make up

  • Learning to apply make up at 50 and free

    Our faces change with the past of time, and therefore, the way we apply makeup should also change. That is the reason many of us have to relearn how to apply makeup at 30, 40, 50 years of age or more. After 40 it is called mature woman’s makeup or older woman’s makeup, before that it is immature probably .

    We want to learn how to apply makeup after 40 or 50, because we want to look good. It is not an attempt to look younger, hotter or fu..able, it is among others the desire (and pressure) to look current in the workplace and to avoid nasty age-related stereotypes. There is a lot of age discrimination and makeup can help us look our best. And of course, we all like to look good no matter the age.

    If we see the makeup advertisements, we can think that women over 40, 50, 60 or more are not interested in makeup. I know that that is not the case. This article is not a tutorial; it is almost impossible to have a tutorial for all “older woman.” I am just suggesting some places where you can learn clever tricks and update your look with pros and cons.

    Sephora makeovers

    This is was one of my favorite places to have a makeover. I like the fact that they have a great variety of products, not just one cosmetic line. Sephora doesn’t offer free makeovers any more, you need to book and pay for the service. You can have free mini make applications.

    Generally speaking the Sephora makeup artists are very well trained and makeup is the only thing they do, they are not aestheticians or half trained people. They are up-to-date on all trends and products and they do not make commission, so they do not put any pressure on the client to buy.

    In general most of my experiences in Sephora have been positive, but I had one negative experience. I did not like the makeup, I think in part it was my mistake, perhaps, I did not make myself clear on what I wanted. The lesson is to be clear about what you want, bring pictures etc. The clearer you are about what you want, the better the experience will be. Sephora also has free classes and they are very good.

    Department stores

    Generally speaking I do not recommend makeovers in department stores. The employees make commission on sales and their salaries are very low, they need to sell. Unless you love a makeup line or know the person applying makeup, it is better to go elsewhere. Also, many people working in the shops are not well trained.

    I do not think it is a good idea to use everything from only one cosmetic line. On the plus side, there is no specific amount you have to spend, technically you could walk away not buying anything, but in reality most of us will want to buy something, so the person did not work without pay. In some places you can tip the person and avoid shopping if you do not want to.

    Cosmetic lines studios

    Such as Mac, Benefit etc. It is similar to department stores, but the makeup artists are better trained.

    Cosmetic shops

    Usually same as above.

    Spas and salons

    Now we are talking of a paid service. They tend to have lessons and applications. In many places there is no makeup artist on the premise. The person applying the makeup could be a hairdresser or an aesthetician. This does not mean that that person is not fabulous and cannot do a great job. In fact for weddings and special occasions these are the best places, but I always recommend to have a try run before the big day.

    For special occasions makeup usually there is no pressure to buy. The pressure can be there for a makeup lesson. A makeup lesson can be valuable, you just have to be prepared to say no if you are not ready to buy. The people working here are decently paid and you are already paying for the service and usually have to leave a tip. The return policies in these places are not great. They usually have limited amount of products, so buying may not offer you the best choices.

    Ulta

    This cosmetic shop deserves its own category because they have makeup applications and lessons. You do not need to buy anything if you don’t want to and you have to tip. The price is lower than in most salons and the employees are well trained. The makeup artist will recommend products from great variety of lines Ulta sells. Ulta sells lower priced lines as well as luxury lines.

    An independent makeup artist

    A lesson with a makeup artist anywhere, independent or part of a service or a salon or spa, can be a great experience. This is probably the most expensive option and the most personal one. I recommend you start with one of the others if money is an issue. The makeup artist will only recommend products she or he sells.

    Ask a friend

    If you have a great friend who is fabulous doing makeup you could ask for advice. Free and hopefully unbiased.

    Learn by yourself

    Youtube, blogs, videos and books, all wonderful resources to learn at your own pace and experiment at home. Be careful because you can end up owning dozens of makeup products.

    Do not believe stereotypes

    Many people, especially younger people or men, refer to older women makeup or mature women makeup in a way that doesn’t make sense. People over 40, woman over 50, sure a woman over 50 looks exactly the same as a woman at 80 or more, they need the same makeup. There are also gross generalizations, such as do not use …., red lipstick, this or that eyeshadow, etc. This is just nonsense ageism, if someone talks like that do not listen, they don’t know what they are talking about.

    Do you have any favorite place to learn makeup tips? A shop or youtube channel?

    Photos by:  ian
    dooley
    on Unsplash  Element5
    Digital
    on Unsplash  Jazmin
    Quaynor
    on Unsplash