9 Makeup Tips for Skin Over 50

“The good thing about makeup is that there are no rules for any woman of any age,” says celebrity makeup artist and aesthetician D’Andre Michael. His advice is to embrace aging “and just focus on enhancing your features and beauty.” While there are no rules set in stone and makeup is, at its best, a vehicle for self-expression, the way your makeup goes on and appears at age 50 is different than at age 20—it’s a simple fact of life.

Celebrity makeup artist Sandy Linter says aging women have concerns about their skin, not that this is anything shocking. “They can see people looking at them and noticing all the problems—the wrinkles, the bags, the sags.” However, the makeup artist wants to remind people that 50 is not old, “as a woman over 70, I can tell you from my heart.” While 50 is still a young, vivacious age, your skin is different, and the way makeup sits has shifted. To help you adjust your routine, experts share their best tips on how to approach makeup once you’re over 50.

1 / 9

Prep the skin before applying makeup

Celebrity makeup artist Ermahn Ospina says, “One of the most successful makeup tips at any age, in order to achieve that smooth, glowing radiant look, is prepping the skin before any makeup application.” He suggests setting the stage with Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Serum ($140), which “hydrates and strengthens the skin encouraging a more youthful appearance.”

He then follows the Shiseido serum with the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream ($100), which was recommended by both Ospina and Michael for its anti-aging, collagen boosting, wrinkle diminishing, plumping abilities.

Getty Images 2 / 9

Be detailed when it comes to your eyebrows

“As you age, your eyebrows have a tendency to become unruly and thin, you start to lose the tail, and you get gray hairs,” explains Michael. “So the goal is to maintain the natural shape of your brows as a well-defined brow, which will lift and open your eye and frame your face, giving you a younger look.”

To achieve this, Michael suggests doing “light feathered strokes” and filling in the entire brow, then using a clear brow gel to set them. He recommends the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz ($23) or NYX Makeup Professional Micro Brow Pencil ($11).

Getty Images 3 / 9

Update your look

Linter suggests continually updating your hair and makeup look as you age to suit your current appearance. The lipstick that looked perfect on you in your 40s may not be the best option for you now, so test out some new products.

Getty Images / Image Used for Illustrative Purposes Only 4 / 9

Stick to matte or soft shimmer eye shadow

When it comes to people over 50, Michael says he prefers matte and soft shimmer eye shadows. He advises against high gloss, bold shimmer and frosted eye shadow options as they tend to accentuate wrinkles more.

Photo Credits: Alexeysun/Shutterstock 5 / 9

Remember less is more

According to Ospina, when it comes to makeup on over 50 skin, less is more. He adds that this is especially true during the summer months, so consider dialing down your makeup application. “With women over 50, the more you try to hide your flaws, the more you bring attention to them,” notes Michael.

Getty Images / Image Used for Illustrative Purposes Only 6 / 9

Choose the right eyeshadow shade based on your complexion

Eyeshadow colors are not one size fits all. Michael says the best eyeshadow shade for you depends on your complexion. He advises that those with a warm skin tone stick to green, brown, pink and gold; cool skin tones should opt for blue, gray, silver, pink and peach; dark skin tones should select brown, black and deeper colors.

7 / 9

Take advantage of advances in cosmetics

With the advances made in cosmetics, there are plenty of makeup products specifically formulated for mature skin. Linter advises people to pay attention and take advantage of these advances.

Getty Images 8 / 9

 Try a smokey eye

“A lot of women don’t know how to use eyeshadows or do creative things with them, and after 50, you don’t want to go too crazy on the shadow,” says Michael. When in doubt, he advises turning to a smokey eye. Doing this offers a bold yet youthful look. The key is to blend and use complimenting colors. You can use browns, deep browns, blacks and even colored shadows such as blues, greens, ambers, etc.”

Getty Images 9 / 9

Maintain healthy skin

Makeup looks so much better on a canvas of healthy, clean skin, so for better makeup application, ensure you’re caring for your skin. “Women over 50, please take full advantage of a great dermatologist,” advises Linter. “Ask questions. Don’t depend on the internet for the answers. Make an appointment with a dermatologist and ask the questions.”

Getty Images It's Personal

At NewBeauty, we get the most trusted information from the beauty authority delivered right to your inbox

Find a Doctor

Find a NewBeauty "Top Beauty Doctor" Near you

Select a state State AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC FL GA HI IA IL IN KY LA MA MD MI MN MO NC NE NJ NV NY OH OR PA SC TN TX UT VA WA WI Select a state Specialty Cosmetic Dentist Dermatologist Facial Plastic Surgeon Hair Restoration Specialist Oculoplastic Surgeon Periodontist Plastic Surgeon Prosthodontist Vein Specialist Select a state Treatment Abdominal thread lifts Accent your Body Acne Treatments Alexandrite Laser Arm Lift Asclera Bellafill Belotero Blue Light Body Body Lift Botox Botox Browlift Brachioplasty Brazilian Butt Lift Breast Augmentation Breast Augmentation with Fat Grafting Breast Implants Breast Implants with Saline Breast Implants with Silicone Breast Lift Breast Lift with Implants Breast Reconstruction Breast Reduction Browlift Butt Enhancement Carboxytherapy Cellulite Treatment Cheek Augmentation Cheek Augmentation with Fat Grafting Cheek Implants Cheek Lift Chemical Peels Chin Augmentation CO2 lasers Cool Lipo CoolSculpting CoolTone Crowns Dental Bonding Dental Implants Dimpleplasty Diode Laser Dysport embrace Active Scar Defense Emsculpt Endermologie Endoscopic Browlift Endoscopic Facelift Endoscopic Tummy Tuck Erbium Lasers Exilis Ultra 360 Eyelift Eyelift with Fat Grafting Face Facelift Facelift with Fat Grafting FaceTite Fat Melters and Fat Reducers Fat Transfer Forma Fractional CO2 lasers Fractional Resurfacing Lasers Fractora Glycolic Peels Glytone Enhanced Brightening Cream Gum Dermabrasion Gum Lift Hair Hair Removal Hair Transplant Hair-Loss Treatment Injectables & Fillers for Cheek Augmentation Injectables & Fillers for Eyelift Injectables & Fillers for Lip Enhancement Injectables And Fillers Injectables and Fillers with Fat Grafting Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Invisalign Isolaz Juvéderm Juvéderm Volbella Juvéderm Voluma Kybella Lactic Acid Peels Laser Liposuction Lasers Lateral Tension Tummy Tuck Limited Incision Facelift Lip Enhancement Lip Enhancement with Fat Grafting Lip Implant Lip Lift Liposculpture Liposuction Liquid Facelift Long Pulsed N: Yag laser Lower Blepharoplasty Lower Body Lift Lower eyelid surgery Lower Facelift MACS Lift Mandelic Peels Microdermabrasion Microinjection Microneedling Microwave Laser Treatment Mini Tummy Tuck Mini-Facelift Mommy Makeover Nd: Yag Neck Liposuction Necklift Nonsurgical Facelift Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty Obagi Blue Peel Otoplasty Perlane Phenol Peels Photobiomodulation Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) Photofacial PiQo4 Plasma Resurfacing Lasers Power Assisted Liposuction Prevelle Pulsed Dye Radiesse Radio Frequency with Microneedling Radio Frequency-Assisted Lipolysis Red Light Restylane Restylane Defyne Restylane Lyft Restylane Refyne Restylane Silk Revision Rhinoplasty Rhinoplasty Salicylic Peels SculpSure Sculptra Aesthetic Selphyl Silhouette Instalift Skin Skin Tighteners Skin Treatments Slim Lipo Smart Lipo SMAS facelift Smile Smile Makeover Smoothshapes Straightening Stretch Mark Treatments TCA Chemical Peels Teeth Whitening Thermage ThermiTight Thigh Lift Titan Tooth Contouring Traditional Facelift Tumescent Liposuction Tummy Tuck Ulthera Ultherapy Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction Umbilicoplasty Upper Blepharoplasty Upper eyelid surgery Vanquish ME VASER Lipo Vein Treatments Velashape Velasmooth Veneers Xeomin Search