Has your age affected what kinds of makeup looks or products you wear?
Has your age affected what kinds of makeup looks or products you wear? If so, how? If not, do you think it ever will?
I don’t find neutrals boring, which I did when I just started getting into makeup (at 18), and I’m much more comfortable in my own skin, so I don’t have to have a full face of makeup just to get coffee. Being older means more experience with products overall, as well as working full-time means more disposable income than I had as a student, so I can use products that would have been out of my reach before. I have less patience and acceptance for under-performing products, so when I reach for products, I reach for ones I love and that work well.
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Well, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten more comfortable in my own skin, which has meant that I feel more at ease taking chances, rather than trying to avoid standing out.
I like your outlook.
I definitely don’t go for bold looks as much. I’m more mindful of when they might be appropriate. I also experiment less with face products. I stick with the foundation/concealer/blush that works and I only change when it’s not working or is discontinued. (I have super sensitive skin)
I’m in my later 30s but without makeup, I look like a teen. So, I look for products that will enhance my looks and makes me look more mature. I don’t wear loud colors or try trends that will make me look younger than my years. I am very picky about my products and what I put on my skin. My focus had always been more on skin care than actual makeup. Before I purchase or use a product I do my research and find out all I can about it. I’m not easily influenced by trends or fads. I want the best product for my skin. Just because a product is $300 dollars doesn’t mean that it is better than a $20 product. Products come and go but I have only one skin.
When I am older I expect to wear very little shimmer. I think I’ll go matte all the way. And probably no stark pink or nude lipsticks!
Yes. I’m 63 and I stick to neutral tones for my eyes. I’d love to try that hot pink, new metallic lip tar by OCC but at my age, I won’t do it. 🙂 I’d like to, but I’ll spare everyone. Ha Ha. I did get the new Chanel L’Impatiente and I do like it on me though. That I’ll wear, but I just try to keep the color products at a minimum, whether it’s a blush, eyeshadow or lip. And, that’s not to say when I was younger, I wore bold colors — I didn’t even wear much make up when I was younger, but if I were young now, I sure would.
I think you should get the hot pink lip tar 🙂 and let it be something you wear for yourself even if it is just around the house. I think brights can look terrific on people regardless of age. A neutral eye with a bright lip is fabulous.
I didn’t really play with makeup as a teen or in college so it’s hard for me to say. Mostly these days I’m drawn to neutrals and “natural” looks with bold lips. I don’t know if that’ll change as I get older, I guess we’ll have to see 🙂
I´m better with makeup than what I was before. But not too much has changed. I have never worn a full face of makeup, have accepted myself since I was 15 the way I am, and also I haven´t changed the shades I like to use…I started using Chanel at 17 and I didn´t have a job it was my parents money. So if anything has changed, is the fact that I sometimes feel that I can´t use drugstore makeup because at 23 I´m too old for it.I used drugstore makeup when I was about 13-14 and I just feel I´m too old for it particularly when I see 14 year old teens buying it lol.
I’d say I got better at blending and priming, so I wear more colors. I also fell in love with the red lip look, something I didn’t bother doing during my teen years due because I thought it was too high maintenance.
Same! I used to find neutrals the most boring products ever. Now I love them! I have so many brown eyeshadows 🙂 Also, I didn’t use to “get” foundation. I kept asking myself “Why do people want gunk on their face all day long?” LOL. Now I’m converted. Foundation makes your skin look AMAZING! I LOVE foundation. I think it also had to do with the fact that when I was younger I had only tried drugstore foundations (which were mostly under performing at the time, not anymore since there are good foundations at the drugstore now). I don’t think I had tried a foundation that did what they are meant to and that’s why I hadn’t fallen in love with them before.
I find that I’m more comfortable taking risks now, at 23, than at 16/17. If I’m not sure that a colour looks right, I’ll wear it out anyway to see! If it doesn’t look right, that’s ok, it’s not the end of the world, and it’s my face anyway! I also find myself drawn towards true “natural” makeup – how do I look like I’m NOT wearing anything when I actually am? I also love lipstick now, whereas until about a year ago I hardly wore it.
I am the opposite from you, now that I´m 23 I´m more of a chicken when it comes to unusual or extremely bright bold colors! It is true that when I was a teen I loved some of the shades I love and use now like pink, berry, fuschia, coral in diverse intensities and shades, bold or muted, medium or bolder. But when I was 15-17 I would also wear crazy shades on my lips like a dark brown shiny copper shade I loved back then, pastel colors much worse compared to Mac Saint Germain for example, full out gold opaque lips, neon blue purple lipsticks…I´m very fair so everything makes a big contrast with my skin…to my credit I would keep the eyes neutral lol…still the fact remains that I was CRAZY to be able to have worn those lipstick shades in public lol 😀 .
Just to clarify I´m more worried now on the fact if a shade works or not than when I was 15-17 🙂 , back in the day I just didn´t care.
I’m 50 next year, and find I need to wear concealer on a daily basis (mainly to cover up those horrid dark circles under my eyes, lol). Autumn and winter colours – which I love – look better on me as they bring my face to life, whereas neutral/natural make up makes me look really washed out. I tend to confine glittery products to my nails only, otherwise they settle into my fine lines and emphasise them even more.
To some degree it has. I just turned 60 two weeks ago (it sounds scary even typing it!). I’ve always avoided frosted products, especially eye shadows, even when I was in my 20’s. I remember when I go “into” makeup again in a big way the Mac SA trying to sell me Naked Lunch. As it was a frosted finish, I said “no way”. Then I tried it and LOVED IT. I know “they” say frosts are a total no-no for women of “a certain age” but I find that many of the frosted or pearl finish shadows (and other products) are so finely milled and finely made that they’re nothing like the frosts of the 70’s. Most of my shadows have a bit of sheen to them. I’ve taken care of my skin, including the skin around my eyes, and I find that a shadow with some sheen really makes me look brighter and more awake. But I don’t overdo it. I actually find it’s matte shadows I need to be a bit more careful with as they can look dry and dull. I don’t wear a blackened red type of lipstick (that sort of Goth look) but then I never did. And while neutrals are my favourite shadows (and they were when I was younger too), I still love and use brighter shadows for a bit of “pop” on an otherwise neutral lid.
I couldn’t agree more with your observation about today’s shimmers and frosts. I’m 68 and find that a soft, finely milled shimmer brings light to my eyes and really opens them up. Satin mattes and pearls are also beautiful, but full on mattes just look dry and dull.
I definitely have more taste/knowledge than when I wore make up as a teen, but I think that’s also due to my growing interest in it. I’ve also become a lot more willing to try higher end brands, while when I was younger, I wouldn’t touch the stuff because I couldn’t afford it and what do you meaaaan £20 for foundation?
Look-wise, I think I’m the same as most people as they spend more time with make up – I begin to feel capable of doing more complex looks, experimenting with colours, etc.
I think I’ll always want to be paler though.
Some years ago I didn’t wear bold lipsticks. Now I do ! I love deep pink, red, plum colours. Even if people stare, I wear very red lipsticks ( middle end and very often high end ones ), I also try many blushes and eyeshadows. Bold nail polishes but mainly on toes ( except during summer when I love wearing fluo nail polishes, teal and other colours on the hands ). Many here don’t even know what M.A.C means, no wonder they stare when I wear Hang Up or Beauty lipsticks, a soft pale lilac or a dark lipstick here ? Oh schocking, one day I’ll try a blue Illamasqua lipstick just for fun, I haven’t tried the brand yet but I should ! I don’t reside in Paris, that’s why some people are so narrow-minded I guess, but anyway things go better and many girls/women dare to wear beautiful bold makeup, it’s great !
Lol I´m assuming by your name and your comment about not living in Paris that you are from France? lol then it makes sense for people not to know Mac, I mean that is the homeland of Chanel, Dior, Ysl, Guerlain, Lancome etc. It doesn´t surprise me that people there wouldn´t know Mac lol 😛
Yes, my age has definetely affected the type of products I use to make myself up. For many reasons: I now have more money to spend in products with large quality, I know what suits me and what doesn’t and so on.
I wear it less and yet enjoy it more when I do.
I did a total 180. As a teen I was really into the street punk scene. smudged greasy eyes, sticky hair, infected piercings, and dirty clothes. Now i’m in my mid twenties and i’m a young professional with long natural hair, girly clothes and i LOVE me some eyeshadow palettes. I love buying the palettes or quads because then i can create a whole look very easily without having to sort through individual shadows. I also find that I do not have the patience for low performing products. I need to look put together and I can’t have spotty eyeshadow that can’t blend or fading/peeling lipstick.
Knocking on the door of 40 so I’m more aware of my skin than I was.
The result of this is I tend to use better quality items so I can use a lighter touch I never used to use primers / fixers etc which I do now.
Colour wise, if anything I’ve gone brighter and more colour, I still love neutrals but I’m more likely to use bright colours than I was.
I’m about to go on a splurge at Urban Decay to get some great strong colours
(Psychedelic Sister, Evidence, Gravity, AC/DC, Radium, Haight, Loaded are on the list to try, any other suggestions for pale NW15 skin Blue eyes and dark brown hair gratefully received :-D)
I cannot say enough good things about Loaded.
Thanks 🙂
I hated neutrals when I was younger, but within the last year, I’ve really preferred them. I still love my bold shadows, but on a day to day basis I go with the neutrals. I also refused to wear lipstick in my teens because I didn’t want to look old (oh, that teen mentality haha). But I actually love lipstick and hate lipgloss now. Go figure.
I think so. While I prefer wearing color (less that I think neutrals are boring and more I’m pale enough that I like the pop that color gives my skin) I still keep in mind what’s still appropriate and work safe and tend to play with the boldest colors only on Friday when everyone is more casual.
It also extends to my nail polish. Although my office is beyond tolerant in terms what I can wear (I once had the 2nd in line tell me he loved my holographic teal polish) I still don’t think something like crackle polishes or textured manis like caviar or velvet look professional and will avoid them.
I’m not afraid to try pops of color now. I was strictly doing muted neutrals but now I’ll do a teal eyeliner or crease color over a brighter bronze base. I’m also a little more adventurous with lip colors, which is to say I’ll wear colors that actually show up!!
That sounds just like me. For the longest time I was scared to wear lipstick because I felt like people would only nice my lips. And I only wore neutral eyeshadows. As you said, I’ve also started to play with pops of color on my eyes.
When I first started wearing makeup (19) I liked matte eyes and light shimmery lips. Two years later I prefer shimmery eyes and glossy lips, with a tendency to favor darker lip colors than I used to as well as more neutral eyeshadow colors. I also pay a lot more attention to my skin (evening out skin tone, blush, etc.) than I used to, since I feel that as someone who’s graduating soon and interviewing for grad school it’s more important for me to look clean and healthy than made up.
I want to go into medicine, which is an extremely conservative field makeup-wise – so I don’t know what I’ll do to satisfy my love for shimmery eyeshadow. 🙁
I know how you feel! I’m going into the mental health field, which is also rather conservative. I’m gonna have to really make use of my colorful and glittery shades throughout grad school, because when that’s over, it’s neutrals on most days for me 🙁
I’m 32. My glitter days are over.
32? you are extremely young just 9 years above me? you can wear glitter if you want 😛 you are very young. Glitter can look great or bad depending on how people use it…it can look amazing if well done on 50 year old person and horrible on a 15 year old teen if badly done. Unless you don´t like glitter anymore lol, but it just sounded like you believed you were old in yor comment, I just wanted to tell you are not old 🙂 .
Boy does it ever, and it kind of makes me sad. Of course, I started out wearing makeup in the 80’s which was NOT a good time for fashion of any kind…hee,hee! I love makeup so, so much and especially love color but I find myself getting more and more conservative over time, which is so NOT who I used to be. I just don’t want to be one of those ladies who looks like she is trying too hard, you know? I am 46. Some days I just want to say, what the heck and go for it but usually….not so much! It figures that now that I can finally afford nice products, I am too old to use them. One of life’s ironies I guess!!!
Oh well, I can live vicariously through my daughter….
Yes for textures, No for colours. I turned 43 two weeks ago and, in the last 3 months, have suddenly concluded that highly shimmery eyeshadow is really not for me. Even apart from my long-standing love affair with mattes, shimmers & frosts are not a friend to my eyelids. (God, it pains me to write that). They can make them look crepe-y, which doesn’t really happen with mattes for some reason. (I wonder how much my lack of talent with shimmery shades has to do with this?) The texture thing is the main reason why I’ve concluded that I shouldn’t buy any more UD – much as I ADORE their eyeshadows — or the Vice palette.
With regard to colours though, there has been no change. I still consider neutrals, browns, taupes, beiges, etc. with as much affection as a cat does a bath….
Absolutely! When I was young I wore all drugstore: Maybelline, Covergirl, Revlon and Loreal. When I started working full time I added Clinique, Estee Lauder, and Clinique. I also was an Avon Lady for a while so had a lot of Avon products. Now I prefer mostly high end because they last longer, are more dependable and have a lean to more classical looks rather than “trendy” colours. I would rather buy one nice Chanel or Estee Lauder lipstick than 5 by a brand I don’t care for that leaves no stain after eating and just slips right off!
I totally agree what you’ve said here! I also have less patience and acceptance for under-performing products, I love products to work efficiently and well! 😀 😀
YES! I’m 34 and matte products make my look so much older, i don’t even have dry skin! I need a nice glow to my skin but no glitter!
Yes, I turned 45 this Summer. I have started wearing blush, as my tone seems a little dull. I need a pop of color. I also have started wearing a “full face” to include eye shadow. The key for me is to go easy overall. Don’t get me wrong, I still love a strong eye but I have been channeling Kerry Washington lately.
Love love love Kerry Washington!! She is soo beautiful!! And classy… I want to know what kind of blush she uses , like in for her skintone, as I am NC45 …sigh…
I wear full face makeup, which is something I never thought that I would do at age 16. =P When I was just getting into makeup, it was either just eyeshadow and lipgloss, or just eyeliner and lipgloss. I only started wearing full face last year when I was 15. And now I’m not afraid to wear super bright colors on my eyes. My lips, however…That’s a different story. I still can’t find any lipsticks that I think look okay on me. (Except for OCC Lip Tar in Anime, but that’s not a lipstick) So I’m still gonna stick with lipgloss for a while. (:
I’ve moved from an experimental bystander and collector (late teens/ early twenties) of pretty makeup to more of skilled a wearer (early 30’s). Thank goodness for online blogs’ and websites’ tutorials to show me how to apply correctly. My most recent achievement just this year was adopting blush :):)
Thats also my achievement, a few months ago I bought my first good blush from Chanel thanks to Christines recomendation and I love it 😀 .
I find that the amount of makeup I wear has decreased. In my early twenties (I was a makeup artist at the time) I would wear a full face and constantly experiment with bold looks all the time. Now that I’m 27 I have no desire to wear a full face with multiple eye shadows, brow pencil, lip gloss etc. I feel my taste has become more refined over the years, I like clean simple looks now like a bold lip with deep black mascara. My day look is tinted moisturizer, mascara, concealer and a good blush. I have definitely tried my share of products and don’t waste my time if something is poor quality or I can’t test it or see swatches. I used to buy any drugstore makeup in my teens, only department store makeup years later and now I use a good mix of both. I have found brands that deliver quality products and stick to them, like MAC, Clinique, Urban Decay and Revlon. I still love to take risks by I usually pair down the rest of my look. I love having cool nail colors and funky nail strips. I love my cheetah clip-in hair piece I got from Sephora to spice up a look. I like to make trends my own instead of just wearing them haphazardly. I think my confidence has changed and I don’t feel the need to impress people, now I rock the looks for myself!
I also found I don’t like wearing eye shadow anymore! only highlighter in the corners and brow bone!
I’ve gone through phases with my makeup. In high school, it was heavy and unschooled. I differed from my peers in that I wore dark lipstick (it was the age of frosty lipstick). In college, I went through a minimal makeup stage – lipstick only. Since then, i’d only wear eyeshadow for parties or special occasions. Then about 3 years ago, I got back into makeup big time, and now I’ll wear whatever look suits my fancy. I don’t really think there are things that I’m too old or young for – I’ll do a variety of finishes and colors for eyeshadow. I do realize that I now look for more dewy finishes when it comes to skin, though.
Yes, I’ve definitely changed my makeup over the years, not only in response to aging but because of the incredible improvements in product quality. While I adore premium brands and once bought plenty of them, my current budget allows only an occasional indulgence. Thankfully, drugstore brands have improved to the point that I rarely feel I can’t find what I want at a reasonable price. I’ve always loved classic looks and have gone more neutral as I’ve gotten older. I love the new red lipsticks, though, and have definitely indulged. Skin care trumps makeup these, but the new soft glow in many products means I wear less to better effect.
Glad to see I’m not the only sexagenarian commenting. My continued love affair with all things cosmetic makes me feel a little lonely at times. Thank heaven for the internet!
Sad to say, I’m 53, and so I have to watch out for anything that makes my lids look crepe-y. My mom took me to the Chanel counter for a make-over when I was 16, and I’ve been hooked on cosmetics ever since. I was a makeup artist during the 80s and used all the bright and neon colors then.
The look I’ve utilized most over the last 30+ years is a classic one: a muted gold eyeshadow, darker bronze or charcoal in the crease, and a black slightly smudged liner. Recently, thanks to Christine, I discovered Tarina Tarantino liners, and Sparkling Ammunition (or UD’s Stash) are my go-to liners now! No one has ever commented that they are too sparkly for my eyes, but sometimes I wonder if I should be using a more matte liner. Thanks again to Christine, I’m thinking about getting Guerlain’s Turandot palette.
One really bad thing about aging– I have horrific dark under-eye circles/bags and have not been able to find a concealer that doesn’t just make things look worse. If anyone knows of a serious contender, please let me know!
Try a product called brightener. It’s usually a different texture than concealer and works much better on my eye bags. I like Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser. I also like cheaper ES primer as it does less of the crepe-y. ELF at the moment although I bet I can do better. Maybeline Tattoo instead of MAC paint pot; lighter, less crepe- y-ness with these too. These cheaper products are thinner and lighter. A second coat is sometimes helps.
I went to more neutral colors too. At 50 I need to pick my Statements carefully…
Thanks Lark, will give the brightener a try!
One trick I’m loving to avoid that lipcolor creep in fine lines around my mouth is MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil. Fill it in, apply some gloss to moisturize and adjust color. I love lipstick, but the bleeding thing is not OK. This avoids it. Longwear pencils are a win for MAC, I love them.
Well at the young age of 45, Mac color NW/ 45 NC 50 I find myself contouring more and getting better at it. I do love a great application of eye shadow and a beautifully sculpted eye brow. For me I think I am looking at makeup more like an artist – as my goal is to bring light and angles to my face. Lines and wrinkles I do not factor them in when I do my makeup. I am ,however, concerned about my uneven skintone and breakouts..
I guess I’ve become more selective about the products I choose to buy; when I was younger I did not stop to think whether I would actually wear a product, I just picked it up and later regretted it!
I agree that frost eyeshadows can look great on older people if applied well, but I personally don´t like that finish on me. I’ve always loved neutrals, so that range is part of my everyday life. Even though I’m not a teenager or in my twenties anymore, I am willing to try bolder colors if something really catches my eye. I feel my Asian futures make me look younger than I actually am (hee hee), but I am careful not to go too crazy :)!