5 makeup tips

Lines, under-eye circles, dry skin can all be skillfully concealed with the right makeup tipsproducts and techniques.

Ageing is natural. But do we necessarily have to look older? With a few clever makeup tricks—read this column to see for you—you can gracefully camouflage the tell-tale signs of maturity and enjoy life as usual.

Before you start putting on make-up make sure your skin is well hydrated and moisturized. Make it a point to use a rich and creamy moisturizer. Follow it up with a primer. This will make the foundation spread smoothly on the skin and stay on longer.

Apply foundation

Use a yellow-tone foundation. It suits most skin types

Beyond a certain age foundation becomes a burden. It enhances the fine lines and wrinkles by settling into them.

However, that does not mean you have to give up on a clear and even complexion. Here’s a way out. Apply foundation only on the areas that need it the most (for example, on the forehead, cheeks or neck). Avoid the danger zones—around the mouth and eyes—as they have more lines. It would be better to choose a foundation with a yellow tone as it suits most skin types. And go for a creamy formulation: it blends well on mature skin. Alternately, you could use a tinted moisturizer.

Use a concealer

Dark under-eye circles are a common beauty complaint amongst slightly older women. The good news is that they can be easily camouflaged. Blend a concealer gently under the eye by tapping it lightly with your ring finger; take care to not rub it off completely. It should look natural and evenly textured. Start from the inside corner of the eye—this is the area of the face that appears the darkest. This makeup tipstechnique makes it easier to blend and helps give a more natural look.

My first choice would be Inglot cream concealer or Mac’s moisture select concealer. In case you don’t get these brands in your city, try Chambor, or any other established brand.

Use a cream blusher




Many older women prefer cream blushers as they have a rich formula that moisturizes dry skin. MAC and Inglot have very good cream blushers, but for a lighter feel I would recommend either Lancôme or Maybelline New York mousse blush. For a long lasting effect apply cream blush, dust with face powder and apply makeup tipsanother pop of powder blush on top. Use a bronzer on cheek bones, forehead and jaw line to contour the face.

Choose matte colors

Conceal under-eye circles

Avoid shimmery eye-shadows as they tend to highlight the lines on the eyelids. Instead, if you are in party mode, add just a hint of shimmer on your eyes or lips. For eye makeup opt for colors that are warm but not too dull such as browns, or golden or deep-plum shades.

Use brown mascara or apply a dark brown matte eye-shadow with an eyebrow brush to darken the brows and to conceal any gap or scar in the brows. Never use black mascara or a black pencil on the brows as it gives you a hard, unnatural look. Make sure that you curl your lashes, it makes them look longer.

Lip care

While dressing up your pout, first apply a lip balm, and then outline the lips with a makeup tipssoft pencil that matches your lip color. To prevent lipstick from settling into the creases, apply loose foundation on the lips. Now, carefully apply lipstick with a lip brush. Blot with tissue, powder again and reapply.

This will make the lips appear fuller. We usually go wrong on two accounts: using over-the-top colors such as fuchsia and using a lip pencil that is too dark and is not blended well. Ideally, try a light lipstick with a lip pencil that is just a shade darker, or use a lipstick that is sheer enough to let your natural lip color show.

Go on, start dressing up!