You are only 18 years old once and I’m pretty sure you would never want to go back. If you are 35 years old and above, and you feel like there is no more reason for you to primp and prettify beyond pressed powder and a nude-colored lipstick, you are wrong.
John Stapleton, senior makeup artist at MAC Cosmetics, says makeup trends shouldn’t be taken literally so mature woman can still look edgy yet age-appropriate.
For example, who says older women cannot wear shimmer?
“A gray eyeliner on a woman with grey hair is so lovely. So is frosted blush on the cheeks. The light catches a woman’s cheeks and it is beautiful to look at,” points out Stapleton, who was in Manila recently to present the MAC Cosmetics Fall-Winter 2015-2016 trend forecast.
Stapleton singles out model Carmen Dell’Orefice as the perfect example of how beauty is ageless.
For eye makeup, he suggests “intensifying the lash line because that is what people see” instead of going through the whole eyeshadow routine. With eyes that are droopy and the skin on the eyelids not snapping back the way they used to, you need some texture on the lash line. Before that, you can apply a single color on the lid.”
To try: MAC Prolongwear Paint Pot in Rubenesque.
Mascara applied from the roots is also a must.
To try: MAC Extended Play Lash Mascara.
He says navy eyeliner on the waterline would look great on a woman with silver or grey hair as it would work well with the violet or blue undertones to counteract the sallowness of the skin and the yellowish tinge in the eye. Steely gray is also a good color, Stapleton adds. Eyeliner can also be applied around the eye and smudged.
To try: MAC Eye Kohl in Phone Number.
As for concealer, Stapleton says more mature women should use a silicone-based concealer instead of the more popular creams as the former “glides” over the skin’s surface instead of being absorbed and settling into cracks. To try: MAC Select Moisturecover.
“How many times have we bought foundation because we liked the finish, only to ruin it by covering it with face powder?” Stapleton says when asked what foundation he would recommend for older women.
Instead he recommends patting powder only on the skin’s oiliest areas or just blotting with a tissue or oil blotters. “You do not need to set foundation with powder all the time.”
To try: MAC’s best-selling Mineralize Moisture SPF 15 Foundation, which gives full coverage but keeps skin glowing.
For lipstick, Stapleton believes women “start with red and end with red.”
“Any woman can wear red. To make it less stark, you can pat the color with your fingertips.”
To try: MAC Lipsticks in Russian Red or Chili. Stapleton says brick or terracotta will be big for fall.
- E-mail the author at luckydinna@gmail.com.