Applying makeup is a skill that takes practice and guidance. While we can’t train you in person, we can guide you on which makeup is best for older women.
I know, “older women” sounds so 1940s. But what is important to hear in that statement is that not all makeup is created equal, nor are all trends appropriate for women over (or nearing) 50. Don’t expect anything boring here, though. Spring is a great opportunity to showcase dashes of color and healthy, glowing skin.
7 Tips to Spring Into a Fresh Look
As the seasons change and springtime blooms, so too should our makeup choices, especially for women over 50 who may want to embrace a fresh, youthful look that enhances their natural beauty. Here are some spring makeup tips tailored for women in this age group:
Dewy Skin
Opt for a lightweight, hydrating foundation or tinted moisturizer to achieve a dewy, luminous complexion. Look for formulas with skincare benefits, such as hyaluronic acid or antioxidants, to nourish and plump the skin. Avoid heavy, matte foundations that can settle into fine lines and wrinkles.
Soft, Rosy Cheeks
Add a touch of color to your cheeks with a creamy blush in soft, rosy tones. Cream blushes blend seamlessly into the skin, giving a natural flush of color that looks youthful and fresh. Apply with your fingertips or a damp sponge for a subtle, lit-from-within glow.
Defined Brows
Well-groomed brows can frame the face and lift the eyes, creating a more youthful appearance. Use a brow pencil or powder to fill in sparse areas and define the shape of your brows. Opt for a shade that matches your natural brow color and avoid harsh, overly dark lines for a softer, more natural look.
Subtle Eye Makeup
Keep eye makeup soft and subtle with neutral shades like taupe, champagne, or soft peach. Matte or satin finishes work best for mature eyelids, as they minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Consider using a cream eyeshadow for easy application and blendability.
Defined Lashes
Curl your lashes and apply a lengthening or volumizing mascara to open up the eyes and make them appear brighter and more awake. Choose a formula that separates and defines lashes without clumping or smudging throughout the day.
Nude Lips
Embrace the natural beauty of your lips with a nude or sheer lip color that enhances your lip tone without overpowering your overall look. Look for hydrating formulas with satin or glossy finishes to keep lips looking plump and youthful.
Sun Protection
Don’t forget to protect your skin from harmful UV rays by applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 as the final step in your skincare routine. Look for lightweight, non-greasy formulas that won’t clog pores or feel heavy on the skin.
Here are some top products to help you get a fresh new look for the season!
Blush / Highlighter
Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, $23
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez is a quality yet affordable makeup line that’s topping our list this season. Soft pinch is a liquid blush that’s easy to blend and gives you a smooth, healthy look. It’s weightless, long-lasting, and available in matte and dewy finishes to keep you looking fresh all day.
Dior BACKSTAGE Rosy Glow Blush, $40
Infused with color reviver technology, this innovative blush reacts to the skin’s moisture level upon application to deliver a customized rosy effect. The result is a natural, instant, healthy glow that lasts all day long.
Bionic Liquid Blush with Hyaluronic Acid, $24
Milk Makeup offers a liquid blush that can be blended sheer or layered for a more intense payoff. It’s infused with hyaluronic acid and mushroom for a hydrated flush of color.
M·A·C Powder Blush, $29
M·A·C powder blush comes in a variety of shades and is designed by and for professionals. It’s easy to apply and goes on evenly, allowing for a natural look that stays on all day.
Lips
DIOR Addict Lip Glow Oil, $40
Lip Glow is a nurturing gloss that utilizes cherry oil to protect and enhance your lips, bringing out their natural color.
Armani Beauty Lip Power Satin Long Lasting Lipstick, $45
The name Armani holds a long-standing reputation for quality, and their makeup is no exception. This long-lasting lipstick has a rich, balmy texture and satin finish. The shades range from soft nudes to vivid colors to match any outfit and provide all-day comfort.
Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm, $36
This innovative, all-in-one lip balm nourishes, hydrates, and visibly plumps lips while delivering full-bodied color. The gloss tops it off with a dewy, high-shine finish.
Lip Blur Soft-Matte Hydrating Lipstick with Hyaluronic Acid, $24
Saie lip blur is a comfortable, buildable matte lipstick that can go from a soft focus to a full-coverage look in a snap. It’s packed with nourishing ingredients to hydrate and smooth lips.
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick, $35
Simply put, this is a great matte lipstick that features a long-lasting, buildable, and hydrating formula.
Maracuja Glossy Lip Oil, $12
Maracuja glossy lip oil is infused with fruit to hydrate and make your lips look fuller and plumper. It’s also full of essential fatty acids and vitamin C to nourish your lips while making them look fabulous.
M·A·C Lipstick Cream, $23
M·A·C Lipstick Cream is the iconic product that made M·A·C famous. The balmy formula gives a comfortable feel, moisturizes and colors at the same time, and ranges from semi-lustrous to glossy.
Even Better Pop Lip Colour Foundation, $24
Clinique’s Even Better Pop Lip Colour Foundation is designed to flatter your complexion and gives three different looks: naked, casual, and glam.
Eyeshadow
Tartelette™ Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette, $47
This palette features warm and cool matte eyeshadows ranging from light to deep, arranged in rows for three easy looks. Customize your application to switch your look from natural to dramatic effortlessly. The super-blendable, Amazonian clay-infused powder formula glides on like a cream, providing a long-wearing, intense payoff that’s never chalky or patchy.
ILIA The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette, $40
The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette is a set of six talc-free, buttery, long-wearing eyeshadows that go beyond your basic neutrals—with matte, satin, and metallic finishes. Go from simple to glam in an instant.
DIOR Backstage Eyeshadow Palette, $52
This all-in-one eye palette has everything you need to prime, shade, and highlight for runway-ready eyes. It includes an eye primer that reinforces shadow hold and enhances the look of pigment, along with eight shades designed to blend beautifully and be used as either eyeshadow or liner.
Naturally Pretty Essentials Eyeshadow Palette, $29
Discover your most naturally pretty eyes with this must-have palette that’s perfectly sized to go wherever you do. This palette features six all-new, full-size, anti-aging shadows that, with a tap of the bonus Transforming Hello Light shade, transform from matte to radiant satin for 13 eye-opening colors.
Eyeliners and Shadows
MILK Infinity Long Lasting Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil, $22
This creamy, twist-up, waterproof eyeliner pencil glides on smoothly for intense color that won’t budge for up to 12 hours.
DRAMA LIQUI-PENCIL™ Longwear Eyeliner, $25
This hybrid gel eye pencil has the richly pigmented effect of a liquid eyeliner with the ease of application of a pencil liner. The creamy texture is blendable when first applied and, once set, does not smudge, flake, fade, or transfer for up to 24 hours.
Fake Awake Eyeliner, $24
Tarte’s Fake Awake eyeliner is a gel eyeliner available in a nude shade that makes it look like you got a full night’s sleep… Because some days you’ve just got to fake it to make it.
Epic Wear Liner Stick Long Lasting Eyeliner Pencil, $9
NYX Epic Liner Sticks come in a variety of shades, from nudes to intense bold colors. They glide on effortlessly and are waterproof and long-lasting.
Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Gel Eyeliner, $36
Bobbi Brown’s gel eyeliner is a unique gel-based pencil that delivers richly pigmented color and precision lining with sweat-resistant 12-hour wear.
Tinted Moisturizer & Foundation
True Skin Medium Coverage Serum Foundation with Niacinamide, $54
Ilia True Skin is a weightless foundation with buildable medium coverage and a natural, skin-like finish. It includes ingredients like Niacinamide to keep your skin looking more vibrant.
Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation SPF 25, $42
This skin-reviving SPF treatment foundation blends like a second skin with a natural dreamy finish to blur, visibly smooth texture, and minimize pores. It has hyaluronic acid and Niacinamide to help keep your skin clean and clear.
Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Oil-Free Foundation, $69
Armani’s award-winning, oil-free liquid foundation delivers buildable medium coverage and a luminous, glowy-skin finish for a natural makeup look.
Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation, $48
Look your best with this award-winning tinted serum with light, dewy coverage, mineral SPF, and active levels of skincare ingredients that will give you healthy, glowing skin.
Conclusion
By following our spring makeup tips, women over 50 can achieve a fresh, radiant look that enhances their natural features and boosts their confidence as they embrace the season’s beauty. But remember: not all skin tones, complexions, or styles are the same, and makeup is definitely not one size fits all. Even though not all makeup is created equal, the many varieties and types make it fun because we can try out new things and experiment. As we’re heading into warmer weather and a long-awaited spring, this is a great time to seek out some new looks and color palettes and just have a little fun!
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