 40 and above.

TL;DR

Jennifer shares 8 Makeup Tips For A Fresh Youthful Look Over 40

Jennifer's product recommendations are shoppable via text links and image widgets

8 Makeup Tips For A Fresh Youthful Look Over 40

1. Improve your bare skin FIRST

If you aren’t at least washing your skin at night before your face hits the pillow, you’ve got to fix that pronto! I’d like to thank Jess, Beth’s own personal photographer, for this recommendation. Every time I see Jess, I am in awe of how beautiful her skin is. Finally, I asked her “What are you using??” and she swore by this 3 in 1 even tone cleansing bar, $15, she bought fromAmazon.

It helps with a plethora of things in one use - cleansing, exfoliating, and brightening. I’m infatuated with it after two weeks. *Tip - do not store the included sponge inside the jar as it will mold - keep it out to dry in between uses*

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I’ve also started adding into my skincare routine, the super popular Clarins Double Serum, $92. It’s a dual serum enriched with turmeric and 21 other potent youth-boosting plant extracts to fight signs of aging! I had to include a BEFORE bare skin pic so you could check out my glow after using the bar cleanser and the Clarins! Bare faces speak for themselves right??

2. Strategically fill in those brows

Your face will NOT give off youthful vibes, if you have pencil thin, barely there eyebrows. At least give them some structure and fullness by hitting them with a bit of brow powder where you see bare spots. Usually the tails of our brows is where the hair fades away first, so be sure to extend that tail by drawing them in softly there.

Easy Brow Powder

The Benefit Goof Proof brow powder, $22, is a great option for beginners trying to fill in their brows! Hot tip - go for a shade that reads “neutral” in the description instead of warm or golden which can read fake or too red on most faces. Also if unsure, go a shade lighter than you think - too dark is always a dead giveaway of faking fuller brows.

Pop a couple of strokes in with the natural hairs with this product and a good angled brow brush to give them some oomph! I wear shade 3.5 neutral medium brown. I promise you - a brow powder is super easy to use and almost mistake-proof.

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3. Use These Brushes Instead of Your Fingers

Using a soft buffing foundation and a concealer brush are going to give you the best application and finish when it comes to your liquid face products.

Foundation + Concealer Brush in one.

Do yourself a favor and buy a two-in-one brush for your liquid products! I’ve mentioned the affordable option by e.l.f. Cosmetics before here, $8. But if you like to splurge on brushes like me, this one by it Cosmetics, $50, is the holy grail of duo brushes and will last you a lifetime when taken care of and cleaned often. And your skin as a whole will look beautiful and diffused after using these brushes as opposed to streaky fingers.

Wearing the fairly new Laura Mercier Real Flawless weightless concealer, $33, here in shade 2C2 which I’m really happy with.

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Even when applying your cream eyeshadows, I prefer a cream shadow brush instead of using my fingers which y’all probably know that by now! This one is particularly helpful in making those shadows look airbrushed and helps for exact placement.

4. Switch to liquid/cream makeup products

Mainly I am speaking to your blushes, eyeshadows, and liquid foundation as opposed to their powder counterparts. Powdery formulas can settle into fine lines, look uneven, splotchy, and don’t have great staying power when used alone. For the majority of women our skin slowly dries out as we mature, so using cream products with more moisture is always a plus and looks healthier than a flat powder finish.

Cream Blush

Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek Blush stick in shade “Werk,” $24. This is such an easy and beautiful multi-use cream blush and lip color that blends to a serious natural flush that never looks overdone. The shade “Werk” I’m wearing, is a dusty rose that is perfect for a fresh-faced glow. It’s hard to overdo this shade. Work against gravity by applying up very high on the cheekbones and circling back in an upward sweep motion towards the temple for a lifted look.

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Cream Eyeshadow

GXVE Paint it Up Clean Cream shadow, $20. Cream shadows are very flattering on mature eyelids. I love these paint tubes of shadow and how a little goes a long way but they blend out like a dream. Place a medium neutral or warm tone high enough in the center of the lid so your shadows can be seen above 'hooded' eye areas when eyes are open. I am using shade “Bouncing Shoes,” a warm matte brown.

5. Line your waterline

Eyeliner is hard, I get it. But it’s WORTH IT to wear and will give our aging eyes great dimension! And instead of focusing time and effort on the outside of your lash line (which takes a bit of patience and skill) you can just focus at least on the waterline.

You’ll want two shades here for maximum effect. First, line the underside of your UPPER lash line with a black liner (yes black) for a fuller-looking one and it opens the eye nicely without looking too heavy. This is called tightlining. The key is to use waterproof eyeliner since it is in the wettest part of the eye. You cannot go wrong with the Lancome Le Stylo long-lasting liner, $28 for this - soft, creamy, but stayproof and highly pigmented!

Second, line your lower inner waterline with a peach or white eyeliner. You know the ones I can’t recommend enough are the tarte Fake Awake liners, $24. This will quickly help to brighten the whites of the eyes and make them appear a bit larger and awake, like the name infers!

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6. Do have a little fun with shimmer products

I said it. Don’t ignore what a hint of shimmer can do to give that fresh faced glow! Use it on your eyes and your cheekbones to liven up your face. I feel happiest when I use these two products.

Eye Shimmer

The Hourglass Scattered light eyeshadows, $30, are truly one of the most gorgeous products EVER. I’m wearing the shade “Rapture” (shimmery plum) here which is a micro glitter shadow with light-reflecting pearls that create sparkling eyes. Just a touch in the center of the lids makes a big beautiful impact. And if you want to go more neutral, the shades “reflect” and “smoke” are just as stunning.

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Highlighter

The Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch highlighters, $25, are the perfect solution for a natural glow that looks like an instant-glass-like sheen! Its powdery formula actually feels like a cushion of silk when applied! Hit those high parts of the cheekbones (the very tip of your blush) and bridge your nose to immediately feel like a star. You will be amazed at this formula for how easily it brightens the skin in the most diffused way. Wearing shade “mesmerize” here.

7. Don’t be afraid of falsies

Seriously, try them. Aging eyes can benefit from them the MOST! As long as you’re using a super realistic and wispy strip, just even applying them on the outer corners of the eyes can give such a youthful appearance to the eye bed. I even wrote a detailed post just for you here on SAACA on how to apply fake lashes here you can follow.

Tiniest barely there lashes for beginners: Eylure London No 031 style, $11.

Fuller but still realistic lashes (what I’m wearing): Ardell naked 420 style, $4.

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8. Beware of dried lip looks

Careful, I don’t mean stay away from matte finishes, because those can look very chic - especially reds. Just make sure those matte finishes are hydrating! I am obsessing over the newest L’Oreal’s voluminous matte skinny lipstick, $10, right now in shade “Worth it,” a stunning pinky nude. How gorgeous is this shade??

Best of all, it’s comfortable and smooth on the lips due to the inclusion of hyaluronic acid - I will be buying more shades of this!

Did you notice how I started in a black top in this post, then switched to my colorful floral Amazon top, $23? Although black is a closet staple and very sophisticated, it doesn’t do the most to liven up a face. A colorful shirt will always make me feel and appear more youthful and playful! And with spring coming up, don’t shy away from floral prints which stand to be very on-trend. This popular Free People floral dress, $168, comes in 4 colors and would be a great choice for Easter celebrations!

Speaking of colorful, did you miss last week's post? I shared what makeup colors to choose according to your zodiac sign, so be sure to check it out - it’s a fun one to see what your power colors are!

8 Makeup Tips For A Fresh Youthful Look Over 40