One of the biggest mistakes that mature women make is "choosing not to wear makeup at all because they don't know what techniques are suited for them at the moment," says Jodi Urichuk, L'Oréal Paris Canadian Makeup Artist & Expert.
While it may be true that the bubble-gum-pink lipstick, sparse eyebrows and heavy blush of your youth are no longer in style—or even flattering past a certain age—there is plenty of makeup for women over 50 that will give polish, definition and a touch of youthful freshness.
Read on to discover Urichuk's helpful guidelines and then experiment with colours and applications to find a personal makeup routine that works for you.
"Some 50-year-old women can look 35 while others look 65; it depends on genetics and how well they've protected their skin," says Urichuk. "Wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen and you're off to a great start. Then work on sleep, diet and meditation." She also recommends washing off your makeup every night and using an exfoliator to improve texture, plus hydrating with serums and moisturizers that include antioxidants and retinoids to keep your skin in tip-top shape.
Mature skin tends to be on the drier side and has more fine lines, so it's best to avoid matte foundations that settle into crevices and look like a mask. "You want your true skin to shine through as you age, and glowing, hydrated skin is the best recipe for a more youthful look," says Urichuk. The idea isn't to cover the entire face, but rather to even out the complexion where needed and let the natural skin show through. A lighter application, targeted only where the skin really needs evening out, often looks much more flattering on mature skin.
L'Oréal Paris's new True Match Hyaluron Tinted Balm Foundation fits perfectly into this approach. This lightweight balm foundation, enriched with an 80% skincare base, hyaluronic acid, and a blend of nourishing emollient oils, offers buildable coverage with a natural, luminous finish—without looking greasy, cakey, or settling into fine lines. Its compact format with a mirror and built-in applicator also makes it practical for everyday use.
If you're looking for a classic liquid foundation with a wide range of shades, the L'Oréal Paris True Match Super Blendable foundation is also a great choice. True Match is enriched with 80% moisturizing cream and hyaluronic acid for improved skin hydration over 72 hours with repeated use. The foundation enhances your natural glow while allowing your skin to breathe.
"As we age, the natural contours of the face become more prevalent than ever thanks to density loss," says Urichuk, which means that extensive contouring with bronzers and blush isn't necessary. "You want bronzer to give you a healthy, sun-kissed look—you don't want it to look muddy or fake—so sometimes I just apply a foundation that's a few shades darker instead of a powder bronzer." She also suggests using a light hand with your blush or even blending some lipstick onto the apples of your cheeks for a bit of soft colour.
Try L'Oréal Paris True Match Blush for a fresh, natural-looking blush that never appears dry or cakey. It comes in eight shades that are labelled N, C and W for Neutral, Cool and Warm so you can match your cheek colour to the undertone of your skin.
Taking a black eyeliner and rimming the entire top and bottom lashes with a hard line is never the answer to making your eyes appear big or open. Instead, stick to a thin line of darker eyeliner on the top lashes and go for a softer approach on the bottom lash line by using an angle brush to swipe on eyeshadow with a hint of sheen.
If the goal is to make your eyes look bigger without making them look heavy, mascara can sometimes make a bigger difference than eyeliner. The L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Panorama mascara is particularly well-suited for this. This volumizing mascara makes your eyes look up to 1.4 times bigger without smudging or flaking. It is also designed for sensitive eyes.
There is a well-known myth that eye makeup for women over 50 shouldn't involve frost, glitter or shimmer because it will make you seem old. Urichuk only partially agrees. "It's all about formulation and placement," she says. "If you're on the crepey side of the spectrum, you don't want to apply frost all over your lid. But strategically placed, it can be very youthful and fresh."
Cream eyeshadows, rather than matte powders, are a great texture for 50+ eyes. You can also try a metallic kohl pencil blended softly along the bottom or top of the lash line.
To balance softly luminous eyes, a modern soft-matte lip can help keep the overall look fresh without adding extra shine. Try L'Oréal Paris Color Riche Lipstick for a soft-matte, blurred finish with a non-drying, moisturizing formula. Its ultra-smooth, lightweight, balmy texture glides on easily with a tear-drop applicator, while the buildable coverage lets you customize your colour intensity. You can also dab it onto your cheeks and blend it out as a cream blush for a soft flush.
"I'm a victim of '90s brows, and, unfortunately, they didn't grow back," says Urichuk. It's a common problem for women to overpluck in their youth, only to find that patches permanently disappear. Now, fuller brows are trending because they act as a "frame for the face and give us so much dimension," she says. "But people either go too dark or don't fill them in at all." Whether you have full brows or sparse areas that need to be filled, choose one shade lighter if you're a brunette and one shade darker if you're blond, and then draw hairlike strokes with a fine-tipped pencil. If you already have great shape and just want a little colour, use a brow mascara to fill and shape your arches for a natural effect.
Try L'Oréal Paris Brow Stylist Definer. It has a super-fine tip to help you mimic the appearance of individual brow hairs, plus a spooly brush on one end for grooming and blending colour.
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