REAL tips for all the beauties over 40. Regardless of age, you might pick up a tip or three!

I've always enjoyed makeup.  Sometimes when having a bad day a new tube of lipstick or pretty gloss would perk me right up. Probably weird, right? Well that's just who I am.  Can't beat "happiness" in a tube usually less then ten dollars ( unless we are talking all Sephora and Ulta like. Then that $10 bucks probably  won't cut it girl).

I'm going to prelude all of this with a little background info.  I have 3 kids, two of which are daughters.  Both of which are dancers. "Why do I care?" you say.  In the world of dance you have to learn to do your own makeup EARLY, FAST and WELL!  Because of this my youngest daughter Peyton has truly become obsessed with MAKEUP.  All of it.  From foundation to falsies. Lashes that is.  She has become extremely proficient and looks like a mini Sephora Cast Members (that's what they call them. I. Promise.).  She isn't allowed to wear these looks outside the home I swear so don't go calling CPS on me.  She does however wear full stage makeup for shows.  The last show she was in she did her own make up, a 14 year yr. old friend's full face and 6-7 winged liners every night!  My little 11 year old makeup artist.  Don't know if I should be proud or crawl in the closet.  Peyton watches videos on makeup in almost all of her free time when she's not dancing.  She walks into to Sephora and Ulta with confidence and asks questions about pigmentation levels, longevity and opacity like she works there.  It's pretty funny actually to see the "cast members" faces.


OK, back to the makeupfor the over 40 set of lovely ladies.  I've picked up a tip or 200 while Peyton has been watching these videos. I've gotten more compliments on my makeup in the past 2 months then in my whole life.  Most of the compliments are not specifically about the makeup but about how "healthy" and "glowing" I look which to me is the biggest compliment because we don't want them to see our makeup.  We want the public to see US!

Let's start with some of the tips.  Some of these pics will be off of google and some will be mine.
PRIMER      Primer is a big thing right now.  It is supposed to "prime" your skin for the foundation, minimize pores, allow your foundation to go on with perfection and perhaps help you even win the lottery.

   

I personally have not had a lot of luck with face primers.  Here's a secret, shhhhh....I tend to get delicate little beads of sweat on my nose when I wear primer.  Actually sometimes my face looks like Niagara but the first sounded better. But HEY, maybe I haven't found the perfect one and I'm a freak of nature so this probably won't happen to you. Plus I like not using it cause it's one less step.

FOUNDATION     As we age we want to look more DEWY not Matte.  This is very important.  Matte usually equals showing every wrinkle you knew you had and the ones you didn't. It seeps into every nook and cranny and gets cakey. Eww.   So look for a foundation that is illuminating. These are the looks we are going for...
Yes I know none of these ladies are over 40 but they can pull anything off and they are good examples of dewy.Hey, here's an over 40 one for you .


Here are some illuminating or dewy finish foundations that help achieve this look


EYESHADOW     Let's face it ladies, we can't wear the funky fun colors on our eyes as we did in our youth.  You want to look for a more neutral palette of colors with a minimum or no shimmer.  My personal favorite is a bit pricey but totally worth it for what you get.  It's the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette collection.  All of the colors are matte, neutral and lovely and very nicely pigmented. It runs between $25 and $27 but girls, it last forever and you can get a natural look, a night time look, a dramatic look, all with out any sparkles like the 21 year olds in the clubs are sporting.  This is a pure, natural and sophisticated palette from Urban Decay

CONTOURING AND HIGHLIGHTING   I'm not even going to begin to get onto this topic because it deserves an entire post to itself but let me just tell you, It is MAGIC.  Can totally transform your face.  If you can't wait for me to explain it check out you tube. But PLEASE do not use a contour that has shimmer to it.  Contour is supposed to look like a natural shadow on your face and shimmer looks like light hitting your face so they are counter productive.  More on all that later!  I will tell you it's my favorite thing to do makeup-wise!
LIPS  In my opinion this is really a personal thing.  I personally don't find it appropriate to have a 42yr old lip with so much gloss on it looks like it's about to drip off but who am I to judge!  I prefer a nice neutral lipstick with a hint, HINT of gloss in the middle and at the top of my cupids bow for a more pouty lip.  We all know we want a pouty lip regardless of age!  These are my current favorites minus my lip liner.  It was out in the car and I have my pj's on so, well, you know I didn't want to scare my neighbors this early in the am running out to get it.  I alternate between a nude liner and a dusky rose liner.  They each slightly change the color of my lipstick depending on what I want.  But I would recommend always using liner!

My Ulta lipstick was under $10,is matte,  has lasted forever and is called 226.  My NYX gloss I LOVE was like under $5 and is called beige pearl 135A.  Lastly, I don't LOVE this one as much but if I only have room in my wristlet for one lip product not two I'll choose Revlon's 025 Peach Parfait.  I think I will keel over and die if they discontinue the Ulta and the NYX.

SETTING SPRAY  What? you might be saying.  Actually I heard about it on one of Peyton's videos but it was a high end brand.  I really wanted to try it but not for $28.  To my surprise, while shopping in Ulta I came across 2 different NYX setting sprays for about $7.  One is matte and the other dewy.  I quickly picked up the Dewey and it was love at first spray.  Then last week while checking out the ELF goodies at Target I noticed they had a setting spray too! FOR $3!!!  I've compared the two and the ELF while not coming in dewy or matte has a dewy-er finish then the NYX setting spray.  They both worked equalled well keeping my makeup on even though I tend to glow a bit in the summer. (That's Southern for sweat like a beast).  If you are going to do nothing else to change your routine if you are over the big 40 I'd get rid of the shimmery eyeshadow asap and I'd add the dewy setting spray!

THE KEY to all of this is that you want to GLOW not SHINE! You'll have to play around with the look you like, maybe a matte foundation and dewey finishing spray or vice verca.  It's all about what looks best on you!

Please remember I am not an authority on this stuff.  I've just been listening to my daughters video's every morning before school for the past six months.  AND the fact that I've received oodles of compliments on looking "healthy" and "well rested" and "I love your natural makeup look".