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I have a big birthday looming – no, not that one, not quite yet – but the one that nudges me into my 50th year.
And, somehow, this feels significant. Perhaps it’s not that surprising – the Chinese Medicine practitioner Katie Brindle told me that, for women, the landmark birthday is not 50, but 49, because according to TCM we move through life in seven year cycles – and the start of the eighth marks the beginning of our ‘second spring’.
I’m not sure I’m quite ready for that yet, but when I look over pictures from the last year I can definitely see any wisdom I may have accumulated thus far in life showing up far more than it ever did before.
I’ve never had Botox, fillers and the rest and I haven’t yet decided if I will, but like most of us, I wouldn’t mind slowing the progress of time on my face.
And I know that make-up can work magic – if it’s done well. So, I decided to ask the experts about the most ageing make-up mistakes they see women making – and their fixes. Read on to learn how to roll back the years with a flick of your mascara wand…
Katherine Spenley has never had Botox, fillers and the rest, and hasn’t yet decided if she will, but like most of us, she wouldn’t mind slowing the progress of time on her face
NEVER OVER-POWDER
Frances Prescott, Make-up artist and founder of Tri Balm and Maeva Rae
A common mistake is to over powder. Don’t! For a gorgeous dewy finish, use a hybrid product combining make-up and skincare ingredients, like Katherine Daniels Pure Pigment Foundation Drops (£42 / 20ml katherinedanielscosmetics.com) which has a supple texture that doesn’t cake. Or look for tinted moisturisers instead.
GET CLEVER WITH CONCEALER
Sascha Jackson, lead make-up artist Stila
One of the most common ageing mistakes is using concealer that’s too light and applying too much of it. The key is to choose a shade close to your foundation—no more than half a shade lighter.
If you’re dealing with dark circles, apply a peach-toned corrector first to neutralise purple tones, then follow with a small amount of concealer to brighten. Use a soft, fluffy brush to apply concealer gently—especially under the eyes, where too much product can settle into fine lines.
BRING ON THE BLUSH – BUT IN THE RIGHT SPOT
Gabriella Elio, Make-up artist and founder of Sweed Beauty
Women who are peri or menopausal, don’t need to be afraid of blusher, but they (i)do(i) need to use it differently. Ignore the apples of your cheeks and apply to the top of your cheekbone instead, then blend down. Then put a flick of highlighter on top – you’re focusing on lighting up your face at eye level. Blusher, like the Sweed Air Blush Cream (£28, spacenk.com), used at the top of your cheeks replicates the fullness of lost fat pads.
As we age, we all lose structure and fat – a swirl of blush creates the illusion of fullness, and youth!
SOFTEN YOUR GO-TO SHADES
Suzy Griffin Dunne, Make-up artist, founder of Hildun Beauty
As we age, we need to reconsider not just the placement of make-up but also the textures of the products we are using. Generally, we need more hydration and creamier textures that are going to move with our faces instead of getting stuck in lines.
Another important factor to consider when is that the colours we used to wear may be a little harsh, and we might need to soften those shades, perhaps changing our traditional black eyeliner to a brown. We have found this approach very popular with lots of our customers. In fact, we now have three shades in our ultra creamy brown eyeliner with a fourth launching later this year (£16, hildunbeauty.co.uk).
PLUMP UP LIPS LIKE A PRO
Vincent Ford, Global Make-up artist
When you apply your lip pencil or lipstick avoid taking the product all the way to the corners of the mouth.
This pulls the mouth down and ages you. Instead only apply the lip colour to the centre of the lips and blend outwards, softly diffusing the colour. It will give the appearance of a fuller, more youthful mouth. Easy!
OPEN EYES WITH A TOP LASHES TRICK
Caroline Barnes, celebrity make-up artist
Applying mascara to your top lashes only can really lift your eyes, especially if you use a mascara that dumps a lot of the product at the root of the lash because this creates a lovely invisible line that doesn’t weigh the lid down. Try Elf Extender (£6.94, elfcosmetics.co.uk), which has a really thin barrel that deposits the mascara very close to the lash, or Sweed mascara (£24, boots.com), which deposits the mascara right to the roots of your lashes. Obviously you could open out your eyes by having mascara on the top and bottom lashes, but making it a little bit top heavy really does create a beautiful lift.
Cosmetic Craving
Eyeam Magnesium Butter, £25 for a 60g pot (eyeamworld.com)
This brand is the brainchild of the Organic Pharmacy’s Margo and her daughter Roxy, so I had high hopes – and I wasn’t disappointed. After applying a good dollop to the soles of my feet I had a super deep sleep…Not surprising given that 5ML contains 200mg of magnesium.
I felt so good afterwards that I’ve passed my pot on to a friend who has had trouble getting enough rest recently. I’ll report back, but, at the very least, I know their feet will soon be sandal-ready.
@katherine_spenley
