Did you ladies miss me last week?? I hope so! I have been very busy with my high school senior (graduating comes with so many THINGS and EVENTS) and took a road trip up to Virginia to celebrate my cousin marrying the love of his life! Here are a couple of pics of me with 2 of my 3 kids I took up there.
But now we are back to our regularly scheduled programming of Saturday beauty posts, and today is a good one. We are going to talk about how to achieve the latest trending makeup style…BLURRED, SOFT FOCUS MAKEUP. Aka, the sweet, youthful, effortless beauty look!
The senior was back home having to play baseball, which you can see some highlights here on my Instagram of our family celebrating him on Senior Night, if you’re interested.
What You’ll Find in Today’s Post
Blurred Makeup Tutorial For Mature Skin
And here’s what you’re going to see how to implement today…
- Soft, diffused lips (lip blurring / lip stain effect)
- Skin that looks like skin (not glassy, not matte, and not heavy)
- Blended, non-precise blush and bronzer
- Slightly “undone” eyes—smudged liner, imperfect shadow
This trend is super wearable, easy to pull off, and perfect for us 45+ gals because it can truly shave a couple years off the ole face! Truly it can, if done correctly. And while I go through this tutorial, I’m going to share with you a few brand new products (to me) that can really help anyone to achieve the look with less effort.
Self Tanning
Optional Prep. Self-Tanning the Face. // Self Tanning Foam by Bondi Sands, $27 (I’m in shade light medium) and Facial brush from this 3 piece Amazon self tanning kit., $9
I have been REALLY good about keeping SPF on my face. But that means my face definitely looks way paler than the rest of my body! So by adding some light self tanner with a skincare brush, the outcome makes me feel like I look a bit more naturally healthy, even before any makeup is applied. I created a quick Instagram reel here showing off how I do it, if you’re interested.
Skin-First Makeup
Lightweight, skin-first makeup – It Cosmetics Do It All Sheer Tint Face Balm, $34, in shade light medium warm.
This is a new product found only at Ulta Beauty, and I’m officially obsessed with it! And I don’t throw around obsessed lightly either. This is a next-generation tinted moisturizer that starts as a solid 92% skincare serum and melts effortlessly into skin once applied. It’s got hyaluronic acid, collagen peptides, and vitamin E, and feels divine and even cooling on the initial application on the skin!
What makes it equally as great besides the cushiony, hydrating, and light weight blurring effects, is the ease of use.
It comes in a pot form, where you can use their #102 buffing foundation brush, $26, dip the brush directly into it, then apply onto the face. No messy pumps, applicators, or drippy bottles. Easy peasy solid to serum, and looks incredible, just like skin but so very healthy!
Concearler
Barely detectable Concealer – NYX Bare With Me Concealer Serum, $12. Wearing shade “vanilla.”
This is a very hardworking drugstore concealer that I have been thrilled with. When I say barely detectable, I don’t mean that it doesn’t cover. Quite the opposite – it covers up dark circles extremely well – but blends under eyes seamlessly and brightens and hydrates with no cakey obvious texture!
The reviews and ratings speak for themselves on this product.
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Effortless Definition Eyes
Effortless Definition Eyes – L’Oreal Le Shadow Sticks, $14, wearing shade “celestial taupe,” + Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Eye liner in “Cocoa,” + L’Oreal Extentionist Lengthening and Curling mascara, $16.
Skip complicated multiple shadow looks and instead use one neutral shade with a touch of shimmer, like a soft taupe or warm brown, blended loosely across the lid. I can’t believe how well the newest L’Oreal shadow sticks stay put! I quickly draw a few smudges directly on my eye lids then immediately blend out with my ABH A6 brush, $21, because it’s a shadow brush that works well with emollient and cream eye products (not just dry shadow). It dries fast and sticks, so work quickly!
Then take a soft, very pigmented liner in a deep brown, like my splurge kajal liner from Victoria Beckham. Gosh, I wish I didn’t love her eyeliners so much because of the price point, but I do! They’re the best for mature, hooded lids that require a little extra tender loving care and no dragging. And don’t worry about creating the perfect line if that feels impossible, just small smudges as close to your lash line as you can then use the included smudger to create a “lived in effect.”
I then immediately use whatever color is leftover on the smudger tip and swipe it along my lower lash line for a barely there shading.
Finish with mascara of course. The more lashes the better, but it should look like you didn’t try too hard — so no fake lashes need apply! That new L’Oreal mascara I’m using is quite good for separating and no clumps.
Blush + Bronzer
Non-Precise Brush + Bronzer – COVERGIRL Trublend Skin Enhancer Baked Blush, $9 + Baked Bronzer, in shades “Strawberry Drizzle” + “Rose Latte” and “Honey Bun.”
Blush and bronzer are also softer now. Think warmth and life, not sharp contour lines. The newest baked blushes and bronzers from Covergirl are exquisite and rival the very expensive Hourglass Ambient light blushes, $45, (just less color offerings). I blend these freely, starting with my overall bronzer around the perimeter of my face, then popping a blush on top.
These $9 products look like they are just diffused into the skin. GREAT affordable alternative if you just can’t swing the Hourglass price tag. If I’m being honest, I probably go more over the top than most with blush. I ended up stacking the two, using the lighter shade of “rose latte” first, then adding just a pop of the “strawberry drizzle” on top – I can’t help myself, I love blush.
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Blush Lips
Soft Lip Blush Lips (huge trend right now!) – Violette_Fr Bisou Balm, $30 in shade “Sucette” (means lollipop in English FYI).
We’ve seen high-shine lip oils dominate for the last few years, so shifting to a softer, blurred look feels very fresh! A blotted diffused lip color with no harsh liner is in. Feels very “French girl chic “ which is why I’m loving this line from the French makeup artist, Violette Serrat.
When you think of a matte lip product, sometimes it makes you think chalky. This product is nowhere near that. It has an incredibly soft feeling that gives just a flush of color with one layer, but then builds on that with 2 – 3 more layers and you get a punch of color. Yet still looks soft and not heavy whatsoever.
If you crave a “just bitten” lip look, this is your product. I’m eyeing the shade “Betise” next.
Outfit Details
A white puffed sleeve top is very timeless and looks so fresh and girly. A few similar tops to mine here from Tuckernuck, $108, Chicos, $90, and Kate Spade, $99. // My Amazon gold bracelets – Cartier bangle dupe, $20, and stretch gold bangle duo, $18 // Similar clear lucite or resin hoop earrings that go with any outfit or color scheme, here Lizzie Furtunato, $150, Banana Republic, $27, or Etsy here, $20.
At the end of the day, youthful makeup isn’t about covering our age—it’s about working with our faces, not against them. Less structure, more softness, more color… and just enough warmth to keep you from looking like you belong in a Victorian novel, ha ha!
Be sure to check out my recent makeup posts:
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