Anti-aging makeup tips

With age comes the worry of wrinkles and dark spots. As all the anti-wrinkle creams seem to be a magic wand, the right tone of foundation or shade of lip colour can instantly make you look younger. And with the right trick, you can easily turn back the clock. Here are some tips that will tint your face right back to the good old days as compiled from allure magazine.

Skin

Prep up your skin before applying makeup. Don’t forget to moisturise before applying your foundation as it makes the skin smooth. Choose a creamy, luminous foundation that matches your skin under your cheeks. Yellowish tone foundation is ideal as yellow warms up your skin. And the warmer it looks, the younger it appears. Apply an almond-size drop on different parts of your face and blend it with a sponge or BeautyBlender which is quite popular these days, to diffuse fine lines and cover any imperfection. Don’t forget to wet the sponge before using it. Apply the foundation with a dabbing motion on your face, as it will absorb the excess amount and water helps in thinning the rest. You will get a sheer coverage. Avoid using tinted powder as it will make your skin look caked. Instead use translucent, light-diffusing powder, nothing tinted, to set your base. Stock your vanity boxes with creams, gels, liquids, and other products. It will keep your skin hydrated and make it look younger.

Eyes

Starting off with the eyebrows, lush, defined eyebrows are a symbol of youth. But aging can make your arches thin out especially on the outer corners. Defined doesn’t mean dark. The colour of your eyebrows should complement your skin tone. For filling in your brows, use a shade lighter to your original colour. Use the pencil perpendicular to your skin as it will give soft strokes and will look more natural. Use an eye shadow base or primer before applying the shade. It’s important because fine lines causes creasing which in turn makes those lines even more visible. Like eyebrows, your lashes also start thinning and it requires you to reinforce your lash line. Pencil eyeliner applied closer to the lash line looks more natural. Use dark brown in place of the black that you have been using throughout your youth. Apply it on the upper lashes only and create tiny wings as opens up the eyes. Choose a light-natural shadow to give your eyelids an instant lift.  Use a thickening liner with thin wands to bulk up your lashes but avoid heavy formulas as the also flatten them.

Lips

With time, our lips get smaller, especially upper lips. Stick to shades that enhance your natural lip tone, something between nudes and berries. You can reshape your lips by tracing them with a pen. Go for lip stains and avoid creamy shades.

Cheeks

Women lose fat of the skin as they age, so take advantage of it and apply blush along the highest point of your cheekbones, as it will define your bone structure. Look for formulas that energise your skin and make it shine.  To get the perfect dewy finishing touch, go for a creamy or gel blush. To avoid the flat-face look, use highlighter to your advantage. Dab a very sheer formula just on the cheekbones, not on the brow bones, the apples of the cheeks, or the lips. It will add subtle, youthful dimensions to your face. Carefully use the bronzer as it makes your dark spots stand out. But if you still want some golden touch, apply a light-tan bronzer on top of your hairline, temples and under your cheekbones to get a subtle contouring. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th,  2015.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.