As you get older you naturally tend to break up with fast-paced trends and settle into a groove of self-styling that feels inherently you. After all, you’ve had a few good decades to practise, and therefore know what looks and feels most flattering. 

That being said, it does get a little trickier when we talk about skincare and makeup specifically, because what your skin needs tends to change (quite dramatically) with age. For anyone in the depths of your 50s and 60s you’ve likely noticed your skin is drier, thirstier, and rocks a few more fine lines. Which should absolutely be of no worry. 

Sydney-based makeup artist (and someone at the top of Zoë Foster Blake’s emergency contact list), Serena Wylie, is very familiar with painting mature faces too. When we chatted, she was adamant in noting it’s not about covering up concerns, but rather, enhancing your best features for added radiance. Here’s what else we learned. 

Prep the skin. 

A non-negotiable. At any age. And for any skin type. Prepping the skin prior to makeup application is going to help you achieve a more flawless complexion, and ensure your product sits nicely on the skin, for longer. A gentle yet thorough cleanse, followed by a really nourishing moisturiser might be all you need to create that bright and bouncy canvas. 

However, a go-to (literally) recommendation from Serena is to apply a Transformazing sheet mask pre-date/dinner/Oscars for “an instant boost of hydration”. Starring kakadu plum, finger lime and tasmanian pepper berry leaf extract for brightening and evening skin tone, you’ve also got a healthy dose of niacinamide for line-plumping and moisture retention. 

One sheet mask

Transformazing

Sheet Mask

Transformazing is a serum-drenched sheet mask that transforms your skin into very amazing, very glowy, very luminous skin in just 10 minutes.

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Move over, matte. 

Less is more when it comes to mature complexions, and steering clear of matte formulas means you can avoid product settling into those fine lines we mentioned earlier. “Products that are hydrating and lightweight are best, as the formula is going to melt into the skin nicely without creasing. Light reflective foundations also work really well, and I tend to look for primers and foundations with multifunctional skin loving properties too.”

All this hydrate-y, melt-y talk, it’s worth noting Serena’s enthusiasm for cream formulas: “Ditch the powder! They’re [creams] much more flattering for mature skin.”

Centre your attention. 

What you want to do is add volume to the face with a pop of colour to bring out those central features. Cream blush along the cheekbones is going to give a lifted look, an easy way to “instantly brighten the complexion and add dimension”. Feel free to (lightly) carry this colour for an all-round natural flushed look by dabbing it onto the orbital bone at the high point of the cheek, the arch of the brow, above the Cupid’s bow of the lips, and on the bridge of the nose too.

Then there’s the coloured lip, which despite what you think, can be worn at any age. “Lipstick is one of the quickest ways to entirely change a look, and take it from day to evening in a super chic way. A bright lipstick can even be worn alone, as a statement, if you are not feeling the full coverage. Don’t be afraid to have a play with it!