Hitting your fifth decade can signal a chance to refresh your make-up routine and try something new. Tricia Cusden, founder of age-positive beauty brand Look Fabulous Forever, reveals how she changed her regime and product choices for the better in her 50’s…

Our skin continuously changes throughout our lives, so what might suit us when we are 30, may not suit us when we hit our 50’s and 60’s.

ALSO SEE: Clinique iD Lets You Customise Your Moisturiser To Suit Your Needs

Growing older is no reason to stop wearing make-up or experimenting with bold new looks – there are simply different tricks, techniques and products needed as the years go by…

Tricia’s 6 make-up routine tips for when you hit 50

Preparation is key

Preparing your skin with a serum and primer will help our make-up last longer and look better! Of course, this is true at any age – but particularly key for older and post-menopausal skin, which may tend to be a little drier and more absorbent.

Before going to bed each night, try to get into the habit of applying a face serum before your moisturiser. This will allow enough time for it to sink in and have your skin looking fresh and plump by the time you wake up in the morning. This step is particularly important for those who have dry skin.

ALSO SEE: How To Get Dewy And Flawless Skin Fast

We recommend using a hyaluronic acid-rich product such as Vichy Mineral 89 Fortifying & Plumping Daily Booster, R375 for 50ml. This hero ingredient restores the water balance in our skin and can also help with pigmentation or discolouration and make for a more even-toned skin.

After applying moisturiser and allowing enough time for it to absorb, apply a primer like Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base, R895 for 50ml, all over your face. This is rich and ultra-hydrating and will help your make-up last all day long and stay in place.

ALSO, SEE: Prepping Products for Younger Looking Skin

Check the ingredients in your products

As we age, our skin begin to look dry and flat but the right beauty routine can give skin back the nutrient boost it’s looking for. Not only will buying make-up with high-quality ingredients make skin instantly look and feel better, but after prolonged use, you should notice an improvement in your skin over time.

SPF, in Tricia’s opinion, is the most important ingredient. UVA and UVB sun damage are very bad for your skin, so it’s important that we protect it no matter what our age. Beyond hyaluronic acid, other ingredients to look out for include retinol and aloe vera. These both help your skin stay hydrated and healthy.

ALSO SEE: Our Top Anti-Ageing Skincare Products: Tried and Tested By Experts

Choose a Hydrating Foundation

As we age, we want our make-up to give us the appearance of healthy, glowing skin. The best way to do this is by choosing a foundation which is more hydrating versus being extremely matte.

Matte make-up often suits women in their 20’s or 30’s but for older women, it can accentuate fine lines and imperfections. Instead, applying a formula with a dewy finish will help older skin look hydrated and plump.

ALSO SEE: 6 Moisturising Foundations For Dry Skin

It’s important that mature women don’t ‘overdo’ the glow, as this can have the opposite than intended effect and actually highlight fine lines so it is important to get the right balance. Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Make-up SPF 15, R835 for 30ml, is the perfect ‘in-between’ formula, that is light and skin-like without making skin look oily.

ALSO SEE: How To Get Dewy And Flawless Skin Fast

Introduce Colour Into Your Make-up Routine

The biggest difference between young and more mature skin is the loss of contrast between the features and surrounding facial skin. As we age, we lose melanin which results in a general fading and blurring of our skin and facial features.

Gradually, our eyebrows, lips, eye area and cheeks lose colour, but the good news is that we can bring back definition with makeup!

ALSO SEE: The Beauty Advice Julianne Moore Gives Her Daughter – That We Wish We’d Followed!

Blusher, lipstick and eye shadow will help redefine and highlight our best features. If you’re not used to bold colours, start by trying a light pink blusher across your cheeks and a pop of colour to your lips. It will surprise you just how much this will lift your face and bring out your features.

“As many women get older, they lose confidence, but I think that experimenting with colours at home can really help in gaining confidence in wearing makeup,” says Tricia. Sit in front of a mirror at home and test a few lipsticks and blushers out to see what suits you best.

ALSO SEE: How To Hide Ageing With Blusher

No more contouring!

There are always new trends and fads in the beauty world, and some are more flattering than others for older women. Contouring is no exception. It may be a favourite among 20-year-olds, but it won’t suit women in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. Contouring aims to accentuate jawbones and cheekbones. On older women, this will just create a more gaunt and older appearance.

“Instead of contouring, I suggest applying blusher to the very tops of your cheekbones to lift your face and give a healthy sun-kissed look,” states Tricia. We love new Clarins Joli Blush in Cheeky Pink, R495, for its lightweight pigment and skin-caring formula.

Don’t neglect your lips

As we age, our lips naturally become thinner and paler, so the purpose of lip make-up is to make your lips look full and luscious. “I find that our lip lines can sometimes migrate and seem broken, so I always apply a lip primer around the line of my lip to give a clean, sharp line,” says Tricia.

Adding a pop of colour to your lips in your make-up routine will instantly brighten the face. Just make sure that the shade works with your skin tone.

ALSO SEE: 7 Best Beauty Buys For Your Lips

To find out whether you are cool or warm-toned, take off all of your makeup and use a mirror in natural lighting. Place different colour clothing or makeup on and next to your face and evaluate the effect. It should be quite obvious which colours clash with your skin tone and which colours compliment your skin tone.

ALSO SEE: Anti-Ageing Hair Colour Tricks

If you are cool toned (blue undertone), like me, you might suit blues and pinks. However, if you have a warm skin tone (yellow undertone), you might suit yellows, oranges and browns. If you’re unsure, ask a family or friend and take note of what you’re wearing when people pay you compliments.

Compiled by: Amy Hunt. Extra words: Martinique Stevens