As we all know, eyeliner application can go very wrong, very quickly and we’ve all been down that road. And as the years roll by, eyeliner application can get a bit trickier for us for many reasons: our eyesight often changes over the years, we may develop hooded eyes, the texture of our eyelids changes, or our hands may not be quite as steady as they once were… or a combination of the above.

But, thankfully, there are some application tools and techniques that can make the process of eyeliner application a whole lot easier.

Since our lashes get lighter and shorter and become less dense as we get older, it’s more important than ever to highlight our eyes by giving them more definition and dimension. Our lashes can look fuller and thicker with eyeliner, and we can also better define the shape of our eyes. So here are some tips that I hope will make eyeliner application easier.

Some Initial Tips to Consider

#1: Invest in a magnifying mirror or magnifying makeup eyeglasses. As scary as these products can be, they are definitely essential to ensure that you can really see what you’re doing.

#2: It can help to sit down, plant your elbows on a firm surface and rest your pinky finger on your cheek. These three things will ensure greater stability as you apply eyeliner.

#3: Apply eye primer over the entire eye area and under the eye as well. The primer will keep all your eye products in place longer – especially if you have oily eyelids or hooded eyes.

#4: Choose an eyeliner product that applies easily and glides across the lid, so it won’t tug or pull that delicate eye area skin. And since many of us have issues with eyes that water easily, choosing a waterproof eyeliner can also be helpful.

Which Eyeliner Products Are Easiest to Apply?

It’s important to think about what type of eyeliner to use. There are so many different options: we can choose creams, gels, pencils, liquid liners, or eyeshadow. Whatever is easiest for you to use is best, but I think for most of us pencils or eyeshadows are the easiest products to apply.

And if you’re using a pencil that needs to be sharpened, you want to make sure it’s sharpened before you begin application.

Tip: To help ensure that the pencil doesn’t break off as you sharpen it, try putting it in the refrigerator before you start your makeup routine.

In the video, I demonstrate using an automatic pencil eyeliner on one eye and eyeshadow on the other eye.

Two Techniques Using Eyeliner Pencils

On the eye where I’m using an automatic pencil, I demonstrate two different techniques. Now it’s certainly not necessary to use both of these techniques, but you can. The first technique is to tightline. This technique involves applying eyeliner under the lash line in the water line of the eye.

Tightlining is especially helpful if we have hooded eyes since often we don’t have a lot of space on our lids to apply eyeliner. Tightlining can also help our eyeliner look a bit softer and less intense. I certainly know that tightlining can be a bit intimidating, and it’s not for all of us, but once you practice it a bit and get used to doing it, it does become far easier.

Be sure to check out Elise’s YouTube channel which specifically focuses on makeup tips, techniques, and product reviews for those of us 50+. Don’t forget to subscribe!

How to Tightline

Gently place one finger in the center of the eyelid and gently pull up. Then take your waterproof eyeliner and apply it under the lashes as close to the lashes as possible. Then hold the eye open for a few seconds so there’s less chance that the eyeliner will transfer down to the lower lid. But if it does transfer, just take a Q-tip and gently remove it.

If you have very sensitive eyes like I do, you may not be able to tightline with every eyeliner. The only eyeliner I’ve found that I can use to tightline that doesn’t irritate my eyes is eyeliner from the brand Tarte. In the video I’m using Tarte’s Quicksticks which has cream eyeshadow on one end and eyeliner on the other end.

How to Apply Eyeliner Above the Lash Line

Gently pull the eye slightly taut so any texture you have in your eyelid area doesn’t cause an uneven application. Then apply the eyeliner as close as possible to the base of the lashes – or even between the lashes. One tip that can be helpful is to just apply dots or small dashes and then connect the dots and dashes by using a smudging tool, a small brush or a Q-tip.

Try Some Different Tools to Make the Application Easier

It’s also important to know that different tools can make applying eyeliner along the upper lash line easier. For instance, you can take a small, angled brush and then rub it against the eyeliner pencil several times to pick up the eyeliner pigment.

Then you can use the brush – which is far more forgiving than an eyeliner pencil – to actually apply the eyeliner. Then, if you like, you can smudge out the line with the brush, a smudger or a Q-tip.

And if you’re still not totally happy with how the eyeliner looks, here’s one more thing you can do which works wonderfully: go over the eyeliner color with eyeshadow to smudge it out a bit further. The eyeshadow works wonders to cover up any mistakes.

Tips for Using Eyeshadow as Eyeliner

On the other eye, I’m using eyeshadow as my eyeliner and use my small, angled brush to apply it. Now I have one caveat with this technique: not all eyeshadows will work effectively as eyeliner since some will disappear quite quickly.

So, it’s important to experiment with a few different eyeshadows to see which ones will be long-lasting. If you have really oily eyelids or hooded eyes, you may also want to take a very small amount of translucent eyeshadow or powder on a brush and apply it very lightly over the eyeliner so it will stay in place longer.

And there are two products that can be used to turn any eyeshadow into waterproof eyeliner: Makeup Forever’s Aqua Seal or Inglot’s Duraline. You simply put a drop of Aqua Seal on the back of the hand, pick up some eyeshadow on a brush and then dip the brush into just a tiny bit of the Aqua Seal and apply to the eyelid.

You’ve now turned your eyeshadow into waterproof eyeliner. But you do have to wash out the brush right away or it will stiffen and be unusable.

How to Fix a Mistake

Usually, it’s possible to easily clean up any mistake by dipping a pointed Q-tip into some makeup remover. Or it’s possible to purchase an actual makeup remover pen.

Are you using a different type of eyeliner now than what you used when you were younger? If so, what product do you find easiest to use now? What application technique do you find to be the easiest for you? Do you have a favorite eyeliner product? If so, please share.

If you want to shop for The Ordinary, you can head to Ulta or Sephora or of course, online. But there’s something so exciting about being able to get your fave products from The Ordinary at Target. Because who doesn’t want to go on a Target run, like, all the time? While you’re there grabbing cat food, paper towels, sparkling water and a crop top or two, you can now grab The Ordinary’s affordable skincare at the same time. What can’t you get?!

You can thank Ulta for bringing The Ordinary to Target. The Ulta Beauty at Target shop-in-shop has been announced, bringing skin, hair, makeup and fragrance to the retailer. According to WWD, the Ulta shops in Target will open in 100 locations next month and continue to roll out to 800 Target stores over the next few years.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Source: Instagram

Now, this isn’t just some little display. Target stores will have more than 50 Ulta brands in a huge Ulta-branded space. If you’re worried about your Ulta Rewards points, know that you’ll be able to grab both the Target Circle and Ultamate Rewards when shopping. So, it’s basically a no-brainer. You’ll be able to grab The Ordinary’s stellar acne solutions, dark spot products and niacinamide-infused faves. But also prodcuts from brands including Anastasia Beverly Hills, Benefit Cosmetics, MAC Cosmetics, Nudestix, Tarte, Kopari Beauty, Peach & Lily, Sunday Riley and MORE.

Yes, all at Target! We told you it was exciting. For now, you can shop skincare from the links above, but we’ll update you as soon as they’re all live at Target.

The numbers coming from the U.S. point to a rise in the number of entrepreneurs aged 55 to 64. Research by the Kauffman Foundation on entrepreneurship indicates an increase from 15% in 1997 to 26% in 2015.

Is this because necessity is the mother of invention, or is it simply that the number of 55-64-year-olds is on the rise? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of women-owned firms also increased two-and-a-half times the national average. Could this also be a factor?

Maybe it stems from the fact that Baby Boomers like to have flexibility and freedom, and running your own business can create the space for these.

If you have followed my blogs, you know that I am an entrepreneur. I started a new business in my 60s, and I am a proponent of working as long as you need or want, with the paradigm shift to supplementing rather than accumulating retirement income.

One of the first arguments against starting a new business in your 60s is that Boomers are slow in the uptake of technology. My immediate counter-argument is that with Google and YouTube one can learn anything. If that seems insurmountable, hire a 20-something who can do it for you!

Older Women Have a Wealth of Experience

I can think of far more advantages of starting a business later in life. We have gained a wealth of experience and wisdom on our journey up the corporate ladder. We have worked at our careers and grown a network of useful contacts.

And last, but not least, we don’t feel the need to reinvent the wheel because we have already seen that a round wheel offers the best solution.

David Deeds, the Schulze Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, in an interview with Kerry Hannon, proposes that women over 50 are well suited to starting their own businesses.

He adds that women, in general, are more open to learning, and of course, as we already know, women are collaborative beings. Entrepreneurship is a team sport – and women/mothers/housewives already have experience with managing a team!

In another interview, this time with Carla Harris, when she was chair of the National Women’s Business Council, Kerry wrote that the increase of women-owned businesses in recent years is unprecedented.

Harris says that the growth in the number of women entrepreneurs over the age of 65 climbed by 42% from 2007 to 2012.

How to Take Advantage of This Growing Trend

So, if you are feeling inspired by these trends, I have a few pointers:

Don’t Involve Your Retirement Funds

If possible, do not use your retirement funds for your new venture. Ring fence them for when you do need to stop work.

Network

Use the network you have built over your career years to help you raise funds to start your business.

Know the Worth of Your Product

Enthusiastic or opportunistic entrepreneurs are more likely to succeed because they tend to believe in themselves and their products.

Make Sure Your Idea Is Sellable

Bounce your ideas off your personal network before you launch, and then define who your customers will be and what their specific needs are, so you can tailor your product to be attractive to them.

Research

Use the Internet – it is an amazing resource, full of wonderful information. Always cross-reference as it is also a source of fake news.

Run a Trial

Run a proof of concept to assess interest in your product, before you sink a lot of money into the business.

You only have to look at your Pinterest feed to see that women have great ideas, are talented and creative. As mothers and housekeepers, they are already familiar with managing budgets and the logistics of people.

What women often lack is belief in themselves and the confidence that they can handle it. We all have days when we think that we cannot do it – I have them too. The saying, “fake it till you make it,” will stand you in good stead when it comes to having the confidence to run your own business.

If you still have doubts, find a coach or a mentor to help you brainstorm ideas when you hit overwhelm and have difficulty seeing the wood from the trees.

Have you ever considered becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own business? What kind of business would you like to start? Please share your story in the comments below. You are bound to find encouragement in our wonderful community of women!

Dorit Kemsley’s White Anti-Wrinkle Pillow in La Quinta

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 11 Episode 10 Decor

We’ve seen (and written about) Dorit Kemsley’s white anti-wrinkle pillow she brought along on the trip to Kyle Richards’ house in La Quinta on more than one occasion, but this beauty housewife staple never gets old (and combats looking old, too). Last season we saw Kyle pack her anti-aging pillow to Rome, Italy, so we already know the pillow travels well. It’s no surprise Dorit brought hers on the jaunt to the desert.

The popular beauty pillow works wonders for all skin types thanks to its smooth, satin finish. The promise of well-rested looking skin, less wrinkles, and less sleep lines is enough to snooze soundly. After all, if its good enough for Dorit and all the other housewives, its a must-have in my book.

Until next time,

Chelsie

Also Used by Kyle Richards: 

Click Here To Shop Her Nurse Jamie Pillow Beauty Pillow

Click Here for Additional Stock

Originally posted at: Dorit Kemsley’s White Anti-Wrinkle Pillow

Last night on Netflix I watched an episode of Frankie and Grace, a show about two older women played by Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda.

In this episode, their adult children decided it was time for the two women to move into a care home. The children read from a list of conditions to watch for in their loved ones. It made for great comedy, but often there is truth in comedy.

We primarily think of care homes as providing for the physical needs of the individual. But what about the relatively agile person who may be showing signs of dementia? What are those signs and how can we spot them?

For many people, the progression of dementia may be very slow. And, many individuals with very early stages of dementia learn how to cover it up.

Learning the Early Warning Signs of Dementia Is More Important Than Ever

As we currently have a large demographic of our population aging, more research is going into the very important topic of dementia. And while many of us are aware of the early warning signs of a stroke, heart attack or diabetes, we may not be as familiar with the early warning signs of dementia.

Here are some things to watch for, but keep in mind this is not a complete list and the list is growing as more research is being done.

Changes in Personality, Behaviour or Mood

Perhaps your partner is usually a soft-spoken, mild man, and now he has sudden outbursts of anger. Maybe your mom was generally fastidious about how she dressed, and now most days she looks like she just fell out of bed.

These situations reflect a change in behaviour. Sure, we can all have a bad hair day or get upset from time to time, but it is a pattern of repeated behaviour that we are looking for. These changes in patterns are a signal that something is going on.

Pay attention to these changes and observe them over a period of time. Sometimes it can be challenging to know which changes in patterns are relatively normal and which patterns point to something more serious.

Behavioural changes may include:

• Withdrawing from social activities, hobbies, projects or sports.
• Losing interest in daily activities or in others’ events.
• Becoming confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious.
• Accusing others of stealing.
• Feeling out of one’s comfort zone.
• Becoming easily upset with others.

Mental Fluctuations – Losing Train of Thought

The issue that we most often associate with dementia is memory loss. However, it can be hard to recognize because anyone can, once in a while, forget a word, a name or a thought they wanted to squeeze into a conversation. So, it is not so much about forgetting, but that it has become a regular pattern.

Specifically, we would watch for:

• Stopping in the middle of the conversation and having no idea how to continue.
• Repeating themselves.
• Asking the same question over and over.
• Calling things by made-up names.
• Forgetting most recently learned information.

Loss of Visual – Spatial Awareness

Spatial awareness refers to our ability to know where we are in relation to our surroundings. Have you ever gone to sit on a chair and found that it was lower than you anticipated? As a result, you sort of dropped into the chair. In that situation, you were not aware of how far away the chair was.

In most cases we get it correct because we are aware of where our body is in relation to the objects around us. However, with cognitive decline, this ability gets impaired. An individual with some loss of spatial awareness may set down a cup too close to the edge of the table.

We may start to notice:

• A reduction in depth perception causing difficulty judging distances.
• A pattern of minor mishaps or accidents like broken dishes or fender benders.
• Difficulty reading a map or doing a puzzle.

Loss of Sense of Smell

This one is more surprising and still a bit controversial in the medical world. However, some research is showing that the loss of the sense of smell will occur in dementia patients even before other memory issues are noticed.

The theory is that, as dementia begins and progresses, the parts of the brain that distinguish odour start to deteriorate. Some researchers have even gone so far as to say loss of smell and not loss of memory is the first sign of dementia.

There is one researcher who has stated that dementia can be detected up to 10 years earlier through loss of smell. He believes that deterioration of the brain starts up to 10 years before memory loss begins and that the sense of smell is affected first.

However, other neurologists are skeptical that a simple process can diagnose such a complicated disease. Currently, the smell test can only be used to confirm a previous Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and is not a way to diagnose the disease.

It is also important to note that there may be other causes for loss of smell and not all people with loss of smell will develop dementia.

You might hear a loved one say that:

• Their food has no aroma or no flavour.
• Fragrant flowers have no smell.

Putting Items in Unusual Places

Before we realized that my mother-in-law was showing signs of dementia, she was often losing things in her apartment. When we would help her search for something we would find it in the most unlikely place.

My children thought it was hilarious that she started keeping her toilet paper in the fridge. The reason for this was that she believed someone was coming into her apartment when she was out and stealing things. She kept the toilet paper in the fridge because no one would think to look there.

Again, while we have all experienced losing an item in our home from time to time, for those with cognitive decline it becomes a recurring pattern.

You may notice:

• Your loved one putting their jewelry in the sugar bowl or their keys in the freezer.
• Once an object is missing they will be unable to go back over their steps to find the object in question.

The challenge for friends and family is recognizing these five indications as patterns and not separate occurrences. After a diagnosis, people will often identify the behaviours that are now clear but were at the time overlooked.

Take this 20 question self-assessment quiz to see if your lifestyle supports brain-healthy habits.

Are you concerned that someone you love might be displaying some signs of Alzheimer’s? What patterns are you observing in their behavior? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.