Guest post by Chris J.
Like many of you, my first experience with makeup started with eyeshadow. It started at age 14 with a white, shimmery powder that my mom wouldn’t notice, and over the years I think I tried every single trend and eye makeup look to ever exist. By the time I reached my early 30s, I started to realize what eye makeup look was best suited to my dark brown eyes, and I began perfecting a more simplified eye makeup look for every day.
Still, as I approached my 40s, I began to notice that the eye makeup look that I had loved and wore for years just didn’t look so good anymore. As I began to get more crinkles around the outside corners of my eyes, I was worried that my eye makeup was putting too much emphasis on my aging eyes.
Soon I realized the key to a great eye makeup look for older women had nothing to do with eye makeup at all. Instead, it had everything to do with skincare.
The first step to a beautiful eye makeup look for women over 40?
Skincare products MADE for women over 40. The secret to beautiful eyes doesn’t start with a colored powder – it starts with skincare ingredients designed to fight the visible signs of aging like crow’s feet, dark undereye circles and bags, and droopy eyelids. It ENDS with a nice, natural eye makeup look.
Here are some tips that will take your eye makeup look to a whole new level:
Use a daily cream proven to reduce lines and wrinkles
We’ve all heard that we should be using eye creams and moisturizers daily – especially at this age – but don’t be fooled thinking any old product will work.
One product that has been a game changer for me is Fièra Cosmetics’ Apple Stem Cell Cream. I swear, this is a skin treatment, a moisturizer and an eye cream all in one, gentle enough for use twice daily, in all areas of the face and neck. The Apple Stem Cell Cream blends the highest-quality stem cells from the rare swiss apple with other proven, natural ingredients to promote skin regeneration, hydration and elasticity. Apple stem cells have been especially successful in reducing the appearance of crow’s feet and wrinkles around the eye area, showing significantly reduced wrinkle depth after just two weeks. I certainly noticed a difference, and when you read the product reviews, you’ll see I’m not the only one.
Create a firm, even base using concealer
One of the things many women notice as they get older is that our eyelids tend to get a bit droopy or the skin gets crepey. Pair this with skin discoloration you may see on your eyelids as you age, and it doesn’t exactly make for prime eyeshadow real estate. A good concealer used over your eyelids can help create an even tone… but there’s one concealer that women are loving because it also contains ingredients that help firm skin instantly, and over time with continued use. And surprise, surprise (insert sarcasm here), it’s from Fièra Cosmetics.
Fièra Luxury Concealer is a full coverage concealer that contains both hyaluronic acid and collagen – two ingredients proven to boost skin’s hydration, plumping it up and reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. This concealer immediately gives skin – including eyelids – a firmer texture, but it also works to improve skin with prolonged use. The creamy full coverage formula also acts as a nice primer for any eyeshadow, making it a regular step for me in my eye makeup look every day.
Remember – less is more when it comes to your eye makeup look
Choose a light-medium eyeshadow that works well with your eye color and use darker colors for shading, but keep in mind that older women tend to look best in more neutral colors.
- For blue eyes, try orangey earth tones and rich browns.
- For brown eyes, almost any shade works! Try colors that are closer to a neutral tone… deep plum, navy, browns and gold shades.
- For green and hazel eyes, try taupes and earthy shades with red or gold undertones. Eggplant is a great alternative to classic brown.
- For those rare grey eyes, try greys and charcoal.
Avoid shimmery tones
Those sparkly or shimmery eyeshadows used to be my go to… but as I got older, those tiny shimmers would fall from my lids and settle into the lines around my eyes to exaggerate them. But if you happen to have a shimmery light pink or gold hanging around, don’t throw it out yet! You can dot a tiny bit on the end of your nose for the illusion of a perkier, more sculpted nose!
Keep the focus up top
Don’t shy away from eyeliner! A soft, subtle winged liner/cat eye can look great at any age, for any eye shape. Lining your top lash line gives the illusion of thicker, fuller lashes. Another key to a youthful eye make look is keeping the focus on the top of your eyes rather than the bottom, so you may want to avoid eyeliner on your bottom lashes.
Two coats of a good black mascara is the final touch to make your eyes pop!
Brighten up your under-eye area
Once your eye makeup look is complete, it’s time to conceal any dark circles or bags under your eyes. Again, this is where Fièra Luxury Concealer makes all the difference. For the last five years, I haven’t been able to use an under-eye concealer because it settles into my lines and makes me look older. Because this was made for mature skin, I don’t have to worry about that! It goes on and stays flawless ALL DAY LONG, NEVER settling into creases.
But the real win with this concealer under eyes is that it contains Haloxyl, an ingredient known as the “dark under-eye circle” remover. It gives a brightening effect and those powerhouse ingredients work to lift and firm the skin for an overall more youthful-looking appearance.
Don’t forget the rest of your face!
Your foundation and any additional concealer – then finishing powder – should be the last step of your makeup routine. And you guessed it – Fièra Luxury Concealer is my holy grail to flawless skin. Don’t be fooled by the name – this concealer doubles as a full coverage foundation! Fièra’s Matte HD Finishing Powder adds a soft matte finish while still allowing that dewy glow to shine through just a bit, for radiant, beautiful complexion.