Mature Skin

Less is more.

When working on mature skin it is important to keep things simple.
As we age our skin becomes thinner, pigmentation becomes deficient and we tend to get a little more wrinkled. While these changes are organic and unavoidable, learning proper techniques to enhance features on mature skin are fundamental.

Always start with a primer before applying any foundation to the face.
Primer is like double sided tape - it creates a layer between the makeup and your skin but also prolongs the wear. Best of both worlds!
When choosing the proper foundation it is important to investigate the skin type but equally important to examine if you will need to go half a shade to a full shade darker for your colour choice. This will add vibrancy. Apply foundation using a brush or sponge in downward motions going with the natural growth of the hair (you may need to warm up the foundation slightly prior to application for an easier administration). Keep it light! Heavy coverage will only accentuate lines.

Conceal where needed.
I prefer to conceal after foundation. If you apply concealer before foundation you will only end up wiping it away - ever wonder why you can't cover those stubborn pimples no matter how much concealer you use? This is why.

Set foundation using a translucent powder.
My favorite tool for this is a big fluffy brush but some may prefer a velour puff. To each it's own.

Now we shall move onto the eyes...

Starting with an eye paint, primer or magnet (preferably without a sheen), sweep a thin layer over each lid. This prevents creasing and evens out the tone.
When choosing your shadows try and stick with matte, subtle shades. Sweep the lightest shade over the entire lid all the way up to the brow. Using a medium-dark shade begin to define the crease (the 224 brush from MAC works great for this). After you have defined the crease, take a darker shade and begin to blend from the lash line outwards.
Occasionally eyes will develop a "hood" which makes the crease hard to find - create one! Carefully and slowly blend over top of this "hood" where a natural crease would be using your medium shade.

If you want to add eyeliner do this tastefully. Some people prefer liquid but I tend to go straight for a pencil, setting it with a darker shadow to avoid smudging.

Now for the finishing touches.
Add a natural shade of blush to the apples of the cheeks pulling it just a touch toward the temples. Do this sparingly; we don't want any 80's racer stripes.
Define the lips and add a creamy or matte lipstick. Avoid anything with a frost. Please.
If you are worried about the lipstick bleeding; conceal and powder the lips before application. Or just invest in a lip primer.