The Experts Have Spoken: These Are The 7 Best Makeup Tips For Women Over 50

At this point, we've waxed poetic about how your skin changes with age—specifically once you hit 50. It calls for a few tweaks in the skin care department, no doubt, but it's also a great time to adopt new makeup habits. Although, we're not talking about camouflaging any folds and fine lines; rather, shift your makeup routine to amplify your natural beauty, with all its grooves and glory. Think updated tricks, better formulas, and application hacks that withstand the test of time.

"I think for women in their 50s and above, there is a new and exciting relationship with makeup to be had, especially if there was not one before," makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran tells mbg. In fact, according to a Harris Poll, survey respondents identified 50 as the "perfect" age when they feel most comfortable in their own skin; it only makes sense that plenty of women—50 years old and beyond—feel inspired to play with makeup in new, dreamy ways. 

If you don't know exactly where to start, though, we uncovered the best techniques to highlight your features (and avoid common mistakes) from three seasoned makeup artists. 

For any flawless makeup look—regardless of age, mind you—proper skin care is a must. As makeup artist Elyse Frieri, store manager at Credo, once told us, "Makeup is magical and transformative, but there are two things it cannot hide: texture and dimension." 

Contrary to popular belief, "Less is more when it comes to cover-up on mature skin," Jaikaran notes. "Evening out skin tone should be priority ahead of hiding wrinkles." That said, opt for a sheer, buildable foundation you can easily buff into the skin—a damp beauty blender is great for the job. (Pro tip: Mix three to four drops of liquid highlighter into your foundation before melting it into the skin. "You will have a beautiful, lit-from-within radiance," Compton says.)

Again, you'll want to opt for cream formulas here. "Creams provide more control in placement and can be your best friend when customizing your look," Jaikaran notes. She suggests a finger-paint application as well: Lightly tap the product into the top of your cheekbones, then move inward. Just make sure you're not dragging the cheek downward, she warns, or it can create the illusion of sagging. 

Brows typically thin toward the tail as you age (sometimes they even turn gray), so you'll want to focus on keeping them full and fluffy. A strong brow game can also help frame your eyes—similar to liner—without applying too much product on your lids later on (which tends to crease in between the tiny lid folds). 

The key to a youthful, doe-eyed look? Make your eyes look wide, wide-awake. Here are a few hacks:

If you love a good liner, Crimson suggests dialing up the drama with fun colors: "Colored liner in dark greens, blues, and purples can be fun and eye-opening," he says. Although, you might not want to draw along the bottom waterline, as this can make the eyes appear smaller. Rather, create a thin line that basically hugs your top lashes so you'll have ample eyelid space to work with. Compton also suggests applying a neutral-colored eye shadow on top of eyeliner to soften out any harsh lines.  

Similar to brows, your lips also thin out as you age. To make them look plump and full, both Compton and Jaikaran suggest a lip liner in a shade one to two times deeper than your natural lip color. Outline your lips, accentuating the Cupid's bow and bottom of your pout, then blend it out with your fingers.  

When it comes to changing up your makeup look as you age, a less-is-more approach is key. While there are a few tricks to make your face look fresh and awake (and a subtle illusion of lift here and there), for the most part, it's about complementing your natural features—rather than fiercely working against them.