This article originally appeared on gosocial.co
Not using a blurring primer
As you age you may notice new texture and colouration on your skin. It’s completely natural but if you’re looking for makeup tricks that will help hide your age or help you appear younger then you need to be using a blurring primer. Not only will it help your makeup last longer and look more flawless but it will give you a perfect base.
Using the wrong products for your skin type
Whether you have dry, oily, or combination skin you need to use the right products for your skin type. Using a foundation designed for oily skin when you don’t need it will just highlight your dry patches and show signs of aging. Ideally, you’ll find a foundation that matches your skin type with a dewy finish to allow your skin to glow.
Using a brush to apply your foundation
It’s only been in the last decade that makeup sponges have become the primary tool for applying foundation, but if you haven’t made the switch yet, you need to right now. Brushes will usually apply more product, making a mask-like effect that can age you. They’re also more likely to leave marks and creases on the face, intensifying the look of wrinkles.
Highlighting dark circles
You may have been advised in previous years to use a light concealer under the years to brighten them and give you a more open and youthful appearance. However, too light of a concealer can enhance the look of dark circles. Instead, try color concealing under the eyes and using a small amount of a skin-matched concealer.
Using a foundation that is too heavy
Finding the right formula for a foundation can be hard, especially because there are so many on the market now. But even if you favored a full coverage matte look in years gone by, if you’re looking for a more youthful approach to makeup it may be time to switch it out for a serum foundation instead so it won’t settle into cracks or emphasize textured skin.
Applying too much concealer
With age, you may notice that dark circles become more apparent or that your under-eyes look puffier. The instant reaction is to reach for our concealer to cover them up. Too much concealer can make the problem look worse though, as the concealer can settle into the lines and creases under the eye, making them seem more apparent.
Using eyebrow products that are too dark
Eyebrow trends come and go with the years so it’s important to keep up with them if you don’t want your makeup to look dated. Whether you’re still trying to emulate Cara Delevingne or you’re just grabbing the wrong eyebrow pencil shade, it’s time to lighten up those brows if want to look your age. Natural, lighter brows will always make you look younger, and they’re so trendy at the minute.
Thinning your eyebrows too much
The late nineties was the height of pencil-thin eyebrows but gone are those days. Your hair naturally thins as you age so ensuring that you’re growing your brows out to their fullest potential, filling them with a small bit of product, and brushing them upwards will give you the most youthful look possible. If they’re refusing to grow back, you can try lash serum or castor oil to encourage growth.
Only choosing dark lipstick
Even if you had the most perfectly plump pout in your early twenties, your lips lose fullness as you age. Darker shades will just accentuate this. If you want to ensure a youthful look, it might be time to put the wine tones away and embrace a lighter, rose-colored lip. A small gradient using a slightly darker lip liner, blending into a lighter shade can even give the illusion of a bigger pout.
Only wearing matte lip products
You may notice that your lips and skin are drying out as you age, or that you’re experiencing more fine lines and wrinkles around your mouth. While this is totally natural, it can be an indication of age. If you’re only wearing matte lip products you may be exacerbating this issue and making it more noticeable. The formulation has a tendency to cling to dry patches so perhaps swap it out for a gloss instead.
Forgetting to hydrate your skin
Many people don’t consider a good moisturizer to be a step in their makeup routine, but if it isn’t already it should be. Priming and prepping your skin with a hydrating moisturizer before applying products is key to ensuring good application. Your skin produces less collagen and elasticity as it ages so moisturizing is more important than ever.
Blending your contour downwards
Contouring is an incredible technique that helps you create shadows and gives the illusion of a certain shape to your face. By strategically placing the product or blending in certain ways you can manipulate the way your bone structure appears. If you blend your contour upwards you’re creating a more youthful and awake look – an instant facelift.
Not emphasizing your eyelid crease
If you’re only using one eyeshadow color, you’re seriously missing out on a very simple trick. The easiest way to appear more youthful is to embrace big, bright eyes. By blending a darker shade of eyeshadow into the crease of your eye, you create contrast and the illusion of highlight and shadow which gives the eye depth, therefore instantly making them look bigger.
Using black eyeliner on your waterline
One big mistake that might be making you look older is lining your eyes in black. Using black eyeliner on your waterline will only make your eyes look smaller, perhaps adding years to your appearance. Not to mention that it’s also an outdated trend, making you look like you’re out of date with the latest fashions. Try a nude pencil instead or even a subtle pop of color.
Only using powder products
The problem with powder is that it will instantly settle into all fine lines and wrinkles, making them seem more severe and making you look older than you are. Instead, try out some different formulas for products. A cream blush instead of a powder blush will blend easily and can make your skin look creamier and more hydrated. You can even get liquid or cream eyeshadows.
Using too much glitter
You might think adding glitter to your makeup routine will make you appear younger. However, while you might think reflective glitter will brighten up the sullen areas of your face, it can just draw attention to fine lines and wrinkles. Instead, swap out glittery eye products with a subtle shimmer shade. Place it in the areas of your eyes and face that you want to draw attention to and you’ll turn back time.
Putting highlighter on as a last step
While highlighter can add dimension to your features and give the appearance of a more youthful glow, you don’t want to go overboard. One huge mistake that many people make is putting your highlighter on as the last step in your routine. Ideally, you’d add highlighter before blush or powder. By doing this you’ll avoid harsh streaks of the product and it’ll look like a more natural shine.
Baking your face
Baking was originally a trend employed only by drag queens and makeup artists to ensure your final look looked poreless, perfect, and long-lasting. However, it’s recently become a more popular technique, despite not being suited to everyone and every makeup look. If you’ve been swept up in the baking hype you may actually be making yourself look older by aggravating the look of textured skin and fine lines.
Choosing contour over bronzer
Bronzer is a makeup product that adds warmth and dimension to your face, whereas contours are usually slightly more cool-toned and are usually used to imitate shadows. By using only a contour you might notice your face looks a little more flat and washed out, making you appear older. Get that sun-kissed, youthful look by adding bronzer alongside your blush and highlight.
Picking metallic and shimmer shades
Metallic and shimmer shades can really help add a funky element to your makeup look. They used to be extremely popular in decades gone by, but now they’re just outdated. Current makeup trends favor matte shadows, graphic liners, and subtle colors. Swap out your old palettes and try a look of pale pink and plum colors with a small amount of sparkle to add highlights to your eyes.
Skipping blush
If you were scared by the eighties, it’s no wonder you’ve binned your blusher. But with a light application or a switch to a cream or liquid blush underneath your base, you can create more of a rosy, youthful look. Forgetting to add blusher can make your face look lifeless, tired, and dull which will give the appearance that you’re far older than you actually are.
Forgetting SPF
This is a makeup mistake that you can’t fix as easily as swapping out your mascara. If you’ve been utilizing products for years that don’t have added SPF you could have been subjecting your skin to a whole load of damage. But the good thing is that you can start a new skincare routine at any time. Plenty of moisturizers, serums, and foundations come with incredible protective properties now so grab them ASAP.
Not using an eyelash curler
While many of the biggest influencers are big fans of eyelash extensions, not everyone can afford regular maintenance. But if you’re forgetting to use a lash curler you’re making a serious makeup mistake. Curling your lashes before using mascara will make your eyes look bigger, wider, and more open, giving you a more youthful look.
Using white liner instead of nude
Makeup artists used to advise that if you wanted to make your eyes look bigger you should add a white eyeliner in your waterline. But instead of making you seem young and full of life, the white liner can look harsh and stark. Instead, use a nude pencil liner. It can open up darker, shadowed eyes in such a subtle way that no one will be able to spot your trick.
Lining the corner of your mouth
As you get older you may find that you’re starting to develop more fine lines around your lip. While a lip liner can help ensure your lipstick doesn’t bleed out (exaggerating these lines), it can also open the door to another makeup mistake. Lining the corner of your lips can create the illusion of a wider mouth and thinner lips, instantly adding years to your appearance.
Using blue eyeshadow
While some influencers are embracing the retro look of blue eyeshadow, for the general public anyone sticking with the shade is instantly giving away their age. Unless you’re sure you can pull off the ultimate Y2K look it’s a good idea to steer clear of this shade and instead try warmer tones for your eyes. They can add depth and a natural flush to your face.
Never giving up the block brows
Some people are holding onto their Anastasia Beverly Hills dipbrow for dear life. While big, blocky brows (otherwise known as ‘Instagram brows’) were a big trend in the mid-2010’s they now look outdated and can cast a shadow over your eyes, making them look more deep-set and your face more lifeless and sullen. Try soap brows for a natural look with just a fine pencil and eyebrow gel.
Choosing contrasting colors
High contrast colors like a bright pink lip and green eyeshadow might seem like a bold, high-fashion look, but really strong colors can just draw attention to any sullenness or dullness of the skin. It also doesn’t help that they were extremely trendy in the 80s and then again in the 00s, suggesting to anyone who sees you sporting the look that you’re still stuck in the past.
Using a shimmery highlight in your inner corner
Decades-old beauty advice would dictate that adding a pale color or a touch of shimmer on the inner corner of your eyes will make them look wider and more open (which will make your face look younger). However, the shimmer particles in a lot of highlighters settle into creases and can highlight your eye bags and dark circles, as well as make wrinkles look worse. Try a subtle champagne shade instead.
Sticking with a bold black liner
When you’re younger, a bold black liner can give an almost doll-like effect (especially when paired with the right eyeshadow look and a nude liner in your waterline). But as you get older, such a dark shade around your eyes can make them seem more closed which will add years to your appearance. If you love a winged liner, make the swap to a brown shade instead for a less harsh look.
Choosing skin-toned lipstick
Nude lipsticks can be a bold look but when you choose one that is too close to your skin tone it can be a mistake. Nude lipsticks will make the face look washed out and dead, instantly making you look older. If you’re looking for a subtle vibe, pick out a shade that’s close to your skin tone. It will be a lot more flattering.
Refusing to give up the volume lashes
Heavy-volume lashes can be a very flirtatious look. But the weight of the lashes will cast a shadow over your eyes making them look smaller and more closed. Additionally, they create a harsh, dark line on your face that you don’t want if you’re looking to appear younger. Avoid these unflattering outcomes by ditching the falsies altogether and try a lash curler or choose a pair with a more natural look.
Using setting powder over your entire face
Setting powder can be miraculous in the way it instantly elevates a look, and helps your hard work last all day long. But it could be where you’re going wrong in your routine. Any powder can settle into fine lines and wrinkles, but specifically using it all over your face dulls the skin and removes any natural glow. Use setting powder only in the places you need it – under your eyes and in your T zone.
Bringing eyeshadow up to your browbone
For a while dramatic cut creases were all the rage. Before then, everyone was sporting a grungey smokey eye. Prior to that, it was all about color from the lash line to the brows. While it can be hard to keep up with evolving trends, bringing your eyeshadow up to your browbone is an instant indicator that you’re stuck in the past, reliving your youth. It’s a simple mistake that adds years to your face.
Going too heavy on the blush
Youthful beauty is all about the natural fullness, subtle glow, and vibrancy. When you start applying your makeup with a heavy hand, you’re showing the world you’re not up to date with beauty trends or that you’re trying to hide your age. When using blush, apply a little at first and slowly build it up starting from the apples of the cheek for an almost cherub-like appearance.
Choosing face products that are too orange
Makeup products with an orange tone can add warmth to your face, which is so beneficial if you’re trying to achieve a younger look. Celebrity makeup artist Jillian Dempsey says that “warmer tones […] generally look better as you age.” However, if it’s too orange for your skin the products will look unnatural – especially if your face no longer matches the shade of your body.
Using frosted lipstick
Frosted lipstick is probably one of the biggest indicators of someone whose makeup is out of date. Not everyone needs to keep up with changing beauty trends but frosted shades will also settle into the fine cracks of dry lips which will make you look older. If you want a bold look that does the opposite, use a cream or liquid-based lip product and add a gloss on top.
Sticking to intense, dark, smokey eyes
One huge makeup mistake that many people make every day that will significantly age you is refusing to give up a black smokey eye. They’re iconic for a reason, however, you may want to put the black liner down. This style of eyeshadow only closes your eyes which is perfect for achieving a more sultry but does nothing for creating the appearance of brightness and youth.
Applying highlighter on the browbone
Part of the allure of highlighter is that it brings attention to the areas of the face you place it. It’s perfect for drawing the eye to your cheekbones or creating the impression of a button nose. However, when you place it under the brown bone it emphasizes any hooded eyes which is more common as you age and your skin begins to sag. Keep shimmer away from the brow bone to avoid looking older.
Never switching up your look
While the saying ‘If it ain’t, broken don’t fix it’ tends to be true in many cases, when it comes to makeup, it may be a mistake that makes you look older. Trends change, better products and applicators are invented, and your face shape/ skin texture changes as you get older. Alter your products and applications every few years to keep looking young and trendy.