Random Middle Age Makeup Questions

[trytobearunner34]

I enjoy makeup but it has been at least 10 years since I have done anything really new or different. I prefer a 5-10 minute makeup routine, am currently 45 yo, and want to try some new things but am not sure where to begin.

I have deep lines in my forehead and some are forming around my mouth with some fine lines, BUT I also have oily skin and have regular hormonal and stress related outbreaks (basically my skin looks in its 40s but acts like it’s in its teens:/). My current makeup is all drug store variety, but I’d be willing to put some investment into some new items (single income educator budget).

1. In my 20s/30s I would head to the Clinique counter and have them try stuff on me when I wanted to try a new look. Is there a better route to take?
2. I have been watching IL Makiage foundation ads for a couple of years now, but haven’t pulled the trigger. If you have tried it, what did you think?
3. I’m seeing cream based products suggested for women in their 40s, but have always shied away because of my oily skin. Any fellow 40 somethings with oily skin want to weigh in?

Also open to random middle age make up advice:).

[jwright]

Following! I need to learn skincare, like yesterday.

[lemoncupcake]

From a skincare perspective do you use anything? Fine lines & acne definitely isn’t uncommon, but products like chemical exfoliation and retinol can help.

[trytobearunner34]

Jul 25, 2024 13:29:05 GMT -5 lemoncupcake said:

From a skincare perspective do you use anything? Fine lines & acne definitely isn’t uncommon, but products like chemical exfoliation and retinol can help.

Great question!

I use Proactiv Facewash in the morning and purpose face wash at night, followed by Oil of Olay Toner day and night. I use Proactiv repairing treatment at night and nuetrogena spot treatment as needed.

For treating lines and wrinkles I have had success with Cetaphil Hydrating eye cream and my eyes look much better than they had without it. I tried Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair with retinol for some of the bigger issues but had no success and kind of gave up on that front.

[expectantsteelerfan]

I will share that 1. I use a salycilic acid facial cleanser morning and night still like I have since I was a teenager, and I also use acne patches overnight now on my hormonal pimples that I get.

And 2., I tried Il Makiage 'woke up like this' foundation last year (that is what their makeup quiz recommended for me). I didn't LOVE it when I first got it. I had been wearing pretty full coverage foundation before that, and I found the coverage to be lighter than I wanted. I always wear lighter coverage during the summer, and this fall when I tried it again, I really liked it and it became my daily foundation. Now, it's summer again, and my skin tans enough that I need a different shade for summer, and I took the quiz again to get a darker shade, but it ended up recommending the same exact shade/foundation for me again, so I didn't buy a summer shade and have just been using my old summer stuff.

I find I do still need a concealer with Il Makiage, and I have yet to find a concealer for under my eyes that doesn't settle info fine lines at least a little bit. I have been using Tarte for years and that is the one others need to beat.

I would also say Sephora/Ulta are probably better than the clinique counter because they should know more about a variety of products, but I would go in with at least an idea of what you are looking for so they can steer you in the right direction.

[underwaterrhymes]

I find that - at almost 50 - most foundation and heavy eye makeup ages me.

I just wear tinted moisturizer and an eyeshadow that matches my skin tone. Sometimes I’ll take a small brush and pat dark eyeshadow along my lash line because even eyeliner is too much for me these days.

ETA - I tried Il Makiage but find it too heavy and the bottle is crap. So much wasted makeup.

[trytobearunner34]

expectantsteelerfan

For some reason salicylic acid does nothing for me so it’s been benzoyl peroxide or bust for me for decades 🤣.

Thank you for sharing your experience with IL Makiage and the rec for Ulta and Sephora. Will definitely give one of those a try!

[lavenderblue]

I'm 49. I love Clinique skin care products. I was using a Toner buy my esthetician doesn't recommend using it for older skin. I do use Hyaluronic Acid before my moisturizer and do find that it really helps to pull the moisture in to my skin.

I don't really wear much in the way of makeup these days. On a normal day, I'll do mascara and blush at the most. I had my eyebrows microbladed and my lips tinted whcih I feel helps me feel a little more put together with minimal makeup. I do have an Il Makiage foundation for when I want fuller coverage and a BB Cream if I just need something light.

Definitely agree with Ulta or Sephora for some in person assistance, most of the folks that work there are really knowledgeable and if you tell them what you are looking for and what kind of skin you have they can make recommendations.

[zelda25]

I can't speak for the actual makeup, but Il Makiage is generally regarded as a scammy company and their advertising is super-shady. LOTS of use of filters to show "results." If you want to return or exchange, they make it insanely hard.

People with oily skin tend to really, really (and I mean cult-like following) love Estee Lauder's Doublewear Foundation. Pricey, but people really seem to love it. I haven't tried it because my skin is dry and matte foundations aren't cute on dry skin, but I've used other EL foundation and really like it.

[dancingirl21]

I always used to wear foundation. Now if I do I like NARS light reflecting foundation for events where I want decent coverage. Use a good setting powder and oiliness won’t come through. Also setting spray. I like Charlotte Tilbury for both.

Most days I wear cream makeup - Merit Complexion Stick. I just color it on where I want coverage and I use their brush to blend. It’s a really nice product that can be light coverage or you can build it up. Again, setting powder and spray are ideal.

[mokes]

Skincare-wise, I use a mix of inexpensive and expensive items -- but I think the biggest bang for your buck are retinoids (inexpensive) and growth factors (I use Skinmedica TNS, $$$).

Botox for the forehead lines.

Makeup-wise, I used to wear so much makeup. Over the past year or so, I've scaled back to more tinted skincare-type products for my everyday "makeup." I use the Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint as my "foundation," tinted chapstick as my main lip product, a pink tinted moisturizer for blush, etc.

I have a more oily T-zone and what works really well for me is to make sure my skin is hydrated, let that sink in and apply a light dusting of translucent powder all over my face, followed by a face mist, let it dry and then apply makeup. (I didn't make that up ... I saw a makeup artist recommend it, tried it and have been doing it ever since.)

[sproctopus]

I like The Ordinary for affordable skincare. Hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and a moisturizer (Neutrogena Hydroboost) are what I use daily.

My everyday makeup is:

IT Cosmetics Nude Glow CC Cream (medium coverage and doesn't settle)
Haus Labs cream stick blush
Charlotte Tillbury finishing powder
Benefit's Hoola bronzer
ELF eyebrow pencil
Idk who makes it but the Voluminous Butterfly mascara (LOreal or Maybelline, probably)
O/S setting spray

I like glowier, dewy finishes for my skin as I age. Matte looks so much worse on me.

[jinkies]

I have rosacea (the kind that also makes me break out sometimes) and one of the biggest frustrations of middle age is that most makeup ends up caking and aging me, but if I don't wear it, then my skin looks red and splotchy from rosacea.

I have landed on using It Cosmetics CC cream. I have to moisturize really well underneath it to prevent it from looking cakey, but as long as I'm diligent about that, it looks good. I am recently convert to the It Cosmetics moisturizers too.

I had a really good experience at Ulta recently with an older (like, my own age, not "old") employee who could help me get the right shades/products. But when I've gone previously, all the workers are late teens and twenties and I don't feel like they have a great grasp of middle age skin. So it can be really hit or miss in terms of whether you can get good recommendations there.

It's funny that you started this thread because I was actually going to start one about my forehead lines. I'm seriously considering botox because they've gotten so deep. I also have always had somewhat hooded eyes, but they are drooping so much with age and always look shadowy in pictures. It looks like botox could also be a solution there. There's only so much that make up can do.

[jac]

For skin care, I use a mix of drugstore (CeraVe face wash and peptide eye cream. Rox Retinoid eye cream), inexpensive (The Ordinary Argireline solution for dynamic lines and Hyaluronic Acid), and then I have the Sunday Riley Day and Night facial oils. The Ordinary Argireline solution is called botox in a bottle and I've been using it for about 4 years and have noticed a difference in my forehead lines (I'm 45).

For make up, I got Instagram influenced into the Laura Geller baked foundation and starter kit and I am LOVING it. I thought it would settle into lines or make my face look dry and it does NOT. It works better than my IT CC foundation and Tarte concealer.

I am loving the Elf mascara and lip gloss and a swipe or two of an Anastasia eye brow stick I got as a free gift and I'm done with makeup.

[glw]

I have oily skin and I love Il Makiage's Woke Up Like This foundation. I apply it with a brush and it stays on better with better coverage than any other liquid foundation I've tried.

[simpsongal]

I have dry skin, so I'm largely no help but microneedling can really help plump up the fine lines & wrinkles.

[lemoncupcake]

Jul 25, 2024 13:37:29 GMT -5 trytobearunner34 said:

Jul 25, 2024 13:29:05 GMT -5 lemoncupcake said:

From a skincare perspective do you use anything? Fine lines & acne definitely isn’t uncommon, but products like chemical exfoliation and retinol can help.

Great question!

I use Proactiv Facewash in the morning and purpose face wash at night, followed by Oil of Olay Toner day and night. I use Proactiv repairing treatment at night and nuetrogena spot treatment as needed.

For treating lines and wrinkles I have had success with Cetaphil Hydrating eye cream and my eyes look much better than they had without it. I tried Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair with retinol for some of the bigger issues but had no success and kind of gave up on that front.

Have you tried any retinol products?

[eb777888]

I can't help with your main question because I have a very different skin type (dry with a little redness). I have tried the IL Makiage and I think it's fine. I do agree it's a little heavy, especially for middle-aged skin, but I always mix my foundation with Clinique tinted moisturizer. I do think you can probably find something just as good at a lower price point and I really hate the stupid design of the bottle. It's horrible.

When I was in Ulta, I recently discovered how great the Lancome foundation is when I was looking to replace my Armani Luminous Silk, which they don't carry. The sales person talked me into the Lancome and I think I like that more than the Armani. Just throwing that out there since it's middle-age foundation talk.

[cjcouple]

I am not fancy. I use a loreal bb cream as a base and love it. zother tha. that I just use L'Oréal or Maybeline shadow, blush, mascara.

[holly116]

I have rosacea so I use a green tinted moisturizer to neutralize that, then NARS light reflecting under eye brightener. It is by far, the only thing I've ever used around my eyes that doesn't settle into lines or crease.

www.sephora.com/product/nars-light-reflecting-eye-brightener-P506288?country_switch=us&lang=en&skuId=2670347&om_mmc=ppc-GG_17791296877___2670347__1017768_c&country_switch=us&lang=en&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw74e1BhBnEiwAbqOAjDntPe7aPD90LA5RC1mH_x5gJ1rmrNzUuO6ih5FwbZ5rgmOPQbylEBoCFh8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

If I need more coverage then just the green tint, I have a few tinted moisturizers/BB/CC creams from Nars/Tarte/It cosmetics/Urban Decay.

Then a cream blush stick and a setting powder. I try and stay light, I agree with those that said above, the more/heavier the product the more it seems to age me.

I use retinol at night, eye cream, moisturizers day and night.. the whole deal. Usually whatever I can get on sale at Ulta/Sephora. I like Fresh and Murad the best as far as brands go.

But I got a little bit Botox for the first time this week on my crows feet and it has changed my world. It was the same price as a nice facial and I will never go without it again lol.

[lust2hart]

I'm 42. I also have oily skin. My skincare/makeup routine is, in my opinion, minimal.

Mornings:
CeraVe Salicylic cleanser
CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 30 - for normal to oily skin
Thrive Causemetics tubing mascara (does not smudge on my oily skin)
Rare Beauty tinted lip oil
*Sometimes I will very lightly brush some powder over my face if I anticipate an especially oily day

Evenings:
CeraVe Salicylic cleanser
Differin gel 4-6x/week (this is a type of retinol that's supposed to help brighten, fight off wrinkles & acne, and suppress oil production)
CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion

[mags]

Jul 25, 2024 14:31:32 GMT -5 jac said:

For skin care, I use a mix of drugstore (CeraVe face wash and peptide eye cream. Rox Retinoid eye cream), inexpensive (The Ordinary Argireline solution for dynamic lines and Hyaluronic Acid), and then I have the Sunday Riley Day and Night facial oils. The Ordinary Argireline solution is called botox in a bottle and I've been using it for about 4 years and have noticed a difference in my forehead lines (I'm 45).

For make up, I got Instagram influenced into the Laura Geller baked foundation and starter kit and I am LOVING it. I thought it would settle into lines or make my face look dry and it does NOT. It works better than my IT CC foundation and Tarte concealer.

I am loving the Elf mascara and lip gloss and a swipe or two of an Anastasia eye brow stick I got as a free gift and I'm done with makeup.

Me too! It is so easy and does not feel heavy at all. I do not like creamy make-ups.

[gottadobe]

I just turned 51 and have REALLY pared down my make-up routine

I double-cleanse because of SPF
a couple of serums, and creams (I use Revision DEJ line)
All days I use SPF, but on non-office days just tinted sunscreen
I have palettes galore and now use NO eye shadow, I do sometimes put liner in (on?) my waterline
blush and mascara are a must
lipstick now because I'm growing my silvers!

I do use tretinoin, but I'm bad about it in the summer because i am in the pool all the time. I need to be more consistent with it. I get it online from NURX.

That's it.

[notsopicky]

PRAISE BE for this thread. I decided to get a makeup tutorial at Ulta last week (I'm 50, large pores, dry skin, and the base make up I've been using for years just isn't cutting it anymore). It was not good. I told the MUA exactly what I was trying to do/learn (blur pores, find a foundation type and color that was good for my face and matched, figure out how to set it w/o a lot of powder) and she pretty much didn't do any of what I asked for. 😡😡 She used a very light coverage foundation (I have a lot of discoloration and like full coverage) and put powder over liquid concealer under my eyes. WTF. I did (muster up the courage to) ask what the deal was with the powder over the concealer and she was all 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️.

I used EL's Double Wear foundation for years. A couple years ago they changed the formula and it hasn't been the same on my face since, but after trying a couple of others, I just stuck with it, even though it wasn't really working for me. Couple that w/ the dryness that's come w/ aging and the fine lines (esp under my eyes), I am stuck. I don't work in the summer, so I haven't worn a full face of makeup since June 12.

I like Fiera's cream concealer. I've seen some Insta Reels with women using it all over their face but it's so thick that I don't get how they are treating it as foundation.

Does somebody have a rec for a full coverage foundation for a dry old large pore face? And how do I then set it? I like the matte look, but my whole base layer was looking "spongy" and that's why I attempted to learn how to do it all differently.

[trytobearunner34]

Jul 25, 2024 15:13:27 GMT -5 lemoncupcake said:

Jul 25, 2024 13:37:29 GMT -5 trytobearunner34 said:

Great question!

I use Proactiv Facewash in the morning and purpose face wash at night, followed by Oil of Olay Toner day and night. I use Proactiv repairing treatment at night and nuetrogena spot treatment as needed.

For treating lines and wrinkles I have had success with Cetaphil Hydrating eye cream and my eyes look much better than they had without it. I tried Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair with retinol for some of the bigger issues but had no success and kind of gave up on that front.

Have you tried any retinol products?

Yes, the Neutrogena Rabid wrinkle repair was a retinol product.

[ssmjlm]

I would go see a derm and get a prescription for retin-a/trentinoin. It can both help with the hormonal acne (or they can give you a prescription for that too) and the fine lines/wrinkles.

Nothing over the counter will work as well as a prescription, but it takes time to build up your skin's tolerance and see improvement.

As for make up, I'm a less is more as I'm into my 40s. I do tinted moisturizer from tarte mixed with supergoop glowscreen or just the ELF halow glow liquid filter.

[bunnies]

I highly rec checking out Jones Road (by Bobbi Brown). I've been using it for a couple of years now and it's fabulous for maturing skin.

[Aloe Vera]

I am 42 with combination skin. I use VERY minimal makeup every day. I don't have fine lines or wrinkles but I do get blemishes now and then.

With your skin type, you need to use retinoids and AHA/BHA products.

In the morning, I use La Roche Posay salicilyc acid cleanser. It's a BHA. I let it sit as long as possible on my skin for maximum effect (chemical exfoliation a.k.a. deep pore cleaning).
Then I use Paula's Choice moisturizer fluid with SFP 30 and a matte finish. I use Maybeline Age Rewind concealer in "Bright". This is fantastic. It doesn't crease.
I can't find a foundation that doesn't make my skin shine like crazy or makes my skin really dry. I used tinted moisturizers. Right now I use one from Bare Minerals if I need to look more put together.

I have A LOT of skincare products. I really love The Ordinary brand. It's cheap and super effective. This would be an excellent brand to try what works for you. It is available at Ulta and Target Ulta (and maybe somewhere else). They can recommend products for you here theordinary.com/en-us/regimen-builder.html
Most skin care brands can recommend products for you after you answer a couple questions. I know Paul'as Choice has this option too.

[eb777888]

This might sound nuts, or at least it did to me when I bought it during the Prime sale, but I'm really loving this snail secretion (a sentence I never thought I'd say). You apply it after cleaning/toning and before moisturizing. And it's under $15. I have sensitive skin and it's working great for me.


www.amazon.com/COSRX-Repairing-Hydrating-Secretion-Phthalates/dp/B00PBX3L7K/ref=asc_df_B00PBX3L7K/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693439409681&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16842949011008465705&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026829&hvtargid=pla-480923603994&psc=1&mcid=b840e6e4605731f18072d43a381084d4&gad_source=1

[laterz]

My derm said you need 3 things: Vitamin C serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Don't need to spend alot of money on them. Possibly retin-a Rx (otc won't be strong enough). Everything else is gravy.

I also went to Sephora and had them do a makeup session with me, and they respected my criteria well (want the basics, nothing fussy - ex: i'm NEVER going to do a smoky eye. i'm lucky if i put mascara on.)