13 Makeup Mistakes That Make You Look Older

Makeup Mistakes That Make You Look Older

There are common makeup mistakes that can actually make you look older. If what you had in mind is different than what you see in the mirror, you’re probably guilty of doing some of those mistakes too. Well, it happens to the best of us.

After the age of 30, we usually wear makeup to hide signs of aging and to look more youthful. With that in mind, we put on a whole face, use a bunch of different makeup products, and do everything the tutorial says.

But we end up frustrated. Well, we wear makeup to feel better, don’t we? And what’s the point of that if the result makes you feel like you’re better off without it?

But we all forget something. And that’s the fact that our skin changes and so do the makeup products it requires. So if you feel like your makeup ages you, that’s probably the reason why. And it’s time to go over those makeup steps and find out which one is responsible.

But overall, it all comes down to using too many products and using too much of them without proper blending. That ends up giving you unnatural shades all over the face that make you look older.

Makeup Mistakes That Make You Look Older

Below are the most common makeup mistakes that make you look older and how to avoid them.

1. Wearing a heavy foundation.

Wearing a heavy, thick foundation is the absolute worst makeup mistake that’s guaranteed to make you look ages older than you are.

It’s difficult to admit this but our skin just doesn’t get along well with these types of products after a certain age. Because of thin skin, texture irregularities, and wrinkles, heavy foundations just make things worse.

They look cakey, crease, sit in wrinkles and look like a mask. Because they don’t blend well. Think about it. We use foundations to get an even skin tone and texture. But we end up having the same exact replica of our skin.

And it’s not just cream or liquid foundations. Powder foundations make you look older too. As aging skin is drier, powder foundations look flaky on the skin, which is nowhere near that youthful skin we’re going for.

So if your makeup makes you look older, it might be time to change things in the foundation department. Instead of those wrinkle magnifying foundations, try very liquidy and thin foundations that look and feel lighter on the skin.

You can also try skin tints, serum foundations, BB creams, CC creams, and tinted moisturizers. And if you need to use powder over your foundation, try translucent loose powders and avoid overdoing it.

2. Obsessing over matte finish.

Whether it’s your foundation or your base or your bronzer, using products that are all matte can make you look older. Because matte finish products can look flat and dull. They may have worked great when oily skin was your problem.

But as we age, looking greasy can actually be better than looking dull and flat. And when I say greasy, I mean dewy. Because these days, the line between greasy and dewy is very blurry.

So instead of choosing matte finish products, experiment with dewy and radiant finish foundations or tinted moisturizers.

They give the skin a natural-looking glow. At worst, they show your age. At best, they make you look younger. It’s always a win.

3. Not blending your eyeshadow properly.

Blending properly is what makes those colorful eye makeup look work. And not blending your eyeshadow properly may be the reason why your makeup looks muddy.

If you’re using more than one shade on your eyelids, the harsh lines and streaks can make your eye area look older. The same thing happens when you’re using single eyeshadows too.

So it’s not so much about the metallic/matte shadows but about the proper application of those. No matter the color or the finish, blend your eyeshadow towards the outer corners of the eyes.

Do it until you can’t see where colors begin or end. You don’t want to have a visible color contrast around the eyelids or the brow bone.

4. Using too much concealer.

Concerning concealer, there are two makeup mistakes that can make you look older. Using too much concealer and not blending it properly.

First of all, your concealer should be 1-2 shades lighter than your foundation. However, when you don’t blend it properly, it makes you look like a ghost.

And the transition between your foundation and concealer becomes too obvious. When that happens, you can actually mess up with your facial proportions.

Because lighter shades around the eyes can make your upper face look longer, and cause the mid or lower face to look shorter. And that might not be in line with what you’re going for.

Additionally, by using too much concealer, you draw attention to the fine lines and wrinkle around the eyes. Because concealer creases and sits in those fine lines under the eyes.

Instead, apply small dots on the inner corners of the eyes and slowly and patiently blend outward. The goal is to subtly cover dark circles not to create new problems like light circles.

5. Overdoing your eyebrows.

Overdoing your eyebrows by filling in every single area and overdrawing your eyebrows can make you look older and your makeup unnatural.

Instead, use a shade that closely matches your brows. And only fill in the sparse areas on the brow tail. You can also try tinted brow gels for more natural-looking eyebrows.

6. Skipping the brow bone.

The brow bone is a breeding ground for makeup mistakes you should avoid. Because we all lose elasticity around the eyes and sometimes, our eyes tend to droop.

And if you were once an over plucker, that skin on the brow bone can make you look older when you’re wearing makeup.

To avoid this mistake, do not skip that area. For example, even if you’re not wearing eyeshadow, use your bronzer or blush to do one swipe over the eyelid to warm the area. This will create a seamless look.

7. Lining your lips.

Even though lip fillers are popular among your girls, we actually need them more. Because our lips tend to thin as we age and that’s a fact.

And defining your lips with bright colors is a mistake you should avoid if you don’t want to look older. There’s no point in drawing attention to thin lips by emphasizing how thin they are.

Instead, use neutral colors to define the lips and blur the edges. Defining the lips makes it easier to apply lipstick on thin lips. You can also try tinted lip glosses to make them look fuller and more youthful.

8. Contouring.

Sculpting an already sculpted face is a terrible makeup mistake. I may be exaggerating here. But we lose facial fat as we age, which makes the face look bony as opposed to plump.

So there’s no point in slimming down the face by contouring your cheeks. Instead, use your bronzer simply to warm up the skin tone and fake a day under the sun. Use it to outline the face on the outer edges like your temples and jawline.

9. Using too much black.

Using too much black color is the most common makeup mistake. We think that it looks sleek and classy. But it’s difficult to work with.

Black eyeliner with black mascara, black eye pencil, and dark eyeshadow create an overall messy look around the eyes. Your eyeliner can draw attention to fine lines around the eyes.

Your black eye pencil can make your eyes look droopy. Your mascara both on the upper and lower lash line can get messy and drag the eyes down, giving you a droopy look. There’s just too much that can go wrong.

Instead, try blending your eye pencil or eyeliner to smoke things out a bit and blur out fine lines. Use the color brown or dark grey, which looks softer.

10. Using too much blush.

Applying too much blush on the center of the face can look unnatural and make you look older. Though blush looks more youthful than bronzer, there are still some things to keep in mind.

For example, don’t apply the blush right on the apples of the cheeks. Instead, apply it on the cheekbones and blend it toward the temple.

Avoid bringing your blush down, especially towards the smile lines around the mouth. Pink shades on those laugh lines instantly make you look older. So keep that area clean.

Also, consider cream blushes or cheek tints you can blend with your fingers for more natural-looking and long-lasting makeup.

11. Forgetting your neck.

Makeup artists always remind us not to forget about the jawline and the neck area when applying foundation. I’m sorry but that is one of the most outdated makeup advice out there.

Have you ever used a cream foundation and dragged it down to the neck and even your chest? It looks awful, especially if you have wrinkles there!

Younger people may get away with using foundation on the neck as they’re using it on the face. But if the skin on the neck and around the jaw feels loose and looks wrinkly, you don’t want foundation there.

Because as long as you have the right foundation shade, you don’t need to apply it on your neck just to match your skin tone; it’s already your skin tone.

But if you need coverage there, a heavy foundation will look worse on your neck than it does on your face. Because your skin is much thinner there and it’ll crease like crazy. So use a tinted moisturizer if you need to use something and go easy with it.

12. Treating every area the same.

This is not something as obvious as, say, the blush mistake. But it’s important to keep in mind as a rule of thumb. The skin on your face has different levels of thickness in different areas. And you can’t treat them the same.

That’s why makeup mistakes in those areas make you look much older. The skin around the mouth and around the eyes is the thinnest. And you can’t treat them the same way you treat your forehead.

Thin areas will require lighter products in small amounts because of fine lines. That’s why we use less concealer around the eyes. And that’s why bold, matte lipstick gets tricky.

13. Relying only on makeup.

Not prepping your skin properly is another mistake that can make you look older. And prepping refers to a skincare routine as well as priming.

If you don’t hydrate and moisturize, your skin can become dehydrated. And that makes your foundation look flaky, which makes your skin look older.

Additionally, you can maximize your makeup by using primers to blur out fine lines and illuminate the skin. You can also try color correcting to get an even skin tone. So instead of relying on makeup, get creative with your skincare routine and amp up your prepping game.

So these are some of the most common makeup mistakes that can make you look older. And if you’re currently not happy with how your makeup turns out, these might explain why.

But know that makeup is highly personal. I still use heavy foundations when I want to look flawless for a couple of hours. I don’t care if it makes me look older.

I still love a good red lipstick knowing that it makes my lips look thinner. So there’s no such thing as wrong makeup, just better makeup.

Read Next: The Most Common Foundation Mistakes to Avoid

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