What am I doing wrong with applying make up?

[LimaCharlie]

Went out to posh do on Saturday night - I applied moisturiser, then serum, then foundation, then concealer, then powder - I think that's the right order isn't it?

Anyhow I tend to just wear a bit of powder in the day normally so this was a big effort but it made me look ancient - very liney when I was hoping to look like a dewy faced 20 something.

I'm pushing 40 but think lots of make up added 7 or so years on to me. What did I do wrong

I don't use concealed but doesn't it go on before foundation?

Try putting serum on before moisturiser (happened to hear this from beauty saleswoman the other day) The powder might have "stuck" to the serum.

just use a tiny bit of moturiser then wait for 10 mins for your skin to soak it up then apply makeup.less is more .

Unless you suffer from excessively oily skin it shouldn't be necessary to use powder. It can be very ageing. Also make sure you are using the right kind of foundation - some of then are too claggy and mask-like for 40+ skin. I am a big convert to Bare Minerals mineral powder foundations - very light and natural looking with great coverage and evenness of skin tone, but without being dry or flaky or ageing. You can build it up in fine layers so if you want a more glamorous evening look you can, but if you want a very light natural daytime look you can do that too with the same stuff. The benefit to older skin is that it covers well without actually looking artificial and caked. Mac do a liquid mineral foundation which is very dewy too.

Also, just a thought, do you exfoliate regularly? Becaues if your face is covered in a fine layer of flaky old skin cells they will cause the make up to 'clump' and not blend smoothly.

Serum,moisturizer,concealer,foundation,powder.Agree that you need a good foundation,I use the Mac one,it is light reflective,so gives dewy appearance,I don't bother with powder.

Apply a light foundation only to the areas that need it - you don't need to cover the whole face with a mask.

Concealer next - use a brush to apply and then blend with fingers.

Try using a cream blush and blend with your fingers.

Then apply a loose powder with a brush, and only to the areas that are prone to shine such as the forehead, nose and chin.

Try not to use sparkly or metallic colours on your eyes - can be ageing.

Hope that helps .

I think you did it all right - but I also think that make up can age people - I always think friends look younger and fresher when they have the lightest make up on .. maybe that was the issue - you were more "made up" than you usually see yourself and so less fresh faced and more formal which can be aging?

could be the shade of foundation too - a slight shade too dark and you will look a lot older (remember the mantra - 1 shade lighter, 10 years younger) - if you bought the foundation when you had a bit more of a tan/colour in your face then it might not be the right shade for you now.

I find as I get older I need a lighter touch with makeup. I use moisturiser, primer then tinted moisturiser. Foundation and powder are too heavy and highlight any lines. ZZMUM's is right, overload can be aging

Oooh thanks for all that info - forgot to say I'd had a spray tan as well which looked very dark on my lily white skin so maybe that added to it as well

Not heard the saying 1 shade lighter 10 years younger - will have to bear that in mind

Hi there, you should try bare minerals by bare escentuals. Its just mineral foundation and its great. You can get kits with everything you need, its not heavy makeup. Try it, martyn maxey on the web do some good deals on the kits.