Makeup is our greatest tool in our fight to look younger, but it can be our greatest enemy if we do not use it correctly. The wrong use of makeup will actually add years rather than giving you the pretty, youthful look you are seeking. Sadly, if is very easy to fall into one of the pitfalls that can make us look far older than we actually are.
Leaning Too Heavily On Foundation
Fine lines, dark spots, and crow’s feet are all too common as we get older, and the temptation is to layer foundation on these areas to cover them up. Thick foundation will settle into those lines and actually accentuate them. In addition, these thick layers will add the appearance of lines and discoloration that do not even exist. A better idea is to use light foundation over a light powder that will sit on top of your lines instead of settling inside. Of course, you can go too far with powder as well. If you are using powder throughout the day to soak up oils, you must avoid ever having enough powder on your face that it actually adds texture to your face.
Misuse Of Concealer
When it comes to covering a pimple or a blemish, concealer is a great tool. However, there is a danger in using the same concealer for everything you want to hide. The dark circles under your eyes, for example, are made of much thinner, more fragile skin layers, and if you use a concealer that is heavy enough to cover a blemish, it will be too thick and too heavy for the areas beneath your eyes. The results will be an even thicker, heavier look than the one you are trying to cover up. Women who use these heavy concealers end up looking older instead of younger.
Heavy Mascaras
Another symptom of aging is thin, sparse eyelashes, which leads women to reach for heavy waterproof mascaras to plump up the lashes and make them look full and thick. The problem is that these mascaras often smear and run, pretty much making you look like a woman with too much makeup on, and often adding to the look of dark, tired circles under the eyes. Using a light mascara over a charcoal covered eyeliner at the roots of the lashes will give the illusion of thicker lashes without the dangers of runny mascara.
Tone Down Your Lipstick
Blood red lips can look very hot on a young, tan face with a little black dress; however, no matter how young you are, dramatic red lipstick is not often the shade you should be reaching for. As you grow older, and your skin begins to thin, you will find that bright red or coral lipstick only serves to accentuate complexion issues and fine lines around your lips. The result will be added years to your appearance, something you were probably trying to counteract. The key is to tone it down a little, with softer shades of mauve, brown, pink, and corals that highlight your lips without announcing them as a separate part of your face.
Take It Easy On Your Eyebrows
In an effort to achieve the perfect arch, we have gotten in the habit of plucking here and there, adding some eyebrow pencil to fill it in. This is great, within reason. However, the last thing you want to achieve is a drawn-on look. Once you have more eyebrow pencil than you have eyebrows you will have created an older look for yourself that will probably be far worse than if you had not touched your eyebrows at all. When it comes to plucking, the goal should be to shape, not replace.
I totally agree plucking eyebrows to oblivion is a bad mistake not only does is it make you look old it also makes you not as attractive as you could have been had you left them alone. So the point here is keep your eyebrows alive by not plucking them to death.
elaine It was a brutal way to make the point, I could not have said better and totally agree with you dont pluck your eyebrows as doing so will lead to their death.
Make up can make you look gorgeous but it may lead to many ill effects. It shouldn’t be used too much. Moderate level of it wouldn’t harm much but once you start using it every day just because one day you were complimented and you want the something to happen the next day, you would probably mess it up and make your skin look worse in long run. You shouldn’t play with your skin for others.
…I always thought that putting on heavier makeup will help me conceal all the aging signs that are starting to appear. Through your article, I learned that I was actually doing it more. Loading up on more foundation and concealer combined only make me look a tad older than my not-so-young age. From now on, I will choose to wear light and bright makeup. I’d never want to look like everyone’s grandma again.
Thank you for all your tips. They are so helpful and useful as well. They give out serious warnings on how one can evade looking older by trying to hide the flaws through heavy makeup. I’m sure a lot of your female readers will find good use from your writeup as I did. Let’s all work to bust aging. Age is but a number. If you don’t look like it, you certainly will not feel like it and in effect, you will have a better quality of life, much the same as you had in your youth!