Help me to start wearing make up!

[Goodwitch9]

That's it really! I'm 62 and have never worn make up but I think I need to. Where do I begin?

If you have a SpaceNK near you, pop in and they will guide you. You won't need to buy anything but you will get a good feel for what's about at various price points and it will help if you then go into other stores too

I would start with a skin tint/tinted moistuser, some blush and a mascara (they are the three products that I feel make me put together even if I don't use anything else.) Tinted lip balm if you want it and eyebrow pencil if you feel you need it.

There are loads of really good tutorials online for lightweight makeup looks so it's worth having a look.

Go easy and natural looking - you want a nice glow, not to be in any way caked.

So a hydrating primer, then a light tinted moisturiser or CC cream (I LOVE ELF Halo glow - you can add another layer for more coverage.) IT Cosmetics CC cream is great for more coverage if going out somewhere. Then mascara, eyebrow gel if you want and a cream blusher. I also like ELF putty blush but there are so many nice cream foundations out there. They are easier to put on and more natural looking than powder.

Do you watch any YouTube videos? There are lots of make-up tutorials on there.

I would probably go to Boots No7 cosmetic counter. They have a full range of products and will help you select the most suitable items and show you how to apply them.

Good luck ♥️

Some foundations are not good on mature skin and make it look worse...I notice now! I wonder if anyone can recommend any that are good or any to avoid????

When I started I watched YouTube videos with Lisa Eldridge - she was recommended on here. You very quickly get a feel for what will work for you.

I read recently, in Good Housekeeping, that the two best foundations for mature skin were 1. Clarins, serum based, and 2. No 7, Stay Perfect.

@Goodwitch9 I'm 66, I use Clinique Foundation, Clinique Chubby Stick (cream blusher), No7 under eye concealer, No7 Transluscent Powder, Lancome Hypnose Mascara and a pinky lipstick (good make).

Much depends on using the right colours/shades and I think it helps to know your colours/season. For example, I'm a summer which is cool and I need cool/pinky tones.

I think looking after your skin is important and a cleansing balm, day cream and night cream are the basics.

Have a look at really natural products like merit, ilia, Rhodes Infact if you go into Sephora lots of the brands sell a more natural look now.

Look for cream products you can blend with a finger.

If your starting from scratch I would go for a skin tint, blusher, brow pencil, mascara and tinted lip balm. Staff at Sephora are really helpful but choose a quieter day rather than a Saturday afternoon.

I would suggest finding a Trinny counter near you. The makeup is much more suited to women of our age. It’s very natural and flattering. It is also easy to apply.

What is it that you want the make up to do for you? Do you have dark under eye circles? Sun spots to cover up? Redness? Is it a bit of colour that you feel you need? Do you like the idea of wearing lipstick?

if it were me, I’d start very small, buy a burts bees tinted lip balm and an Elf hydrating concealer, and see how I feel with a more even toned face and a bit of colour on my lips.

Lisa Eldridge skin tint is fantastic and her other products too. Understanding your undertone is key to getting your shades of blush and lip right.
I was just saying on another thread how fantastic the lisa Eldridge customer service team are. If you send them pics they’ll recommend shades and help you out.

I'm a summer too ILoveKits, although I can't remember which one! What shade of mascara do you use?

I can't either but for make-up that's less important, the key is avoiding warm tones. It helps that many foundations are now labelled cool or warm. You can opt for a cool one closest to your skin tone.

I'm quite fair so prefer a dark brown mascara but they are hard to find now. Black works. I also go for a light brown eyebrow pencil. Avoid the nude lipsticks with a beigy undertone. I find Estee, Lancome silky lipsticks best although L'Oreal comes close. They seem to work well on older skin and aren't harsh.

It takes me three minutes to put on my make-up and is part of the routine. I just enhance what I've got.

If you have a department store in reachable distance, the ladies on the make-up counters are very helpful. I can recommend Estee in John Lewis, Oxford Street. The lady there helped me a lot when I decided I needed a refresh at 60.

A little bit of colour definitely! Feel drab but clueless... I've seen adverts for Violet Jordan products, sticks that you can use for eyes, cheeks and lips. Has anyone tried them?

How's your eyebrows? Mine, as a 70s child are crap, so i find them having some definition frames my face. Elf do a eyebrow mascara which is good and comes in several shades. Im old and wear a bb cream with spf, eyebrows brushed and lightly coloured, plum mascara(tubing one again I think elf as it doesnt give panda eyes) a Catrice eye crayon, from of all places, primark, in a pinky mushroom. Its got brush on.the other end. Orgasm blush sparingly for night or MUA cream in a tube again sparingly. Tinted lip balm. That's it. 5 mins tops.

An easy way to start feeling more pulled together is getting your brows shaped and dyed and your lashes dyed. I’m very hit and miss on wearing makeup but have these done regularly which makes me feel more groomed.

I have recently started using Clinique daily calm foundation which I’m liking (I’m 61). But get it colour matched by a consultant rather than pick it yourself.

Also some John Lewis stores have The Beauty Society who do a free 30 minute consultation using all their brands - rather than just sticking to one range. You can always go back for a longer paid session if you like what they suggest.

No Beauty Societies near me unfortunately. Shame!

You don’t need it. No one needs it. If you want to experiment, that’s great, have a play, visit some make up counters, have fun. But please don’t feel you need it, and take anything that make up sales people tell you about ‘hiding flaws’ etc with a massive pile of salt.

I really love ELF Halo glow - I put it on my mum when I am doing her makeup also and it is lovely on mature skin - easy to blend and glowy. Another layer if you want more coverage. IT Cosmetics CC cream is lovely for more long-lasting coverage/going out at night. Anything that says 'hydrating' or is more of a tinted moisturiser than a foundation is better I think. Urban Decay setting spray is great for making makeup last. Oh and a cream blush is much better than powder for mature skin also:)

Have not used them but those sticks that you can use for a bit of colour on both lips and cheeks tend to be great. Many times, I have just used a nice lipstick on my cheeks as well as on my lips - its all the same!

As a minimum I would buy a skin tint (something easy to apply like erborian cc cream), a brown mascara and a tinted lip balm in a rosy shade.

If you want to take things further, get a cream blush and a tinted brow gel.