Nikol's everyday core routine for mature skin starts with eye primer and a soft neutral eyeshadow, moves into waterproof eyeliner and a volumizing mascara, uses color correctors instead of heavy concealer, adds a BB cream for a blurred complexion, and finishes with a signature lip liner, lipstick, cream blush, and a touch of gloss.
Key takeaways
- Eye primer is used first, before any complexion products, to cancel out discoloration so eyeshadow colors stay true all day.
- A signature lip color you can pick in under 10 seconds helps simplify your routine as a mature woman.
- Color correctors can often replace a full concealer for everyday wear, with concealer added only when more coverage is needed.
- BB cream is applied with a buffing brush for a semi-matte, blurred complexion rather than a heavy, full-coverage finish.
- Mature lashes often need a specific mascara wand and formula designed to grab fine, sparse, or short lashes.
- A cream face palette can combine highlighter, blush, and bronzer in one step for a quick, radiant finish.
Nikol's step-by-step routine
- Lightly moisturize the skin, then apply Eye Primer to the eyelids with the Concealer Brush to cancel out discoloration before adding eyeshadow.
- Prep lips with Rose Lip Balm #100 to hydrate before applying color later in the routine.
- Apply a neutral eyeshadow all over the lid, then use the lightest shade on the brow bone and the darkest shade along the outer lash line with a smudge brush for depth.
- Clean up any stray eyeshadow fallout along the lash line before moving on.
- Curl lashes, then line the eyes close to the lash line with a WaterProof Eyeliner Pencil, both on top and along the lower lash line.
- Apply Volume UP Mascara using a front-loading technique at the base of the lashes to lift and define them.
- Use Just Peachy Color Corrector or No Redness Color Corrector to neutralize dark spots, redness, or discoloration before applying BB cream.
- Add Creamy Concealer only if extra coverage is needed under the eyes or elsewhere.
- Buff BB Crème into the skin with the Foundation Buffing Brush, using the Concealer Brush for a more precise application under the eyes.
- Line the lips with a WaterProof Lip Liner Pencil, sharpened with the Pencil Sharpener, using light strokes.
- Apply NikRay Shiny Velvet Cream Lipstick #701 over the lip liner for a moisturizing, shiny finish.
- Add cheek color with a Cream Blush Stick, or use the Classic Beach Glow palette to layer highlighter, blush, and bronzer in one step.
- Finish with a swipe of Coco 13 Lip Gloss #259 over the lipstick and brush the brows up to complete the look.
What is Nikol's core everyday makeup routine for mature skin?
In this video, Nikol walks through the makeup routine she uses on herself every day, calling out the core products she relies on throughout the entire year rather than seasonal or trend pieces. She describes this as a great starting point whether you're new to her approach or looking to round out products you already own.
Her philosophy going into the routine is 'less is more' and being intentional about what you add to your collection, so that everything you own gets used instead of sitting in a drawer.
Why should mature women have a signature makeup look?
Nikol talks about how often she sees women pull out a drawer full of makeup that's disorganized, outdated, or the wrong colors, which leaves them feeling overwhelmed instead of confident. Her suggestion is to curate a signature look, including a signature lip color you can choose in under 10 seconds, whether that's a nude or a red.
She also mentions her ongoing video series featuring real women of different ages where she assesses their skin, talks through their goals, and shows how she'd approach their makeup, as a resource for seeing products in action on a range of mature skin types.
For Nikol, makeup is also about more than appearance — she talks about how doing even one small step, like applying mascara or a lipstick, can be a way of taking care of yourself and can build into better habits over time.
How do you prep and prime mature eyelids before eyeshadow?
Nikol starts her routine with the eyes, applying a light serum first and then going in with Eye Primer using the Concealer Brush. She explains that mature eyelids often carry darkness, grayness, or blue tones, and applying eyeshadow directly over that discoloration will throw off the true color of the shadow.
She always does her eyes before any complexion products so that she has a clean base and doesn't risk eyeshadow fallout landing on finished BB cream or color corrector.
How does Nikol apply eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara for mature lashes?
After priming, Nikol applies a neutral eyeshadow (she reaches for her Le Bottled Blonde 3-Well Eyeshadow Palette, with Strong Brew 3-Well Eyeshadow Palette as a matte alternative) all over the lid, then uses the lightest shade to highlight and the darkest shade along the outer corner for definition, blending with a smudge brush from her brush set.
She lines the eyes with a WaterProof Eyeliner Pencil close to the lash line on both the top and bottom, keeping the line tight rather than heavy so it defines without adding extra weight to the eye.
For mascara, she applies Volume UP Mascara using a front-loading technique at the base of the lashes, explaining that mature lashes can be fine, sparse, or uneven in length, which is why the wand and formula were designed together to grab even the shortest baby lashes.
How do you even out skin tone without heavy concealer?
For complexion, Nikol reaches for color correctors before concealer. She uses Just Peachy Color Corrector on pigmentation and dark spots, and explains she'd use No Redness Color Corrector for rosacea or redness around the nose. Both come in a twist-up crayon that's easy to apply directly to problem areas.
She mentions that many women can skip concealer altogether using just the color corrector, though she'll add Creamy Concealer when she wants more coverage, especially in the evening.
To finish the complexion, she buffs on BB Crème with the Foundation Buffing Brush for an even, semi-matte finish she describes as a 'natural complexion blur' rather than a heavy, full-coverage look.
How does Nikol create her signature lip and cheek look?
For lips, Nikol lines with a WaterProof Lip Liner Pencil, sharpened with her Pencil Sharpener, using light strokes rather than heavy pressure since the formula is softer than a typical dry pencil. She follows with NikRay Shiny Velvet Cream Lipstick #701, which she describes as moisturizing with a bit of shine rather than a matte finish.
For cheeks, she adds color with a Cream Blush Stick, or uses her Classic Beach Glow cream palette, which combines a highlighter, blush, and bronzer in one compact so she can contour and add radiance in a single step without emphasizing fine lines.
She finishes the whole look with a layer of Coco 13 Lip Gloss #259 over her lipstick and brushes her brows up to complete the routine.
Shop the look
Nikol uses Eye Primer, Concealer Brush, Rose Lip Balm #100, Le Bottled Blonde 3-Well Eyeshadow Palette. Explore the face collection for more of the pro-aging makeup she created for women over 40.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Nikol apply eye primer before eyeshadow?
Mature eyelids can have natural darkness, grayness, or blue tones, and Eye Primer cancels that out so eyeshadow colors go on true and last all day instead of looking muddy.
How do you know if you have a signature lip color?
Nikol says if it takes you longer than 10 seconds to pick your lip color, you don't have a signature lip yet, and she encourages mature women to settle on one go-to shade, whether nude or red.
Can color correctors replace concealer for everyday makeup?
Nikol says many women can use a color corrector like Just Peachy Color Corrector or No Redness Color Corrector on its own for everyday wear, and only add a concealer like Creamy Concealer when more coverage is needed.
What makes a mascara work well for mature lashes?
Nikol explains that mature lashes can be fine, sparse, or uneven, so the mascara wand and formula need to be designed together, which is why she front-loads product at the base of the lashes with Volume UP Mascara.
Is Nikol's BB cream the same as a full-coverage foundation?
No, she describes BB Crème as a lighter, semi-matte option that blurs the complexion rather than fully covering it, and notes it's heavier than a tinted moisturizer but not as heavy as a foundation.
Can you use the same cheek palette for highlighter, blush, and bronzer?
Yes, Nikol uses her Classic Beach Glow cream palette to apply all three in one step for a radiant, contoured finish that she says is designed to sit well over fine lines rather than settle into them.
