A Celebrity Makeup Artist Shares The 3 Biggest Mistakes For Women 50+

Say it with us now: Makeup has no rules, so you can dress up your face beat however you please. The best makeup techniques are the ones that make you feel most beautiful—you are the expert on your own features, so who are we to say you're highlighting them wrong? 

Now, that caveat being said, makeup artists do know the most effective ways to enhance your appearance, and they have seen a few common missteps over the years. They are the pros for a reason, after all.

We've said it once, and we'll say it again: When it comes to makeup for mature skin, less is more. For instance, you might think you need to pile on concealer to effectively smooth out under-eye wrinkles, but that will only exacerbate their appearance as the product settles into fine lines. Trust that a precise application and soft buffing brush will go the distance. 

As a general rule, Giglio recommends choosing one feature to highlight rather than trying to enhance all your features at once. Let's say you want to accentuate your eyes: "Choose a color to enhance and then balance with a neutral lip," she says.

That's not to say you can't ever fashion a bold face beat—but even full-glam looks have a focal point. "By trying to enhance everything at once, it's playing into that 'more makeup' look, which can tend to look aging," Giglio adds.

Another place people commonly exaggerate? The brows. "Aim to fill brows naturally to frame the face but not overpower," Giglio shares. She recommends a soft-tipped pencil (such as the bareMinerals MINERALIST Micro Defining Brow Pencil) to create hairlike strokes if you'd like a bit more density.

Now, let me be clear that there is no "right" or "wrong" foundation to use. The product (and all makeup, for that matter) is entirely personal to your tastes. That being said, those with mature skin tend to fare better with hydrating liquid formulas, as they help cushion the skin and make it less likely the formula will settle into wrinkles. 

You may also want to choose one with a "natural or soft radiant finish" to help the skin appear more vibrant, says Giglio. You can technically opt for matte, but it's much easier for those formulas to accentuate dryness and read cakey.

"I do think another mistake is women 50+ thinking they can't wear shimmer," says Giglio. "You can! But choose the right texture and level of shimmer to enhance your makeup look, not overpower." 

See, shimmery formulas easily catch the eye, so they might not be best for someone who wants to lead the focus away from fine lines. And some products with glitzy particles can even settle into wrinkles.