As our skin texture gradually changes with time, it's common to find that our beauty routines need a bit of reworking to accommodate this. This is where makeup tips for older women come in – to help you adapt your techniques and refresh your product arsenal so that you continue looking and feeling your best.
Of course, all this is not to say that you pass over some invisible threshold at the age of 40, 50, or 60 that requires you to completely overhaul your go-to makeup looks. But the way cosmetics feel, interact and sit on our faces is very dependent on our skin type and texture, which do change with age. As a result, our beauty habits can always benefit from a few simple tweaks along the way – be that by using the best foundation for mature skin or adding more nourishing formulas into your skincare routine.
A couple of intentional changes can truly make all the difference to how your makeup sits on your skin – and, more importantly, how you feel wearing it. To that end, we enlisted the expertise of BAFTA award-winning celebrity makeup artist and SUQQU spokesperson Morag Ross and beauty therapist Elizabeth Ross (both of whom are in their fifties) for this need-to-know guide. Ahead, they've shared practical advice and some of their best makeup tips for older women...
10 of the best makeup tips for older women, shared by beauty experts
1. Prep with moisture
"As we mature, it becomes more important to focus on skincare for really healthy skin, [as well as] choosing products that suit our skin type," Morag explains. "This is such an important part of makeup because our skin provides the base for everything that we apply on top! I always recommend using more moisturising skincare products as sometimes, as we mature, our skin can become a little drier."
Using an occlusive moisturiser (which creates a protective layer on top of the skin to keep moisture in) will pay dividends. Check the ingredients list for gentle hydrators such as hyaluronic acid. It's also worth looking out for oils – such as mineral, argan, jojoba or olive – and/or shea butter, as these can help to keep skin supple and moisture levels balanced. Apply one of the best hyaluronic acid serums before moisturiser – doing so to damp skin can enhance the results.
RRP: £32 for 170g
Those experiencing dryness and skin sensitivity can rest assured that this occlusive moisturiser is chock-full of ingredients (including colloidal oatmeal and shea butter, allantoin) to help soothe any redness, rashes or eczema, as well as provide deep hydration to help smooth lines and wrinkles.
RRP: £35 for 50ml
Formulated with squalane and glacial glycoprotein, this lightweight, best-selling face cream hydrates for up to 24 hours. With a non-greasy finish, it works to protect your skin barrier while also providing nourishment – leaving it smoother and visibly refreshed. It can be used in both your morning and evening skincare routines, making it a versatile buy.
RRP: £38 for 50ml
Featuring skin-loving ceramides and ingredients such as glycerin, this cream restores your skin's barrier, leaving it nourished and visibly fresher. It's suitable for sensitive skin types and works to combat dryness, with a fast-absorbing but luxuriously buttery texture.
2. Invest in eye cream
Have you always wondered, is eye cream necessary? Absolutely, according to Elizabeth. "Always use the best eye cream day and night, even if you didn't use one when you were younger," she says. "They are essential in promoting brightness and delaying lines and wrinkles." The results obviously aren't comparable, but if you're looking for an alternative to Botox an eye cream can help to create a smooth, plumped base for concealer and prevent makeup from sinking into fine lines.
Eye cream is best used after serum and before your moisturiser. Dab it very gently onto the eyelids, sides and undereye area with your ring finger – with no dragging or rubbing of this delicate area of skin.
RRP: £46 for 18ml
Featuring bakuchiol, a gentler alternative to retinol that can achieve similar results, this formula also has peptides and orchid stem cells to address the loss of firmness and elasticity, while also helping to reduce the look of dark circles.
RRP: £56 for 15ml
Formulated with vitamin E and a patented Tripeptide-32 complex, this Night Repair eye cream – which has a gel-like consistency – targets the appearance of puffiness, dark circles and fine lines, leaving under-eyes visibly smoother and firmer.
RRP: £33 for 15ml
With a blend of hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5, this eye cream is up there with some of the best La Roche-Posay products. Its formula works to reduce the visible signs of ageing, leaving your under-eye area brighter and smoother. It's also suitable for sensitive eyes.
3. Add a primer to your makeup bag
"A good quality makeup primer will help your foundation base stay on top of your skin, rather than sink into any lines," says Elizabeth. "If you wear lipstick, use a primer and a lip liner in the same shade as the lipstick. This will prevent lipstick [from] bleeding or feathering into the fine vertical lines above and below the lips, which we commonly see in older women."
Primers also help fortify the colour payoff, which is key if you've been using lots of moisturising skincare products that give the skin a bit more slip; primer provides a "grippy" base.
RRP: £34.36 for 30ml
The OG of face primers, this clear formula has been a mainstay of makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts for years for its lightweight pore-smoothing, makeup-adhering technology. It also has vitamins A and E for added skincare benefits.
RRP: £35 for 45ml
This gel primer features a hydrating blend of hyaluronic acid, vitamin B and aloe vera to leave your skin glowing, while blue agave extract simultaneously grips (hence the name) onto your makeup to keep it in place. As a result, it offers up to 12 hours of wear.
RRP: £42 for 50ml
Rankly highly in woman&home's guide to the best primers, this radiance-boosting formula helps to create a flawless base for your makeup, thanks to a blend of porcelain flower extract and micronised pearls.
4. Use dewy foundation
"Another one of those practical makeup tips for older women is to tailor your foundation to your skin type, which, as we've established, can skew drier," Elizabeth says. "It is important not to use a very matte foundation base as this will result in a flat, powdered look. [This] isn't the most flattering and can look and feel too heavy and even accentuate lines. Choose a moisturising base for a natural makeup look."
We love the fresh yet polished finish we get from a sheer foundation, one of the best serum foundations or even a tinted moisturiser, especially on mature skin. A lot of today's formulations also impart a hit of radiance, which is always a bonus in our books.
RRP: £37 for 30ml
As the name suggests, this formula provides an ultra-natural, medium-coverage look and feels perfect for everyday wear, while smoothening out texture imperfections. Hyaluronic acid also helps give skin a much-needed glow.
RRP: £46 for 30ml
Available in 36 different shades, this lightweight foundation offers medium, buildable coverage and works to blur imperfections while delivering a natural but radiant glow to skin. Despite its slight radiance and silky finish, it's non-comedogenic, so won't clog skin prone to blemishes and congestion.
RRP: £39.50 for 30ml
This lightweight skin tint offers 12 hours of coverage and, thanks to its Responsive Sensory technology, adapts to your skin's tone and texture to provide a natural-looking finish. Working as a skincare and makeup hybrid, this tint also wards off the effects of humidity and other environmental elements on your skin. The SPF of 20 is a bonus when worn over the top of one of the best facial sunscreens.
5. Go lighter on the eyebrows
"Eyebrows can often become sparse with age," says Elizabeth. "So ensure you use an eyebrow pencil no more than a couple of shades darker than your hair colour. Always go lighter as you get older!"
You can also look into having your eyebrows microbladed, whereby an aesthetician draws small, hair-like strokes onto your brow area (using local anaesthesia) for a fuller effect. Microblading has become a popular semi-permanent solution to fill out thinning brows and shaves precious minutes off a morning makeup routine.
RRP: £22
It doesn't get much more foolproof than this best-selling brow pencil, which features a skinny tip to fill in and volumise brows in a flash. Plus, there's a built-in spoolie for brushing and blending.
RRP: £20
This brow gel is a fan favourite for a reason. It's available in seven natural-looking shades – including auburn and grey – and delivers the perfect feathered brow look.
RRP: £26
Available in a broad range of shades, this brow pencil features an ultra-fine tip to create natural-looking and subtle hairlike strokes to thicken and define the look of your brows. It also features a spoolie to brush your brows into shape and create a soft, understated finish.
6. Use eyeliner strategically
One of the most useful makeup tips for older women is to use the best eyeliner to your advantage; doing so can have a marked effect on your eye area and result in a more refreshed, awake look.
"If you're lucky enough to have deep-set eyes, use eyeliner on your eyelids only, close to your lashes," says Elizabeth. "However, if your eyelids disappear when your eyes are open, then use eyeliner on the waterline and outer corners only. This will help enhance your eye shape without drawing attention to a lack of definition in the eyelid department." Another great trick that can open up lined or hooded eyelids is strategically placed and ultra-natural false lashes, such as individuals. Alternatively, for a longer-term option, you could try hybrid lash extensions.
RRP: £27.50
A classic, this award-winning liner kills two birds with one stone, with the ease of use of a gel and the precision of liquid. We like how intense the colour payoff is on the lids and how easy it is to create a flattering cat-eye flick with the accompanying brush.
RRP: £22
For a slightly subtler effect, brown eyeliner is a timeless and flattering choice. This one from Charlotte Tilbury will gently accentuate the lash line and is easy to blend out, resulting in a soft and diffused smokey eye.
RRP: £11
If you prefer to use a liquid liner, this one from KVD Beauty features a pen-like tip that creates a precise line. Its formula is also waterproof, making for a brilliant long-lasting look – no wonder it's loved by makeup fans everywhere.
7. Highlight with care
Elizabeth notes that one of the more often overlooked makeup tips for older women is to not accidentally spotlight features we don't want to draw attention to. "Avoid wearing highlighter on your browbone, especially if your eyelids have already begun to move south," she says.
Instead, focus any highlighter on the corners of your eyes (this is great for adding a glam finish to occasion makeup, such as mother of the bride makeup looks), as well as on the tip of the nose, cheekbones and Cupid's bow. A subtle stick or pot highlighter that yields a diffused, sheeny glow instead of all-out glitter is ideal.
RRP: £36
Jojoba seed and argan oils and vitamin E are the stars in this subtle, light-enhancing balm from beauty mogul Bobbi Brown's makeup brand. We love it dabbed onto all the high planes of the face, but find it especially fetching on the cheekbones and bridge of the nose.
RRP: £30
Having gone viral on TikTok, these Charlotte Tilbury highlighting wands have quite the glittering reputation. Available in both radiant blush and highlighting shades, one of these sticks will help to add pinpointed gleam to the high points of your face.
RRP: £22
For a glass-like gleam we love Glossier's Haloscope highlighter, which is available in three shades – all of which feature a blend of oils and crystal extracts to deliver a dewy and hydrated finish to the high points of your face.
8. Use a cream blush
Elizabeth doesn't recommend contouring, which involves using a dark bronzer to thin out certain areas of the face like cheek hollows or the forehead, as this can leave features looking harsh. "Use a light sweep of bronzer to warm up the face or a cream blush for a pop of colour instead," she advises.
One of the easiest makeup tips to incorporate into an existing routine is to dab a light layer of the best cream blush onto the apples of the cheeks. This adds an instant shot of radiance and a natural, healthy, youthful-looking flush.
RRP: £27
The unique look and feel of this mousse-like blush is ideal for most skin types and layers perfectly over foundation. Choose the cheeky, best-selling, peachy-pink shade Orgasm, as shown here, or one of seven other fabulously flattering hues.
RRP: £36
Available in 12 stunning shades, this multi-purpose blush and lipstick imparts a radiant, natural-looking flush to the skin. Its creamy formula features castor oil seed and shea butter, which helps this blush to melt into the skin – blending like a dream – to add a healthy glow to your cheeks.
RRP: £22
This liquid blush, which comes in eight different flattering shades, features collagen and blurring pigments in its formula to give your skin a dewy and seamless flush.
9. Embrace a creamy lip
Creamy and glossy formulations win over matte once again when it comes to lip colour, as our lips tend to show dryness more visibly. Shades-wise, our experts favour nudes for the fuller effect they give off, a sort of trompe-l'œil take on thicker lips.
"As a rule of thumb, nude lips are always going to be gentler on the eye and the face," Morag explains. "They can often make the lips look fuller. As our lips tend to get smaller as we age, nude and paler pastel colours work to counteract this to make them look full and plump."
However, we'll always champion a bold, bright lip, too (the mood-boosting effects alone are worth it, not to mention how it can uplift a monochromatic face). Just be sure to choose a softer, creamier formulation – or layer on a gloss.
RRP: £20
This genius of a lipstick-balm hybrid glides on as smoothly as a balm, yet manages to pack the same colour punch as an actual stick bullet. The effect is glossy, diffused definition, meaning no harsh or obvious lip outlines.
RRP: £28
Available in the brand's iconic Pillow Talk shade, as well as two others, this nourishing lipstick offers the hydration of a lip balm but with a flattering, sheer tint and mirror-like shine.
RRP: £24
A viral sensation on TikTok, Clinique's Almost lipstick in Black Honey (a berry hue) is another popular and flattering choice for those who want their lip products to offer both hydration and shine, as well as a wash of colour.
10. Always wear sunscreen
Of all of the makeup tips for older women (though it applies at any age) we can offer, there is one in particular that both our experts vehemently agreed on: wearing sun protection under your makeup every single day. "Most importantly, wear SPF!" Elizabeth stresses.
Any skin expert will tell you that wearing a dedicated sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 (better yet, 50) is crucial for skin health, which will in turn benefit your makeup application. Using the best foundation with SPF is bonus when worn over the top of your chosen sun cream. "Layer them up for brownie points," Elizabeth confirms. "This will help prevent wrinkles and, even more crucially, skin cancer."
RRP: £15.99 for 70g
This drugstore darling is hugely popular in many Asian countries due to its ability to withstand humid weather without feeling heavy. It has the loveliest texture and is also invisible under makeup, working overtime to keep harmful rays at bay.
RRP: £20 for 50ml
Ranked highly on our list of best sunscreens, this one from La Roche Posay is lightweight and non-greasy and has been specifically formulated for sensitive skin. It helps to protect the skin against UVA, UVB and ultra-long UVA rays, plus it works well under makeup.
RRP: £18 for 20ml
If you're after a multi-purpose option, this tinted sunscreen is formulated with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide for a radiant, glowy finish. Designed to have a primer consistency, it also works well under makeup and also offers SPF 30 protection.
Above all else, Morag notes that the ultimate beauty power move is to love your features and honour how far you've come in life: "Embrace what you have and enjoy!"
