Dear Megan,
As I’ve gotten older, my foundation isn’t looking at good as it used to. It doesn’t seem to blend into my skin, but kind of sits on top of it. What am I doing wrong?
– Kim P.
Beauty is ageless. Unfortunately, the techniques used to achieve beauty are not. As you age there are certain things you have to adjust as your skin starts to change. (We all go through it, don’t be ashamed!)
Even if you haven’t hit a major age milestone yet, if your skin is anything like mine-which skin ranges from oily to dry all on one canvas thanks to a combination of oily skin and majorly drying dermatologist prescribed products (plus travel, diet changes, hormones… ugh!)–you will also benefit from the tips below.
“Applying foundation incorrectly can result in making you look much older than you are.”
The most common question I get from women who are older is how to apply foundation. Applying foundation incorrectly can result in making you look much older than you are. Although makeup application is a skill that seems like it be easily honed over time (especially if you’re wearing it everyday), it actually gets easier to apply foundation incorrectly as we get older, because the way we should apply foundation changes as our skin changes.
These are some of my favorite tips to help women with aging skin look their best!
HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE!
First of all, drink water. Before I talk about expensive ways to hydrate your skin, let’s clear the basics. Keep a water bottle with you all the time. Follow every cup of coffee with a cup of water throughout the day. This is going to be the most basic, helpful tip I can give you for hydrating your skin. Now..
While women of all ages should be using moisturizer daily, it is especially important for women who are older. Properly hydrated skin is plump, glowy, and makes applying foundation so much easier. I like to use both a hydrating moisturizer and face oil (SHINE is a great face oil + natural UV protectant!) to get as much hydration as possible. You can also opt for a sleep mask, but personally I find they are too heavy and make sleeping uncomfortable.
In Asia, all of the women–young and old–have beautiful skin because they keep it properly hydrated.
In Asia, all of the women–young and old–have beautiful skin because they keep it properly hydrated. How? In China, at least, one of the first ten phrases you’ll learn is “drink more water”, so there’s that. Additionally, Asia currently has an obsession with face masks. The face masks in Asia are cotton or muslin cloth, pre-soaked with different ingredients, depending on your skin’s needs. You leave the face mask on for 30-60 minutes, then gently wash off the residue. EVERY Chinese movie will feature girls wearing a sheet mask.. it’s as much of a staple as toothpaste!
My Chinese friends have different skin than me, of course, but it looks so much better than mine because they put skincare first. They care about it much more than makeup, and they keep their skin ultra-hydrated for a fresh, young look throughout their entire lives. Of course Korean women are famous for their amazing skin care regimens, and the Chinese look to the Koreans for advice.
Face masks in China run from $0.80 and up (mine are about $1.60 on average), and are available literally EVERYWHERE in stores and vending machines–again, staple. Here in the states, you can pick them up at Sephora from top skincare brands like Tony Moly (seen above; $4-$8/mask), Bosica, Guerlain–basically every premium brand with a presence in Asia, for that matter–and Sephora even has their own collection at $6/mask.
If you’d like me to bring you some home from my next trip in China, shoot me an email (seriously). Anything in the name of beauty!
EXFOLIATE, EXFOLIATE, EXFOLIATE!
On top of proper hydration you should also be exfoliating religiously. Exfoliation helps rid your skin of extra, dead skin cells thereby increasing skin cell turnover and preventing pore blockage. Plus, smooth skin is good skin for makeup application.
You can chemically or physically exfoliate. If you want to chemically exfoliate, you should choose an AHA or BHA depending on your skin type. For oily skin, choose a BHA (salicylic acid) lotion exfoliant like this one from Paula’s Choice (a brand by one of the most reputable skincare bloggers). For more mature or drier skin, try Paula’s Skin Perfecting 8% Aha Gel (here).
If you’re in-between, you might want to choose one like Murad’s combo AHA/BHA wash (here).
In terms of physical exfoliation, I am LOVING the ViaBuff right now (see here). They come in extra gentle and go up in “roughness” from there. I would suggest extra gentle for your face. After about 3 days of using the ViaBuff for gentle exfolation, I saw a huge difference in the smoothness of my skin–no more dry, flaky patches or random fields of comedones! YES.
After about 3 days of using the ViaBuff for gentle exfolation, I saw a huge difference in the smoothness of my skin.
Just check it out. ViaBuff has an awesome, knowledgable founder who also worked with a dermatologist before and after the product launch to make sure that the viabuff was legit. The duo buff is just $19 (A STEAL I TELL YOU!). I use the purple/green duo for my face and body respectively. A 3&4 or 3&2 combo might be good for someone with mature or dry skin. You can decide for yourself! There’s a ton of info on their website that can point you in the right direction.
Anyway, I’ve tried tons of “exfoliating scrubs” and would never recommend a single one. I have yet to try a chemical peel (coming soon I suppose), and forever I toted around silicone scrub brush. This tops all. Viabuff fan for life! Now if they could just make the purple viabuff resistent to bleach.. My derm-prescribed facewash bleached that puppy a nasty brown color the first time I used it. Oh well! I still use it. ?
As for how often to exfoliate, I normally recommend people who are younger to only exfoliate once or twice a week but as you age it’s a good idea to start doing it more often. Obviously, I already said that I do it daily and if I remember correctly, that’s what viabuff recommends if you’re using their product.
Shop the Recommendations:
PRIME, PRIME, PRIME!
If I am being completely honest, I don’t think primers are necessary for women under 40 (unless they have severely dry or oily skin).
Is priming necessary for me, personally? YES yes and yes. I prime before I apply makeup every single time. Why? Because I have oily patches, dry patches, sweat a lot, and touch my face a lot. Does it sound like a mess? Because it is. The truth is, priming is my safety net for my makeup. Before I started priming, my makeup was gone within an hour or two. Messsssy.
Older women can benefit from primers as they prevent foundation from settling into fine lines.
Older women can benefit from primers as they prevent foundation from settling into fine lines. Bonus: you can even find primers with additional hydration benefits! You may also find that you love the way a primer looks, sans foundation. So next time you’re at your local Target or Sephora, be sure to invest in a great primer! It can make a world of difference.
My favorite primers recently are:
- Stila’s Stay All Day primer (it comers in a compact, like a concealer would, with an applicator sponge). It’s fine alone, even without foundation, just as a blurring agent. You can even spot this primer in the current banner photo on the Amalie home page! (buy here) or their One-Step Correct, color-correcting primer here.
- Murad’s blurring primer (buy here).
- Hourglass mineral veil primer – always a favorite (buy here)
Shop the Recommendations:
