I think there were some great ideas in the article by Linda Foster from EverydayHealth.com (see my blogpost under Beauty Tips on 11/27/12: Does Your Makeup Make You Look Older?). Here are a few thoughts about changes I’ve made to my own makeup that help me maintain the looks and products that I like.
When mineral foundation came out several years ago, I was curious, and I went to a Bare Escentuals store to try it out. A young stylist applied it for me, and I thought it looked terrible on me. It settled into my fine lines, and I thought it made me look old. Nevertheless, I really preferred the ease of application of the mineral foundation to the cream I was using, and I loved how it covered my sun damage. There had to be a solution. And there was: primer! A moisturizing primer prevented the foundation from settling into my lines, and we’ve lived happily ever after.
I love red lipstick. I don’t wear red all the time as it’s a little much for life in the ‘hood, but I love the impact that red makes. Instead of wearing a bright red that I favored years ago, I tone it down a little. I’ll mix a bright red with a more neutral pink or beige to create a shade that doesn’t shout as loud. Problem solved.
Why wasn’t black cat’s-eye eyeliner in style when I was in my 20s or 30s? I missed it when it was “in” in the 1950s, and now that it’s back, I thought it was too late for me. For years, I always tried to make a thin line right along my eyelashes that didn’t stand out. Then I realized, what’s the point of that? Now, I draw a line that gets thicker in the middle of the lid that accentuates the shape of my eyes but doesn’t call attention to my crow’s feet…not that I have any, lol! And I use a grey eyeliner or a purple-grey that enhances my blue eyes but isn’t as harsh as black.
Speaking of eyes, when I first started wearing eyeshadow, light on the eyelid-darker in the crease-light on the bone under the eyebrows in neutral shades was the style that went along with the emphasis on looking “natural”. Over the years, I decided looking “natural” was over-rated, and I loved metallics and colors with a shimmer. Now, what goes around comes around, and I’m back to light-dark-light in a neutral palette. At the holidays, I make sure I apply a moisturizing eye primer first (I’m using Lorac lately), and I put on a copper shadow with a subtle shimmer that makes me feel festive.
Though I’ve made changes to the products I use and tweaked the colors, I feel like I can still get the looks I love.
These are great tips. You mentioned Lorac moisturing eye primer; what primer do you use on the rest of your face?
Mostly, I wear Bare Minerals Prime Time. I thought it might be formulated to work best with their mineral foundation. I like it because it’s light and does help prevent the powder from settling into my “fine lines”, lol. I tried Sephora’s private label brand primer but was disappointed in it: too loose, too sticky, not enough of a base. In the past, I used DHC’s Velvet Skin Coat. It has an amazing feel to it, really like velvet! Last, I tried a sample from Sephora called Hourglass Primer Serum No. 28 Hydrating. I asked the sales woman for a hydrating primer, and she gave me a sample of this new brand. Unfortunately, I found it to be too hydrating and greasy for me. Good thing, ‘coz I think it was $65 for a small bottle!