Feel like a teenager - learning to do makeup

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I looked in the mirror at the weekend and realised I look tired. I mean I am tired so it’s accurate, but I’d rather be able to hide it than walk around everywhere advertising it.

So after staring into my random bag of old makeup and pots of goop I’ve bought on sale/impulse at various points over the last 10 years I accepted that I have fuck all idea what I’m doing and my grab bag of expired products probably wasn’t going to help.

I tried finding videos and articles but turns out much like everything else everyone has an opinion and they’re alll different, in the end I took a photo, uploaded it to copilot and asked for a shopping list and a 10 minute daily routine that would make me look better, then I went to Boots and bought everything.

My question to you lovely ladies is, has anyone successfully implemented a skincare care regime and learned how to do basic makeup in your 40s and if so what were your ‘will do it forever, this is great’ things and what were your ‘yeah that’s not gonna stick, waste of time and money’ things?

I already drink all the water, eat healthy, get as much sleep as is realistic at this point and reducing stress would mean ditching the job and finding something else which probably wouldn’t pay as well or be as flexible so it really is all about products and methods for me right now.

Wait until you find out what PDRN is 😆

The problem (IME) with people recommending skincare products and make up is that the stuff will often only give you the same results if you have exactly the same skin type and colouring, and are at the same life stage hormone-wise. I’ve fallen so many times for other people’s ‘holy grail’ enthusiasms, IRL and online, and ended up accumulating a load of expensive jars of unused gunk!

I’d recommend The Ordinary, who sell pharmaceutical grade pure products at brilliant prices by cutting out all the bulkers, additives and marketing bullshit, so you can try things like retinols without breaking the bank. (As a side note, years ago there was a Which trial of skincare products and Boots Protect & Perfect was one of the only ones shown to have effective ingredients at a high enough concentration to make any difference whatsoever, so beware a lot of the ridiculous claims spouted by the big beauty brands).

I slap on any old moisturiser at night after using a hot cloth cleanser (Liz Earle or Eve Lom), and I think my skin is in ok shape because of the deep massage/hot press/cold rinse routine.

And I love Maybelline Great Lash - lots of make up artists swear by it, and it’s been a failsafe for me for decades (again really reasonably priced).

I would not know how to put make up on.
Ive never used it really, i only use clear mascara and an eyebrow pencil thats it.

I had a similar epiphany about a year ago. I booked into a recommended local salon and asked them to teach me. They did a relatively good job, but I then topped it up by watching about a million YouTube tutorials on ‘everyday make up for older skin’ and regularly refresh watching them. I’m 48, never really learned how to do make up and got away with it for years, but now I’m older I need more help! 😉

I feel very ill qualified to be part of this thread (as you might have gathered from the snail question). However, I learned fairly recently what white eyeliner can do. It's something I would never have thought of. But just on the rims of your lower lids, if you are very fair and your eyes often look red rimmed like mine. It can really open up your eye and make the whites look whiter.

Now I'm off to Google PDRN....

A SALMON serum? Dear god, what will they think of next?

Not too
late at all. I feel
like I’ve learned makeup
from
instagram since turning 50. I follow a few - some of Genevieve turleys old
videos are really helpful. The skin care sounds great. Hope you enjoy learning as much as I am!

Watch Make up by Katy A on TikTok

Thanks for all the suggestions and recommendations!

Blusher seems to be my nemesis, I can’t quite figure out if I’m putting it in the wrong place or using the wrong colour but I’m definitely not experiencing a ‘lifting effect’. I’m in town on Saturday because DD wants to con me out of a load of tat in the Flying Tiger £5 treasure day so I’m going to stop in at John Lewis and see if any of the make up ladies can tell me what to do.

I find the older you get then less makeup is more. Don’t let them give you a heavy coverage foundation. I use Haus Labs from Sephora in winter and Chanel Les Beiges in summer. Both are light, serum texture and don’t settle into lines. More just even out skin tone. Then I put a tiny bit of powder on my T zone and a small amount of bronze/blush on my cheekbones. Haven’t a clue how to do sculpting nor could I be arsed. I use Refy mascara as don’t clump but am tempted to get some of that substance that grows and thickens lashes. That’s it. I’ll wear a sheer lipstick for a night out. If I wear any more I feel like I’m in drag. My skincare regime is hot cloth cleanser, any decent serum on offer and Tilbury water cream.

I have extremely sensitive skin, I use the Nip + Fab retinol serum twice a week which is really gentle. I’m a Nip + Fab fan and always recommend th eir products, I’ve actually had compliments on my skin since I switched.

I've just ordered some snail slime from Amazon...

It had better be good!

I am a little older than you, but also have pale and sensitive skin. I know you said avoid tinted moisturiser, but erborian cream is amazing, especially the green one if you are prone to redness. I also recently discovered bronzer, which I thought was nonsense until a lovely lady in space nk put some on me, and I suddenly stopped looking grey and tired, and have some life back in my face. Good luck in John Lewis (and Flying Tiger)

I am crap at make up but yes have changed things around 40. I find using a face oil plumps my skin up - something like this https://www.gruum.com/product/botanisk-avocado-oil-30ml/?tw_source=google&tw_adid=712983750655&tw_campaign=21691873660&tw_kwdid=pla-298018399577&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21691873660&gbraid=0AAAAADdIhXYyxO-rX52vHgrA4AThodxdH&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4s2_rcfMlAMVN5ZQBh2MrgHyEAQYCSABEgKHwfD_BwE

I also find foundation tricky now as it sits in my lines 😂 so have a tinted moisturiser

I went for a full makeup makeover at John Lewis in Cardiff yesterday. I have a big birthday this year and felt that the makeup I was using wasn’t quite right for me. It takes an hour and a half and costs £45 which is refundable from purchases, so effectively free. I got exactly what I wanted, glowing dewy skin (Nars) my fairly thin lips looked much better courtesy of Trinny London lip pencil and oil duo. My current Nars blush was fine. Eyes were much more made up than I usually do myself, and darker, but my eyes looked so much greener through the colours used.
I was instructed in exactly how to use the products and was really pleased with the results. I can go back for tweaking or call in for advice any time. You get the choice of products from all the brands JL have in store.
I would recommend this to anyone, the beautician said she did work privately too. If you don’t like what they do you can just buy some moisturiser to save the £45.

100% agree with the snail slime usage and its magical properties, I have also found that this has massively improved my own skin quality.

I would recommend taking a look at the ABC SPF method that Beauty Pie lay out here - https://www.beautypie.com/blog/abc-spf-challenge?srsltid=AfmBOoqL8Btb0rVj_JiQARm6fyL4tMPIO3VhNypMNn8_yWvN0Gt8RKk3

It's a good way to structure skincare at the very least - you don't need to get everything from BP of course. With the above in mind, it seems that you may benefit from some Vitamin C in your regime - I use The Inkey List Vitamin C serum (I mix this with the Snail mucin to apply) and my skin has never looked better. https://amzn.eu/d/02mNFaGH

The other wonder product I would recommend is Reedle 100 to start - basically microneedling in a tube. This was transformative for my skin and I would not be without it now (I have graduated to Reedle 300 now) https://amzn.eu/d/0fSinhfJ

Also agree with retinol recommendation if your skin can handle it - otherwise bakuchiol or retinal are also great alternatives.

I would also note that a good exfoliator will make all your skincare work better - I use Beauty Pie Fruitizyme as that works well for me but principal stands that skin needs to be as clear as possible

I use very little makeup now - I use Erborian BB cream (the green CC cream is also amazing) and a little blush so I don't look half dead. The BB cream is enough moisturiser for me as I still have quite oily skin.