Author: HairWeavings Editorial Team

We don’t want to say goodbye to Joel.

Many readers have expressed interest in a straightforward, simple makeup guide tailored for women over 60. As we age, our skin changes, and we may notice differences in texture, hydration, and elasticity. This can make certain makeup products and techniques that worked in the past less effective. Instead of struggling with complicated routines, we can embrace a makeup approach that enhances natural beauty while remaining simple, effective, and age-appropriate.

The objective is to create a polished, fresh look with minimal effort using products that nourish and complement mature skin. This guide offers a selection of makeup products and easy-to-follow tips to help you look and feel your best. Our goal is to help you feel confident, radiant, and beautiful with minimal effort.

How Can I Simplify My Makeup Routine After 60?

Keeping your makeup routine uncomplicated is key to achieving a natural and radiant look without spending too much time in front of the mirror. Instead of layering multiple products, choose multitasking formulas that hydrate, even out skin tone, and add a touch of color. 

Simple Steps for an Easy Routine

Here is an overview of the steps you can adopt to simplify your daily routine. Continue reading to discover suggested products and simple application tips. 

Prep Your Skin

Begin with a hydrating moisturizer and a lightweight primer if you wish to create a smooth canvas.

Read more: 8 Best Primers for Mature Skin.

Even Out Skin Tone

Use a tinted moisturizer or BB cream instead of foundation for a fresh, dewy look.

Add Soft Color

A cream blush on the apples of the cheeks provides a youthful glow.

Define Your Brows

Fill in sparse areas with a tinted brow gel for an instant lift.

Enhance Your Eyes

Apply a single neutral eyeshadow and a coat of mascara to make your eyes pop.

Brighten Your Lips

Use a moisturizing lipstick or tinted balm in a soft, natural shade. Keep reading to discover products that can double as blush and lip color. 

Set It Lightly

A dusting of translucent powder can reduce shine and help makeup last longer.

What Are the Best Simple Makeup Products for Women Over 60?

To simplify your routine, choose products that blend seamlessly, provide hydration, and enhance your natural features. Below are some excellent options that are ideal for mature skin:

Tinted Moisturizer with SPF

Why It’s Great: A lightweight tinted moisturizer evens out skin tone while providing hydration and sun protection.

Recommended Product: Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40.

Cream Blush

Why It’s Great: Cream blush blends into the skin effortlessly, giving a soft, natural glow without emphasizing texture.

Recommended Product: NUDESTIX Nudies Cream Blush Stick.

Tip: You can also use this cream blush as a lip color and even an eyeshadow, making it a 3-in-1 product. It doesn’t get simpler than that!

Brow Gel

Why It’s Great: A tinted brow gel defines and fills in sparse areas, lifting the face instantly.

Recommended Product: Glossier Boy Brow.

Hydrating Mascara

Why It’s Great: A conditioning mascara enhances lashes while keeping them soft and flexible.

Recommended Product: Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara.

Tinted Lip Balm

Why It’s Great: A nourishing tinted balm provides color while keeping lips moisturized.

Recommended Product: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment.

Translucent Setting Powder

Why It’s Great: A light, finely milled powder helps reduce shine without settling into fine lines.

Recommended Product: Kosas Cloud Set Powder.

What Are the Best Multi-Purpose Products to Simplify Your Routine?

Using multi-purpose makeup products can save time and effort while streamlining your daily routine. These versatile products can serve multiple purposes, reducing the number of items needed in your makeup bag.

Lip & Cheek Stain

Why It’s Great: A dual-purpose product that adds a natural flush to both lips and cheeks.

Recommended Product: Benefit Floratint Desert rose-tinted lip & cheek stain.

Cream Highlighter & Eyeshadow Stick

Why It’s Great: A soft, luminous highlighter that can also be used as an eyeshadow for a cohesive glow.

Recommended Product: Westman Atelier Lit Up Stick.

Brow Gel & Mascara Combo

Why It’s Great: A brow gel that can also be lightly used on lashes for a natural, defined look.

Recommended Product: e.l.f. Clear Brow & Lash Mascara.

By incorporating these multi-purpose products, you can significantly cut down on time spent applying makeup while still achieving a polished and effortless look.

How Can I Apply Makeup for a Simple and Natural Look?

Foundation Alternatives for Mature Skin

Instead of heavy foundation, choose a tinted moisturizer or lightweight BB cream to even out skin tone while maintaining a natural look. Apply using your fingers or a damp makeup sponge for the best blend.

Read More: 5 Best Natural BB Creams for Aging Skin.

Choosing the Right Blush Placement

Avoid applying blush too low on the cheeks, as this can create a dragging effect. Instead, apply to the high points of your cheekbones and blend upwards for a lifted appearance.

Read More: 10 Best Cream Blushers for Over 60s.

Enhancing the Eyes Without Heavy Makeup

• Stick to neutral matte shades for a polished look.
• Avoid heavy eyeliner—use a soft brown pencil and smudge it slightly for a softer definition, or forego the eyeliner altogether for a simpler look. 
• Curl your lashes before applying mascara to open up the eyes.

How to Prevent Lipstick from Feathering

• Exfoliate and moisturize lips before applying color.
• Use a lip liner to define the shape and prevent bleeding.
• Opt for creamy, hydrating formulas over drying matte lipsticks.

How Can I Make My Makeup Last All Day?

Whether you’re updating your routine or starting fresh, these tips and product recommendations will help you feel confident and beautiful every day. 

Start with a Good Skincare Routine

A well-moisturized face ensures better product application and longevity.

Skincare lines like Sonsie, co-founded by Pamela Anderson (who pioneered the no-makeup trend for women over 50) offer skincare products that clean, nourish, and revitalize mature skin. 

Use a Setting Spray

A hydrating setting spray can lock in your makeup without making skin feel dry.

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Waterproof Setting Spray

Looking good after 60 doesn’t require complicated techniques or a drawer full of products. The key is to embrace a simple, effective routine that enhances your natural beauty. By choosing hydrating, easy-to-use products and multi-purpose products, you can create a fresh, polished look in minutes.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you keep your makeup routine simple? What are your go-to makeup products and techniques? Share your thoughts in the comments!

We’re gonna cry either way.

Author Lois Wyse spoke for a lot of grandparents when she quipped, “If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I’d have had them first.” Parents who otherwise might not be able to assist their adult children financially are often very willing to help out when it comes to the grandkids.

That’s a plus for the post-Baby Boomer generations who are facing steep costs when it comes to childcare. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, parents spent between $6,552 and $15,600 annually for full-day daycare for one child. This equated to 9%-16% of median income. Parents of infants could pay twice as much.

These high costs motivate many grandparents to help their adult children manage their childcare responsibilities. There are several ways to pitch in:

• Direct childcare
• Paying for daycare or other costs
• Serving as a full-time caregiver to grandchildren.

Direct Childcare

According to a 2023 Harris poll, 42% of working parents depend on grandparents for childcare. This can benefit all three parties: parents, grandparents, and grandchildren.

Less Cost – Grandparents often care for grandkids at no or low cost.

Trusted Caregivers – Grandparents are well-known by both parents and children. (Of course, that might also be a reason NOT to let grandparents babysit if they’re unreliable.)

Flexibility – Grandparents may be more likely to cover hours and days when professional caregivers are not available.

To minimize stress with such arrangements, grandparents and their adult children should agree on ground rules such as:

• How will scheduling times and dates for grandparent caregiving be handled?
• Amount of pay, if any.
• Drop off and pick up times.
• Times for meals, play, media (TV/computer), sleep, and any special events like doctor visits.
• Meals and snacks – What food and who provides it?
• Safety and health – Making the caretaking environment “child-safe” and listing emergency contacts and under what circumstances they should be contacted.

Agreements also need to be made about behavior management. Different parenting philosophies should be discussed and resolved at the outset. Both parties need to be as flexible to focus on the grandchild’s best interests.

Finally, it’s essential to acknowledge that the arrangement will evolve over time. At some point, childcare provided by grandparents will no longer be needed, so setting expectations early on could help preserve good family relations over the long run.

Paying for Daycare

While some grandparents are willing to babysit their grandchildren, they may live too far away for this to be an option. As an alternative, they could help pay for various childcare expenses.

If, for some reason, paying daycare expenses doesn’t work, grandparents can help financially in other areas. This assistance can free up funds so adult children can cover childcare costs independently.

Grandparents as Full-Time Caregivers

Sometimes, grandparents become their grandchildren’s full-time caregivers. In 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that around “6.7 million people or 3.3% of adults age 30 and over lived with their grandchildren in 2021.” Fortunately, grandparents taking on this commitment can take advantage of some tax breaks if they can claim a grandchild as a dependent on their income tax return.

Head Of Household Filing Status

An unmarried grandparent may qualify for Head of Household tax filing status. To be eligible, the taxpayer must provide a home over half the year for a dependent grandchild under 19.

Earned Income Credit

A working grandparent with a dependent grandchild living in the household might be eligible for the earned income tax credit if adjusted gross income falls below a specified threshold and meets other requirements.

Child Tax Credit

A grandparent providing full-time care for a grandchild under 17 may be able to claim a $2,000 per child tax credit. The Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) refundable portion is worth up to $1,700 for each qualifying child. That’s how much families can claim if the credit exceeds the taxes owed.

Credit for Childcare Expenses

A grandparent earning income may be able to claim tax credits up to $3,000 for child and dependent expenses, assuming grandchildren are entirely dependent and under 13 years old.

Education Credits

For grandparents paying educational expenses, tax credits can be claimed for higher education expenses at accredited institutions for dependent grandchildren. For example, the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) can provide up to a $2,500 tax credit. Unfortunately, higher-income taxpayers may not be eligible.

Deduction for Interest on Qualified Education Loans

Grandparents taking out a qualified student loan for the benefit of a dependent grandkid’s higher education may be able to claim a deduction for up to $2,500 of interest paid annually.

Medical and Dental Expenses

A taxpayer who itemizes can deduct some unreimbursed medical and dental expenses paid for a dependent grandchild. The deduction takes effect if the combination of the grandchild’s medical costs and the grandparent’s medical deductions total exceeds 7.5% of the adjusted gross income of a grandparent 65 or older.

There are many ways grandparents, by supporting their grandchildren, can help their adult children financially and otherwise. In each case, it makes sense to assess the financial implications and the potential impact such help will have on intra-familial relationships in the long run.

Read the previous articles in this series here.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How do you help your adult children when it comes to grandkids? Do you care for your grands directly or pay their childcare expenses? What else works for you and your adult children?

Remember your 20s? Lots of fun, but lots of turbulence too, right? Especially in the romance department. Love and relationships in your 20s were often like having a mouth full of Pop Rocks.

There was anticipation – “Will I like this or hate it?”

Then some sizzling – “Oooh, this is weird, kinda wild, and sort of fun.”

A couple of small explosions that caught you off guard – “Whoa, I didn’t see that coming.”

Then things kind of fizzled out, and you’re left wondering if it was worth all the hype.

Of course, it all generally was. And for many of you, one of those Pop Rocks eventually turned into an everlasting gobstopper that you may still be enjoying even now.

As you enter the middle years of life, however, your tastes and desires when it comes to love may have changed, and those changes can be a source of anxiety for some.

How the Landscape of Love Changes

Change is uncomfortable for many people, especially if it seems to be veering away from the norm or from an accepted and understood state.

If your understanding of romantic relationships is that they should be full of physical desire and sexual activity, then feeling like that’s not right for you any longer can make you question yourself and your partner (or potential partner).

But whether due to,

• Menopause
• Shift in priorities
• Physical limitations
• Divorce
• Loss of a spouse/partner

Many in their 60s and beyond find themselves wanting to experience love in a way that’s outside the traditional romantic framework.

It’s not uncommon for someone to want more than friendship and still crave the intimacy of romance but not be as interested in the pressure of sex and hormone-driven antics.

But is this normal? And what’s one to do about it?

This is where platonic romance comes into play.

It’s not a new concept. Throughout history, it’s had several names. Boston Marriage, Romantic Friendship, Companionate Love, or Alterous Relationship are just a few.

No matter what you call it, what you’re referring to is a close, intimate, and deeply committed relationship without a regular (or any) sexual component. And it’s perfectly normal so long as it satisfies both partners.

However, there are still those who question whether platonic romance is a healthy arrangement.

The general answer to that question is yes, it is. It can be one of the healthiest situations for many and has a bevy of benefits for certain couples. But it’s not for everyone, and there are several things to consider.

Benefits of a Platonic Romance

If your needs and desires have changed as you’ve aged, a platonic romance may be the right solution. There are many advantages to this arrangement if it’s the right fit.

Keep in mind that these gains can apply to all stages of a relationship, whether your relationship is new, or your decades-long marriage has changed.

Platonic love offers,

Emotional Connection

One of platonic romance’s biggest advantages is the deep, emotional bond it offers.

Many couples in their 60s and beyond find companionship, trust, and sharing experiences are much more important in a relationship than sex.

Reduced Pressure and Expectations

Platonic romances don’t come with pressure for physical intimacy.

This can be particularly freeing for those whose desires have changed or who have health conditions that impact their ability to be sexually active.

Companionship

Many in their 60s and beyond suffer with loneliness, especially after a divorce or the death of a spouse.

A platonic, romantic partner can provide companionship without the complications of physical intimacy. Having someone to share daily life with can make aging a more fulfilling experience.

Someone to Care, Watch, and Support

As we age, having a strong support system becomes increasingly important.

Platonic partners often help one another navigate health issues, financial planning, and daily life.

A New Definition of Love

When most think about romantic love, they automatically assume a sexual component. For many, that’s the line between friendship and romance. But when you think about it, you realize that’s really not the case.

Romantic love denotes a deep, unique, and important connection to another person, one that differs from the way you feel about other friends. A level of vulnerability and affection exists that sets this relationship apart from the others.

This is love, and it’s an even stronger and deeper bond than one whose strength ebbs and flows depending on sex.

Special Considerations When in a Platonic Romance

Although a platonic romance may fit the bill for many couples, it’s not without its pitfalls. So, before settling in, you must be prepared for the following complications.

Misaligned Expectations

One of the biggest problems in companionship romances is the failure to define the parameters.

One partner may feel like the pathway is set, while the other assumes there will be additional components, namely sexual, that will become part of things along the way. This can be especially difficult for new romances.

So, if you’d like platonic romance, you’ll need to be clear with your partner (and possibly more than once) to avoid future problems and heartache.

Changing Desires

It’s not uncommon to think you want one thing only to find that you’d really like more.

This can be true for both men and women. If you find yourself wanting more, it’s crucial to be honest with yourself and your partner.

Feeling That Something’s Missing

Physical intimacy plays a big part in most of our lives. Sometimes it can be hard to come to terms with the absence of that aspect of romance.

Even if you have no desire to be sexually intimate, it can still feel like there’s something missing and that’s something you’ll need to reconcile within yourself.

Unfulfilled Desires

Whether you’re a woman or a man, wanting something more and feeling like there’s no avenue to get it can be extremely frustrating.

These unfulfilled desires can create resentment, inspire infidelity, or a turn to other outlets, such as porn, in some. This is another reason each partner needs to be clear about their wants and expectations within the bounds of a platonic romance.

Some Clarifications Regarding Romance and Aging

There are many misconceptions about romance and aging. Since we’re talking about platonic romance, it’s worth clarifying some things for those reading.

Romance as You Age Does NOT Have to Fall into the Platonic Category

Many people, both men and women, have extremely strong sex drives throughout their entire lives. It’s important to be open about your desires with your partner and look for ways for each of you to feel fulfilled.

Sex Is Important and Desired by Many

Sex, so long as you’re healthy enough for it and both partners are equally interested, is a highly beneficial activity that can reinforce feelings of love, relieve stress, and promote mental health.

Physical Intimacy Doesn’t Have to Be About Sex Specifically

Touching, cuddling, closeness, and holding hands are also forms of physical intimacy and have many of the same benefits as intercourse.

Platonic Romance Is Beneficial in Its Own Right

It’s also fine to enjoy a romantic relationship in a more platonic fashion. As explained above, there are many benefits to platonic romance.

The most essential part of any of these romantic configurations is to ensure that both partners are on the same page and feel satisfied. This requires direct, honest communication.

And why not? One of the benefits of aging is that we’re better able to stop worrying about opinions and appearances and be direct about what we want. After all, who’s got time to play games when there’s happiness to be had?

So, whether you want to keep eating the Pop Rocks, are happy with your Gobstopper, or have found the benefits of a good Butterscotch, just make sure you’re enjoying your relationship on terms that work for both you and your partner.

Also read, Which Way Should I Swipe? What To Consider When You’re Dating After 60.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Are you in a platonic romance? Or does platonic romance seem like it could be the right fit for you now? Perhaps you’ve already tried it and now want something more? Whatever the case, please share your experiences and become part of the conversation.