The world is filled with makeup rules that may have started with good intentions but has since gone way wrong (cheap ingredients = bigger profits).
Makeup trend: Matte skin makes you look younger.
Truth: This is the makeup equivalent of saying you have to cut your hair short after a certain age. We're not sure who started this silly rumour (actually we do but we don't want to announce it here - matte pigment way, way cheaper than shimmery pigment - think about this) but just like healthy, shiny hair, you can never go wrong with glowing, freshly moisturized skin. Keep your skin refreshed with a skincare routine and a dewy foundation.
Makeup trend: Shimmery eyeshadow accentuates wrinkles.
Truth: Coco Chanel was known for wearing white blouses and multiple strands of pearls to bounce light around her neck, which she believed made her look younger and more glowing. The same concept works on your eyes. Sparkling shadows brighten eyes by distracting from imperfections like dark circles. And the shimmering particles break up light, creating their own unique texture that hides roughness and wrinkles on lids.
Application tip: Powder partially.
If you're worried about looking more oily than dewy, apply powder just around the eyes and on the center of the forehead instead of all over your face. It'll keep your makeup from creasing in key areas without sacrificing a healthy glow. Or try our Anti-Aging Skincare Routine PLUS which balances any skin type FAST.
Application tip: Strategically place your shimmer.
Using shimmering beige, pink, or gold on the lids and the inner corners of the eyes wakes them up by bringing light to the area. The most foolproof way to apply it is with a chubby eyeshadow pencil. You want to color all over the lids and sketch a sideways letter V at the inner corner of each eye. Consider this trick your instant look-awake move.
Makeup trend: A smoky eye works only in your teens and 20s.
Truth: Look no further than beauty icon Jane Fonda to dispel this myth. At 77, she's been tearing up the red carpet wearing sexy, smoky eyes for decades. The stronger lid colour makes your own eye colour pop and conveys mega confidence.
Application tip: Master the smoky ombré eye.
Use a fluffy brush to apply a light eyeshadow shade from lash to brow. Use the same brush to layer a medium-to-deep shade on the lid. Then take a dark eyeliner and trace your upper lash line. Smudge it smooth with a liner brush, and layer a dark bronze or charcoal color with the fluffy brush to intensify the liner and lock it in place. For this look, you want to line only on the upper lash line to keep the focus up top. Add two or three coats of mascara to help open and lift your eyes and keep the look from becoming heavy.
Makeup trend: Tinted moisturizers will always make you look younger.
Truth: Tinted moisturizer is great for a sheer amount of colour, but only a medium- to full-coverage can hide signs of aging like sunspots, redness, and broken capillaries. Don't worry—all our foundations don't look cakey. We recommend a mix of liquid and powder foundation.
Application tip: Layer, layer, layer.
Use a foundation brush in soft outward strokes to apply the product over the face. For areas that need more coverage, use the brush to press the foundation into the skin, allowing you to build it up in specific spots. Don't be afraid to experiment. If you apply too much, blot a damp sponge anywhere there is an excess product to soften it.
Makeup trend: Bright blush looks unnatural.
Truth: Avoid matte shades that look washed out, and don't add richness to your complexion. A bright color, applied softly, will look natural, but it will also combat signs of fatigue. A sheer application of bright peach, pink, or even red will mimic a natural flush better than a dusty rose color. Skipping blush altogether, especially when wearing foundation, leaves a bare face looking a little too neutral to look natural.
Makeup trend: Apply blush under the cheekbones to make them pop.
Truth: Using blush to contour under the cheekbones was a popular trend in the '80s, but a more 2020 application is to put it right on the apples of your cheeks. This helps lift your whole face and brings more attention to your eyes.
Application tip: Use a circular motion.
Apply blush in a circular motion, high on the apples of your face where your cheekbones end, about an inch below the outer corners of your eyes. Keeping the flush of color high adds fullness. Just don't go too high; you don't want to blush anywhere near your temples.
Makeup trend: Never buy foundation that's darker than your skin tone.
Truth: Many women need a foundation one shade darker than their true match. Over time, skin has a tendency to look washed-out. Applying a foundation that's one shade darker will warm your complexion and balance out the signs of stress and poor sleeping habits.
Makeup trend: Never buy foundation that's lighter than your skin tone.
Truth: While women who have a tendency to look washed-out might want to go one shade darker, women with an uneven skin tone that tends to look red or blotchy are often better off choosing a foundation that's one shade lighter than their natural complexion. You want the shade to help even things out to match your healthiest-looking skin tone rather than matching the ruddiness.
Application tip: Remember that rosy fights redness.
Typically, a pro will find your foundation match by picking a color that will disappear into your skin. If your skin has excessive redness, however, you'll need a shade that's somewhere between the color of your skin on your face and the color on the inside of your wrist. The inner wrist is usually not as red and is closer to your true complexion. Usually, a color that's neutral to cool, with a slightly rosy undertone works best. Avoid yellow-based makeup (layered on top of red skin, yellow makeup can turn you orange!). Instead, opt for a color that's more pink or beige. Tap on the product where you need it the most, and blend it out with a foundation brush. Or use our Anti-Aging Skincare Routine PLUS to get rid of rosacea and then wear makeup for fun.
Makeup trend: Lip liner makes you look good.
Truth: In general, women have had a love-hate relationship with lip pencils through the '80s, '90s, and early 2000s. Whether the pencil is too dark or two drawn-out, the results can go astray—fast. Adding a lip liner in a natural shade, however, can make your lips look younger, poutier, and more defined. Choose a color that's either the same shade as your lips or the same shade as your lipstick.