Do you still experiment with make up after 40?

[MishkaNorushka]

Aged 45, I have found myself more interested in make up than I was a few year ago. You spend your younger years figuring out what work, stick to it for a while and then I felt stuck in a rut.

What suited me before needed rethinking - fine lines, less lid, more redness etc.
New textures are abound and more choice than ever before, I guess more disposable income helps, so that’s exciting to explore. WFH and looking good onscreen is another direction, bold lip works well for me. I am also keen to try new shades of eyeshadow and lipstick / gloss / blush, on their own and combinations. Nothing too much out there but still new to me.

I am still very reserved not to look overdone or ridiculous and thought that my efforts are only noticeable to me but last week DP said it’s something different about your eyes, you are so beautiful. I had Satin Taupe all over and added Avon Amethyst eyeliner, it was so lovely to be looked at like that.

What is your relationship with make up, is it changing over time?

I’m 41 and never ever wore makeup when I was younger.
As my face has aged I’ve started to wear a CC cream to even my somewhat patchy skin out. As my lips start to fade I am experimenting with wearing a matte lipstick very similar to my natural lip colour.
So yes, I suppose I am experimenting with make up but maybe not on the way you mean.
I just want to look exactly like me for a little bit longer.
edit to add: this has just been in the last 6 months I never used it at all before 40

I like Erica Taylor who shows how to tweak make up to be more up to date esp for aging faces. Your face may not be aging at 41 though.

I lost interest in make up when I got older and increasingly it was just presented as a way of shaving a couple of years off my age. All the fun went out of it. But if you're still enjoying it, and especially if you're still experimenting with it, then that sounds great, even though I can't advise!

For me yes I do,at 52.

I didn’t wear much daytime makeup in my 20s and even 30s it wasn’t huge, concealer, maybe foundation and eye makeup.

From my 40s I found my foundation needed to be changed so ELDW or ELDW light and other variations.

My main change too has been light coloured eyeshadows like Stila Kitten (MAC does a similar one I bought), tubing or waterproof mascara, waterline top eyelid eyeliner and cream or liquid blush on high cheekbones only blended out. Lipstick I think I go less for brighter colours than I used to do.

My DB’s MIL in her 70s has always been into eye makeup (eyeshadow), I got her a light coloured Giorgio Armani cream eyeshadow for her birthday recently which she loves.

I'm early 50s & still love & experimenting with make up . I'm more subtle than I used to be - not so much eyeliner ( though I wore a lot last night for night out ) . Was shopping with my DD for make up yesterday!

Just watched some Erica Taylor vids, she’s nuts but very good! New tips already.

I love experimenting with make up in my 50s.

I used to wear it as a teen (sky blue eyeliner and frosted pink lipstick!) but then didnt bother in my 20-40s.
Am currently going through abit of a personal revival though so love to play around with clothes and make up.

I use BB cream, powder, bronzer, blush, eye shadow, eye liner and lippy (dont need to worry about lashes or brows coz they are already back and thick).
I think Im doing an ok job with it as Ive had a few compliments about looking generally better (men never seem to know why....women always know its make up!!LOL).

Absolutely! Love make up and always have. As you age, you need to change things I find, eg I swapped foundation for tinted moisturiser as it’s more forgiving on wrinkles, lol. I don’t wear a lot, but I always wear it for work - wouldn’t feel professional otherwise (just my opinion!).

I have never been able to get my make-up right, either with colours or precision of application. I have bought lots over the years but have now given up and chuckled it all away.

Yes, had a style analysis done a few years ago and brought some of the suggested lipsticks. Bolder than I used to wear but love wearing them.

I realise now the pastels we all wore in 80s did me no favours.

God yes, I love makeup and I'm 51.
I really should have been a makeup artist, I used to do my friends' makeup as teen and they all looked very good even if I say so myself 😁

Just last week I had a refresher all day course with a professional MUA and while she didn't teach me anything I didn't know I learned new techniques to do same things, some new combinations, etc.

@BetsyBobbin that is so interesting - do you mind me asking ref. MUA lesson, how did you find this, who was it?

Ooh I'd love to do this too!

And me! X

I've always loved makeup but tend to be quite Conservative. Occasionally I'll go all out with eyeshadow.found Pat Mcgrath a few years ago and I love playing with the eyeshadow. Sadly I don't often go out to wear it

I'm 38.. so not quite there but I recently changed my daily makeup look because my skin has changed. It's a lot drier.. so day to day I now use tinted moisturiser mixed in with extra moisturiser.. whereas in my twenties I used to use full coverage porcelain foundation and setting powder..
I now go for a more sun-kissed dewy look. If I did my makeup like I did in my 20s I'd look like a clown I think!!
But I still love experimenting with colours and glitter and often wear strip lashes. Hope that continues into my 40s.
Your skin does change tho so you can't do the same things as you would when younger. I find my skin is quite crinkled round my eyes so I avoid cat eye flicks, or very defined lines with eyeliner now.. go for a more smudged smokier line if I want eyeliner on. Looks less harsh.

@MishkaNorushka @GrimDamnFanjo @Fluffywithteeth Hello!

So, what happened to me was pure chance. One day I was bored and started searching "makeup classes" on google and the first hit was a one day self makeup course in the University of the Arts London: www.arts.ac.uk . I then bit the bullet and enrolled myself. The course was a kind of refresher to me (the other ladies there seemed to be very inexperienced so prob learned a lot more). Like I said, she didn't teach me anything I didn't know and a few of her techniques were mainly suitable for younger faces but having said that, I thought it was mainly useful (and we got a free set of brushes).

What you could do is search your local college and see what they offer in terms of makeup. In case you don't find anything, follow local MUAs and see what kind of makeup they do. If you like them, ask if they offer private lessons or consultations.

What I would suggest too is to follow several different kinds makeup artists/influencers: the ones who teach techniques, the ones of a similar age to you (or who do makeup on women of a similar age) and so on. I don't follow young girls because our faces have nothing in common, but sometimes I have a look and see if I can "adapt" something to my face. I like @roseandben (teaches a myriad of different things and is extremely knowledgeable), Erica Taylor (for 40+), Rose Gallagher (has rosacea and my skin is hyper pigmented on places), Vincent Ford (uses older models), Laura Capon (beauty journalist). And of course people like Lisa Eldridge, etc.

Good brushes and tools make a world of difference. Real Techniques do excellent stuff and don't cost a lot. Morphe too. Eco Tools is usually an overlooked brand. Crown Brushes are incredible. None of these brands are expensive. A good eye lash curler. A magnifying mirror. Good pencil sharpener. All of it makes a big difference.

You can buy all the fancy stuff that will cost you a lot of money but if you don't know how to use it, what's the point? You'd better start buying cheap stuff to practice and then upgrade your makeup bag. Having said that, not all cheap makeup is bad and not all expensive stuff is good. A last note: I personally have been trying to buy less and less stuff made in China (but that is a topic for another post).

Most important: practice. Once a week, go in from of the mirror with clean brushes, sponges, etc. Select a simple tutorial from YouTube and try to replicate it. Don't be discouraged if you don't get it right the first time. Keep practising! X

Forgot a few things.

Instead of following trends, find what suits you at that moment and stick with it. I love a cat flick but my eyes are very round so that has never suited me but I can live with that. I've learned to do a "smoky" version of a cat flick and that suits me far better. My eye lids are starting to droop so I don't put eye shadow on the crease/socket anymore but just above it.

Products are a lot of trial and error. I try to buy mini/travel size whenever possible. If I like something, I'll then buy the full size version.

I'll come back later if I remember more stuff

No, I think you'll see that I've got it cracked now.

@BetsyBobbin tiu are such a star! Thanks so much 🙏🏼 xx

You don't have to thank me, it doesn't take much to get me talking about makeup, I really love it!

A very important thing I forgot: KNOW YOUR COLOURS!
Sometimes I see women saying that they're scared of red lipstick and I just think it's because they haven't found the right colour for them, ie, blue reds, orange reds. Same with eyes, different shades suit different eye colours.