Melissa Meyers is a Los Angeles–based influencer with a focus on beauty, style, travel, and wellness. Her blog, The Glow Girl, aims to empower women to embrace the best version of themselves, age gracefully, and cultivate a glow from the inside out. She also happens to be a 55-year-old with a passion for beauty. Below, hear from Meyers on the top five makeup tips she swears by for feeling and looking 10 years younger. At 55 years old, I’ve made a commitment to continue feeling and looking my best as I get older, and as a beauty lover, I’m always on the hunt for the very best products that can help me achieve this! I get lots of questions about my best tips for ageing gracefully, and I definitely have a few great secrets in my bag to help turn back the clock a few years. Below, I’m sharing five makeup hacks I use regularly to help erase a few extra years off my face. Keep scrolling…
Use a blurring primer. Finding a great primer is a necessity when it comes to ensuring a smooth, long-lasting makeup application. That being said, not all primers are created equally. One of my top anti-ageing tips when it comes to makeup is to invest in a primer that’s specifically marketed as “blurring,” which will actually help soften the appearance of fine lines or wrinkles. Farsáli makes a great clean beauty primer called Skintune Blur Perfecting Primer Serum (£20). It is one of the best for achieving that soft-focus finish that’s deeply flattering as we get older. I also like StriVectin Line BlurFector Instant Wrinkle Blurring Primer (£24) for its ability to fake the look of younger, airbrushed-looking skin. It’s almost like a magical optical illusion!
Since our eyebrows start to thin and get more sparse as we age, creating the look of thicker, fuller brows helps mimic create a more youthful appearance. Having a great brow filler in your makeup bag is a must. Ere Perez makes a great pencil to fill in those inevitable gaps that can come with age.
I also like BeautyCounter’s brow gel. It comes in different tints and has a buildable formula to give the appearance of thicker brows. [If you can’t get hold of BeautyCounter, try Benefit as an alternative—Ed]. Luna Nectar Moon Boost Lash and Brow Serum (£64 + shipping fees) is another new find I recently discovered while at the Indie Beauty Expo, and even though I’ve only been using it for about a month, I’ve already noticed tons of new brow growth! (It’s so good that I even featured it in my onTuwi Boutique.)
One of my top makeup hacks for looking 10 years younger than I actually am is to use glowy products. A highlighter can add definition to your bone structure and complexion while also gifting skin with a radiant, youthful luminosity. I recommend concentrating your application on top of your brow and cheekbones, and maybe just a touch along the bridge of your nose.
Ilia’s liquid highlighter is amazing. It has a lightweight gel-based formula that infuses your skin with a warm and dewy finish. I also use legendary makeup artist Gucci Westman’s Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick (£44). It’s super flattering, as it melts into your complexion and also boasts specialised ingredients to strategically help encourage collagen production (which naturally and gradually depletes as we age).
A great drugstore option is by CoverGirl. The brand just launched a clean beauty line, and its Clean Fresh Cooling Glow Stick is super portable and has a light shimmery finish [if you can’t get hold of this in the UK. try Barry M’s Strobe Cream (£5)—Ed].
If you prefer a powder formula, I like PYT Beauty Upgrade Highlighter ($22). It’s satiny smooth and buildable for a sun-kissed glow.
Plump and condition your lips. As we get older, our lips thin, leaving our pouts not so plump! A great lip plumper will be your best friend if you find the right one. The big secret here is to find a formula that will moisturise and plump. I have a few favourites…
Glossier’s eye and lip-plumping cream is a great option because it actually does double duty as a lip and eye product. It hydrates both of these delicate areas by plumping the skin. Plus, it never feels sticky.
I also love using the Bare Minerals Moxie Plumping Lip Gloss (£18) in addition to the brand’s Gen Nude Under Over Lip Liner (16). It’s a great product combination to help mask those fine lines around my mouth.
Dark under-eye circles and skin imperfections can definitely make us look older or more tired than we actually are! This is where a great concealer can come in handy. My all-time favourite is from RMS Beauty. It’s made with clean, organic ingredients and comes in a ton of shades. It also never gets dry or cakey on the skin, which many other concealers tend to do.
I never leave home without using one of the most cult-loved beauty must-haves in the industry: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat All-Over Brightening Pen (£18). I even keep one in my bag at all times for touch-ups. For super-dark circles and tired eyes, YSL has one that offers even more coverage as well. It’s truly one of the best products to camouflage and brighten tired eyes.
Another game-changing concealer that works wonders for hiding dark circles and sunspots is Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer (£24). It’s no wonder why they call it the “magic eraser.” Plus, there are a ton of shades on offer. Of course, there are fantastic skincare products and other non-invasive procedures that can also help with ageing softly, but many of those things take time and patience to see results and can get costly. Sometimes, we just want a little more instant gratification! That’s when I turn to makeup hacks for a quick and easy confidence boost. I recommend experimenting with these tips and products and seeing how you feel. Next up, the best short hairstyles if you’re thinking of going for the chop. This piece originally appeared on Who What Wear U.S.
Here’s what actually works for me.
