What’s in My Makeup Bag Now That I’m Over 40?
Awhile back my oldest daughter and I popped in to our local Ulta to schedule her a makeup application appointment for her homecoming dance. While we were scheduling, we noticed a mom and daughter getting makeovers together. I laughed and said, I could definitely use an over 40 refresher. The makeup artist we were scheduling with said – well why don’t you? I can work you in right after I do your daughter’s homecoming makeup and so that was that. Just like that I had booked myself a makeover! This was my takeaway.
BEFORE YOU ADD MAKEUP – SKINCARE IS EVERYTHING
Before we get into actual makeup, I just want to talk a minute about skincare. I have always had irksome skin. Like I look at it wrong and boom, pimple. I have seen multiple dermatologists, chatted with experts and makeup artists and tried everything from microdermabrasion to prescription strength retinol and acne antibiotics. Six months ago I took a Rodan & Fields skincare analysis for a friend’s skincare party and decided to give their sensitive skin line Soothe a try. I stopped using everything else and did the entire regimen for a month. Amazingly my skin stopped breaking out, my pores shrunk to near normal size for a 44 year old and most of my redness went away. I loved it so much I had my teenage daughter try it and she had great results as well. I am not advocating R&F over other lines, but what I am advocating is find what works for you AND what you know you will use. Consistency is key to seeing results for any routine and after years of peels and exfoliating and harsh retin-A treatments what I finally realized was that what my skin needed wasn’t harsher hardcore acne busting things, but easier soothing products. Stick with it and find what works best for you!
WHAT THE ULTA MAGICIANS RECOMMENDED
HAVING THE RIGHT TOOLS IS KEY
Toner – I spoke to an Ulta beauty consultant before my actual makeover and she recommended a very gentle alcohol free toner from Lancome to add to my routine. I had flashbacks of stinging bottles of purple scariness from my teenage years. This toner has been anything but that and I am always surprised at how much makeup and gunk is left behind despite washing my face twice a day. A couple weeks in and I am super happy with the results. You can find the toner I use here.
Eye Primer – Around the time I turned 40 I started noticing my mascara and eyeliner were sliding down my face within hours of applying it. I discovered another Lancome product from another helpful Ulta consultant at an earlier visit. The Lancome Aquatique Eye Base primer goes on super creamy and locks both my eye shadow and eyeliner on for the day. In fact she demonstrated how the primer not only punches up the color it also makes the eye makeup waterproof. Living in Florida – I will take that for sure! The primer is also opaque and it covers the shadows and redness I have on my lids now that I am firmly in my 40s. It’s a tool I never knew I needed and now cannot live without!
Brushes – Brushes are another tool I realized I need after my makeover session at Ulta. As I have aged I have been struggling to switch from shimmery eye shadows to matte ones. My amazing beauty consultant from MAC showed me how to use a spongier type brush to almost press the matte shadows on rather than using a traditional hair brush to swipe on. Maybe that’s obvious to everyone but me, but it was definitely something I didn’t realize I was doing wrong until my consultation.
EYE MAKEUP DOES NOT HAVE TO CHANGE SUPER DRASTICALLY AFTER 40
Eye Shadow – And speaking of shimmery eye shadow, my consultant Stephanie explained that shimmer is not completely taboo after 40. She did say that larger specked shimmery shadows can be harder for anyone to wear and it can be aging and harsh for people under 40 too. The key is to find shimmer that lights up the eyes rather than shadows that settle into lines and are overall too strong. Shimmer should be subtle and soft and when it is done right it can give you the perfect wash of color and brightness to open your eyes. I have always been drawn to warm bronze palates. I chose this X9 Amber Times Nine MAC palate after my makeover and at an earlier trip to Ulta earlier this summer I also picked this Lorac set that is the perfect set of subtle, flattering mattes and shimmers that are not overwhelming for someone in their 40s.
Eyeliner – As I have aged I have reduced how much eyeliner I use. I have always used brown or grey and as I got older I stopped using bright colors altogether and I also stopped lining under my eye. At my MAC consultation I asked my consultant how to do an evening smokey eye that would not overwhelm my face but would translate into “fancy nighttime makeup” if you know what I mean. She not only lined under my eye she also lined the inner lid as well – a trick I had not used since high school! But it worked. She used a color called Teddy (which she told me Meghan Markle used at her wedding which I did not know!) which is a warm almost burgundy brown. While I would not go full eyeliner on a Tuesday afternoon, for a special occasion it looked really cool. Coupled with the right shimmery brown eye shadow and I had a classic smokey eye that didn’t overwhelm my face. And double plus – it was EASY! A swipe of mascara and I was ready to go. You can find the eyeliner here.
AND FINALLY A NOTE ABOUT SETTING POWDER AND HIGHLIGHTER
Loose Powder – I have always thought that powder was a no-no for those with more mature skin. But in Florida it is sticky a good portion of the year. Even the best foundation will find a way to slide right off my face. I have been using BarePro by Bare Minerals for years but sometimes I get a bit shiny by late afternoon. A consultant at Ulta earlier this summer recommended this amazing loose powder from Estee Lauder. It is so finely milled it does not settle and when I dust it on with a super light hand it leaves a satin finish that is neither dewy nor matte. And it smoothes out my pores. At my makeover the other day the MAC consultant used a powder / foundation product to set my foundation. I have just started using it and it seems to have a bit more coverage than the Estee Lauder powder. It seems to take out any lingering redness and overall gives a fuller makeup effect if that makes sense. I like them both and can see using both of them in different situations. Use this link for the MAC powder I use.
Highlighter – I know I know. I do not have my own TV show on E!. I also am not under 25 and have NO INTEREST in learning how to contour. That ship has sailed for sure! But when I was shopping for a blush earlier this summer the Ulta consultant recommended a new bronzer / highlighter compact from Too Faced that I have absolutely fallen in love with. It gives me back just a touch of glow and makes me look like I just had a vacation. It also has the best smell ever – like a vacation being dusted on your cheekbones. There is nothing heavy handed about it and it will last forever since you need just a smidge. Shop for the compact here!
So just a few tips to share from a few trips to Ulta and a recent makeover with the Ulta MAC consultant. I think my takeaway is just because you are over 40 it doesn’t mean you have to relearn everything about makeup. Trust your gut and schedule a fun makeover just to brush up on your skills. There are so many fun new products to try and you might find a tool or makeup workhorse like an eye primer that you never knew you needed but now cannot live without!