Raise your hand if you’ve ever slept with makeup on. Now, raise your hand if you don't know the last time your makeup brushes were properly cleaned. We are all guilty of making mistakes when it comes to makeup. The tricky part is, as we age, our makeup and skincare needs change, and we’re forced to adapt. In some cases, this means ditching makeup products or techniques that no longer serve our mature skin. Carmindy Bower, better known as simply Carmindy (@carmindy_beauty), is a professional makeup artist with more than 30 years of experience in the beauty industry (you may remember her from the hit TV show What Not to Wear). In a recent TikTok clip, she highlighted five makeup mistakes women over 50 should avoid.
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1. Your makeup routine includes setting spray.
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“Setting spray is an alcoholic mist that’s supposed to set your makeup,” explained Carmindy. However, when you have older, more mature skin, setting spray will “dry you out and suck all the hydration out of your skin,” she warned.
Therefore, you’re better off ditching setting sprays altogether.
2. Long-wearing lipsticks are your go-to lip product.
iStockLong-wearing lipsticks come in a variety of finishes, including gloss, satin, liquid, cream, and matte, which is the most popular. But despite their long-lasting superpowers, these types of lipsticks do more harm than good for your lips, according to Carmindy.
“If it’s going to be long-wearing, that means it’s adhering to your lips and sucking every bit of moisture out of your lips,” she told followers.
After a few hours of wear, you’ll be stuck with a “crusty lip situation,” she added.
Instead, opt for a creamy, hydrating pigmented lipstick to keep your lips healthy and hydrated.
3. You coat your eyelashes in waterproof mascara.
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Smudged mascara once in a while might be worth it not to have your eyelashes coming out.
“Waterproof mascara is almost impossible to get off at night, and you’re going to be pulling and tugging and rubbing to get it off, which is going to break your already thinning lashes,” said Carmindy.
If you’re searching for smudge-free mascara, Carmindy suggests a tube technology mascara. “It won’t smudge, but it’s easy to wash off at night,” she said.
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4. You "bake" your under eyes.
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Are you a victim of dark circles or bags underneath your eyes? If you answered yes, you might use a makeup technique called baking. This entails applying loose powder to the under-eye region to achieve crease-free, bright skin. It’s helpful, but only to an extent, depending on your age, said Carmindy.
“Do not bake under your eyes,” she instructed. “Yeah, you can get away with it when you’re 20, not when you’re over the age of 50. You’re going to look like a greasy concrete block of cracky mess.”
5. You use cream-formulated eyeshadows.
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Similar to lipsticks, there are different types of eyeshadows, and the four most popular are powder, cream, glitter, and liquid. Those over 50 should steer clear of cream-based eyeshadow palettes, per Carmindy.
“Our lids do not look like they once used to, so creams are just gonna slip and slide and settle into fine lines and creases. What you wanna get is a very sheer, lightweight watercolor-style eyeshadow powder,” she said.
