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6 ‘Major’ Makeup Mistakes To Stop Making After 50 Because They Make You ‘Appear Older’ & Highlight ‘Signs Of Aging’

March 7, 2025 by Lisa Cupido

 
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Makeup can brighten your complexion, bring out your features, and give your face a youthful lift — if you are using it correctly, which often also means using it sparingly. More isn’t always better with makeup, and the same colors and formulations you might have reached for when you were in your teens or twenties won’t always so your skin and features justice.

The key to a great makeup look after 50 is avoiding “major” makeup mistakes that can make you “appear older” and highlight “signs of aging.” Staying on the right side of makeup application is easier than you might think. If you’re feeling like your makeup could use a freshening up, consider avoiding these six makeup mistakes.

1. Applying Black Eyeliner on the Lower Waterline


Once up on a time, the lower waterline of your eye seemed like a fantastic place to experiment with blue or black eyeliner — the more goth or rocker, the better. Sadly, the way dark colors on the waterline can close the eye and make it appear smaller is more difficult to get away with as we age. Our eyes can naturally become more hooded with time, and waterline liner prevents them from looking as wide-eyed and refreshed as possible. A swap can be applying liner to your top lash line and keep the bottom waterline or bare or lining it with a nude pencil.

2. Applying Under-Eye Concealer Without Primer


Primer has become a popular makeup product because we’re all starting to see real benefits from priming our skin prior to applying concealer and foundation. Primer acts as a barrier between makeup and your skin and keeps it from sinking into pores and fine lines and highlighting them. When you apply under-eye concealer without a primer, you risk is smearing and settling into creases after a short period of time.

3. Not Prepping Skin Before Foundation


A good makeup routine starts with an excellent skincare routine. Foundation can glide over well-moisturized skin, but the same doesn’t always apply when you’re attempting to blend makeup over parched skin. This mistake will lead to cakey foundation, exaggerated texture, and making lines and wrinkles stand out more.

4. Matte Lipstick


Matte lipstick is naturally more drying than gloss or a semi-gloss lip formulation. As we age, our lips can become drier and lose volume. Matte lipstick doesn’t do us any favors, as it can make lips look less defined and emphasize dryness and lines in the lips and around the mouth.

5. Wearing the Wrong Lip Shade for Your Skin Tone


You’ll know when you’re wearing the wrong lipstick shade for your skin tone because your skin will look more sallow, your teeth and the whites of your eyes may not appear as bright, and everything will just seem a little .. off. Even if red is your color, different shades of red with more or less warmth in them can make a big difference. Spend a little time with a few shades of the same color to see which works best for you. 

6. Sparkly Eyeshadow

"Sometimes sparkles and dark colors can make lines and wrinkles more drastic, so I tell people to proceed with caution when using those," Mandie Brice, professional makeup artist, adds. 

Destiny McGill, celebrity makeup artist and Day Spa Owner of Lavish Life Studio, concurs, and says that "glittery or shimmery eye shadows really settle into the wrinkles and draw attention to them."

This mistake has a solution, so don’t give up hope if you’re a fan of glistening, glam looks. Instead of applying all-over sparkly eyeshadow, which can highlight wrinkles and lines, be strategic with sparkle. Apply a small dot of it on the inner corner of the eye or the upper middle lash line. This can bring light to your eyes and invigorate your eye color, but won’t be overwhelming.

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