Realistic Makeup Routine For Mature Women
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Knowing What Works For You As Your Skin Changes Is Quite A Challenge
It can be frustrating, exhaustive, and expensive trying to find the right products.
Let me give you a realistic look at what a mature women should have in her makeup bag.
Disclaimer - This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission.
At this point you could be very new to makeup, never worn it before, or barely know what you are doing. You may have been wearing makeup for years but feel you need a refresh and shake up.
Wherever you are in your makeup journey I want to take it back to basics and built you a makeup bag from scratch. Lets start over and find products that will work for you.
Something I cannot advise on in this post are the colours exclusively suited to you, but I will guide you in the right direction. If you want to get more in-depth about your colours, and application techniques, then a makeup lesson is for you.
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To start with, I want to go on the assumption that you have a skincare routine in place. The reason I say this now is because your skincare routine directly affects how your makeup applies, blends in, and most importantly lasts. If you need a little guide here, I have a very simple skincare routine PDF right here.
If I didn’t mention skincare at the beginning then I am doing a disservice to you. My goal is to always help women feel good in their skin and confident.
Confused about skincare brands? I can highly recommend La Roche Posay, Bioderma, Cerave and The Ordinary. I have also written a post to help with choosing skincare products here.
Now we can dive into creating a realistic makeup routine specifically designed for mature skin.
Primer for specific targeting (optional)
Notice I mention specific targeting. It is not a given that everyone requires a primer so this is only a product I recommend for women who are concerned about fine lines, dull skin, and oiliness.
Bourjois Healthy Mix Anti-Fatigue Blurring Primer - great for fine lines, and for brightening up dull skin prior to foundation.
Maybelline Fit Me! Matte and Poreless Primer - recommended for oily and combination skin to keep the oils at bay.
The Ordinary Silicone Primer - a good all-rounder for fine lines and oily parts of the skin.
Stila One Step Correct Primer - this product is more about colour correcting your skin. It helps to lift dullness, but it also helps with neutralising redness in the skin.
Foundation
Foundation is the easiest way to even out your skin tone, you will need a lot less product than you would expect. You want to just use foundation to even out areas, if you apply too much it can end up looking a little too heavy.
L'oréal True Match Foundation - Lightweight creamy liquid, luminous natural finish. Suitable for sensitive skin
L’Oreal Age Perfect BB Cover - Medium coverage, dewy finish.
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick - Medium coverage, natural finish.
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk - Medium coverage, radiant satin finish.
IT Cosmetics CC Cream - Full coverage, radiant finish.
Concealer
I always recommend a concealer, either as an alternative to using foundation everywhere for coverage, or for just under your eyes to help eliminate dark circles. You can also use a concealer in areas where your foundation may not have fully covered.
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer - A very affordable concealer that performs and provides coverage where needed.
L’Oreal True Match Concealer - Another affordable concealer which I rate. This also provides great coverage.
Revlon ColorStay Skin Awaken 5-in-1 Concealer - This is concealer I would recommend if you are looking for a more full coverage.
Getting your base routine right will set you up for success, it is one of the most trickiest areas to master but once you do it will change your end results for the better.
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Blusher
If you have oily, combination skin then powder blush will work for you. For dry skin I would recommend a liquid or cream blush as it will be more flattering and will give you a nice healthy and dewy finish.
Laura Mercier Blush Colour Infusion Blusher - a lovely powder blush which gives you the right level of pigmentation on the skin.
Benefit Blush Powder - another great blush that is worth investing in, you need to consider the powder quality.
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Blush - perfect for skin more on the dry side due to the skincare ingredients incorporated with the colour pigment.
NARS Afterglow Liquid Blush - if you like a glow more than a dewy finish this is absolutely the blush for you.
IT Cosmetics Confidence in Your Glow - a cream blush that gives up to 24 hours hydration.
Brows
My advice to you is to not overlook your brows. The difference of having groomed and lightly filled in brows completes your makeup. It frames the face and instantly helps you to look more put together. You can go down the route of using a pencil and create small hair strokes, or you can go the easy route of using a brow gel.
Either way you will not regret doing a little something.
Benefit Gimme Brow - if you are lacking brow hair this gel contains fibres which will cling onto existing hairs. This creates a fuller looking brow.
Rimmel Wonder’Full Brow - similar to the Benefit that it has fibres in the formula, the two differences are the product is far cheaper, but not as thick in consistency.
Laura Mercier Brow Pencil - the easiest pencil to work with! This has a wax-powder formula which helps the product to glide on the brows. Very natural-looking and can be incredibly subtle.
Eyeshadow (optional)
Whether you want to keep your eyeshadow really simple, or have a little play, these are some great products to have in your makeup bag. As a guide, here are the most complementary colours for your eye colour;
Brown Eyes:
If you have brown eyes you are very lucky as you can pull off most shades. If you really want your eyes to pop try Copper, Gold shades, Deep Mauves, Pinks, Purples and Dark Browns. If your brown eyes have gold flecks try using a shadow with Gold Shimmer to compliment this.
Light Brown Eyes:
Golden, Champagne, Bronze, Taupe, Brown, Green, Yellow, Orange, Royal Purple and Red hues.
Dark Brown Eyes:
Charcoal Grey, Plum, Deep Green, Brown, Pink, Royal Blue, Gold, Copper, Peach.
Blue/Grey Eyes:
To make blue/grey eyes pop opt for Browns, Earth Tones, Greys/Silver, Purple, Pink, Soft Peaches, Rose-coloured shades and Burnt Orange along with Coppers and Deep Golds.
Green/Hazel Eyes:
Dusky Pinks, Deep Plums, Burgundy, Grey, and Mauves work very well with this eye colour.
If you would prefer a more natural effect try Warm Brown shades (with Orange undertones) i.e. a Mocha Brown would work nicely for this. Other shades for this eye colour include Earthy tones with hints of Gold, Browns and Copper.
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick Duo - cream eyeshadows are really quick to use for an everyday simple eye. This particular product is a duo which has paired two complementary colours together already which I love.
KIKO Milano Long Lasting Eyeshadow Stick - a more affordable version of the eyeshadow stick which is great if you are looking to try out the formula without spending too much.
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour Matte - Laura Mercier has both shimmer and matte formulas available but I feel that matte shades are more flattering on mature eyes.
Laura Mercier Japan in Bloom Eyeshadow Palette - powder eyeshadows from Laura Mercier have always been incredible. This palette is perfect for a more relaxed and natural looking eye.
MAC Cosmetics Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette - if you would like something a little more fun this is a great colour story in burgundy. MAC also has other colour options available.
Mascara
I find that mascara can be quite personal as it depends on the type of lash you are looking for - volume, lengthening, curl, defined, natural. It also depends on whether you prefer black, black-brown, or brown. This I will leave up to you to decide, but currently my favourite mascaras are below.
Benefit Roller Lash - if you have straight mid-to-long lashes you will love this mascara. The formula curls the lashes for you and holds it in place. You can also achieve a very natural finish.
Maybelline Lash Sensational - this is incredibly similar to the Benefit Roller Lash just a more affordable option. The curved brush helps to separate the lashes and in my personal experience gives that curl effect. Also available in waterproof.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara - a lengthening mascara that also packs a punch on the lashes. This will give you definition. Also available in waterproof.
Lipstick (optional)
When it comes to lipstick this is a little trickier to recommend as far as shade choices go. That will need to be a whole post in itself as there is quite a few things you need to factor in such as your skin tone, your skin undertone, and the type of undertone in the lipstick shade that will be most flattering.
But not to leave you empty handed, these are some great lipstick formulas that work well for maturing skin. Try your best to avoid matte finishes as this can look ageing, will draw attention to lines and dryness on the lips.
BareMinerals Mineralist Hydra Smoothing Lipstick - a great creamy formula which helps to keep your lips hydrated, and is long-lasting.
MAC Macximal Sleek Satin Lipstick - a creamy formula which has a satin finish. This looks flattering on the lips and is comfortable to wear.
KIKO Milano Coloured Lip Balm - if you are not a fan of lipstick but still like to have a little colour on the lip, this balm is sheer wash of colour that is nourishing.
NYX Professional Makeup Butter Gloss - if you are looking for something more glossy this is a great choice. You will not get any staying power but you will get that super glossy look.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant - if you are not looking for a lipstick but still want to nourish your lips I highly recommend the skin protectant. It is a thick balm that can be used on the lips, dry patches anywhere on your body, cuts and grazes. It is a super-powder balm!
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* This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a very tiny commission on any sales. This does not affect your purchase at all.
Really hope this post was helpful for you and helped you to see how you can have a realistic makeup routine without having too many products!
If you would love to explore the option of having a makeup lesson with me it would be an honour to take you through a new and refreshed routine. You can find out more about my Makeup Lessons below. I travel to my clients in Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, South Buckinghamshire and West Sussex.
