Anti-ageing makeup strategies that actually work
From overly thin eyebrows and too bright lipstick to pancake makeup and darker-than-night gray coverage, we've all made makeup mistakes that make us look older. Most women are makeup aficionados who fall into one of two categories, the over-doers who go too bold and the play-it-safers who get stuck in the bland rut. Whichever camp you happen to fall in, here's a checklist of ten mistakes and their solutions to keep you looking your youngest best.
Going too natural
We're all for the unmade and naturally beautiful look. But even the loveliest skin needs a hint of foundation to even out the skin tone. The fact is that pollution, hormones and stress take a toll on skin, causing uneven pigmentation, skin darkening and worse. If foundation sounds too much, use a BB cream like Garnier Skin Naturals Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream or Olay Total Effects Touch of Foundation SPF 15 to give you a naturally flawless, polished look.
Foundation overload
When you slap on the foundation to cover up wrinkles, creases and open pores it settles into the scars and fine lines making them even more obvious. Instead, use a damp sponge like Bare Essentials Face Sponge and apply a single light layer of sheer liquid moisturizing foundation like L'Oreal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation or Lotus Herbals Comfort Liquid Foundation SPF 20 to hydrate and plump out skin. Don't use a matte or long-wear formula because they tend to accentuate marks.
If you have dry skin, foundation can look patchy and uneven. Prep skin first by exfoliating with a gentle scrub like L'Oreal Paris Pearl Perfect Scrub to get rid of flaky skin and always apply a moisturizer after a scrub session. We like Sebamed Derma Hydrating Gel and Olay Age Protect Anti Ageing UV SPF 15.
Foundation shade mistakes
Think of foundation as the single most important pillar of your makeup. Choosing the right shade is critical. Going with a foundation that's lighter than your natural skin tone will make fine lines even more obvious.
Also, as you age, you need to use a shade a couple of tones darker than your skin color to add back some warmth. Look for a tint that has a light-reflective formula that makes the skin look like its glowing. To know more about choosing the right shade, read Foundations for flawless coverage (http://bit.ly/10AqtlR)
Too much under-eye-concealer
While dark under-eye circles can make you look older caking on concealer is not the answer. The solution: choose a richly pigmented creamy stick concealer like NYX Concealer Wand or Colorbar Instant Coverup Stick to give cake-less coverage.
Avoid thick pot concealers at all costs. While they do hide under eye shadows, they draw attention to fine lines and crepey under eye skin, making you look older. Better still use an under-eye perfector like Garnier Light Anti Dark Circle Eye Roll on - Medium Skin which contains illuminating particles to camouflage circles. Apply it on the inner corner of the eyes where shadows are most prominent.
Dark lipstick blooper
Leave this for the Lalita Pawar wannabes. Dark lipstick smeared across thinning lips can instantly transform you into an ill-tempered vamp. Avoid bright, dark and metallic shades in wine, burgundy and dark browns. Instead, starting from your mid-thirties, stick with soft and moisturizing neutral shades like rose and frosty browns. We like Revlon Plump Sexxxy Lipstick (Shades 8, 9, 24 and 54) and Maybelline Color Sensational The Shine Lip Color (Shades 825, 840).
Alternatively consider using a lip gloss like L'Oreal Paris Glam Shine Gloss 6 Hr, Sally Hansen Diamond Lip Treatment and Lakme Absolute Plump And Shine Lip Gloss. Glosses in peach, pinks and vibrant reds tend to make lips look fuller. Nykaa makeup expert Ojas Rani says another trick for creating the illusion of luscious lips is tracing a high pencil along the upper lip line and smudging it with your finger before applying a matching lipstick. Applying a dash of gloss in the center of the lips over lipstick can also plump up your pout.
Lipstick straight out of the tube
With every decade the borders of the lips soften, making lipstick migration easy. To avoid bleeding color, use your finger or a lip brush like Colorbar Fabulips Lip Brush to deposit pigment on your pucker so that you don't slather on too much.
Concentrate the lipstick in the center of your mouth and blend outward with a finger. We like hydrating formulas like Street Wear Luscious Lip Color and Revlon MoistureStay LipColor. Then top with moisturizing gloss to add shine and fullness.
Dark liner adds years to eyes
Indian women love kajal and dark dark kohl. But solid dark eye liner can look harsh and accentuate crow's feet, making eyes look smaller and tired. The trick is to define the eyes with softness and blending.
Applying thick liner on the upper lashes can also make lids look heavier. Perk up your eyes by simply lining the outer three quarters of your eyes then smudging the liner with an angled brush like Colorbar Smokin` Eyes Smudger Brush to soften the look. Nykaa recommends L'Oreal Paris Super Liner 24 Hour Waterproof Gel Eyeliner and Lakme Absolute Forever Silk Eyeliner.
Mascara overload
Open any glossy mag and you're confronted by lissome lasses batting their mascaraed lashes. While mascara on the lower lashes can open up the eyes, the trick backfires as you get older, making the eyes look droopy, emphasizing dark circles.
Instead, focus on the upper lashes for an uplifting effect. We like Lakme Eyeconic Curling Mascara and Colorbar Zoom & Whoosh Mascara.
Severely arched eyebrows
Eyebrows thin and fade with age. Over plucking only makes matters worse. Stick with their natural shape, just plucking out strays.
Accentuate their shape by filling sparse brows with an eyebrow powder or pencil like Konad Auto Style Eyebrow a shade lighter than your natural brow color. Make soft slanting strokes to fill in sparse patches. Then run a clear brow gel over them and brush them up and out towards your temples.
Blush on the flush
A rosy flush on the cheeks can breathe instant life into your face. Big mistake: applying blush in a slash of color that stretches across the cheekbones in drama queen shades like wine and cinnamon. Get a lit-from-within glow by applying it right.
Smile, then find the fleshiest part of your cheek and apply color just slightly above it. Then blend the color out toward your temples in circles, not a line, using a big fluffy brush like Colorbar Chic Cheeks Contouring Brush. Choose from shades like Lakme Pure Rouge Blusher and Lotus Herbals Natural Blend Botanical Blusher. Getting that first flush of youth was never easier!
