Has anyone else found makeup 'ages' them as they get older?

[HepburnKNotA]

The obvious thing first: I have, and perhaps could even more, tweak my 'old' makeup. I have tried switching my old midnight-blue eyeliner and black mascara for browns. I've tried a different shade and format of blusher.

But these days when I put on makeup I feel I look older with it on, and not in a good way!

I'm 42 btw.

I have (and I'm not ashamed to say it, given the amount I've bloody spent on it in products and effort) really good skin for my age, very very few lines (apart from Number 11s) and since I gave up sugar (and started using Emma Hardie and Sunday Riley stuff) a couple of years ago my skin is smoother than it's ever been. I've never really needed any foundation, barely used tinted moisturiser and these days I don't wear any base at all, ever.

But I do like a bit of eye makeup (liner and mascara) on nights out etc and now I don't know what to try as whenever I put it on, I feel like I suddenly look haggard and over my real age instead of under it! And blusher used to 'freshen' me up, but now I don't know, it has the same ageing effect.

Still happy with my trusty nude lipsticks and glosses, tbf.

Should I just give up and at least enjoy the fact I have good skin (until inevitably that all falls off a cliff in a few years...)? Or should I keep trying different shades? Techniques? I spend all my 'beauty' money on bloody (admittedly amazing) Space NK products so don't have much left for experimenting with makeup if it's not going to work!

Does anyone else feel the same way and if so - did you give up on makeup and just go bare-faced? I feel it's not enough 'effort' for a night out! Though I've never been a big makeup person at all, really.

Oh and always do busy brows

Bushy
Ffs

Other than a light line of eyeliner I find most people in their twenties look old with it too. Piss holes in the snow as my mum would say

Oh Christ, this is me. Just recently, I’ve spent a small fortune on bases. I think it’s ok for a month then catch sight of myself in a mirror and thing “that’s doing NOTHING for me”. The offending product then gathers dust in a drawer. I’m beginning to realise that it’s not the product, it’s me.

I’m 57 and have to wear “colour” because I’m like a bloody cadaver without blush/lippie. My skin is ok wrinkles wise but frankly, I look worn out in a way that (considering all the cash I’ve spent over the years) I hadn’t expected.

What to do, OP, what to do? In these two pics, I’ve got a full face on (which I KNOW is OTT in the middle of the afternoon) and the other is my everyday slap. But I feel so, so overdone.

OP, if you’re skin is still good (and it sounds like you’ve really cared for it) why not just do mascara and your nude lippie and gloss. I think if I tried that I’d look awful and people would ask me if I was feeling “alright” but that’s cause they’re used to seeing me done up.

Think I’ll go upstairs now and sort/bin some of the stuff I’ve bought recently. I think I’ll take some of the advice on here and visit a counter for an “age appropriate” makeover.

Skin tone and texture change as you age, just as your hair and body does but I'm always wary of too many rules as we don't all age in the same way. I was really dissatisfied with make up a few months ago. I felt it was just making me look painted, rather than better plus I was finding the whole business a faff. So I gave it up completely for a month and it was the best thing I could have done. When I resumed I re-introduced one item at a time and I could see straight away that the big problem was my foundation. It was Bobbi Brown so not cheap and I'd always thought it was a good match but now it just looked like emulsion paint. I also realised that, all thing's considered, my skin's in quite good condition and didn't really need much coverage. What I wanted instead was better definition as my face has filled out and my jawline has sagged.

So I've given up foundation. I now either wear none at all or a few dabs of of Sensei Bronzing Gel, kindly gifted to me by another poster I cut down on eye make up too and, unless I'm going somewhere with artificial lighting, I either wear none or just a single eye shadow. (I'd already given up eye liner and mascara due to sensitivity.) Tiny bit of brow make up but only cos my brows are so pale.

And then for better definition I use a smear of blusher and another smear highlighter along the top of my cheekbones. Plus I've started wearing lipstick, which is funny as I never used to but now I quite like the slash of colour and I think it gives my jaw a bit more definition. (Pity it's worn off before I've left the house but hey.)

It's still a work in progress. And about half the time I don't wear any at all.

@MissKittyBeaudelais you look amazing in the first pic especially. Great skin.

I don't wear as much make up as I used to.

I've switched to using eye shadow under my eyes rather than continue eye liner underneath (I've actually dropped the eye liner on the lids too now). Eye liner of any sort looks too harsh on me now - the eye shadow is more smokey and looks softer.

I don't wear foundation but do use loose mineral powder with a brush - a pad just seems to cake up in the wrinkles (lovely). No blusher as I have rosacea so don't need extra blush! I've never used nude colours on my lips as I look really odd with it on so I've now gone more light plum colour. Seems to be working better now. For me it seems that a softer, hazy look works better.

I must admit it's great really - I was going to a party a couple of weeks ago and my make up took so little time I was twiddling my thumbs where I was usually the last one out of the door in the past!

Oh dear, I’ve just read Aquamarine1029 and realise I do ALL of the no-no’s. It’s not that I’m trying to look young I’m just trying to look awake/alive 😊

I've dropped the foundation lately (late 50s). I look much better with just a smudge of blusher and a tiny bit of under-eye bag cover, well blended. Beige/grey shadow, grey khol and brown mascara.

Miaomix thanks. Problem is, I don’t really look like that. And it’s kind of “going out” makeup for walking the dog because I only know how to do one face 😐

I’ve had makeovers at space nk and boots (clarins) in the last few years and think highly useful to see you as someone else see you.
Foundations are getting a lot sheerer but agree the heavy eyeliner is a younger person’s look.

I’m 32 and love makeup, I used to have a blog about 8-10 years ago which was great fun, had a huge collection of products which I’ve been gradually whittling down over the years. I find now I’m liking less and less makeup and I’m leaning more towards cream products too, I rarely do eyeliner, instead I’ll opt for an eyeshadow and smudge that into my lashline. I’m makeup free probably 4 days out the week, even on nights out I’ve toned it right down, I just feel so suffocated with makeup now and I agree I feel it makes me look so much older.

I’m a massive fan of YouTube so I’m always on there learning more techniques, also a big fan of Space NK and recently bought some Trinny London products which I’m enjoying experimenting with.

Oh and also I’ve recently changed how I use foundation and I’ll apply it where I need it or I’ll use a tinted moisturiser, it’s made my skin looked fresher I think, and I don’t feel like I’ve got layers on. Strangely I’ve never felt that way before with foundation, it’s really been in the last 6-8 months I’d say.

Every few years I find that a product that has always looked great looks weird - too harsh, bright, heavy or dark - almost overnight. I used to love the look of a bare-ish face with red lipstick (chic! French!) but a few years ago, out of the blue, one day it made me look like a crossdressing lorry driver surprised in the act and that was that.

Fwiw I find brown a really difficult colour to wear near my eyes. Brown mascara or liner would make me look tired and ill. I wear black, just very sparingly.

I use much less colour on my cheeks now and find that something glowy looks better - leaning toward neutral/nude in colour, not too metallic or sparkly. Occasionally I finish my makeup and find it doesn't look right in some mysterious way and adding a little glow always helps.

I had this very same conversation with my friends earlier op - I've been wearing less and less over the last few years and feel so overdone now if I put 'evening ' make up on, I have good skin so last night went out to dinner with a bit of highlighter, shaded brows and some clear mascara... no one screamed so I think it's the way forward for me

Am I the only person who doesn't look any different when wearing makeup?

God, I'm so glad I started this thread!! At least now I feel vindicated if I don't put on any makeup when I go out tomorrow night...!

Mrsdewinter, it's the weirdest thing, isn't it? Honestly, only two days before, I had put on my usual eyeliner (powder, and very dark midnight blue, it doesn't look 'blue', honestly, it looks almost black!!) and it looked fine. I put it on two nights later and bam, Barbara Cartland City...

Gobshite, can I ask for specific reccomendations for any really good YouTubers on this sort of thing? I don't want to accidentally watch some dodgy video and end up trying a look meant for an 18-year-old...

Also, another question for you, Gobshite! How to use cream eyeshadow and smudge it into the lash line...? I'm hopeless with shadow!! What would I do to achieve this?! Would I put it all over my lid but blend it downwards so it gets a little thicker over the lash line? Or just smudge it right onto the lashline first and then blend lightly away over the lid with the rest?

And would this be a creamy neutral, as close to my skintone as possible? And dewy rather than shimmery obv? Any specific product suggestions? I've liked Bobbi Brown in the past when I (rarely) used shadow. Do you get what you pay for with cream shadows or are cheaper brands good? (I'd like to spend as little as possible while I try new looks!)

I already use cream blusher but still find it's not working for me. Maybe I'll go back to the NARS Multiple I used to love when I was younger but haven't used in over a decade - I wonder if Orgasm might work for me now all over again?! It's pricey but I'm prepared to spend on a product I might love.

One final question - have any of you tried swapping to a brown mascara rather than black? Is this worth trying, especially if mascara is virtually the only product I'll be using? Or is black still OK, do you think, if I'm ditching the harsh eyeliner?

My eyelashes are pretty good tbh but my eyes have always been small and I've always felt better if I 'bring them out' - I'm just not sure any more how to do this!

Thanks so much for posting, everyone. Thrilled I'm not alone!

Oh, and MissKitty, your skin is absolutely gorgeous!! Fresh and beautiful. HOW old did you say you were??! Not a day over 25 if you ask me.

brown mascara all the way here. It looks a million times more flattering.

Finally, I agree with you EleanorLavish that it's probably a huge mistake to keep the same makeup for decades. I agree that KM is probably one who does this and I've often thought her eyeliner looks harsh and ageing, especially when she's so pretty she probably hardly needs it.

I certainly don't wear the same clothes I did when I was 22 or even 32 (in my 20s in particular I was often trying to look older, or more sophisticated, certainly, and those looks would age me now) and I've totally overhauled my skincare regime at least twice in the last two decades. Nuts to not think about tweaking/overhauling my makeup, too. I think maybe it's because I wear so little of it that it hadn't occurred to me it could be ageing.

Duh!

I don’t wear foundation anymore - just a tinted moisturiser, bit of blusher and tiny bit of eyeliner. I also tint my eyelashes. That’s all. Anything else is just too much. But I have seen this makeup company that I am going to investigate as it is meant for older skin and have heard good things. www.lookfabulousforever.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw0N3nBRBvEiwAHMwvNhjk9uLqZxbzpa0jj_XrbU0gdueuvYOIILsd10e2utEI-GyTTz4t2BoC9H4QAvD_BwE

I thinks it's always been aging and that's partly why young girls/women wear it. But I'm still prepared to trade looking older for actually looking like I have some eyes.

I am officially old, as in a few years ago I would have been receiving my state pension which is another story but if you were born in the 1950s, go and sign the petition.

Two points to propose: (1) Eyesight deteriorates fast between 45 and 60, so don't trust the mirror completely, and this affects how you see colour. If you are developing cataracts, even baby ones, then your colour vision is browning out, like an amber filter. You don't see that you aren't choosing the colours that always worked for you because they aren't the same. This accounts for much of the pantomime dame look older ladies seem to wear.

Rule 2: spend the money on skincare, and keep make up as minimal and as transparent as you can. Thanks @Floisme for confirming the Sensai Bronzing Gel is good. It's almost all water, but the pigment floats over skin. (The SPF included is fine in winter, not enough in summer). But it blurs flatteringly and you can put in on in the dark and be sure that it hasn't left any harsh lines. That and some dark mascara and lip gloss/liner is all I wear. Dabs of highligher and blusher are a going out to dinner look. I might, for a gala occasion, brush a matte nude eyeshadow, infinitessimally darker than my skintone, into the socket line and blend it away.

There is a very good Lisa Eldridge how to do makeup video for older ladies on Youtube.

Brown mascara here. Black looks too much for me now.

I used to spend ages doing my makeup but now I wear far less for exactly this reason. I never wore a lot but now all I do is tinted moisturiser, or just concealer on a good skin day, brows and mascara. I love doing eyebrows because no one knows what you've done (if you're subtle with it) but you just look healthy and polished without feeling you have anything on your face.