Have you ever finished applying your makeup, looked at yourself in the mirror and thought: Something’s off here. My makeup just doesn’t look quite right.
It might be that your complexion products just aren’t working well, or something might be off with your brows. Or maybe, later in the day you notice that your blush and lipstick have disappeared, your makeup looks a bit cakey or your lipstick has migrated into one of those lines around your mouth.
Well, if any of these things have ever happened to you, there are some makeup artist tips and tricks that can truly make a difference, and I’ll share them with you today. The last two that I demonstrate in the video are ones I’ll be trying for the first time.
Two Critical Skin Prep Steps
We all know that the skin preparation we do before we apply our makeup is crucial – especially as we get older. Knowing this, let me share two tips that I think will make a huge difference for you.
The first one concerns product layering; that is, always apply the thinnest products first. With skincare, first apply serums, then moisturizer, then sunscreen and then makeup.
The second tip is to apply the right type of moisturizer on the face and under the eyes before you apply makeup.
For many of us, our skin gets drier as we get older, so we often gravitate toward thicker, richer moisturizers. And those are fantastic to use at night. However, thicker, richer creams dry down slowly. So, if your moisturizer doesn’t totally dry down before you apply your makeup, the makeup products can literally sink into it and disappear. If you then apply more makeup, it may end up looking cakey, streaky or splotchy.
Believe it or not, it can sometimes take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes for a thicker moisturizer to totally dry down. So, if you’re in a hurry, the best strategy is to use a light moisturizer both on your face and under your eyes.
Furthermore, I would suggest sticking with a light moisturizer when you’re applying makeup and saving those richer moisturizers for when they’ll do the most good and can thoroughly sink into your skin – which is at night.
Even with all of the above in mind, a lightweight moisturizer can still be a little too much for the under-eye area. My favorite product to use here is a much lighter weight moisturizer called Prequel which is half and half peptides and ceramides and is a thin, lightweight substance which is what we really want under our eyes.
Tip for Our Brows
I’ve recently noticed that I’ve developed some flaky, dry skin under my brows. The solution is applying a drop of moisturizer under my brows as well as over them.
Unfortunately, moisturizer products can often migrate into our brow area which can wreak havoc in brow product application. A quick and easy solution to this challenge is to first press a Kleenex over the brows and then take the smallest amount of setting powder on a brush, tap off any excess and then apply it over the brow area. I like to use the powdered brush not only across the brow but also back over the brow in the opposite direction to ensure that the brow products will be easier to apply.
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!
The Question I Get Asked Most Often
A question many women ask is, “How can I get my foundation to stick to my nose?” Fortunately, there are two relatively easy ways to solve this problem. The one that works best for me is to avoid applying moisturizer to the nose and instead tap on a small amount of Benefit’s Porefessional primer.
Next, rather than applying foundation, I tap on concealer. You may have to try a couple of different concealers to determine what works best for you, but my go-to is Catrice’s True Skin Hydrating Concealer. For no known reason, this particular concealer adheres really well to the skin on my nose. I usually let it dry and then tap setting powder over it and skip foundation application on my nose.
Another option that can work for many people is to tap a setting powder on the nose and then tap foundation over it.
Lip Fix Solutions
For many of us, lipstick tends to migrate into those fine lines around our mouth or disappear very quickly – or both. I have a major issue with lipstick migrating into the fine lines around my lips, so I take several steps to keep this from happening.
You can try each of the below suggestions separately or in combination to see what works best for you.
Option one is to stretch out your lips and apply concealer around the outer edge. This helps to fill in some of those lines.
Option two is to stretch out your lips and apply a light dusting of setting powder around their outer edge.
The third option is to use a lip liner which also helps to create a barrier.
Finally, apply a matte lipstick. Many matte lipsticks are now far more comfortable than they used to be.
To make your lipstick more long lasting, separate a piece of Kleenex into two layers, press one of the layers across your lips and then gently tap on a small amount of setting powder. Then apply a second coat of lipstick.
Since our lips get smaller as we get older, adding some gloss helps them look larger and brighter, but only apply it to the center of the lips so it doesn’t migrate into those fine lines I mentioned above. Some of the best glosses I’ve found are from the clean beauty brands Lawless and Catrice.
Blush Tip for a Beautiful Glow
The last tip today comes from celebrity artist Nikki LaRose and has to do with blush. A lit-from-within blush looks especially beautiful on mature skin. So, besides using a glowy liquid or cream blush to achieve this look, there’s an additional option you can try.
You can first apply a powder highlighter followed by a cream blush. Often just using a powder highlighter on its own doesn’t look as natural as a cream or liquid highlighter since it can sometimes look splotchy –especially on dry skin. But applying the cream blush over the powder highlighter will hopefully create a beautiful natural looking glow.
If you enjoy watching videos that focus on makeup artist tips, here’s another video featuring tips from other celebrity makeup artists that you might also enjoy. And one other thing you might enjoy is my weekly newsletter where I offer additional tips as well as some fun articles and movie, TV, book and podcast recommendations.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
What is your biggest makeup problem? Have you found products that help you particularly well?
