I went to short hair about six months ago, and it immediately became clear that make-up was going to be a much bigger part of my life. Here are some opinions and pointers based on my long and expensive journey toward Learning To Do My Make-Up.

1. Fear not. There is a dizzying array of products and choices, true. But I found that going to a make-up counter to get expert advice was helpful.

2. Fear not. If you buy something and don't like it, you can return it. That goes for Sephora and Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. I even emailed Cover Girl after I spent $12 on mascara that was awful; got a coupon for $12, which went toward an eyebrow pencil.

3. Bit by bit. It is overwhelming to go to a make-up counter and try to figure out your whole friggin' face. It's too much to buy; it's too much to learn. I first figured out my skin (primer with loose powder on top). Then I worked on my eyes (learned to do brows, lashes). Then shadow. Then blush. And I still haven't figured out lipstick.

4. Catch up. Be open to new brands. There are some really nice lines out there, and they aren't necessarily expensive. Like, I have found MAC to be competitive with Sephora. Smashmouth, Urban Decay, both nice.

5. You get what you pay for. Money spent on mascara is worth it (bad mascara ruins your whole day). But some things can be cheap (e.g. eyebrow pencil, liner).

6. There are deals to be had. Any time you're near a Nordstrom Rack, check out their make-up section. Lots of good basics, and even some things from your favorite brand that didn't sell. Retractable eyebrow pencils are so expensive as to be criminal; the Sephora brand ones are fine.

Anyway, I'm really surprised how old fashioned my prior make-up and techniques were. I wear browns now, which you'd think would look weird on a brown person. Never would have figured that out without some thoughtful help at the MAC counter.

Anyone else out there got any tips?

This is such a timely post for me. As I've gotten older, I realize that I look a bit washed out and, well, old. It also doesn't help that I'm not in the sun nearly as much as in my prior life.

I did go to a makeup counter at Sephora, and they caked my face with so much makeup and stuff (primer, serum, pre-power, foundation, post powder, egad) that it was clear their goal was to get me to drop significant coin on all this stuff. Then everything just gooped up and deposited itself in my wrinkles, so I really looked at least 10 years older than if my face was naked. Anyway, the whole thing was so yucky that it kind of stopped me from pursuing it any further.

But I do think that a bit of lipstick and maybe some sort of blush or bronzer would help a lot. I've never been a big make up wearer, so even that would make an impact. But nope nope nope to $200 worth of goo on my face. Just nope.

Totally, Nina.

I mean, I am not a news anchor. I sit in an office and handle paper, and I cannot have my papers, mouse, desk, and devices coated in brown schmutz.

I will say that a clear primer (so that's a thin substance that removes shine) with powder on top works well. The powder doesn't clump in your wrinkles.

What has really helped me is upping my eye shadow game. So many other things show my age, but my eyes are about the same. A bonus is that wearing concealer around the eye removes that "I've been on the planet a long time and I'm exhausted" look I have. You know, darkness under the eye and under the brown.

In my experience, the people at Sephora lack the training to start you off right. They made a complete mess of me when I went in. I took most of the stuff back.

I probably need to get a make-up update.... Especially in terms of under-eye coverup and whether to use anything different from what I've been doing for the last... probably 20 years. Which is coverup under eyes and randomly on chin and other spots, and then powder over all. Then I use eyebrow pencil to even up my brows, and eyeliner on top lid only. That's it, and no lipstick.

I should probably start with maybe committing to daily mascara. I tend to only wear it if pictures will be taken or some other special occasion but it does seem to make a difference.

I don't know if I can get myself to wear lipstick. I hate it so....

CS - do I understand that you thought the MAC people were good? Just wondering where I might go for a better experience.

AND -- maybe I'm just super sensitive, but I found that the smell of a lot of makeup turned me off. It didn't smell as in stink, but it was all lightly perfumed and it really got on my nerves within about a half-hour or so. It could be that using some sort of unscented / hypoallergenic stuff might work better.

My mother coached me on how to put on makeup when I was 21. (She actually had some expertise and knew how to make you look fabulous and still look like you are wearing no makeup)

20 years later I needed help for my wedding and went to the local department store Clinique counter. The complementary makeup err p session was a success. She picked out perfect colors for me.

But I wear makeup so infrequently, I still have and use the 22 year old lipstick I wore at my wedding.

One thing I have changed from back on those days is I dont try to wear powder or foundation. I think it's ageing. I just use concealer and a bit of lipstick to rouge up the cheeks. The eyebrows will have to be dealt with at some point--they are a mess.

I have found that using some if those color correcting sticks underneath a little concealer really help. You have to go with complimentary colors, the orange for the purple circles under my eyes, and the green for any red splotchiness. There are a million YouTube videos, though I use minuscule amounts compared to what they show.

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I dont try to wear powder or foundation. I think it's ageing.

This is my worry with my current under-eye routine (I shouldn't say "current," I've been doing the same routine for forever). I put concealer and then use loose powder to set. It didn't used to be an issue, but now I think the powder may accentuate lines. But without it, the concealer doesn't stay put and actually gets very line-y very quickly.



This photo was taken outside in really nice natural lighting, so that helps, but I think less powder would be good.

Oh btw in this photo I have on mascara, but no lipstick. Without the mascara, my eyes don't stand out as much, and my lashes pick up some of the powder and that makes it worse...

the powder looks fine on you, sk. i don't think you are old enough yet to worry about powder and foundation issues.

i'm amazed you have no lipstick on!

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Originally posted by piqué:
the powder looks fine on you, sk. i don't think you are old enough yet to worry about powder and foundation issues.

I am going to be 51 next month.

This photo is probably the best case scenario, b/c of the natural light. I think it (the powder problem) is more noticeable indoors. And I really notice the difference if I compare it to photos even from 5-10 years ago, so I’m something if there’s something I should change...

quote:

i'm amazed you have no lipstick on!

Being out walking helps!

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:
CS - do I understand that you thought the MAC people were good? Just wondering where I might go for a better experience.

AND -- maybe I'm just super sensitive, but I found that the smell of a lot of makeup turned me off. It didn't smell as in stink, but it was all lightly perfumed and it really got on my nerves within about a half-hour or so. It could be that using some sort of unscented / hypoallergenic stuff might work better.

I use MAC because they have really good products for people of color. I've actually never noticed whether they have a similar selection for white women -- they probably do.

My sister likes Estee Lauder, but I think that brand is more expensive.

Can't help you on the fragrance issue. As I said, I don't use foundation, and I've never noticed the scent of the only liquid product I use (liquid undereye concealer).

I'm surprised to hear all of these issues with powder. Are you guys using anything under the powder? Maybe you need a primer?

The main issue I have with fine lines is around my lipline. Keep in mind that dark-skinned women often wear more bold lip color. Well, that lip color will bleed up through the lipline in the fine lines and it looks ghastly.

The MAC counter people had the answer. You use a lip primer, which is about the consistency of chapstick right on your lip line and even a little above. Follow with a lip pencil to trace the lip outline, then fill in with color. The primer and pencil form a barrier so the lip color can't sneak up the fine line. Oh, and I no longer buy the lip primer. Chapstick achieves the same result for a fraction of the cost.

Also, I learned that matte lipsticks are the toughest on those of us with fine lines around the lips. So I use creamy varieties.

My biggest trouble is one you more pale ladies probably don't have. My lips are two different colors, so the color that looks good on one looks bananas on the other. Not only that, but putting on brown lipstick gives me a cadaver look. So it's either bold lip color (which does look good) or nothing, because bright plum lipstick looks too dramatic for my office.

The other thing I like a lot is eyebrow mascara. For reasons I do not understand, my eyebrows are skimpy and uneven. Eyebrow mascara is a tiny mascara-type wand in a bottle. You brush the mascara onto your brows, which causes them to lie down and fills them out without harsh Joan Crawford pencil lines. And it's fast.

So this is me last week headed to a cocktail party. Sorry, I cannot figure out how to just post the pic, so let me know if the link works. Or someone else can post it.

https://drive.google.com/open?...SWF3dWJ6SlhKRzlXZlI4

I've always liked makeup, but I've never liked wearing gobs of it. I'm more or less okay with my current routine, but I do worry that it's aging, since I haven't changed it a lot. The biggest change is generally wearing a bit less, since I think too much is probably more aging than too little.

Here's what I do. Would one of you please say, "No, no, honey, stop that. It's what grandmas do." And yes, I'm a grandma, but I don't want to look like one.

I've always used liquid foundation and I like the feel of L'Oreal Invisible Lift. (Is liquid for old ladies?) I don't know about the lifting part, but it has a reflectiveness that I think obscures wrinkles and such. I wear it over moisturizer, usually one of Neutrogen's anti-aging things.

Now that I'm wearing glasses, I think heavy eye makeup is too much, so I usually just use one of those retractable liners Cindy mentioned. Every once in a long while, when I'm dressing up, I add shadow and mascara and brow liner.

I use a powder blusher, also a little bit reflective, with a really light hand.

I do like lip color, and I'm not at all sure that young people are wearing it now. I just think that my hair color and light skin look really washed out without it. (But do I reapply it during the day? Oh, heck no. So my afternoon and evening students see me in my washed-out glory.)

And that's really about it. I know that heavy brows have been trendy for a few years now, but I think they're too heavy for my features. Ditto anything resembling contouring.

You look amazing, Cindy! I adore your lip color.