Beauty and fashion blogger Barbe Dolan
Camera IconBeauty and fashion blogger Barbe Dolan Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Makeup tips for your 40s and beyond

Rachel FennerMandurah Coastal Times

IF you head to the store to buy your favourite makeup product and it has been discontinued – you’re probably in a make up rut, according to 51-year-old style and beauty blogger Barbe Dolan.

Barbe believes women get stuck in these ruts because they are comfortable.

“It is easy to reach for the same product every day or every time you go out,” she said.

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“Woman are time poor and have no time to try new things.”

There are some signs you are stuck in a makeup rut.

“If you still apply your make up the same way you have done for the last five years, you are probably in a rut,” she said.

“As we get older, our facial structure and our skin change.

“A little adjustment of make up products and application makes all the difference to keeping up to date with a contemporary look and not the look you wore when you were 16.

“Work with the changes.”

When you look good, you feel better Barbe said.

She learned this when she got cancer and attended the Look Good Feel Better organisation.

When she recovered, she became a volunteer with the program.

This organisation takes part in workshops with women, men and teenagers who are undergoing cancer treatment.

“We show them how to use skincare to help with the changes in their skin due to medication,” she said.

“We show them how to apply make up to help with the physical changes – like losing eyebrows, eyelashes, redness in the face and dryness.”

Barbe said she uses this as an example because every one of these women walks out feeling better about themselves.

“There is a power in make up that I am in awe of,” she said.

“Apply a red lip and instantly you feel sexy, confident and in control – well I do anyway.”

Barbe says there aren’t any specific types of makeup women over 40 should avoid.

“But, unless you are handy at applying make up, it is best to keep it simple,” she said.

“The trick is to work with your face. Downplay the bits you don’t like and highlight the bits you do. “Stick to one or two colours – preferably in a matte finish.

“Matte is more forgiving than frosted, because metallic shadows accentuate fine lines.”

Barbe’s makeup rules:

– Blend. Blend. Blend. No harsh lines and that includes the neckline.

– Maintain your eyebrows. Keep them tidy and fill them in if they need to be. This makes such a difference to your face. As we get older, our brows get sparser. There is no need to over tweeze them, it is about creating a full brow.

– Go for a shade lighter than your face rather than darker if you are in between make up shades. A bit of bronzer on paler skin looks so much better than a darker face.

– If you like to accentuate your eyes, downplay the lips and vice versa. A smoky eye and nude or natural lips look great on anyone.

– Our lips lose collagen as we age. Natural glosses make the lips look plumper. When using a lipstick, use a lip pencil to outline first, then fill in the lips, and then apply the lipstick. Blot to stop them from feathering in those fine lines.

– Use primers. An eyelid primer ensures eyeshadow lasts and primers create a veil to apply foundation. They create a beautiful smooth base. Primer fills in lines and pores, and makes your foundation stay on longer.

Save on:

– Lipsticks. There are some great inexpensive lipsticks out there. Look for products like ELF, NYX and Australis.

Splurge on:

– Foundation and primer, a dewy foundation looks better on mature skin. Ask for samples at as many counters as possible, to find the perfect foundation for you.

– Invest in good skincare because make up is wonderful, but it is not magic.

See more from Barbe at http://fashionistainsuburbia.com/