It's where we see the laughter and sorrow of our lives... in the delicate tissue around the eyes: crows feet, crepiness, dark circles and bags. Nothing gives away our age like our eyes. To increase our face value, we need to start here!
This post has been written with women of a certain age in mind, and while you may be looking into a mirror thinking that you're still too young to think about a simple makeup plan like this... just remember that it's info you'll need someday.
As mentioned before, using eye treatments that can tighten and firm the skin of the eye should always be used, and while dark circles can be hereditary, there are products that can lighten and diminish their appearance. Moving into cosmetics, using a highlighting creme or pencil to highlight the area under the eye, as well as the lid itself, will mute the darkness, visible capillaries, and otherwise prime the area for makeup.
Most fashion magazines tell women that there is no shimmer in their life after 50... literally, do not use shimmery products. I disagree. It's not about not wearing shimmer, but where you apply the shimmer.
Once your eyes have been primed, apply a sheer, shimmery tone... something soft and neutral to the lid. Don't apply it from lash line to brow, just the lid. This will really give a nice highlight to the lid... making your eyes appear to twinkle. Use a similar shade in a matte shadow to give base tone to the area between the crease and brow. Then using a slightly darker shade in a matte shadow, apply a contour to the crease, but be careful not to apply too much toward the outer corner where the product can slip into the fine lines and accentuate the crows feet. It's all about centralized placement... keep it on the center of the lid. We're also changing our palette. Soft neutrals and pastels play best on aging skin. Dark tones that are used to create smoke and deep drama in the eyes of a younger client can be horrid reminders of just how old we are as those dark tones slip into the fine lines around our eyes and give bold definition to any sagging or drooping that may be occuring. By removing our darkest tones from our library, we're left with base tones and contour colors. Allow the definition to come from liner, and worry less about color.
Pencil Liners can be very heavy and sticky... and they pull the skin when applying. On an aging eye, when the tissue is thin and has less elasticity, the pencil line looks garish. It is a better idea to work with a liquid liner. The line tends to be smoother, and as long as you take your time, it can be a very fine line just along the lashes. That simple definition can make all the difference.
The same applies for the lower lash line. A pencil line will be too heavy and make your eyes appear to droop. Instead, use a fine brush and a shadow to create a soft, subtle line of definition under the lower lashes.
Before applying brows, use a highlighting pencil or creme to create a slim highlight under the brow and on the inner corner of the eye. Blended into your shadows, this can give the illusion of a lifted brow, and a wide awake eye. Subtlety is key to highlighting...if you get too heavy handed, you won't look young, you look like a drag queen.
Brows are also a dead giveaway to age. When filled in softly with a light brow powder, they can they be defined by using a brow pencil. be sure to apply the pencil is simple strokes, as if you were drawing indivdual hairs. When unsure of how dark they should be, start light and add... you can always add more, but it's a pain to have to start over if you've gone too dark. This applies to clients with strong brows or next to no brows... you must have them! It is a sin not to do your brows!
Lashes also make a huge difference to your face value, and a simple pair of demi-lashes on the upper lash line will give you a little added fullness and flounce. As we age, we can sometimes lose lashes and that sparseness gives away our age, too!
Finish the eyes with a volumizing mascara. Your lashes should look thick and defined. If you require more length, and false lashes aren't your game, apply a coat of lengthening mascara as your second coat over the volumizing product.
Again, this post is written for women of a certain age, but the simplicity of the concept is a good base for learning how to think about makeup in regards to aging... and we're all aging... have been since we were born! Remember... it's all about increasing your face value!
