5 beauty mistakes that make you look older
The whole point of make-up is to make us look and feel our best, so when we hear we might be doing the opposite, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. Channel 9’s make-up artist and beauty expert Aleesa Hall has revealed to Honey the top five make-up mistakes that make women look older, and we’re all guilty of at least one.
1. Wearing the wrong foundation
Foundation should be, quite literally, the foundation of your make-up routine. If you get it wrong, no matter if you get every other element of your look right, it can make you look older than you really are. If you can’t find your exact colour match, Hall recommends trying to get as close as possible to the colour of your décolletage and choosing a product that is “a smidgen warmer” rather than going too pale. For ageing skin, she recommends liquid or light crème foundations “with a drop of a luminous liquid that add lustre to your skin”.
2. Choosing the wrong lip colour
It might be out of your comfort zone to choose a bright, bold lip colour, but Hall says it’s a much safer bet than a nude or pastel shade, which can make older women look washed-out. “Best, when it comes to a lippie, is to opt for a mid-range coloured lipstick,” she explains. Go for a hydrating formula too, just to give your pout a little extra pizzazz.
3. Winged eyeliner
Wings and cat-eyes are all the rage at the moment, and you might have been tempted to try this chic, bold look before. However, unless you have a steady hand and have practiced to the point of getting it perfect every time, Hall recommends staying away from winged liner. “It can really highlight the asymmetry that is now quite apparent in your face,” she says. Instead, make your eyes pop with a smoky, metallic eyeliner, eyeshadow or shimmer.
4. Going too far with concealer
Yes, we know – concealer is a miracle worker. Unfortunately, its miracles become less and less frequent as your skin ages – particularly since we often try to compensate for lines, bags and wrinkles by applying layer after layer of the stuff. According to Hall, it’s best to use “peachier, warmer tones” and only apply lightly under the eye. Just make sure you avoid applying it too close to the lash line, as “this will just sit in more lines and make you look older.”
5. Not embracing blush
As we get older, our skin becomes duller, meaning that natural blush we once had appears more and more rarely. So, don’t be afraid of some good old-fashioned rouge – “It’s the cosmetic link to the young you and the now older, less vibrant version,” says Hall. She recommends a crème-formula, mid-range colour to your skin – think peachy, pinky, rosy tones.
Have you committed any of these make-up sins? Share your best beauty tips with us in the comments below.