Regardless of how much we try to glow up, ageing is an inevitable (but great) part of life.
Age can afford you a wisdom, grace, and self-assuredness one can only dream of in their youth.
But ageing gracefully doesn’t mean you have to give up on looking good either.
If anything, a simple recalibration of one’s beauty routine and makeup techniques is all that’s required to ensure you feel and look your best — no matter what your age.
Which is why beautyheaven took the liberty of asking a makeup artist the best way to apply makeup to skin that has lived a life.
Here, Mia Connor — an Australian makeup artist with over 20 years experience in the industry — walks us through how to apply makeup without accentuating fine lines and wrinkles.
1/ Prep the skin with just the right amount of hydration to create an even base
Not everyone wants to resort to drastic measures to avoid the appearance of fine lines, Mia tells beautyheaven.
“Hydration is key when working on areas with fine lines — dull, dry skin can enhance the appearance of texture,” she explains.
To combat this, Mia recommends applying a serum like ESMI Skin Minerals Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum ($65 from Sephora) if you have oily skin, or a heavier moisturiser like Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentrate ($32.69 from Chemist Warehouse) if you have normal to dry skin.
“It is important that the skin is hydrated, but not too slippery, as where there are fine lines — product will slip into these lines as the day goes on — which results in creasing,” she tells us.
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2/ Use a pore-minimising primer to blur fine lines and wrinkles
“After hydrating your skin, I highly recommend prepping the skin with a pore minimising primer,” Mia says.
Not only will it have a blurring effect on fine lines and open pores, but it also provides more grip for the products you’ll apply over the top of it, and prevent the makeup from slipping throughout the day.
“I love Benefit’s The POREfessional Matte Primer ($44.10 from Benefit Cosmetics),” Mia tells us. “Apply this with your finger tips to textured areas on the face such as your T-Zone (read: your forehead, nose, the sides of the nose, and the chin).”
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3/ Less is more when it comes to foundation and concealer
When applying foundation or concealer to any areas where there is movement resulting in fine lines (such as around the eyes, forehead and smile lines), we need to apply less product, Mia informs us.
“The more product on these areas — the deeper your lines will appear,” she explains. “Where possible, less is best.”
“After applying your foundation or concealer, grab a concealer brush with barely any product on it, and sweep it over the areas where you have fine lines,” she instructs.
This will pick up any excess product that may have fallen into these lines, and minimise their appearance.
“If you have lines under the eye area use the heat of your finger tips to press the product back into the skin throughout the day,” she advises. “Remember that makeup does need a little maintenance some times, and whilst we can reduce the visibility of fine lines, we cannot make texture completely disappear.”
Mia recommends implementing the use of concealers and foundations with a ‘grippy’ formula for this exact reason — “I love the Nars Soft Matte Concealers ($53 from MECCA)”.
And, if your skin is on the oilier side, Mia suggests lightly setting the areas you’ve concealed with a translucent powder. “I love the Shiseido Loose Powder ($47 from MECCA), as it’s so finely milled,” she tells us.
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4/ Avoid luminous or ‘shimmery’ products
“Avoid any luminous and shimmery products around areas where you have any texture, as too much sheen will only magnify these areas,” Mia warns.
Think: luminous primers or shimmery blush and highlighting powders.
In other words, if you have crows feet, skip the cheek bone highlighter.
“Ultimately we are trying to achieve a natural skin-like finish in these areas,” she explains. “So nothing too powdery matte, but also nothing too shimmery.”
Main image credit: Getty Images
What are your favourite makeup techniques for a flawless finish?
My fringe is my solution!
I have a fringe as well and must say that works in hiding wrinkles on the forehead.
I was thinking exactly this when reading this article.
I have a fringe as well. 🙂
Such a good solution!
Great tips, thanks
Id rather wear a fringe then do any surgery. I’m scared.
Reece is so lovely, I have justed watched a show called A hundred little fires. So good.
I have a very noticeable frown line and I hate it.
Have you tried Frownies? They are meant to help but have not tried myself
Oh yes I remember seeing those in BH
Thankfully I don’t have many, I don’t think a fringe would suit me.
Not there yet, probably in few years time.
I’ve always had a fringe which hides any lines and my barely-there brows.
I have yet to see any retinol products work on my little wrinkle 🙁
I think the only thing that will truly fix wrinkles is botox.
I have a few forehead wrinkles but a part fringe seems to hide enough
I have definitely noticed retinol has helped the appearance on my fine lines.
All very interesting. Some good advise here.
I am conscious about not wrinkling my forehead because I have started noticing a line forming
No don’t have any. I just never frown, get angry and nothing surprises me.
I know of a lady that hides hers with the fringe, good tip!
A helpful read and great tips, thanks so much.
For some reason I struggle with getting foundation for my forehead, even though I have barely visible wrinkles. I agreed with the SPF, I have noticed little creases forming on my feet once right after strong sun exposure of less than an hour! (without sunscreen), and I’m in my 20’s! Thank god I am not into tanning.
Useful tips.
Yes I agree
Medium coverage foundation and a touch of pressed powder.
Love the earrings. They are really beautiful
Good article !!
All very good tips
A repeated article but well worth reading again.
TBH I don’t really think about it. Good skincare and sunscreen is important and wearing a hat outdoors
just wish my hair was a bit thicker so my fringe wasn;t so flyaway
I am a less is more person an don’t like too much make up
I agree Juju just light makeup here.
I’m clueless when it comes to makeup, I did’nt know pore minimiser could be used in that way.
Cheaper and easier to have a fringe to cover them up or distract from them
Totally agree, try a fringe.
I agree with her advice that less is more in the under-eye area – I only apply sunscreen there – no foundation or concealer.
I’m not fazed
I don’t have any forehead lines yet – this problem is still in my future.
I don’t have forehead wrinkles, but if I did my fringe would cover them.
Moisture is a big help too
Great tips but all the products are pricey! That’s hundreds of dollars already there LOL. Maybe I need a fringe.
Thankfully I dont have any which blows my mind as my 37yr old daughter has them. She cant understand why I dont.
I’m growing out my fringe but it did hide forehead wrinkles.
Great advice.