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Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

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Original poster

41 years old and never worn make up but I think I need to start. Help please.

47 replies

mckenzie · 08/01/2007 21:36

I have honestly only ever worn lipstick or lip gloss other than on my wedding day and once when I was made up at the Clinique counter in Debenhams back in the early 90s.

I have recently had my hair cut short though and I looked in the mirror on saturday night and decided the time had come to admit defeat. I've been told that i have really good skin but nothing can take away from the fact that I'm 41 and have two young children who govern my sleep allocation etc etc.

I'm going to John Lewis tomorrow so I thought maybe I would ask advice at one of the beauty counters but which one?
Any ideas/tips please? I think I need something for my eyes and maybe some help with covering up the wrinkles.

TIA

OP posts:

controlfreaky2 · 08/01/2007 21:43

if you have got to 41 without wearing make up you are not to going to become a full slap wearing type overnight.... so please dont waste a ton of money on a load of stuff you wont wear.....
imo you should consider a light base... not heavy foundation as yit will feel very odd if you are make up novice.... so tinted moisturiser (or try an oil of olay product called which is fab), concealer for under eyes if you have dark circles.... ysl touche eclat is THE best..... non clumpy mascara (not blackest black as too harsh), some cream blusher in a natural shade for a bit of colour, and a natural shade lip gloss / lip stain....
try bobbi brown / aveda?
stress you want to look NATURAL.
enjoy!

caffeinequeen · 08/01/2007 21:44

I'm sure it's not as bad as you think. But..
YSL Touche eclat is a good concealer for under eye bags and I think loads of people here swear by a Chanel Vitalumiere foundation - which just goes on like a moisturiser but you blend it iykwim.
Elizabeth Arden do tinted 8 hour lipbalms which aren't as sticky as gloss but give a bit of colour and bring attention to smiley sensual lips and distract from knackered darkcircled eyes.
Someone much more eloquent will be along in a min.
of good skin though - no amount of makeup can give you that so you're v lucky.

bakedpotato · 08/01/2007 21:55

mckenzie, I started wearing makeup a year ago (mid-30s). Honestly it is mad fun.
I just went to the MAC counter and said I never wore makeup, didn't know where to start. I also said I didn't want to look 'madeup' but just a bit more put together. Assistant took 10 mins, I looked pretty much the same but improved .
I bought a bunch of stuff from her, but the best buy was a light beigey eyeshadow (Shroom) which just brightens up the eyes.
Otherwise I'd advocate Clarins Beauty Flash (tightens skin, esp around eyes), Revlon Skinlights (lightweight illuminating foundation you can buy from big Boots: very cheap), and a bogstandard mascara. Oh and Benefit's Benetint, which is v easy-to-use blush stain.

macneil · 08/01/2007 21:55

Sheer lipstick - try Black Honey at Clinique or Honey Tea at Shiseido (ask woman behind counter, it's not called that any more, it has a number) - the Shisiedo is more expensive but less glossy, so will be more flattering. Both are nice. Blusher is the most important - try Dandelion at Benefit, it's very very light, and you can't really go wrong wherever you put it. I agree with tinted moisturiser, absolutely not foundation, and Laura Mercier's is the best, but any cheap one in Boots will be fine, the point of them is they don't put a heavy mask on your face. Then a brown mascara, couple of strokes with it, that's really all you need. I wouldn't start messing around with eye shadow, I've never used it, and it looks like make up. You just want a little healthy colour and definition, not anything people will see before seeing you.

fortyplus · 08/01/2007 21:59

I'm a minimum make up person, but I do wear a little charcoal matt eyeshadow and use a charcoal eyeliner pencil. Other than that - a matt tinted base and a little blusher. I found a lipstick in M&S called 'Nude' that is really subtle.
I don't use mascara as I have thick dark lashes already. If yours are fair you could consider getting them tinted - much nicer than mascara imo

macneil · 08/01/2007 22:03

That sounds good, I just think shadow is harder to put in the right place if you've never done it before.

One warning: women at the Benefit counter are MANIACS and will try to sell you a hundred different bronzers and things that you don't want. They have good stuff, but you have to say no to the bronzers. If necessary, run away.

fortyplus · 08/01/2007 22:11

Agree - you don't want to go round all shiny and orange, do you?

Original poster

mckenzie · 08/01/2007 22:12

thank you all SO much for the replies. I'm going to make some notes and go well prepared. I think i might well go for the tinted lashes fortyplus - that sounds much less hassle.

OP posts:

fortyplus · 08/01/2007 22:14

You'll have to post a pic when you're looking all glam!

wildwomanofborneo · 08/01/2007 22:16

Before you start picking colours and products of course, you need to establish your skin type.It can make all the difference to the finished look. So many people go for what's in vogue or what their friends recommend without realising that it may do more harm than good to their complexion and general appearance.

I have just graduated beauty therapy and the most important thing we learnt is that so many people misinterpret their skin type so have them do a proper skin analysis first so you can make informed choices.

Also, don't be swayed into buying lots of different products, you need the bare minimum to ease you into it.

Concealer - Touche Eclat is good but there are plenty of cheaper alternatives that are just as effective if applied correctly such as Boots No. 7 or Body Shop Ligthening Touch

Tinted Moisturiser or Foundation (Depending on your skin type)

Loose Powder

Mascara

Cream Blush (or powder for increased definition)

Lip Liner

Lipstick

Gloss

Good Luck

controlfreaky2 · 08/01/2007 22:19

noooooo. lip liner in untrained hands = jordan looky likey

wildwomanofborneo · 08/01/2007 22:19

Oh and would also recommend lash tinting although it won't dramatically alter the appearance of your eyes like mascara - unless you have very light lashes.

wildwomanofborneo · 08/01/2007 22:21

No, you kipper!! You get a natural colour a apply a soft - repeat - soft line around the lips - essential to define the lips. We're not talking a fuschia line around cherry red lips or anything like that!

fortyplus · 08/01/2007 22:23

Mmmm! glossy red lips with a dark line round them - that'd go nicely with the false lashes and the blue eyeshadow!

wildwomanofborneo · 08/01/2007 22:24

Believe me, I've seen that and worse during our make-up 'freestyle' lessons!

fortyplus · 08/01/2007 22:25

I feel sick

AitchTwoOhOhSeven · 08/01/2007 22:26

if you're not accustomed to wearing foundation/blusher etc i'd highly recommend id bare minerals essentuals. a twatty name, but they are very, very finely ground powders that it's hard to stuff up applying. you get them in quite a lot of beauty rooms etc.

controlfreaky2 · 08/01/2007 22:26

lol at "freestyle sessions"

brimfull · 08/01/2007 22:27

bobbi brown is great for a natural look.
I would recommend a tinted moisturiser with a sun protection in it,concealer if you need it,blush ,brown/black mascara and eyebrow pencil ir powder if your eyebrows are lacking in colour and definition.

Stick with the basics and get used to it,then you can graduate to eyeliner/shadow if you want.
One thing I really love is guerlein bronzing powder with their special blush.It's expensive but lasts for ages and gives an instant healthy glow.

merryberry · 08/01/2007 22:29

i'm 38 and just bought a MAC light face/body tint (same bottle, tones down my reddy collarbone skin as well as a good foundation) and a concealer and a basic light eyeshadow to tackle the tiredness oh just checked other posters before posting and yes that's it! shroom. works a treat. also got suckered into an eye cream to provide a base to the concealer so it doesn't drag or settle in my cavernous wrinkles. tried one eye with, one without today. i looked a bit odd by the end of the day, it worked so well.

wildwomanofborneo · 08/01/2007 22:32

I was once made-over by another student for a supposed subtle and natural 'daytime' look and could have passed for Toyah Wilcox circa 1981. Worst was she seemed to be quite pleased with it. I had to go and pick my little girl up from school like that as didn't have time to cleanse.

fortyplus · 08/01/2007 22:34

PMSL!!

KTeePee · 09/01/2007 16:12

Be warned that eyelash tinting does look good but it can sting A LOT while having it done!!

There was an article a while back in Easy Living by a woman who had just started to wear makeup for the first time - I'll see if I can find it and see what she recommended but I'm pretty sure she used a MAC foundation and under-foundation prime type of thing

scorpio1 · 09/01/2007 18:44

the body shop do makeovers

and would see what suited you

Original poster

mckenzie · 10/01/2007 15:14

well I had the eyelash tint today (that's as fas as I've got so far as the trtip to john lewis got sabotaged!).
I had brown/black put on as the therapist recommended it and I remember that someone on here had said about brown mascara being better for a first timer perhaps.
Trouble is, I dont think I can see any difference

OP posts:

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