How to Do Makeup in Your 40s (Without Hiding Who You Are)

I knew what worked for my skin in my 20s wouldn’t work in my 30s. But no one warns you how much things shift again by 40.

Some days, my makeup looks effortless and fresh. The next, the exact same routine feels off. That’s when I learned my number one rule for makeup in your 40s: don’t push it.

Your skin changes, your features shift, and what once worked no longer does. For example, volume loss around the cheeks and under the eyes can shift how blush and bronzer sit on the face.

Apply them too low, and they can drag your features down. Likewise, heavy foundations or thick layers of product only emphasize fine lines and texture.

Clinging to old habits only highlights the changes we’re trying to soften. Makeup in your 40s is less about perfecting and more about enhancing.

It’s about letting your skin shine through, not hiding it. Your makeup should complement who you are today, not who you were ten years ago.

So with that in mind, here are my go-to tips that make makeup feel effortless, fresh, and empowering in your 40s.

1. Care for Your Skin First

Well, I guess some things don’t change. And that’s the attention you need to give your skin before even touching makeup.

A basic routine or an elaborate routine, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you apply your makeup on clean, freshly moisturized skin.

These days, I start with a vitamin C serum topped with a moisturizer and a very glowy sunscreen. I make sure these work well together; otherwise, my makeup will pill and be all over the place.

I like to layer as much moisture as I can get because I usually wear a natural/matte finish concealer or a skin tint on most days. So I don’t mind the extra glow.

2. Use Foundation and Concealer for Enhancing, Not Masking

Trust me, even if you try, it’s realistically impossible to completely camouflage wrinkles on the face and under the eyes, and texture irregularities like large pores with makeup!

That might work with a filter on Instagram, but it sure does look ridiculous and heavy in real life. So right off the bat, do yourself a favor and reduce the pressure of aiming for perfect skin!

Instead, aim for skin that looks real but more radiant and even. That’s much more doable with certain products.

Tinted moisturizers, light coverage foundations, and skin tints look more flattering on the skin than heavy coverage foundations.

For example, I’ve seen that a color corrector like Erborian CC Dull Correct works better on my skin than a matte foundation.

A light coverage concealer like Too Faced Born This Way Ethereal Light Concealer makes my under-eyes incredibly smooth and flattering compared to a fully matte formula.

3. Apply Base Products Sparingly

You don’t need to apply your foundation or concealer all over the face. For example, only focus on certain areas with your foundation, such as the center of the face.

Most of us don’t need to cover the forehead area, which tends to move a lot, causing your foundation to crease.

Similarly, use a light touch when it comes to concealer. Use little amounts on strategic areas of the face instead of layering multiple coats under the eyes, which will, without a doubt, crease!

4. Blending Makes a Huge Difference

Blending feels like a chore if you’re impatient like me. But it’s also what makes makeup look incredibly natural and seamless.

The same blush can look completely different when you apply it in 10 seconds and when you apply it in 60 seconds.

It just melts into your skin with every dab! So, whatever tool you’re using, be it a brush or a sponge, take your time and blend it slowly.

5. Choose Your Color Wisely

Colors can transform your energy, but the wrong shade or undertone (warm, neutral, cool) can age you or feel harsh. I find this to be more important when it comes to blush and bronzer.

The wrong blush undertones can age you, but the right undertone can make your eyes pop, and can even make your skin look clearer!

It’s that important. So, keep your skin’s undertones in mind when choosing colored products like blush, bronzer, and lipstick.

6. Go for Cream and Liquid Products

Cream bronzers, liquid blushes, and highlighters… These tend to blend better with your skin. Though they can have the downside of moving around, they usually look more natural and skin-like.

7. Choose Healthy Lips Over Bold Lips

Lips tell a story, and in your 40s, that story starts to change. Fine lines, loss of fullness, or dryness can make bold colors feel a bit harsher than they used to.

Heavily lined lips don’t help either. Here’s what does! Softer colors and glossy textures make lips look fuller and healthier.

Consider a tinted lip balm for this. It adds color without the commitment, and your lips stay comfortable and hydrated all day.

So these days, I keep bold lips for date nights, which are super rare :(, and stick with tinted balm or gloss for daytime. Healthy, juicy lips always win.

8. Lift and Define Eyes

Your eyes are a focal point, and small tweaks can make a big difference. One of the most effective tools for that is, of course, black eyeliner. But this can go either way!

I have hooded eyelids. I get Botox to slightly reduce their appearance and make my eyes appear lifted. But when Botox wears off, my eyeliner ages me! The crease just doesn’t go well with eyeliner!

If yours are similar, a safer alternative is using brown eyeliner instead of black, and tightlining, which is coloring the upper waterline.

This gives you the definition you need to freshen up the eyes without drawing attention to any particular area.

Additionally, fuller, natural brows help frame your face. So definitely invest in a brow pencil or pomade for soft definition.

Even a brow gel to comb them up can make a huge difference in the upper part of your face. And lastly, mascara…

You guys, when it’s the right formula, mascara is like a secret weapon. It takes your confidence from 0 to 100 just like that! So layer up!

So this is it. Makeup in your 40s isn’t about hiding your age; it’s about showing who you are now. I think there’s something about being unapologetically yourself that no age-defying foundation can make up for! So, products are important, but so is your energy! Remember that!