Makeup Mistakes That Make Us Look Older

First things first - growing older is an entirely natural process that happens to everyone (if they're lucky!) and should be embraced and celebrated. Making people feel invisible and insecure for growing older is ridiculous and simply perpetuates ageism. 

Having said that, of course, we want to look our best at any age, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with using specifically targeted skincare and makeup to get there. 

The changes our skin goes through with age, such as loss of elasticity or wrinkles require changing our skincare and makeup routine and knowing what works and what doesn't.

Luckily, you can look your best and avoid adding extra years to your face with simple makeup for mature skin do's and don'ts.

Let's look at 8 makeup mistakes that make us look older, with some quick and simple ways to correct them. 

Mistake #1: too much foundation 

Foundation is great - it helps cover up tiny imperfections and evens out the skin tone; however, foundation ages you when using too much of it. 

A thick layer of foundation looks like a mask that sinks into every pore and wrinkle, making them very visible. One of the best ways to avoid that is to apply only a small amount of foundation or wear it only on your problem areas, e.g. T-Zone. 

We also recommend skipping the heavy-duty matte products and choosing a lightweight foundation infused with moisturising ingredients that will keep your skin hydrated and dewy. 

SCOUT Organic Healthy Glow Fluid Foundation with Rose & Grapefruit with light to medium coverage works to even out the skin, helps slow signs of aging and is perfect for mature skin. 

 

A little tip is to add a drop of oil to the fluid and apply to the skin. Gives you that dewy, bouncy look.

Mistake #2: too much powder

Like the foundation, setting powder is excellent in evening out your skin tone and making your makeup last longer.

However, too much of it dries out your skin and makes your fine lines and wrinkles more visible. 

Don't overdo it with your powder or choose a multi-purpose product like SCOUT Mineral Powder Foundation that will work as both foundation and finishing powder. It keeps your complexion radiant and healthy but not shiny.

 

Mistake #3: too bright blush

Does blush make you look older? It depends! One of the most common makeup mistakes mature women make is wearing too much and too bright blush to compensate for the loss of naturally rosy cheeks. 

Don't fall into that trap, as you might end up looking a little cartoonish! 

Forget dark, intense colours and go for nudes, light pinks, corals and peach shades. These will look natural and give you that youthful glow.

 

SCOUT Pure Colour Mineral Blush does a fantastic job of adding a natural flush of colour to your complexion and delivering a dewy radiance.

Lastly, apply your blush on the upper cheekbones and not in the middle - it will highlight your bone structure and give you an illusion of a facelift. 

Mistake #4: too dark lipstick

The one thing most women can't live without is lipstick, but with age, it's time to rethink the colours. 

Dark and rich lipsticks draw attention to your lips and those fine lines around your mouth. They also can cause "feathering" (when lipstick bleeds out) and make thin lips look even thinner, so we recommend switching to hydrating nude, peachy or rose lipsticks. 

They enhance the natural lip colour and give you a fresh, youthful look. 

You can also add fullness with a lip pencil by overdrawing your lips a little; just make sure the colour matches your lip colour and apply it before lipstick. 

SCOUT Pure Colour Organic Lipstick with Orange, Jojoba, Vitamin E & Shea Butter is perfect for any age. The colour pallette is natural and modern, is nourishing, non-drying and hydrates the lips throughout all-day wear.

It's also perfectly complemented by the New  Pure Colour Lip Liner Lipstick that effortlessly glides onto the lips and nourishes them throughout the wear.

 

Mistake #5: too dark eyeshadows

Do you sense a theme? While dark eyeshadow can add some drama and look great, it  can crease and bleed into those fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes. We don't want that.  

On the list of eye makeup that makes you look older, too much dark eyeshadow is the number one culprit. 

We recommend more natural, lighter colours to give you that  fresh-faced look without aging you. 

 

And for those nights when you want a little pop of colour, go for jewel, lilac and wine colours that will make your eyes the centre of attention. 

Try SCOUT Pure Colour Mineral Eyeshadow that come in both neutral and more dramatic colours and creates definition and depth to enhance your eyes. They are highly pigmented and very buildable.

 

Mistake #6: too thick or too thin eyebrows 

If that sounds confusing, we understand. Our eyebrows get thinner and more sparse with age, while full, thick brows are associated with youth. 

So in an attempt to fill the brows in, some women get too excited and overdo it, ending up with unnatural looking brows that appear harsh. 

 

Yes, you want to fill your eyebrows in, but you want to accentuate their natural shape, not literally draw them on. 

Instead of sharp pencils, choose buildable powders like SCOUT Brow Defining Dust, where you have much more control in creating a natural look. 

The powder defines your brows while balancing and framing your face and is perfect when creating a feathery, natural-looking brow.

Always remember to brush through the brows at the end.

Mistake #7: too thick eyeliner 

You don't need a thick, black eyeliner to open and accentuate your eyes. In fact, it might actually age you by sinking into your eye creases and may be hard to apply correctly since the skin on our eyelids becomes less firm with time. 

So switch to lighter, more natural tones like brown, aubergine, amber or grey-blue and softer formulations that don't pull or tug while applying. 

SCOUT Pure Colour Eye Liner Chubbi Pencil is an excellent option as it's infused with natural organic ingredients, nourishes your skin throughout and is easy to apply without dragging the skin.

 

 

Mistake #8: not enough mascara 

No, we're not talking about clumpy lashes, but you want to spend more time layering your mascara later in life as our lashes get thinner and more sparse as we age (not fun, we know!).

A thicker layer of mascara and carefully coating every single lash opens your eyes and makes you look more fresh and youthful. 

 

Less is more 

One of the most common makeup mistakes that make us look older at any age is wearing too much of...everything. 

When you apply too much foundation, eyeshadow etc., it starts settling into the fine lines and wrinkles of your skin and infact making them more noticeable. Yes, the opposite of what we want.

So even if you feel tempted to "apply just a little more" and it looks pretty good before you leave the house, avoid the temptation. 

Also, applying our makeup the same way we have applied it throughout our earlier years is super aging!

Quality matters 

Another critical point that will help you never utter the scary words "my makeup makes me look wrinkly" is to not compromise on quality. 

You want products infused with hydrating and nourishing ingredients that care for your skin, not just add a coat of colour on it. 

Natural makeup is always the best choice as it's usually enriched with natural anti-aging antioxidants that protect and hydrate your skin through wear.