[valley]

I am 39, soon to be 40 this summer. I have never been one to spend much time on makeup and skincare products but now that I am getting older, I am starting to be aware of certain do's and dont's for ladies my age.

So far, I have heard that glitter is a no-no...it only highlights puffy eyelids.
I've also heard that pearlized eye shadows are discouraged for the same reason and that its better to use matte eye shadows.

any other tips for me to be aware of?...certain colors to steer clear of etc...?

[La_Mari]

I think keeping it natural is better. I heard the pearlized was a no no cause it'll accentuate the lines. Neutral colors make you look fresh and young. Pretty eyeshadows shouldn't be totally shrugged off, just not super bright ones.

I hope I follow my own advice when I'm older.

[ColdDayInHell]

I'm 44 and the only skin care I've ever used in my life, which I swear by, is sunscreen.

As for makeup...everything goes for me. I love doing bright colors in all finishes...frost, pearl, satin, matte...I love them all, and glitter too!

[valley]

Originally Posted by La_Mari

I think keeping it natural is better. I heard the pearlized was a no no cause it'll accentuate the lines. Neutral colors make you look fresh and young. Pretty eyeshadows shouldn't be totally shrugged off, just not super bright ones.

I hope I follow my own advice when I'm older.

Thanks La_Mari. Yes, i've tried pearlized eye shadow and it makes my fine lines stand out. I have brown eyes so I usually stick with brown eye shades....although I wore a dark blue cream eye shadow yesterday for the first time and realized that there is a lot that I dont know about makeup! It looked awesome on me! Who'da thunk it! All these years gone by and i've been wearing brown! I'm really excited to start sampling some different colors.

[Kathy]

I don't do glittery e/s in my crease because it does accentuate my lines and saggy eyelids. I only do it on my lid, if at all. I also was told not to do eyeliner all the way across below my eye, as it makes them look smaller. So...I start in the middle and go outward. hth

[valley]

Originally Posted by ColdDayInHell

I'm 44 and the only skin care I've ever used in my life, which I swear by, is sunscreen.

I just started using a dermabrasion system on my face. I've always had an uneven skin tone and lots of freckles. I am amazed at my age, how much of a difference a good exfoliating makes! Everything is brighter and my face is so much softer. Other than that, I use Nivea to keep things hydrated. I swear by it!

As for makeup...everything goes for me. I love doing bright colors in all finishes...frost, pearl, satin, matte...I love them all, and glitter too!

Thats awesome. I wish I was bold enough to try more intense colors!

Originally Posted by Kathy

I also was told not to do eyeliner all the way across below my eye, as it makes them look smaller. So...I start in the middle and go outward. hth

I had heard that advice at one time too. But whenever I attempted it, my eyes always looked..well....unfinished to me! So I kept doing it the old way, lol. Hard habit to break now.

[ColdDayInHell]

I usually do a little wing at the outer corner of my eyes with my eyeliner to give them a bit of a lift.

[Midnight Blue]

I'm 41 -- going to be 42 in the fall -- and I think the most important thing you can do is keep your skin hydrated and use some sort of primer under your makeup. Skin texture is really important. No makeup looks good on flaky, dry, sallow skin.

As far as "rules" for the makeup itself, I don't follow any. I wear what I like most of the time, simply because I like it. That includes shimmery eyeshadows, eyeliner, mascara, etc.

For me, natural is nice, but "as pretty as possible" is better. I told my husband, I don't put on my makeup so that it looks like I have nothing on -- I want to have some impact! LOL

[valley]

Originally Posted by ColdDayInHell

I usually do a little wing at the outer corner of my eyes with my eyeliner to give them a bit of a lift.

I will have to try that today and see what it looks like!!

Originally Posted by Midnight Blue

I'm 41 -- going to be 42 in the fall -- and I think the most important thing you can do is keep your skin hydrated and use some sort of primer under your makeup. Skin texture is really important. No makeup looks good on flaky, dry, sallow skin.

Very true. I have such dry skin and makeup tends to look flaky on me, especially around my nose and over my eyebrows. Wearing a good layers of moisturizer underneath has made a world of difference.

For me, natural is nice, but "as pretty as possible" is better. I told my husband, I don't put on my makeup so that it looks like I have nothing on -- I want to have some impact! LOL

Thats the attitude i'd like to adopt...I have been staying with the natural look for years. Always the same soft browns and subtle blushers and lipsticks. After so many years, I dont know how to tell if a brighter color looks good on me or not. The deep blue that I tried was awesome..but again...it was a muted shade. I'd love to try a nice jewel tones color...vivid green or a nice plum or something like that! Guess I just need to start trying it on around the house and see if my family likes it..then i'll think about wearing it out in public.

LOL...I am making a special anniversary dinner for my husband on friday night up at our camp. I might just put some wings at the edges of my eyes and try some fun shades!

[ColdDayInHell]

Originally Posted by Midnight Blue

As far as "rules" for the makeup itself, I don't follow any. I wear what I like most of the time, simply because I like it. That includes shimmery eyeshadows, eyeliner, mascara, etc.

For me, natural is nice, but "as pretty as possible" is better. I told my husband, I don't put on my makeup so that it looks like I have nothing on -- I want to have some impact! LOL

Way to go!!!

[CellyCell]

I like doing my Mami's makeup and she's going on 42 this year but looks younger for her age and I did my Aunt's makeup the other day and she's 32 I believe but looks younger as well.

Anyway, the thing with older when - the more natural the better. But you shouldn't shy away from colors either. Green, blues, pinks, purples can work well too. It just depends on application - nothing heavy looking. No fushia or bright lime... I find that tacky on older women.

Otherwises, have a good variation of beiges, browns, gold, and whites eye shadows.
Blushes can be your best friend too as they give you a warm glow. I really like peach-pink shades as oppose to just pink.

I would only line the top eye, but that's my personal preference. If you have wide eyes, then line your bottom line also. And making a bit of wing with the liner is a must!

Yeah, there are no rules to makeup and it's all a personal choice - but I think with age, there should be a limit. Enhance features instead of bring crazy attention to something that isn't flattering at all. I'm young but that doesn't mean I should wear certain things because of age, ya know?
Hope that helped

[StereoXGirl]

Great advice, ladies!

[sesame]

Try mineral makeup. The natural glow and luminous quality helps us look younger. Dewy foundation helps too as the luminous finish to the complexion mimicks the natural light-reflective quality of young skin. If using a red lipstick, choose something that is soft and matt instead of something too vampy or angular.

[valley]

Originally Posted by CellyCell

I like doing my Mami's makeup and she's going on 42 this year but looks younger for her age and I did my Aunt's makeup the other day and she's 32 I believe but looks younger as well.

I bet they enjoy having you do their makeup. My daughter is 13 and we started doing each others makeup when the boys are gone to camp. I make her look soft and natural and she always puts some god-awful bright color on me that she wont even wear herself, lol! Lots of fun.

Anyway, the thing with older when - the more natural the better. But you shouldn't shy away from colors either. Green, blues, pinks, purples can work well too. It just depends on application - nothing heavy looking. No fushia or bright lime... I find that tacky on older women.

Otherwises, have a good variation of beiges, browns, gold, and whites eye shadows.
Blushes can be your best friend too as they give you a warm glow. I really like peach-pink shades as oppose to just pink.

I will have to start sampling more colors then. The gold sounds nice. Someday, I will find that one new color that I fall in love with..!

I would only line the top eye, but that's my personal preference. If you have wide eyes, then line your bottom line also. And making a bit of wing with the liner is a must!

Yeah, there are no rules to makeup and it's all a personal choice - but I think with age, there should be a limit. Enhance features instead of bring crazy attention to something that isn't flattering at all. I'm young but that doesn't mean I should wear certain things because of age, ya know?
Hope that helped

Thanks so much. All of this information is very helpful. Its a lot better hearing from other ladies personally than just reading articles!

Originally Posted by sesame

Try mineral makeup. The natural glow and luminous quality helps us look younger. Dewy foundation helps too as the luminous finish to the complexion mimicks the natural light-reflective quality of young skin. If using a red lipstick, choose something that is soft and matt instead of something too vampy or angular.

Bah...mineral makeup drives me nuts. I've got Bare Minerals, Silk Perfections and one other brand (a sample kit)...it looks cakey on me. But my skin tone is uneven so maybe thats why. I buffed it on just like the tutorials say but the coverage never looks even to me. And there is this one dry patch on my forehead...every time I put anything on it, it looks like i've got a dirty forehead, lol!