Quick Fix - Mature Make-Up

A series of short, to-the-point chats with the industries best. No intro, no small talk, no wasting your time, just the answers you want & need to ensure you feel, be & look your best.

With International & Celebrity Make-Up Artist, Mia Connor.

EC. Mia, I’d love to ask some of your do's and don'ts when it comes to applying make-up to ageing skin because lord knows what worked for me in my 20s, no longer works for me now. What should women consider from a make-up perspective as their skin becomes more mature?

MC. 90% of mature or wise women (as I like to call them) get dry skin as they age but that's not always the case. Some women are lucky and retain their oils as they get older, which is a youthful quality. If you are oily, don't stress about having that shiny forehead because it's actually a blessing.

Those with dry skin - look at the products you are using and ask yourself - Do I need to change a few things in my make-up bag? I say this because it’s common to continue doing what you’ve always done. Maybe a friend recommended a product when you were 10 years younger and you’re still using it today despite it no longer working for your skin type. Everyone needs to overhaul their make-up & regime as they get older.

Make-up is only as good as the skin that it goes onto. If you’re skin is on the dry side, prepping the skin by exfoliating and moisturising goes a long way to achieving a more youthful look. Also, steer away from foundations that are super matte. A couple of popular matte foundations are Mac Studio Fix & Estee Lauder Double Wear. Both of these foundations have a flat, matte powdery finish. If your skin is already dry, you're making it look more flat, dry & dehydrated which can make you look older too. If you touch your skin after you put your foundation on and you can't feel any kind of tackiness, your skin prep probably wasn't as good as it could have been or you may need more moisturiser, but also the foundation that you're using perhaps isn't hydrating enough too.

So, take a look at the foundation that you're using and ask yourself - Is this still working for me? How does my skin actually look? Does it look nice, juicy and hydrated or is it looking a bit dry and flat?

Those with dry skin don’t have to use powder either. So many women fall into this trap after watching Youtube or Instagram tutorials that constantly tell you to prep and set. Only set when you need to (eg. in Summer when it’s hot) and obviously if you are shiny, you can knock back shine by setting with a powder. From my experience working with mature clients, half of them love and use powder only because they've been using it for 30/ 40 years and they haven't stopped to look at themselves recently. Powder shows lines more as well, especially under the eyes. You've got to be super careful loading too much product (foundation, concealer & powder) under the eyes because it can look dehydrated when you use too much. If you have dark circles under your eyes, you probably like to cover them but just know that the more product you apply, the more the skin will start to crease and show fine lines. If you can get away with it, less product is best under the eyes, in the smile lines and on the forehead. Pick your battles - if you’re covering dark circles, be prepared for creasing! I actually don't use concealers that much. I find foundation sits better under the eyes. Not all concealers but some are just a more pigmented version of a foundation so the more pigment, the more the product can sit in those lines, which can make you look older than you are. If you do like concealers, I love the NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer, even though it says matte, it’s a natural matte and the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer Sticks is a favourite for many but I'm not a fan. They crease a lot under my eyes. It’s great for young girls but if you have more lines, I’d use the NARS Soft Matte.

EC. Should women with mature skin be mindful about wearing highlighter too? As a Stylist, I teach clients that shimmery, metallic fabrics draw attention to the area where worn, does the same apply to make-up?
MC. Yes, anywhere you have texture on the face (fine lines, open pores, the skin on the eyelids etc.) avoid using shimmers/ highlighters. You put anything shiny on textured skin and it’s going to highlight the textured skin. If wearing shimmer on the eyes, I would keep it focused mostly in the inner corner of the eye. If you do have particularly textured, crepey lids, keep the eye matte by using only matte eyeshadows.

The same applies for blush too - if you've got open pores on your cheeks, blush can magnify and bring those open pores to light. Also, if you are on the drier side, use a cream blush on the cheeks instead of a powder. Some creams are more shimmery, rather than dewy so be aware of that as well. Dewy looks more hydrating, shimmer looks more glittery. Having that injection of hydration from a dewy blush can often make dry skin look more juicy too. I love using cream blush. The Mecca Cosmetica Balm Cheek Tint & Illuminating Duo can be used on the cheek & lips which adds instant youth and hydration into the skin.

So in a nutshell, be careful of foundations being too matte and flat, use less powder, stay away from shimmer and try to put hydration into the places that need it on the face.

EC. What are your thoughts on dark lipstick?

MC. Dark lipstick is high maintenance. If you want to wear a pop lip, be prepared to maintain it throughout the day/ night. Using a long wear, dark lipstick like the Liquid to Mattes will stay put for longer but most of them are drying too. So, yes it will stay on but will your lips look crusty by the end of the night. You do have to touch up dark lips too. When eating & drinking, you end up wearing a little spot off the top and bottom of the lip, then when you re-apply, that's when it can start to look crusty. If you have dry lips, avoid any matte products, even a matte lipstick is going to be too dry for somebody that suffers from dry lips. If you do have dry lips though, get into a good regime with lip balm. I wear lip balm day & night, especially in Winter when its hard to drink enough water.

If you have thinner lips, a dark lip is also going to accentuate this, unless you are prepared to overline your lips in a way that looks natural. Some mouths aren't symmetrical either so unless you are going to overdraw one side only, a dark lip is going to make any asymmetry more noticeable. There's a lot of things to consider with a dark lip. It really does have to be applied perfectly. Also, when you do apply it, always smile so you don’t miss any creases in the lips. If you’re lips are smaller, I’d focus on the eyes instead. You can do so many things with lighter shades of lipstick (eg. overlining the lip, plus using a bit of gloss to accentuate and make the lips look bigger.) I would choose a dark lip for somebody with full, pouty lips.

EC. I've got 5 quick questions for you regarding your make-up preferences. Do you prefer a winged or a smoky eye?

MC. I love a wing but not everyone can wear wings. Not everyone has the space on the upper lid to rock a winged eye, especially women with hooded eyes. When there's a lot of lid space, a winged, smoky eye looks far more dramatic. It won’t on somebody with hooded eyes because you can’t see the majority of that dark colour.

EC. Applying foundation - do you prefer to use a brush or your hands?

MC. Anyone that knows me, knows that I hate getting anything on my hands however we were given hands for a reason so, you do you! As a make-up artist, I prefer to use brushes for a more even application as well.

EC. Standard or mineral makeup?

MC. I don't use much mineral make-up so I would say standard. I do use Bare Minerals but it's not mineral make-up.

EC. Do you prefer to use a brow gel or brow pencil?

MC. Why not both? If you're going to fill in your brows, you’ve got to set your brows. I love the Benefit Brow products. Actually, when I go to Pilates, I only use gel. If you've got perfect brows, gel is great and time saving but if you do need a little bit of manicuring and want to fill brows in, you're going to need both.

EC. Do you like a matte or glossy lip?

MC. I love the look of glossy lip but personally, I don't wear gloss. I'm in between a matte and a gloss, more like a satin finish. Gloss can be a bit too sticky and it just seems to come straight off. I like a satin finish.

Follow Mia Connor on Instagram - @miaconnor