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.

The style is hard on older faces. The colour too stark on most complexions

Claudia Winkleman really really needs to change her make up. She is such a lovely looking woman but every time I see her in the paper at a celeb event she always looks a bit crazy faced.

I'm a bit befuddled by her makeup choices. Lashings of fake tan and pale lipstick makes for an odd look overall. I get the feeling she likes to hide behind the makeup and the eyeball sweeping fringe.Use it as a kind of armour.

I bought the Garnier SkinActive BB Light BB cream in nude. I asked DD what she thought of it when I had put it on and she said that she didn't realise that I was wearing any make up. For me that is a positive as I don't like the heavy foundation look. This cream comes out white and reacts with your skin to match the colour. As an added bonus I love the smell.

That looks lovely TapasForTwo, I've always like the No7 intelligent colour foundation as it's also very natural and looks lovely on.

Just to make a bit more sense, the No7 one also adjusts to your skin tone!

I love the texture of the Intelligent Colour, foundation and can wear it in summer. The light one is a bit too dark for me in winter though. I wish they did a lighter one. I found the no7 BB cream too heavy.

Yes TapasForTwo I remember it being a bit dark. I've not had it for years as I've been really into my glowy foundation.

I've just ordered the Sensai Bronzing Gel off eBay for £17.50, there's a couple more I think.

I got the 62 shade which I think is the middle one? Fingers crossed it works for me, thanks for the tip!

Hello again everyone, thanks so much for all the replies!!

Jingling, I didn't mean to make the thread depressing!! fwiw I wasn't, at 42, saying that makeup makes me look (gasp!) a decade older or anything! (not that there's anything REMOTELY bad about looking 52 when you are 52.) As it happens I am young-looking for my age, I'm usually mistaken for mid-30s (and only bloody right when I've spent the last 20 years out of the sun and spend a disproportionate amount of time and effort on fantastic skincare). I was really just asking if others, like I did, woke up one morning to pop on their usual (in my case minimal) makeup and suddenly thought instead of making them look fresh and awake it made them look tired and haggard.

I'm not 'not' wearing foundation because I can only find ageing orange cakey formulas - I've never worn it because so far I haven't needed to (apart from a hideous experience with adult acne in my 20s when EL Double Wear was my saviour).

It's not supposed ot be anti- or pro-makeup, I was just astonished that my usual routine, overnight, suddenly made me look so much less fresh and awake than it used to. And it's not as if I was trowelling on the foundation, powder etc before - all I've been wearing for the last couple of decades is some eyeliner, mascara and blusher.

I think that's why I was surprised - i'd always thought makeup was only ageing if you wear a LOT of it, and things like heavy foundation and powder which I've never worn. Hence my surprise that even light makeup needs tweaking.

Now, now I've read the replies on here and actually thought about it, it's sooooooo obvious you have to tweak stuff.

Aaaaanyway, just wanted to be clear that I'm not lamenting the ageing process and I'm aware that 42 isn't 'old' (I'm still young, not even close to middle-aged, thank you very much!)

I'm just a bit pissed off my beloved eyeliner now makes me look haggard and shit, and not sure how to proceed without expensive mistakes!

There are some amazing reccs on here now, I am going to peruse it all slowly with a coffee this morning.

Oh and yy to the poster who said the best way to look younger (or a LITTLE less haggard, anyway!) is to ditch the sugar and eat good fats. I do both those things. Huge game-changer.

Still can't pull off the eyeliner though!

Thanks everyone, happy Sunday...

I'm 49 with good skin and went looking for a new foundation/tinted moisturiser this year. Tried about 30 samples but decided they all looked shit so I'm just wearing primer and a sweep of Hourglass powder (and a Clarins tan drop in my moisturiser for the summer). I look much fresher. Otherwise I've found I need to slightly tweak colours and techniques - less eyeliner but a brighter lip for example.

In my twenties the more makeup I piled on the more fabulous I looked.
Now in my late 30s I've had to ditch my beloved winged eyeliner and foundation as I look so haggard.
I've switched to dark brown liner and mascara which has helped.
Also because my eyelids have sagged badly I use matt eyeshadow and avoid shimmery ones.

Its depressing though. Now I need makeup I look shite. 10 years ago I had beautiful firm skin and used to smother it over.
I'm hoping now I've quit smoking things will improve slightly

Can anyone recommend a dewy eyeshadow? I also find that shimmer or matte ones are unflattering and sit in lines. Hooded kids here...

Hooded lids not kids

returnfrommars what do you mean by dewy? Like wet like Vaseline? Or cream?

BusterGonad a cream eyeshadow, without sparkly bits. Or a creamy powder shadow.

I really rate these Revlon colourstay creme eyeshadows but they do have shimmer and some are more shimmery than others. The top two on the right (715, 720) do not have shimmer and are really lovely. You really need to look at the testers thought to check if you're happy with the amount of shimmer.

I got it wrong ^^ the colour of the chubby stick I love for my eyes is Lavish Lilac not the portly one! Only just read the name on it!

@returnfrommars

Try Clinique chubby sticks

www.musingsofamuse.com/2013/03/clinique-chubby-stick-shadow-tint-for-eyes-review-swatches.html

I have come full circle brandwise as I've got older. Was a teenage Clinique freak and had never touched it again until mid 40s. I use Bare Minerals complexion rescue and Bobbi Brown cream blush but mascara, lippy and eyeliner are all Clinique.
I really enjoyed the whole make-up rethink thing and yes, I can't do a full-on maquillage like I did in my 20's but I now enjoy the skincare side so much more.
A light dewy make-up makes me feel and look much fresher but I still love a statement lip for a night out and do Hourglass Icon or, if I am trying to be a bit edgy, Chanel Rouge Noir.
I have become a bit jowly and my neck isn't that of a twenty year old - I don't want that anyway. At 47, I look to older women than me for style and beauty inspiration and I love imperfections.
I enjoy experimenting every bit as much as I used to but now it's more lotions and potions rather than full on slap.

BusterGonad my own take on dewy is supple and moisturised. although there is a sliding scale of dew. Some like oil-slick greasy shine while others go for the 'just shoved through a laminator' look .
There should be a chart like the Bristol Stool Scale.

Not sure whether to buy the Bare Minerals Complexion corrector stuff or the NARS tinted. Anyone tried them both?

Any tips for Mascara brands?

Will check out that YouTube mentioned earlier - thanks!

DameDoom

bringbacksideburns if you are on the drier side, Complexion Rescue would probs be your best bet. They are both good.
I live and die by Clinique's lash power - it is brilliant but everyone has their faves so answers will differ. I have greasy lids, wear contacts and have hayfever and prefer a natural but buildable look if required. Chanel does not work for me at all nor Dior but my friends swear by them. Mascara is so personal.

@DameDoom my take on dewy is soft velvet skin with a hint of luminescence!