Recently, side parts and skinny jeans are being made into an enemy as a tell tale sign of someone’s age. I love skinny jeans and will alway be rocking a side part no matter what age I am. The truth of the matter is, there is absolutely nothing wrong with aging. Personally, the older I get the more I appreciate life!

While I think mature skin is beautiful, and age is truly just a number, there is no reason to make yourself appear older than you are due to makeup application techniques. 

Makeup application is an extremely personal thing, if you love the way you look after you apply your makeup keep doing it exactly the way you have been. However, if you are interested in creating a more youthful appearance, here are 5 tips on ways to avoid making yourself look older than you actually are.

Tip 1: Moisturize your skin and neck:

You will never regret giving your skin some extra care. Even if you have oily skin, moisturizing is essential! Moisturizers are used to improve the skin’s hydration, so instead of thinking about it as the oils it produces, think of it as the water content in the skin.  If not properly moisturized, even oily skin can get dried out. Dried out oily skin will in turn only trigger your body to produce more oil.  It is a vicious cycle!

If your skin is tired, oily, dry, and cracked your foundation will sink into those lines giving your face an older appearance.  Cleanse, tone and moisturize your face every day!

One of my favorites has always been Cerave moisturizing cream $13 for 16 oz.

Another cult classic has always been Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel  $27 for 4.2 oz.

Tip 2: Choose the correct color of blush:

I LOVE blush! It is one of the magical makeup products that can be applied quickly and simply, yet will instantly add brightness and life to your face.

Adding blush to the apples of your cheeks can give the face a lifted look, but blush can quickly go from magic to tragic if you choose a color that is the wrong shade.  Depending on your skin tone, a soft peach or rosy hue can add a youthful glow to the face. Choosing a shade that is too dark can make the face look dull and tired.

Two of my current favorite blushes are TARTE Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush $29 USD (available in 12 permanent shades and occasionally some temporary shades) and the ESSENCE Satin Touch Blush $3 USD (available in only 4 shades) One of my favorite blush brushes,The Wet N Wild blush brush, costs less than $2 USD and comes from the drug store.

Tip 3: Choose the correct eyeshadow finish:

The term “eyeshadow finish” describes the texture and appearance of the shadow.  There are 5 basic finishes: matte, satin, frost, shimmer, and glitter.  The finish of the eyeshadow will affect several factors about the shadow: the ease of use, color, pigmentation, and overall result of the final look.

When in our teens and twenties we can get away with almost every type of makeup look, on the other hand more mature skin often reacts differently to the different finishes. Just because skin is more mature doesn’t mean shimmers and glitters have to be completely avoided, it just means they have to be used in a more intentional way.

Personally, I LOVE glitter, sparkles, and shimmer, everything shiny catches my eye. I now use glitter, sparkles, and shimmer on the center of the lid and in the inner corner of the eye. Matte shades used as transitions and in the crease help to frame the eyes.  Strategically placed shadows can draw attention away from sagging lids giving a lifted appearance. 

One of my favorite all matte palettes is the urban decay naked ultimate basics and the Tarte Clay Play Face Shaping Palette. Don’t want to spend $30-45 USD on an eyeshadow palette?  Try out the ELF Mad for Mattes Palette. It is only $10 and has 10 all matte shades.

Tip 4: Don’t use a heavy hand when applying eyeliner:

Using a heavy-hand when applying eyeliner almost always gives an older look no matter what age you are.   Think back to your 15-year-old self, when trying to make yourself look older, what was the first thing you did?  If you are like me, you probably applied a thick line of black eyeliner around your entire eye.

To appear more youthful, instead of lining the entire eye with a dark eyeliner, start your line in the middle of your upper eyelid, working your way out and thickening it slightly as you go. If you want to line the bottom of your eyes, try using eyeshadow instead of liner.  Using an eyeshadow to line under the eye instead of a eye pencil gives a softer appearance to the eye look. The shadow will still add detail to the look without adding weight to the eyes.

Let’s compare these two pictures: Would you believe that in the first picture I am about 5 years younger than I am in the second picture.

Tip 5: When choosing your lipstick shade, choose shades that are closest to the darkest part of your lips:

Losing fullness and pigmentation in the lips is something that naturally happens as we age. While nude lip colors are quite popular and some shades are beautiful, choosing a nude shade that is too close to your skin tone can cause your lips to blend into your skin causing a loss in your natural lip line. Instead, choose shades that are closer to the darkest part of your lips to keep a more youthful look to the entire face.

I recommend the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks. With 3 different finishes and 87 shades to choose from (yes, that’s correct, 87 shades!😮), there’s definitely a perfect shade for you! You can read all about how much I love the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks by clicking HERE.

There is nothing wrong with getting older, but there is no reason to make yourself look older than you are.   

Makeup application is an extremely personal thing, if you love the way you look after you apply your makeup keep doing it the way you have been. If you have learned something today and make a change, I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below. Let me know if you try out these tips and what you think of the results! 

If you like what you see here check me out on Instagram, @lookingjoligood. Generally, I mostly post pictures of food, plants, sunsets, and occasionally puppies, (what can I say, I love what I love!) There are also plenty of pictures of makeup and beauty products as well. 

I would love for you to follow me on  Twitter,  Instagram, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all three.  I would also love to follow you on Instagram and Twitter as well, so let me know your user name in the comment section below!

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