Makeup For Old Women....I Need Advice (color, product, brown)

[Cunucu Beach]

At 74 and retired I rarely put on any makeup anymore and when I do I usually end up smearing off as much as possible with a Kleenex before I leave the house. I use as little as possible and I think it looks OK at first but when I take a closer look in a magnifying mirror under daylight, all I see is the powder and foundation in the fine lines and I think I look more like a made up corpse than anything else.

Here is what I use:

A base of Equate Beauty Lotion
L'Oreal True Match Foundation
Maybelline Shine Free Powder - very light dusting
A powder blush - very light
Eyebrow pencil
Matte eye shadow - again very light
A med. brown mascara - very light
Kohl pencil eyeliner - bottom lid only
Very pale lipstick

For my age I really do have pretty good skin and am routinely taken for about 60. Is there any makeup out there that is made for older skin and won't settle into the fine lines?

If recommending specific brand names is a no-no, please PM me.

Thanks.

[pitt_transplant]

With age you want to avoid powders and heavy foundation use.

Have you ever tried: primer + tinted moisturizer + mineral skin finish to set it?

Experiment with facial lotions too. Sometimes the higher end ones keep you dewy longer and calm the skin. I have tried that equate myself. Throw down a few more dollars for some Korres or Aveeno. I can not even tell you how much of a difference using a longer lasting hydrator makes in my skin.

Lips, go with a berry/blood/warm rose. One of those is going to really warm up your face and you can avoid using blush maybe if your natural flush shows through the tinted moisturizer. If you use blush it should be a cream, not a powder.

[sophialee]

^what she said. I'd especially get away from the pale lipstick, maybe try a nice rosy/neutral gloss? And Tarte makes great cream blush, it comes in a stick and you blend it with your fingertips.

Also might try using a fine, short, stiff brush and eyeshadow in place of eyeliner. It looks a lot less harsh.

[pitt_transplant]

p.s. almost forgot this one...As long as it does not make you look orange, go with a base that is just slightly darker than your skin (1/2 shade if that). Foundation that is too light can make you look older and make your lines stand out. Its really easy to get away with doing this (darker) when you are using something sheer like the tinted moisturizer. If it goes too orange try starting your face with moisture + tinted primer (lavender or pink) HD foundation has some nice tinted primers. Sample those buggers though. Kinda $$$$

[catfeathers]

Lauren Hutton face disc.....wonderful for mature women....highly recommend looking into it Seems expensive, but it lasts a long, long time. I buy it from her website.

[tasmtairy]

Originally Posted by pitt_transplant

With age you want to avoid powders and heavy foundation use.

Have you ever tried: primer + tinted moisturizer + mineral skin finish to set it?

Experiment with facial lotions too. Sometimes the higher end ones keep you dewy longer and calm the skin. I have tried that equate myself. Throw down a few more dollars for some Korres or Aveeno. I can not even tell you how much of a difference using a longer lasting hydrator makes in my skin.

Lips, go with a berry/blood/warm rose. One of those is going to really warm up your face and you can avoid using blush maybe if your natural flush shows through the tinted moisturizer. If you use blush it should be a cream, not a powder.

When my Mom was in her 70's I got her a tinted primer, it was great. The focus should be on eyebrows and lips in my opinion.
I met her one day at the accountant and she got out of the car with my Dad and her face was globby with orangish foundation. I blended her face before we walked in. A lady where she got her hair done talked her into everything in the Beauti Control line. That is when I bought her the primer and also Laura Geller baked blushes, she loved them but was allergic. She had olive skin, much too much tanning all through her life.

[fabumom07]

I think its great that you are still willing to be open to a new look, I want to be just like you in 30 years. Even at 41 I have to keep evaluating what is and isn't working. It was a revelation the night I did my "evening out make-up" for a date with the hubby and realized I had just spent 15 minuted making myself look 5 years older!

I think that it may be time to give up on the drugstore foundations and powders, and upgrade( as Pitt said} to an Olay or Loreal moistuizer or Avon. You should still be able to bargain shop most of your other products. True Match is a little flat and cakey on me and that powder is way too matte for you, and me. I would suggest the Estee Lauder counter for a foundation or tinted base, and maybe powder, bot do you really need it? A cream blush is a great choice in a soft coral tone.

Also make sure your eyebrows are not over or under plucked and softly filll them in with a taupe pencil which can be a bargain brand. Eyebrows are really able to make you look your best, or worst!

I hope you have fun buying your new products and fine tuning your look!

[SXMGirl]

Laura Geller has a nice foundation called Phenomenal and I would use that over her primer. You can top it with BE mineral foundation (buff well) and it should look good. Mary Kay has lipsticks that stay on longer or they have a lip gloss called Caribbean coral that might look good. Be careful with blushes because they can be garish. Find one good color for yourself and that should be enough.

[Cunucu Beach]

Thanks, everyone, for your input. I've taken copious notes and will do some serious shopping for new makeup before I do my Alaska cruise next summer.

[MagnoliaThunder]

Send us photos! You sound great!