Wearing makeup is a great way to highlight your features, and masking blemishes and signs of ageing. However, makeup could be equally counterproductive, if you don’t follow a routine that suits your age and skin.
With the TikTok rage of using AI face filters that reveal how one would look when they’re much older, most users were not thrilled by the results. While ageing is a part of life, and hence inescapable, there are certain steps that can be followed to prevent you from looking much older than you actually are.
Saffron Hughes, a makeup artist from False Eyelashes, identifies makeup errors which can add years to face.
Applying too much foundation
When it comes to applying foundation or even concealer under the eyes, ‘less is more’ is the motto to live by. Too much product often settles into the fine lines of the skin, especially if it’s a cream-based or full-coverage foundation.
This is also why serum-based foundations or tinted moisturisers are widely recommended to create a youthful, hydrated look, as opposed to cream-based ones which tend to highlight creases.
Avoid heavy eye makeup
“Darker colours not only shrink the eyes but can also create darker shadows around them, giving an illusion of tiredness,” Saffron points out. Instead, a nude or white eyeliner in the waterline can make you look young, energetic, and ready to take on the day.
Gel eyeliner formulas can practically be done away with, replacing them with eyeliner pencils or smoky eyeshadowy that don’t settle into the fine lines around your eyes.
Skinny 90s eyebrows: A big no-no
Our eyebrows tend to thin with age, and the notorious 90s catarpillar brows does no virtual favour for those wanting to look young.
A full eyebrow however, enhanced with fine strokes using an eyebrow pencil, can be a complete game changer. Further creating the effect of a faintly arched brow can lift your face and enhance your cheek bones.
Skipping the primer
Saffron notes, “Applying face products without a primer can contribute to fine lines looking more pronounced in addition to creasing, with textured skin peeking through.”
Hydrating primers strengethened by ingredients such as hyaloronic acid is a quick fix to get supple skin which acts as a smooth base for your makeup routine. “Silicone primers can also do wonders for filling heavily textured areas, such as the corner of the eyes or in your smile lines sit,” Saffron adds.
Wearing dark lipstick
Dark lipsticks are fall and winter favourites, and understably so. However, our lips grow thinner and dryer as we age.
This is why it is advised that one does not use a dark lipstick with a matte finish, as it highlights the creases around your mouth.
Instead, go for a nude, hydrating formula, and add an additional of lipgloss to create a fuller pout, and a breezy makeup finish.
