The ‘Five Days to Fabulous’ concept is brought to you by Estée Lauder Advanced Time Zone and DayWear.
by Michael Brown
Over the years I have had clients from all walks of life in my make-up chair stating that they have been using the same products or application techniques for years and years. Crying out for a new look, but with no confidence to change this concern themselves, they call on an expert to shed some light on how we should adapt or upgrade our look to fit each stage of our life. Here’s what I tell them…
20s
This age group can really get away with so many different types of makeup looks in terms of trends and the use of colours, but we need balance! If you are wearing three trends at once, there will be no focus and you might wind up looking more tacky than trendy.
At this stage of life, you are often on the run, so experiment with your fingertip for application. This helps fuse bright colours, like a lipstick or cream shadow, to the skin. Also look for multi-use purposes like using your lippie as a cream blush to save time and cash. Bonus beauty!
My key tip for ladies in their twenties is to start using a lightweight moisturiser -water based is preferred, and simple and balancing a must.
You may be young with great skin, but daily hydration is important to maintain healthy water levels, for foundation application and to prevent ageing down the track. It’s also great to also mix in with your foundation to lighten up textures and for easier application.
30s
This is the time to start a more polished makeup look. Start by adding in a few extra products to really give the skin extra glow and invest in a set of make-up brushes to give a pro effect.
Up the ante on your skincare routine by adding in a serum. Serums will not only add extra goodness to your skin, but also help your daily moisturizer absorb faster. This then helps your foundation sit very close to the skin.
All the products you used to skip in your make-up routine, like concealer and brow pencil, we need to add in as our funds are more accessible and they’ll help you achieve a more polished look, perfect for the career women.
Finish make-up by framing your brows. Feather brow pencil through the brows, as this will give a feminine, classic look, which is a great mindset for the journey through beauty in your thirties.
40s
In our forties, we need to slowly add shape and structure into our makeup looks. This means sculpting under cheekbones and the eye socket area as these areas may be starting to lose shape. A matte bronzer will work fine here to recede away any puffiness or lack of shape to sculpt area.
Find your best features and use a trend in that area to play up on it. It could be bold lips or a pop colour on the eyes. Either way, we start to dilute the metallic products and use more subtle pearl shades, still giving a glow across apple of the cheek or eyelid.
Now is the time to prioritize your skincare routine. You may need a slightly richer moisturiser with more active, anti-ageing ingredients as a simple water base moisturizer will not be enough and can affect your makeup longevity. Make exfoliation a weekly habit to ‘buff’ away any dead skin cell that can create a dull appearance.
Finally, remember to blend, blend, blend, use professional make-up brushes and think polished with sculpting deeper tones to recede away any unwanted areas.
50s
In your fifties, try neutral, classic makeup to really lift areas that may not be as strong as in your twenties. Think swap to soft to flatter your face. For example, the bright bold lips can be swapped for softer shades, liquid liner for a kohl pencil and metallic eye shadows for matte to correct and diffuse crease lines.
In my opinion, skin is the main priority as we age as this determines how well your makeup will last and sit for long wear. Upgrade your skincare to nourishing creams. Hydrating versions enter the skin too quickly and don’t benefit each and every skin cell. Nourish-style creams will coat and protect on a deeper level.
Cream blush and foundations are beneficial to help skin looking radiant, using primers and highlighters for a dewy, long wear affect, creating light on the skin – a must for anyone feeling tired or dull.
Yes, it may take a few applications to really master the new use of your product or application techniques and you might resist the change at first, but it will all be worth it when the compliments start rolling in.
Good Luck!
The ‘Five Days to Fabulous’ concept is brought to you by Estée Lauder Advanced Time Zone and DayWear. For more information on the Five Days to Fabulous campaign, click here
