Buying make-up for a woman in her 60s. Who's never worn it.

[mippy]

There's lots of 'beginner' make-up sets and brands for teenagers, but nothing springs to mind for older women. My mum is 60 and wears blusher (she liked the Body Shop one I bought her a few years ago) and has now told me she wants to try eyeliner and mascara. I was thinking of getting her something for Christmas, but I imagine she would want something fairly natural and that's quite different to what I would choose...I like to wear a lot of eyeshadow! Think Naked palette etc. might be too complicated.

She's fair with an ash blonde/streaked short hairdo, deep-set blue eyes, wears glasses.

i'd take her to a counter and let them do a make over, they write down what they use and you could buy at a later date anything she loves.

Bobbie Brown? Think that seems to be the place for mature woman wanting a non-obvious make-up look

I'd take her to a department store (or Boots No7 Counter on a quietish day if she is on more of a budget)

That's a great idea, but I want to buy her something for Christmas as she's a pensioner and can't afford even No7. There is a very small Debenhams where she lives, a Superdrug and a Boots, so many of the popular ranges aren't stocked at all. It would be ideal if she were coming down to London, but she isn't this year.

Bobbie Brown might be worth looking at.

Maybe try something from QVC, they do starter kits and you've got 30 days to see if you like it or you can get a refund if you don't.

Or a professional artist makeup lesson / makeup bag overhaul.

She doesn't have a make-up bag. She's just got a blusher.

The town she lives in is pretty light on S+B - there's a lot of orange foundation and drawn-on eyebrows going on. So not sure whether that's something she can do where she lives.

If there's a Bobbi Brown counter you can buy her a voucher for a make up session which I think is redeemable against products. MAC do this too but I'm guessing there isn't a MAC counter locally.

Or if you can get Laura Mercer they have some really nice eyeliner pencils that are very smudgeable and pretty. They are part of the autumn collection. I'd recommend them because you don't need a brush just a finger!

This www.lauramercier.com/store/shop/Eye-Liner_Caviar-Stick-Eye-Colour_prod450002
Caviar sticks

I'm a bit of a youtube obsessive but I do feel that if you look for 'mature makeup tutorials' and find a model who has colouring like your mum, there's quite a lot of good ideas on there?

There's no MAC, Bobbi Brown etc. Definitely no Laura Mercier. Imagine a town the size of Kingston, but where the biggest make-up selection available is on the local market. Think the Debenhams does Clarins and that's it, and there's Boots, Superdrug and The Body Shop.

Hmm. What about finding a friendly Avon lady?

If she has deep set eyes she should keep the colour on her lids light, probably something like a slightly shimmery peach which would brighten the eye area, bring out the blue of her eyes and make her eyes look less deep set. I would be inclined to keep liner very thin along the top lash line, if at all, and maybe along the bottom but it's hard to say without seeing her. Possibly a bronzy brown or taupe sort of shade. Mascaras dry up within about 3 months so if you want to get her something she can easily replace Max Factor's Masterpiece Max is a nice one because the brush makes it quite easy to separate the lashes so it doesn't look too clumpy. A nice, pinkish or peachy nude lipstick would lift her face too. Maybe something semi sheer if she's not used to wearing make up. Lancome have a nice new range of sheer lipsticks in natural shades, as do Chanel.

Not major shimmer, but a bit of a sheen can look nice. I know they say to avoid shimmer on older faces but it very much depends on the level of shimmer. Something like MAC's Naked Lunch or Jest would work very well. Very matte shades can look a bit chalky and "Miss Havesham" on mature skin! I've been a make up artist for just over 17 years and made up all sorts of ages, skin types etc.

Laura Mercier's tinted moisturiser gives older skin a gloeing dewy look without feeling and looking over made up. Although it quite pricey a tube lasts me about 4 months.

I think Bourjois is lovely - my mum is nearly 70 and uses the eyeshadows and blushers - lots of lovely colours and really pretty to look at too, nice retro-ish packaging. Also a magnifying mirror and good tweezers a must for looking groomed!

No 7 do a lovely soft eyeliner that would be v easy to get the hang of. It's called 'brown' in their special eyes liner range with a smudgey bit on the end. Weirdly its a grey brown taupe but called brown. Its got an ever so slight shimmer. That and max factor mascara would be a good place to start.

Re shimmer and age- there's a massive difference between slight shimmer and sparkle. One is flattering the other not.

I wondered about Urban Decay Primer Potion but I don't want it to be overwhelming with tons of products, iyswim. Like the idea of a tinted moisturiser.

You can order almost every make up brand from www.johnlewis.com

I am 56 but have worn make up for over 40 years and I am really shocked your mum is make up-less having lived through the era of Biba and Mary Quant!

Clinique do some mascaras that are very naturall ooking, and their gel eye liner is supposed to be good. But TBH eyeliner is tricky and I would suggest a kohl pencil such as Clinique quick liner, in a very soft brown or goldy-green.

If you could get her to London once and take her to a store to be made up- John Lewis Selfridges, Space NK, then you could re-order each year/ birthdays online for her.

Second sue on Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser, and also recommend Bobbi Brown.

But agree with amelia - so much easier if your mum can go somewhere she can have consultations and try things out before buying. I would never buy make-up, least of all tinted moisturiser or eye stuff, before trying it out - often do so twice before deciding.

Is it not possible for the two of you, if you can't have a day trip to London, at least to get to a big city with full range of make-up counters - and a Space NK?

Otherwise, maybe the local Debenhams does Clinique, which do a lot of very natural make-up and so are worth looking at.

For what it's worth, as one of more mature S and B enthusiasts I tried out quite a bit of MAC stuff recently when had very easy access to one of their shops and I was a bit disappointed and would say they're generally aimed at younger skins.

ameliagrey House of Fraser are stocking Biba makeup now. I've just bought some nail polish and I feel 20 again (sadly, I don't look it).

OP if you are still reading, M&S top of the range make up gets good reviews- it might be their Autograph range- if you have a big store nearby.