Lead image: Sorry Emily Blunt, but your pale face and tan chest are not working in your favour. via Getty.
When I worked the M.A.C counter, a millennium ago, I remember crudely applying a wash of lime green eyeshadow to my peepholes with a slip of mascara, a frosted pink shimmer cream on the cheekbones, a hot pink lipstick on my puckers – and voila – I looked as cute as a button.
Fast forward 15 years: If I left the house sporting THAT face, I could be mistaken for a boozy palm-reader who lives with her 15 cats. Yup, choosing the right makeup as we get on in life is important. Here are some make-up pitfalls to avoid:
1. Using the wrong coloured foundation
Well, this is quite the no-no at any age. It will do you no favours, especially when you opt for a foundation that’s a lighter than your décolletage, as Emily Blunt has above. A bad situation is made worse if you are also using a powder-based foundation; or anything that fails to deliver some type of faux youthfulness to the texture of your skin.
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Instead: Capture the warmer tone of your skin when choosing the colour of your foundation. And also try richer textures such as: Smashbox CC Cream, Lancôme Teint Visionnaire, and Giorgio Armani Designer Foundation. Remember, your skin should look better with foundation on, not worse.
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2. Going blushless
Blush is SO important for that youthful glow… especially if you lost it a decade or so ago. This, like most things post 40, has to be recreated with makeup. Enter blusher. Colour choice is of course imperative. Don’t go too bright or dark in this area. Choose a colour that is going to give you a beautiful, girly flushed look. Pinky-peach and rosy tones are normally best. And I prefer a cream blush because it adds a youthful glisten to the old cheek-bed.