What woman isn't looking for tips to look younger? The good news is, there are tons of makeup tweaks you can use to look younger and more radiant today (or tomorrow, if you've already done your makeup for the day).
Your Skin
Skip the Powder
Skip the powder when you can. If you set your makeup with a powder that works well with your skin type and foundation choice in the morning, that should be all you need.
If your skin looks oily later in the day, try using a blotting paper (or even a tissue) instead of more powder. Putting powder on top of powder can look cakey, enhance the appearance of pores and fine lines, and add to your years.
Keep the Coverage as Light as Possible
Similarly, keep your foundation coverage as light as you can for your skin, lifestyle, and comfort level.
- Generally, the lighter the coverage, the younger you look. Sheerer foundation formulas, BB creams, CC creams, and tinted moisturizers look more natural and give your skin more of an illuminated look than most heavy coverage foundation.
- If you feel as if your skin requires medium coverage to hide imperfections, that's okay too. To make the finish look as natural as possible, use a stippling brush like the MAC 187 or a wet sponge or blending tool (like the Beauty Blender).
Conceal in a Triangle
Using a concealer that matches your foundation, conceal in a triangle shape to get the most glowing appearance possible.
- Start by concealing the dark areas by adding dots to the circles and then patting the concealer in to blend it.
- Add concealer along the side of the nose, below the lash line out to the top of the cheekbone, and then connecting those two points (so it forms a triangle shape) before filling it in and blending.
This technique will highlight the center of the face and add more life to your complexion than if you stop after blending concealer into dark areas.
Your Eyes
Use Shimmer Sparingly
If your eyelids aren't as firm as they used to be or you're beginning to notice fine lines, a shadow primer like Too Faced Shadow Insurance and matte or satin finish shadows will disguise that. They will also give your lids a smoother, more youthful appearance than shimmers or frosts could.
Liner Lifts
Flick that liner up at the edge to create instant lift. Liquid and gel formulas are best for this. You don't have to go totally retro (unless you want to), but the smallest little flick can make all the difference between tired, droopy-looking eyes and alert ones. The Kat Von D Tattoo Liner is a liquid version that's easy to control. If you prefer gel, try MAC Fluidline.
If you don't trust your hand to make your liner look even on each eye or you just don't trust yourself to get the liner straight at all, use a notecard.
- Position the notecard so the top is angled between the corner of your eye and your brow, as if you're extending your lower lash line upward.
- Trace that angle as far as you'd like to go, then repeat it on the other side.
- That will ensure symmetry on both eyes and the card will get any excess liner - not your skin.
Skip Dated Liner Application
One more word on liner: Don't line all the way around and don't line the water line if your sole purpose for wearing makeup is to look more youthful. Lining that way can accent your eye color, but will generally draw attention to any under eye circles, bags, or fine lines in the area.
Instead:
- Line ½ to ¾ of the way across the top lid and about ¼ of the way in on the bottom.
- Use a lighter shade on the bottom than the top (for example, plum on top and a deep lavender on the bottom) for a brightened, younger appearance.
Skip the Harsh Black
Very black liner and mascara can look harsh on women of almost all combinations of skin tones and hair and eye colors, but that begins to be more pronounced as you get older. To look younger, trade in the blackest black eye products and instead choose:
- Brown
- Auburn
- Plum
- Navy
- Forest green
Even a softer black or black/brown blend may do (especially if you have dark hair) if you're having trouble giving up the black liner and mascara. Just don't automatically go for the darkest options available.
Maintain Your Brows
Two things first: Don't over-pluck and do fill your brows in with a shade that's slightly darker than your hair if you're blonde and slightly lighter than your hair if you're brunette.
Fuller brows make you look younger, but don't let them grow wild! Pluck the strays and then highlight under the arch and above the tail with a matte shade that's just a shade or two lighter than your skin tone. This gives a lifted look to the area that no one will be able to pick out as long as it's well-blended. They'll just think you look younger and more rested.
Hide Bags
If bags under your eyes are your biggest beauty woe, apply the tiniest bit of Preparation H on them, being careful not to get too close to your eyes.
- Use your ring fingers to dab it on and help it absorb.
- Once it's set, you can apply your concealer on top.
Keep in mind that Preparation H is not intended for the eye area, so be very careful and try it at your own risk. This is not something that you should do every day.
If the Preparation H makes you nervous, try keeping spoons in the refrigerator or, if you're in a hurry, the freezer. Hold the cold spoons up to the bags under your eyes for a few minutes to diminish the appearance of puffiness before applying your makeup.
Your Lips
Use Liner
Liner can help your lipstick stay on your lips when you need it to last a little longer than usual, but it's also there to provide a barrier that keeps your lipstick (and its creamier texture) on your lips and out of any fine lines that may be there.
A clear liner like Sephora's Universal Lip Liner is versatile enough to work with any lip color you choose, so there's no need to have a makeup bag full of nudes, reds, pinks, plums, corals, etc. Just the one will do, and it'll save you a ton of space and money.
Skip Mattes
Matte lipsticks tend to be drying and as people age, their lips tend to dry out, lose volume, and develop tiny lines that can be exacerbated by matte formulas. However, all you really need is a lipstick or gloss formula that reflects the light, giving the illusion of smoother, fuller lips. Try Dior Addict Lipstick or Maybelline Color Elixir by Color Sensational lip gloss.
Use Lip Plumpers
If you want to reach for specialized lip plumpers, and the sting doesn't bother you, you can use those to plump your pout back up. From drugstores to department stores, you can find lip plumpers that use mint or cinnamon oils to increase the blood flow to your lips and make them swell. Some of them contain ingredients that attract moisture into the lips (or at least keep what's already there from escaping). This fills in the lines and usually adds shine, too.
Simple Tips for a More Youthful Look
When you want to take years off your face, just knowing a simple few tricks can help revive your complexion, give your face a slight lift, and restore volume where it's been lost. A trip to the drugstore or Sephora will be all you need to make a change in just minutes.
