This article has been updated since its initial publish date to include more expert insight.
As the years go by, the formation of wrinkles becomes a natural occurrence. However, for many of us, we would rather not draw attention to these fine lines by using makeup. Instead, we prefer to accentuate our best features and get excited about trying out exciting new styles and looks.
With that said, we checked in with professional makeup artists to learn about two common (and easy to do) mistakes many makeup users make over 40, how they might inadvertently emphasize wrinkles, and how to avoid them. Read on for tips, suggestions and insight from professional makeup artists and experts: Mary Winkenwerder and Mandie Brice.
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1. Over-Filling Your Brows
By using "too much product" on your brows, Winkenwerder helps explain, you may be inadvertently drawing eyes to forehead wrinkles and fine lines around your peepers.
In order to avoid this, she says to firstly "make sure your brow area is completely clean" before applying any brow pencils, and then to "apply color products directly to the area you want to fill in."
The key here, she says, is to "apply a little, not a lot," and to only "build up if needed." Going slow and steady is essential, she adds. "Compare the color of the filler to the color of your brow, move forward accordingly."
If you need to clean up stray color (and this happens), Winkenwerder advise to then take a q-tip with a bit of alcohol and dab until the out of shape color is gone. She stresses to "allow brow products to set and bind to the brow hair and skin area" before adding on more.
Another vital tip that Winkenwerder has for mature beauties who want to fill in their brows is to "choose reputable products for brow-filling moments." Substituting one product that looks similar to a dedicated brow product spells disaster, she notes.
"Products made for brow art and filling are specifically made for this purpose," Winkenwerder says, adding, "the pencils, gels, and creams apply to the brow area in a certain way, bind to the skin, finish in a certain way, and wear for long periods of time."
The consistency of a product created for brows is "different from a hard eyeliner, lipstick, eye shadow, or other product designed for a different part of the face," so Winkenwerder goes on to suggest to "not skimp on the products you use to fill in your brows."
Her final tip to avoid highlighting wrinkles by over-filling your brows is to "take an afternoon and get to know your products" until working with your brows is second nature. "This should be a part of your makeup routine and done with great confidence and ease," she recommends.
2. Using Too Many Sparkly Products
While there's nothing wrong with a little fun shimmer or glitter, Brice warns that going too heavy with products like these over 40 can also make fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes more prevalent.
"Sometimes sparkles and dark colors can make lines and wrinkles more drastic, so I tell people to proceed with caution when using those," Brice suggests, adding that "sparkles can set into wrinkles and exaggerate them."
When it comes to eyeshadows, eyeliners and other glistening, sparkle-adorned products, Brice notes that these "sparkles can settle into fine lines and wrinkles and accentuate them," even if this isn't the goal.
To avoid this, Brice recommends using products like these in moderation, and determining what your undertones are to find products that match them. "You can find your undertone easily by looking at the veins on the inside of your forearm," Brice says, noting that there are typically three that are often labelled on makeup products— 'warm,' 'cool,' or 'neutral.'
If your veins are blueish, Brice says that you have a cooler undertone, and if they are greenish, you can go for a warmer color. Another tip she offers is that if silver jewelry looks better on you, you’re more suited to cooler tones, but if gold is better, you have a warm undertone.
"There’s also the possibility that you’re neutral, which is if gold and silver are equally flattering," Brice says, adding that sometimes, makeup products will have a 'W,' 'C,' or 'N' in their color name, and that "identifying undertones is something that gets better with practice."
Sounds worth a try to us!
