As you get older, the structure of your skin changes. The skin becomes drier, thinner and loses elasticity. As a result, fine lines unfortunately become more visible, the corners of the mouth start to droop slightly, the eyelids become a little heavier and there are usually more red veins in the face. These changes are often visible from about the age of 40.
Because of all these changes, it makes sense to think carefully about how you do your make-up. The make-up you used when you were 20 may no longer be as effective now that you're a bit older. Below we give tips aimed at older skin.
| TIP | EFFECT |
|---|---|
| This first tip isn't really about make-up, but about skincare. And that's important, because it can help limit skin ageing or postpone it for a while. Make sure your skin is well hydrated, from the inside and from the outside. Drink plenty of water and use a particularly nourishing day and night cream every day. |
Your skin is mainly nourished from the inside. Eat well and drink enough water. And of course a nourishing/hydrating day and night cream helps to keep the skin supple and elastic. By drinking enough fluids and keeping your skin supple, your skin stays in good condition. |
| Use a hydrating primer as a base over the entire face. | Primer softens the face and fills the deeper lines. When you then apply make-up, any fine lines will be less visible. |
| On the part of the eyelid that doesn't move, use a matte rather than a shimmery shade. The non-moving part is the area from the brow bone (the "fold" where you can feel the top of the eyeball) up to the eyebrow. | A shimmery shade emphasises every line and fine wrinkle. The skin under the eyebrows and around the eyes is naturally thin and age lines are quickly visible there. So be careful with shimmery shades. |
| Be careful with using black eye make-up. Dark brown or dark grey are colours that usually look more flattering and still give a deep colour. | A black line (with wet eye shadow, an eye pencil or eyeliner) quickly creates a hard look. Especially on slightly older skin, slightly softer shades are nicer. |
| Apply concealer sparingly. Dab small spots rather than covering large areas. Let the concealer blend well with the skin. Choose a shade close to your skin tone and first apply the concealer to your finger so it warms up nicely. Then dab the irregular spots with your finger. Concealer can also be useful around the sides of the nose and in the corners of the eyes. The skin there is thinner and discolouration is more quickly visible. | Concealer is a heavily pigmented product designed to disguise irregularities. Because it contains a lot of pigment, fine lines and wrinkles are more quickly visible. Apply it sparingly, especially where colour differences arise — pigmentation marks, around the sides of the nose and in the corners of the eyes. |
| Use lipstick rather than lip gloss. | Lip gloss catches a lot of light, which makes small lip lines more easily visible. |
| If you use lipstick in a dark shade, use a lip pencil in a matching tone. | As you get older, small lines develop around your lips. Lipstick can have a tendency to creep into those fine lines over time. By using a lip pencil in the same shade, you prevent the lipstick from feathering. |
| If you use a lipstick, you can slightly correct the lip outline with a concealer and lip pencil. First apply the concealer along the lip line, then a lip pencil, and then the lipstick. | By applying concealer thinly (and blending with your finger) along the lip line, the natural lip line fades. You can then more easily emphasise and, if needed, correct your lip contours with a lip pencil. Then fill in the lips with lipstick. The result is a neatly applied lipstick that doesn't feather. |
| When applying blush, apply it high on the cheekbone. Instead of blush, you can of course also use bronzer for a more natural look. |
As you get older, the skin sags a little. By applying blush high on the cheekbone you compensate slightly for that negative gravity effect. Avoid shimmery shades. |
| Use face powder rather than foundation if you have a lot of redness in the cheeks. |
If you have mild rosacea, the red veins can sometimes look quite fiery. Face powder ensures that the red becomes less fiery and therefore less noticeable. |