5. Update your bronzer
A swoosh of powder bronzer has been every grownup woman’s go-to for decades. It gave our makeup a jet-set sunniness even in January in Minnesota. We learned to apply it in big C shapes from temples to cheeks and kept trying to find the perfect shade. However, powder — even powder bronzer — is the last thing dry, uneven, pigmented mature skin needs since it amplifies every textural change and discoloration. The great news is you can still get that beach-y mood going with cream bronzers like the Kjaer Weis Cream Bronzer ($42, kjaerweis.com), RMS Beauty Buriti Bronzer ($26, dermstore.com) and Nars Laguna Bronzing Cream ($38, nordstrom.com) designed with more authentic-looking shades and textures. Keep the application right where the sun hits — cheekbones, bridge of nose, forehead — only this time use a makeup sponge or fingers in a circular motion. The new silky textures (some are more like a mousse or balm) blend seamlessly over your skin care and sunscreen, as well as over tinted moisturizer, CC cream or even foundation. Add a touch to sides of neck and collarbones when wearing lower necklines and even to shoulders when wearing off-shoulder sweaters for parties this winter.
(Left to right) BeautyBlender Pro Makeup Sponge; Real Techniques Everyday Eye Essentials Makeup Brush Kit; Sonia Kashuk Essential Flat-Top Foundation Brush No. 168
Sephora; Walmart; Target
6. Buy a cosmetic sponge and brushes
If you still rely on the tiny applicators and thin flimsy puffs that come with makeup, know that pros always use full-size makeup brushes and sponges for precise application and blending. The most useful ones to own now are a teardrop sponge like the BeautyBlender Pro Makeup Sponge ($20, sephora.com), ergonomically shaped to adapt to facial contours, a flat-topped foundation brush (if you wear foundation) like the Sonia Kashuk Essential Flat-Top Foundation Brush No. 168 ($10, target.com) and eye makeup brushes like the Real Techniques Everyday Eye Essentials Makeup Brush Kit ($16, walmart.com) for detailed brow, liner, shadow and even under-eye concealer blending. Use a tap-blend technique rather than a swipe to work with the sponge or foundation brush so makeup is deposited and blended with precision and not wiped off. Be sure to wet the sponge and squeeze out the excess before using it to blend face makeup or when adding makeup to the tip for application.
Final makeup words: Enhance and celebrate what’s there. At some point after 50, face positivity (like body positivity) kicks in for most women. We no longer wrestle with age-related wrinkles (having healthy, soft, fresh skin is good enough) or apply makeup to alter our features by contouring or over-lining our lips. This doesn’t mean skipping makeup. It means wearing it to make the most of what you’ve got.
