FREE! Wardrobe Checklist Download + Weekly Newsletter 
It’s common knowledge that I take skincare seriously. I’ve shared my morning and evening routines and all the products I use and love countless times.
My philosophy is to focus on skin health; I embrace aging gracefully, with a bit of help, and want to look as happy and healthy as I feel.
Regarding makeup, I’m not looking to cover up with layers of foundation and contour.
Instead, I use the high-quality products I can afford, with a light hand.
I want to look like myself, only better, freckles and all.
There are also many amazing products on the market right now, made with good-for-you ingredients for a range of skin tones.
So, I wanted to share what has worked for me and my over 40 skin.
These are my go-to’s, allowing me to create a natural, healthy, pretty face in only 5 minutes.
Please note, I am showing the shades that I personally use but all of these products come in full range of inclusive skin tones. 🙂
My Favorite Makeup for My Mature Skin
I have fair, freckled, sensitive, normal-ish skin.
I used to deal with cystic acne, but using Vintner’s Daughter religiously over the last seven years has been a total game-changer for me.
However, I deal with redness around my nose and my cheeks. I get red so easily.
Most days, I go make-up free.
I fully take advantage of working from home and slather on products to keep my skin hydrated.
But to bring some life to my face, here’s what I do.
Skin
I recently tried the Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 from Ilia, which is glorious.
Shake well, dab a few drops around your face, and blend, paying attention to your chest and neck.
It’s a 10/10 for me. It’s wonderfully hydrating, not heavy, and doesn’t feel like you have anything on your skin.
TIP! I recently heard that game-changing tip from a makeup artist. If you are over 40 and using a hydrating foundation like the one above, DO NOT DAMPEN YOUR BEAUTYBLENDER. Instead, use it dry; it will settle into your skin better rather than just sitting on your skin and moving around. I tried it, and it makes such a difference!
Then I go in with a bit of concealer, only where I need it.
TikTok influenced me to buy the RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up Concealer, and it’s a winner.
I hate it when concealer is cakey, like you can feel it sitting on your skin. “Un” Cover-Up, however, is hydrating and glides on smoothly. It doesn’t crease or sit in your wrinkles.
I used two colors, 00 and 11. Both are for fair skin, but the 11 has a yellow undertone that reduces redness.
RMS also offers an inclusive range of skin tones.
Sometimes, I skip this part, but most of the time, I cover any imperfections and redness and hide shadows around my mouth, nose, and under my eyes.
I also always hide a stubborn age spot by my right eye.
You only need a small amount. And I use this inexpensive brush to help distribute the product only where I need it.
Try to get comfortable letting your skin breathe.
Then I let that sit and do my eyebrows.
Eyebrows
This is important because our brows are the “frame” of our face. And, at least as I’ve aged, mine have thinned out.
I used to have amazing eyebrows, so I try to recreate their natural shape.
This will be different for everyone, but one universal trick I’ve learned is to “fill in up.”
Meaning I take my pencil, the Anastasia Beverly HillsBrow Definer 3-in-1 Triangle Tip is the best, and with barely-there strokes, I fill in the top of my eyebrows and extend them out and up, following their natural line.
I also use Benefit’s Gimme Brow Eyebrow Gel to “set” my brows. It’s a fantastic product if you still have full brows but need an infusion of color and depth.
Lips
Then I line my lips. I shared this tip a while back.
To give your lips some natural dimension, I use this $8 lip stain by Palladio in nude and run it around the line of my lips. Then I go in with their berry stain. It pulls out the natural tint of my lips, and I’ll top it with a sheer gloss.
When I want to add more color or drama, I absolutely adore the Fenty Beauty lip glosses. I have this one in several shades, including clear and “shimmering pink,” a few of their “Gloss Bomb Cream” in colors Fenty Glow and Fruit Snackz, and their lip plumber called Fenty Heat in Fussy (sheer pink) and Hot Cherry (sheer red).
The Palladio liner gets mixed reviews. But I like it;-I’m on my fourth or fifth one. Because it’s a stain, the trick is to use it on dry lips and then add a gloss.
However, if you want a traditional liner that doesn’t bleed, I also love the Huda Beauty Lip Contour in Muted Pink (wear something close to your natural lip color), and I top it with the Clinique Almost Lipstick in the iconic Black Honey Shade.
Cheeks
For my cheeks, I rotate between the Ilia Multi-Stick for Lips and Cheeks. I love a double-duty product, which is my favorite. I wear it in “A Fine Romance,” which has a deep, blue-based berry tone.
The Merit Flush Balm Cream Blush is lovely. I like it in “Cheeky” and just ordered their new color, “Rouge.” It’s light and makes you look healthy and slightly flushed.
And for fun, I just tried the Patrick Ta Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo in color “She’s a Doll.” It’s a serious blush, more appropriate for a full face, but it’s wonderful. You get a cream and powder, so use the cream first and finish your look with the powder.
Finally, I added some dimension and depth with two different bronzers.
Bronzer
I use the MERIT Bronze Balm Sheer Sculpting Bronzer as a subtle contour; it’s gorgeous, simple, and natural.
I swipe right below my cheekbones, around my hairline, under my chin, and blend out.
And kudos to Merit for offering an inclusive range of bronzers. I wear “quince” for fair skin, but it goes “monarch” for the most deep skin tone.
For some depth, I add a touch of Fenty Cream Bronzer (in Butta Biscuit) and put it on where the sun would naturally hit, and it just gives a little warmth.
Mascara
Finally, I keep my everyday eyes simple and swipe on a few coats of the Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions™ Mascara.
Hands down the best mascara I’ve ever used.
And because I use cream-based products, my skin is a little too dewy.
Set
I use the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder to remove some of the shine around my T-zone and under my eyes.
Tip: Use this triangle puff to apply the lightest powder to the areas you need to mattify. I buy them on Amazon.
They are so much better than a brush because they press the powder into your skin, leaving it looking almost like it has a filter on it.
Finally, for maximum staying power, I spritz on the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray.
And that’s it!
When I feel like adding some oomph, I’ll spend some time on my eyes and add some shadow and a bit of liner, but most of the time, I keep them bare and let my brows and lashes stand out.
Leave a Comment