We often find society dictating everything about our outward image, even when we wear makeup. I’m here today to completely change the way you view makeup, regardless of your age. As a professional makeup artist of over 10 years, I have seen so many beauties over a “certain age” feel so defeated and afraid to wear makeup because society dictates that they are “too old.” Throw that mentality right into the trash. (I’m serious!)

First of all, let’s talk about why age does not affect makeup. We are in the year 2025, where humans, more specifically women and nonbinary people, are doing amazing things. We are seeing left and right on social media that age truly no longer matters. People are making huge achievements well into the later years of their lives. Wearing the makeup look you love is on that list. We’ve seen so much innovation in makeup formulations, that there are makeup brands who fully cater to people of any age! This is exactly what we need. Because of these formulations, wearing makeup is easy at any age. A few tips from a professional, and you’ll look great every time you wear makeup. Let’s get into some of my best makeup techniques.

Photo credit: Creative Contour By Carla, LLC.

Now, we all have unique needs when it comes to makeup, so let’s start there. Before you even consider what makeup products to buy or apply, start by making a list of what your unique needs are. For myself, I need makeup products that are long lasting, work well in changing environments, yet also add hydration to my skin. Because I know this about my skin, I know that I need makeup products with formulations that work well for my skin type: normal to oily, slightly dehydrated. I know that water-based makeup products will work best, set with a fine powder. How can you make this evaluation for yourself? You need to know your skin type and it’s needs as a starting point. If you don’t know this, please see a licensed, practicing esthetician and have a facial. They will conduct a full skin analysis and give you all the information you need.

Once you know your skin type, you can evaluate your individual needs. For example, drier skins need lots of hydration. Oily skins need matte products that can withstand the oil flow, without drying out the skin. For those of you who are normal-skinned, try your best to see how your skin behaves over the course of one week, and then you can take note in your evaluation. And of course, a consistent skin care routine is going to make wearing makeup so incredibly easy, so make sure you have that down!

Now that we know our needs, let’s talk about how to find our dream makeup look, and why this dream makeup look crushes society’s perception of middle-aged women. I myself love a touch of glamour in my makeup looks, so I’ll branch out and try different color makeup products: eyeshadows, lipsticks, blushes, you name it! I also love to experiment with different false eyelash styles. I often say the bigger the better, when I wear false eyelashes! Regardless of age, playing with makeup is fun and interesting. You’ll always catch me saying that wearing makeup is an act of joy, and an act of self care. I can’t tell you how many people tell me on a daily basis that putting on their makeup soothes them. I can tell you exactly why: it’s because it allows you to sit and focus on yourself for the period of time it takes you to put on your makeup. When we take a little time to pour into ourselves, we feel better and are happier. And when we feel good, we give that out to the world. So, finding your dream makeup look completely erases society’s view of middle-aged women, because you know how to wear a beautiful makeup look that you love, and are happy. We all know society loves to put down people who are happy.

Let’s focus on how to find our dream makeup look. We want to consider a few things: 1. Lifestyle, 2. How you want to look, 3. What you look like. Let’s break it down:

Lifestyle: how much time do you really have to achieve your look? What is your daily life like? Are you working? Are you a caretaker? Do you dress up to leave the house? Topics like this are why lifestyle is your first consideration on choosing your dream makeup look. I recommend finding a makeup style that complements your lifestyle. If you know you are a busy Betty, then your dream makeup look is going to be something that you can achieve in a short amount of time. If you’re like me and love to dress up to leave the house, you’ll need to grant yourself a little extra time.

How you want to look: well, this one explains itself! How do you want to look? Are you a natural girly? Soft glam queen? Glamanista? Polished and pretty? The list goes on. Once you know how you want to look, choosing your dream makeup look is easy, because it will either match your style, or compliment it (these are two different things).

What you look like: this is last, for good reason. We all have unique facial features. We need to wear makeup that compliments our facial bone structure. Applying makeup techniques that work well for me, may not work well for you! That is totally okay. We all have different features, and need to apply as such.

We’ve evaluated our makeup needs, we are crushing society’s harmful views of middle age, we know what makeup look we want; now it’s time to apply our makeup and celebrate!! Grab your makeup and let’s get going. Before I start though, a quick PSA: because everyone has unique needs, please understand that this is very generalized advice. We’re here to wear makeup, here to have fun, and here to celebrate being alive! Let’s get into it!

Where to start: Grab your makeup, your brushes and tools, a mirror, and good lighting. I always recommend natural lighting to the best of your ability. Make sure you have your skin care on as a preparation step. For those of you who are wearing eye makeup, we will start there. Grab the eye makeup products you want to wear and go for it! If you are not an eye makeup girly, that’s okay!! I always recommend a little mascara just for a little something on the eyes. You’ll go ahead and grab your complexion makeup and start there. Take your time, regardless of where you start.

We want to make sure we are applying in light layers, so our makeup products are able to adapt to our skin and set up the way we need them to. A little hint here about concealer: regardless of whether it is cream or liquid, you want to make sure to pat it, not smear it. When we pat it in, it sets correctly, and there is less creasing.

When you’re applying your makeup, have a little fun! It’s okay to be a little playful in your look. Even if you are using natural colors, where there really isn’t a “pop.” You can still have some playful elements of your look: maybe a little extra lip gloss, or maybe just one more coat of mascara! And of course if you’re like me and love a little color, feel free to try out a berry lip, or a brighter blush. Don’t be afraid to have fun!! Once your look is done, make sure you take advantage of that great lighting and take a few selfies! You should show off your gorgeous look! We want to celebrate you!

So beauties, we’ve come to the end of this article! I hope you all learned a lot here, and have a better understanding of how to celebrate yourself through your dream makeup look! I can’t wait to see you all posting your selfies with your new look!! And of course, if you need anything, please ask me! I am here to help you be confident and love makeup again!

-

More about Carla:

www.creativecontourbycarla.com

inquiries@creativecontourbycarla.com

IG: @creativecontourbycarla

Tiktok: @ccbcmua

YT: @creativecontourbycarla

Celebrate Natural Beauty

The Graduate

The Trauma Trend