My Mum's in Her 60s & This Mature Skin Makeup Routine Enhances Her Natural Beauty
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
Makeup for mature skin can be tricky to navigate.
Take my mum in her 60s. She's definitely finessed her skincare routine, but still finds it hard to nail an everyday makeup look to suit her mature skin.
Mum has combination skin and her main concerns are her hyperpigmentation, pores and tired-looking complexion, but she doesn't necessarily want to hide these things completely.
Rather than using makeup to cover up, the goal is to make her shine and feel great.
So when I spotted this gorgeous makeup for mature skin tutorial on Adore Beauty’s TikTok from makeup artist Carla Dyson, I saved it immediately.
@adorebeauty Glowing glam by Carla Dyson on Lou Kenny 💕 ##makeup ##tutorial ##fyp
♬ original sound - Johnny Sibilly
Since then, I've been seeing so many beautiful, helpful mature skin makeup routines popping up in my Instagram feed.
They even inspired me to give my mama bear a little Adore Beauty haul glow up.
Just like in the video above, I wanted to create a natural makeup look for mature skin using soft colours to enhance her beauty, not hide it.
Keep scrolling for my beautiful mama's new makeup routine, and some simple tips we learnt along the way.
Makeup Look for Mature Skin.
To achieve this look, here are the products you’ll need (or something similar):
- M.A.C Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in the shade Velvet Teddy.
Watch how this makeup tutorial came together in the video below (and to see Mum in action as our newest family beauty influencer).
Otherwise, read on for the step-by-step breakdown.
Step 1. Skin Prep for Mature Skin.
An instant way to plump and give mature skin a youthful glow before makeup application is with a hydrating sheet mask.
At around $20 bucks a sheet mask, Mum loves using the Elizabeth Arden Superstart Probiotic Boost Skin Renewal Biocellulose Mask - 4 Masks to give her tired complexion a quick radiance boost for special occasions.
Suitable for all skin types, this highly-concentrated sheet mask hydrates the skin with hyaluronic acid and a powerful probiotic blend. These also help to strengthen her skin barrier for flawless foundation application.
Step 2. Tame Frizz for Sleek Hair.
ghd original professional styler is the best gift I’ve ever given my mum. After years of colouring her hair to mask greys, it’s left her with super damaged and dry hair.
I pop over every Sunday like the good daughter that I am to smooth and straighten her hair so she’s ready for the working week ahead. Just make sure you spritz hair with a heat protectant spray first to avoid heat styling damage.
Step 3. Best Primer for Mature Skin.
Priming is a fail-safe way to enhance mature skin and ensure foundation won't budge during the day or settle into fine lines and wrinkles.
Mum wants to address specific concerns like minimising shine and skin dullness, so multi-priming is the way to go.
After her usual morning moisturiser and sunscreen, I applied the MAKE UP FOR EVER Step 1 Shine Control Primer 30ml just on her t-zone where she gets most oily.
It's a great tip for any age, Beauty IQ Uncensored podcast co-host Hannah does the same thing in her oily skin foundation routine!
MAKE UP FOR EVER Step 1 Dullness Eraser Primer 30ml goes on the rest of Mum's face to neutralise sallow tones, and lift and smooth her complexion.
Step 4. Best Foundation for Mature Skin Over 60.
Mum doesn't really use concealer. Plus, she's time-poor in the morning, so she relies on a natural-looking, full coverage foundation to do the job of both.
Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation reduces the appearance of enlarged pores and the hyperpigmentation around her eyes.
But I really, really love the way this liquid foundation softens her well-earned wrinkles without hiding them.
This is her foundation of choice for everyday use because it's buildable, comes in inclusive Global Shades and has an affordable $22 price point.
Step 5. A Multi-Tasking Palette for Blush, Highlighter and Eyeshadow.
Staying on the theme of multi-use makeup products, Benefit Fouroscope 4 Square Palette #3 Air Goddess covers Mum's blush, eyeshadow and highlight in one convenient palette.
The powders aren't too pigmented and don't leave much fall-out. The mix of shades gives skin a soft diffused light finish, making it a great option for mature skin. Did I also steal one of the pans for myself? Maybe.
I gave Mum's cheeks a healthy flush with the shade Soulstice before sweeping it on the eyelids. The peachy Georgia and soft pink Dandelion shades also work as eyeshadows and blushes depending on your skin tone, and a dust of Blaze on the bridge of the nose and tops of the cheeks gives a subtle highlight.
Step 6. Lashes and Brows.
Mum works in a childcare centre, so she prefers natural-looking eye makeup over anything dramatic.
I filled in Mum’s barely-there brows with the Maybelline Brow Ultra Slim pencil to mimic fine hairs. Then, a bit of the same pencil smudged outwards along the end of the upper lash lines adds some depth and enhances her almond-shaped eyes.
She ditched her black eyeliner as it was making her eyes appear tired and more hollow. A brown shade is less harsh and more natural for every day.
Add a slick of the Mirenesse Secret Weapon Mascara and she's good to go.
This is a tubing mascara or tubular mascara, which means it's sweat-proof and smudge-proof so won't end up above or under the eyes. Tubing mascaras are great for mature eyes or hooded-shaped eyes.
Step 7. A Neutral Lip Colour.
A neutral lip shade with a creamy formula helps to nourish and give Mum's thin lips a fuller appearance.
When I saw Adore Beauty editor Amy's Beauty IQ article about M.A.C’s best-selling lip shades, I immediately added M.A.C Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in the shade Velvet Teddy to my cart.
Mum was actually next to me at the time, so she made me order one for her, too. True story. She also loves this lippy because it’s super comfortable to wear.
Voila! Beautiful before. Beautiful after.
And there you have it! Our Adore Beauty ‘everyday’ makeup look for mature skin.
Now excuse me while I get back to work, because I think Mum is coming for my beauty writer job!
You can learn more tips and hacks in our makeup for over 40s YouTube tutorial below.
Read more makeup product recommendations on Beauty IQ here:
