Has your makeup style changed over the years? How?
I’ve come to appreciate neutrals and non-eye makeup products a lot!
Thanks to reader Cinzia for today’s question idea Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
A little bit.. Just within the last year I started to wear a highlighter and bright colored lipsticks. But, other than that it’s pretty much stayed the same.
I’ve definitely started to appreciate lip products more and I have placed more of an emphasis on my brows than I have in the past.
Audrey, same here. I never used to do my brows until recently and now I won’t leave the house without them done. Also I love wearing much more daring lipsticks.
In some ways, although not in others… I still gravitate towards the same types of shades, and eyeshadow will always be a priority, and black eyeliner is pretty much the only color I’ve worn regularly. The main things that have changed are my overall technique, and the fact I actually started wearing blush again after 15+ years-I’ve finally discovered what works!
Absolutely! When I first started wearing makeup I was all about eyes. I neglected face products in particular and brows. I think my style has become more sophisticates and nuanced in that now I’m more interested in creating a general effect or “look” and I pay attention to texture, finish, the way i shape my brows or eyes. Am I applying lipstick straight from the tube for a more opaque effect or blotting with my finger to create a stain? It’s a lot of fun to use my makeup in a variety of applications. 🙂
I’ve spent 25 years wearing nothing but subdued browns and plums, and only in the last few years have I added some colour. Lining my upper lid is a fairly new skill for me and that’s where I add the pop of colour. My lid colour is usually still neutral, but much brighter than it used to be.
I’ve also been getting a little more adventurous with my lip colours, as in wearing actual colours and not MLBB shades.
Having a disposable income, i.e. finishing undergrad caused me to buy more mid-range and high-end things! Also, I’ve kind of shifted the emphasis from eyes to lips because my eyes are now too dry to tolerate contacts.
yes! I used to not care about my base, but now I really appreciate base products. When you have perfect base your final look will always be perfect.
I found out I am not warm, but more neutral to cool, so I discovered cool lipsticks instead of my old loved corals.
I am 31, and until this year my idea of makeup was an old felt tipped eyeliner pen and cherry Chapstick. That all changed when I watched a makeup tutorial late one night by Promise Phan, and that inspired me to try wearing makeup. I didn’t even own foundation or an eyeshadow brush! I joined ipsy, and in my first bag they sent me false lashes, and it took me a month to work up the courage to try them out! Now I am a certified addict and the thing I look forward to every day is sitting down at my vanity (an antique desk my grandma gave me) and putting makeup on! It has been a truly life changing experience.
I’ve worn much simpler eye make-up in the past couple of years, mainly because of the relatively recent watery eye issue.
A lot! When I was younger, I’d wear just ugly, unblended eyeliner and a dark lipstick and sometimes would add one or two eyeshadow colors and be done. Now, even if I don’t feel like wearing face makeup, I will still do my brows (my brows have become even more sparse over the years so I don’t like going without), skip liner sometimes, do mascara, and a lip color. I’ve also gotten into tons of lip colors I never would have used years ago.
I find aging is changing my attitude about the colours and textures and amount of makeup I wear. I’ve gone from wearing darker, more dramatic eyes, nude lips, to wearing fairly light to midtone shadows. I’ve also gravitated from wearing matte shadows all the time to appreciating satin and shimmer shadows which are a little kinder. I’m wearing more colour on my lips than I have in years and keeping my eye looks minimal. Overall, I’m preferring a less is more approach.
yeah, this. me, too.
Well I wear foundation now, and it matches my skin, so that’s a plus! I’ve also discovered eyeshadow primer and mineral eyeshadow so my look is now more varied and vibrant then the past. I still focus a lot on making sure I look awake – I’ve been using white eyeliner since middle school but I’m sure it looks better on my waterline then it ever did on my lower lashline, lol. In college I mostly lined my eyes with something golden but with the loss of those perfect duochrome eye pencils (sob! no idea the brand too) I’ve moved away from eyeshadow pencils. I’ve also learned how to use more than one color on my lid. Oh! And lipstick, I didn’t use that outside of my goth phase for a bunch of years.
Absolutely. Considering trends (bold eye, ‘natural’ look, etc) will dictate some of the choices (that i made throughout the years) as well as growing pains (looking back at old photos and cringing!). But i do find is that the more ‘experience’ with make-up (and as age), i tend to gravitate to the variation of the classic, natural theme, neutral eye and LBB lipstick and for a bit of drama, pulling out the ole’ cat-eye and a bolder (but not too bold) lip. Nothing worse than a women who clings to her high school look when she’s in her 40’s, 50’s (that goes for hair, too!).
Haha. That woman who doesn’t change? That’s me! Eyeliner and mascara and pretty coral lipstick and blush have been my staples for 55+ years. Several times I’ve been in-style and sometimes out-of-style :o) Always stayed w/what looks best on me – not necessarily the mood of the moment. Eyeshadow and face color for more impact. Now learning to tight-line rather than line my top lid due to aging and I’ve upped the wattage on lipstick to go with the brights now. Can you imagine how happy I am to see the world finally caught up with me and even young women are wearing pretty lip colors? My mom died at age 101 with “Fire and Ice” on her lips and I expect to do the same with, perhaps, Lime Crime’s Suedeberry!
Makeup doesn’t have to be too over the top to be pretty – less is more!
I’ve started paying more attention to my brows and using foundation more.
I used to sport bolder looks and wear more makeup but I’ve become a lot more laid back ( lazy lol) over the years. I tend to stick with simple eye looks and bold lips. I don’t too much bother with eyeshadow anymore but I’m trying to get back in the groove
I’ve finally come to appreciate my big eyes, and I play them up with bright eyeshadows 🙂
I got a lot better at applying make-up and I developed a good eye for detail. So that changed. But my style has always been smokey eyes + soft lips. I did become more of a lipstick girl rather than a lip gloss lover though.
I used to focus on my eyes only and now I use bolder lipsticks. I guess most of the days my makeup is focused on my lips now.
Well, I also didn’t even use blush or concealer 5 or 6 years ago, but I guess it doesn’t count exactly as a style change. 🙂
I’ve had a love affair with makeup since I was like 19 years-old, when I first discovered MAC and Benefit. But only recently have I come to love eyeshadow palettes (my first non-single eyeshadow was UD’s Naked 1 palette) and LIPSTICK (I de-potted a million MAC eyeshadows and got 6 lipsticks in return). I was only a gloss girl before. I weirdly enough have become more interested in neutral eyeshadow looks and bright or dark lip colors (got my first red lipstick ever from BITE).
Gosh, yes. In high school, I did the goth thing with dark purple lipstick and black eye liner and then I transitioned into brick red lipstick. In college and early work years, I fell into a rut of eye liner, mascara, and lip gloss.
Seven or eight years ago, I decided I wanted to learn how to do make-up and watched a ton of youtube tutorials and invested in make-up and brushes. In the beginning, I experimented with lots of brights but over the last year or so, I’ve transitioned toa neutral eye with bright pink lipsticks. I’ve kinda falllen into a rut again tho’ I’ve been lusting after the huge MUFE palette and those beautiful brights.
I have learned how imprtant eyebrows are so I fill mine in daily. I’ve also found much better foundation shades for my fair skin. I used to skip blush but i find it can help diffuse redness and brighten me up when i use the right shade and a light hand. My love for bright/vampy lipsticks/glosses has blossomed over the years as well.
I’d say yes to a point – i’ve learned so many tips from artists (first books, then Youtube!) that have refined my style. I’ve learned how to better emphasize my features and what actually suits me and what doesn’t. In the last 5 years I have stopped doing really trendy looks and gravitated towards classic looks that work for ME. Don’t care if they work for anyone else LOL.
*Fun note to illustrate – yesterday went shopping (groceries, bank and MAC), wore light denim flowy pants, black tank with strappy Siriano heels (got a few looks cuz with heels I’m 5’11) and wore MAC Retro lip. I noticed a few ppl, men and women, eyeball me. It was fairly dark lips for me (I’m NC 30 right now) and not common for where I live- not a lot of cultural or individual diversity here and most ppl roll around in yoga pants or track pants, lots of moms who don’t wear makeup and their outing for the day is Walmart. (I can say that – I work at walmart and have 2 kids!)
But I got a kick out of it! I looked great, felt powerful and will do it again – maybe minus the heels, my feet are still a bit tender today LOL. Can’t say I’d have that kind of confidence 10 or even 5 years ago.
I grew up adventist, who don’t wear makeup (not where I grew up anyway), so I didn’t wear any makeup. I grew apart from religion and slowly started wearing face powder, mascara and lipgloss. Once I started using noticeable makeup, I started with eyeshadow (very bright!), but I could never see myself bright lipstick. Neutral eyeshadow was not wearing makeup to me until the UD Naked came along. I think shortly after that I started playing with bright lipsticks and now that’s what I’m known for, lol! I have stopped doing the colorful eye looks though, I need to get back to my roots!
Definitely! I’ve learned more over the years, and I can afford higher quality products than I used to be able to. A few years ago I had never considered doing anything with my brows, and now it’s a daily thing. I also remember that it’s only been a couple of years since I started using anything but a soft brown eyeliner. Now it’s black, navy, plum, etc and I wing it out most days, which flatters my eye shape more. I think YouTube has contributed quite a bit to my makeup knowledge.
I don’t think of it as change so much as evolution! I’d hate to think that at 70, I was still sporting the exact same looks I wore in my late teens/early twenties. There are; however, certain looks that will always appeal to me more than others simply because they are reminiscent of the looks I wore when I first hit my makeup stride in the 1960’s–dramatic contoured eyes with lots of lashes, soft barely there cheek color, MLBB lipstick with a bit of gloss. It was the classic London Look à la Jean Shrimpton, Twiggy, etc. That doesn’t mean; however that I got stuck in a time warp. That is very aging and makes a woman look dowdy or ridiculous. So, I study the trends and constantly refresh my looks so that I appear modern and relevant while still being true to my inner “Mod” 🙂
To assist me in my evolution, I have a favorite makeup artist whom I can always count on to create a beautiful interpretation of current makeup trends while being age appropriate and in keeping with my personality and lifestyle. Marcus Monson, I adore you!
I use less foundation and I’ve given up wearing all warm toned products. Warming up my face with a warm lipstick, blush, and eyeshadows never worked. Now I just use a blush with a subtle warm tone or the slightest hint of bronzer.
I feel the same as you Christine! When I first got into makeup after high school, I was all about exploring bright eye colors and liners. Now in the last year or two, I’ve come to appreciate a classy brown smoky eye or just a touch of gold or something to make it pop. I’ve also really gotten into lipsticks, blushes and other face products that I almost completely ignored previously. I didn’t really own any lipstick until mid last year! It was seeing you trying out so many that I decided that I could find some shades that worked for me too. My first purchase: MAC Plumful!
Improved techniques, but still a rock chick.
A little bit. I´ve been always into neutrals, full coverage face and a red lipstick fan.
Somehow I neglected my brows and contour products, but it´s not happening anymore.
Oh, sure. I’m 50, and feel [at least a little] more comfortable with my looks now than when I was young, and, most would say, better-looking.
I survived a major illness in my 30s, and I think that’s made me feel like I’ve somehow earned the right to be who I am, and that’s translated to my makeup.
Instead of aiming to “hide, correct, and re-shape,” my focus now is on accentuating my best features. I actually think I look best with minimal makeup, so I go for sheer, light formulas instead of heavier ones. I still like bright colors, but I just apply them sparingly. 🙂
I didn’t really wear makeup until the end of high school, but glitter was a big deal junior year. I remember my first day at that school thinking the girls wearing makeup looked like sparkly faeries because of all the glitter that people wore on their cheeks. I guess my high school wasn’t typical, but it was a fun way to get into makeup. I’d say by senior year, my look consisted of clear or pink shimmery lip gloss, shimmery-frosty pink or purple eyeshadow, glitter wherever, fallout wherever. Now I do all products, from primer to setting powders to lipsticks, and I like to think my application is much less messy. I’m still a big fan of shimmery looks and a lot of highlighter, but you won’t find glitter all over me any more. In some ways it’s less crazy but I also am more bold in other ways, such as wearing bright colored eyeshadows or vampy lips. And I’m just now starting to appreciate more neutral or natural looks and matte products.
It’s gotten more natural and I’ve fallen in love with matte or satin everything. Now I appreciate the more natural looks that really complement your features, (ie. simple contouring around the eyes, little bit of mascara, little bit of foundation, eyebrows, little bit of matte contouring under the jawline and under the cheekbones).
Yes most definitely. I’ve learned that you don’t need 5 eyeshadows to create a pretty look. And I’ve been into my eyebrows a lot, love the natural full look. Also have been taking more time on skin care allowing me to wear barley no foundation.
Oh yes! I don’t wear as much eye makeup, mostly just lots of mascara and I like to tight line. I also use SPF and a light foundation + a little concealer. I still wear a peachy pink blush and either lipstick and or gloss.
oh, yes! I used to wear dark eye shadows but lately I’ve been really into lighter, more natural colors but I’m still a sucker for anything with a shiny or twinkly finish! Always lots of back volumizing mascara, too. Plus I’m wearing more colorful lipsticks and experimenting with a wider range of lipstick colors.
Yes – In the 60’s it was the ‘Twiggy’ look which was fun – usually dark eyes and pale lips (sounds like today huh?) and now I like to still wear a dark eye but a bit brighter lips – and blush is more important these days than it was when I had a natural blush : )
I’ve recently started going for more color whereas I used to ONLY do neutrals. I was terrified of color. I have also begun to take better care of my skin. It’s made the look of my makeup so much more improved. I’ve also come to realize I am too pale for most foundations and have begun mixing mine with mac face & body. All of these things have changed my look for the better.
I have learned that less is more as you age. It is critical to use a lighter touch, particularly with eye makeup which can can settle into creases and really age you. Another huge no no is not updating your look to keep up with current trends. I have a friend who is still wearing the bright blue eyeshadow that was popular way back in the late 60’s, horrible!
It actually takes me more time to put on my neutral makeup for a natural makeup look. I would never go without face, eye and lip primer, a good sunscreen and I absolutely swear by Prescriptives Magic Powder and Hourglass Ambient Blush in Dim Infusion. My current addiction is Maybelline’s NY Studio Color 24 hour cream eyeshadow. 9 times out 10 I will default to the Maybelline over my MACs, Two Faced and many other pallets.
I must be doing something right as no one can believe it when I tell them that I am a 59 year old Grandma. LOL
Oh my gosh…YES! The nudes and neutrals I wear today are a far cry from the frosted light blue eyeshadow and frosty pink/white lips I wore as a teenager or the bright eyes and deep plum lipstick I wore in the 80s!
This has been such a fun read! Thanks, especially to nurse ratchet, maddie, brenda, eileen, and helen. But Helen, I reverted to my first grade hairstyle! Below the ears bob w/ bangs. Cut off the back in the summer. High school was long, straight, parted in the middle. everybody had it + it was drop dead boring. My first grade hair style covers my hard earned wrinkles + takes away from my virtually nonexistent brows, as do glasses. It’s easy, suits me, a person who could never do hair. One perm in 1963 + NEVER AGAIN. Pink sponge rollers that they still sell, amazingly. Some things never change, some do. the technique is upped; one incorporates the trends a bit, but not slavishly or if they look silly. Colors that worked as a teen do not work with my current coloring: the pale pinks. But i still have a bit of the matchy-matchy. the makeup has to echo something, usually in the clothing or jewelry. clearly, with eyes, i have gravitated to pops of color, like liner, with neutral lids, unless i’m just playin’. My favorite old saw: when i was ‘too young’ to wear red lipstick, i used beige: dior tomorrow’s beige, when wearing red clothing. no teens wore red, and most wore pink. I thought it clashed terribly. But then came the color explosion of the late sixties and early seventies. That was the beginning of ‘everything goes.’ For me, it was Aziza clinging vine liner and mascara, in my favorite color, forest green. and i still like that look. foundation was difficult: breakouts + too warm, for most of my life. But, at the ripe old age of 65, i find i like Paula’s Choice Resist Super Light Blah Blah. It’s a TM. Now, that + concealer + Jack Black are mandatory, if it’s a no-eye/ no lip/no cheek day. even the makeup fiends at my current day job don’t wear any, because of the type of setting. but, we’re still sneaking looks at temptalia, etc. on the phones, to see what’s new + covetable + talking about it a lot! Usually do m/u for the night job, though.
I countour/highlight more than I used to, and I only started use eyebrow powder/pencil this year. I always had thick brows, but they are getting sparser as I age. I think overall, I use more products and techniques as I’ve gotten older. I also now have to worry more about fine lines.
I wear mascara and blush daily now whereas there was a time that I never wore them. I grew up not caring for mascara because I tried the formula my mom used to wear (I want to say Maybelline Great Lash) and it was really difficult to take off. Of course that was way before I discovered eye makeup remover and mascaras of varying formulas. Now I also prefer lipstick or lip lacquers much more than lip glosses or balms.
Definitely. Who doesn’t make missteps. I’m still making them. A few years ago I would have never thought I would use other colours of eye shadow except for kitten and I had no appreciation for powder, eye primer, or lipstick.
yeah.I used to wear super dark lipstick all the time,the goth look,now that I’m more.mature I find other colors more flattering like corals,.pinks, Orange reds etc. the dark.lipstick.can be a bit harsh.before when I.was younger I could get away with it ,now I.do.it for.certain.occasions =).
In early times, I was big on the frost lipsticks. Now, not so much 😉 Mind you since those days a) it’s not the ’90s any more and b) NZ has a few more brands available/accessible!
I still don’t mind a slight frost, but all out ice-queen isn’t so much my thing any more 😉
Without a doubt. A lot of that is because of new products. Years ago, you didn’t have primers, concealers, contouring palettes, lip glosses, twenty-four hour lipsticks, etc, etc. It was slap a bit on the eyes, the cheeks, the lips and off you go. Now you can hone and tone, refine and shine! I tend to follow trends more now, not just in colouring, but in techniques too. Our technical age has helped with that: again, years ago, you didn’t have the media access and ease of it, to seek out all the hints and tips.
My makeup style has changed quite a bit over the years. In the ’70’s it was all about Punk, Purple, and colors that no “normal” person would wear, unless of course they were hanging out at the same Punk clubs I was going to quite frequently. In the ’80’s came a straight job, so I did wear more “acceptable” looks, but with the night life came the bold colors I couldn’t wear to work. The ’90’s came, as well as my 30’s so I started doing more with my eyes and lips, and went with a more natural look when it came to my foundation and powders. The new century rang in with my 50’s, so I have been fighting oily skin as well as aging skin. I do more neutral looks, but always a very bold lip. Nude and neutrals really make my green eyes pop, and lip colors are where I can continue to get away with the bold colors I have always loved. Urban Decay Gash is still my signature red, but Urban Decay Mrs. Mia Wallace is really a close second favorite.
My make-up, especially eye make-up, is a lot more neutral than it was in my 20s. But I also work in insurance sales, so I have to keep it pretty tame.
It changes constantly, and cycles (and re-re-re cycles, haha) a LOT. I’ve noticed that as I get older I tend to wear crazy colored lipsticks more often, especially to work.
I used to feel like I had to wear a full face of makeup anytime I wore any. Now, I’m pretty much into the fresh face look: just filled in brows, light layer of foundation, blush, and lip color. My fresh face is quick and easy and makes me feel like a million bucks!
Yaaay my question! I think mine has changed a lot. Besides getting much better at application I have also come to love colour and bright lips a lot more than a few years ago.
I used to ONLY use bold dark colours but I’ve started to get more into nudes and even pastels lately. (I still avoid neons like the plague)