Quick answer: To make your eyes pop after 70, swap harsh black liner for waterproof navy, prime your lids so shadow reads true, and brighten the under-eye by color-correcting instead of piling on powder. In this Fierce Aging episode, Nikol Johnson walks through every step on her 74-year-old guest Susan using the matte Rewrite the Rules palette, ending with a soft daytime look she then takes up a notch for evening.
Key takeaways
- Navy beats black: Nikol chose waterproof navy liner to flatter Susan's blue eyes and add dimension without the harshness pure black can bring to mature eyes.
- Prime first: an eye primer neutralizes the pink and red pigmentation lids naturally develop with age, so eyeshadow looks true and lasts all day.
- The palette: Rewrite the Rules is a talc-free matte palette made in Italy; she mixed in a touch of sheen from the lighter Cabana palette for a little life.
- Brighten by correcting: a peach corrector cancels under-eye blue and grey, then creamy concealer adds brightness — no heavy banana powder required.
- Technique over more product: placement, soft brushes, and practice do the work — plus a Fierce Aging reminder that staying active (Susan runs half-marathons at 74) shows on your face.
Hey ladies! This one is part of my Fierce Aging Series, and my guest is Susan — she's 74, runs half-marathons, and recently won a gold medal in Finland with her husband. Susan barely wears eye makeup, so I wanted to show her (and you) how a few smart techniques can make mature eyes look brighter and more open, without anything feeling heavy.
Why did Nikol reach for navy liner instead of black?
Pure black can read harsh and even make mature eyes look smaller. Susan has beautiful icy-blue eyes, so instead of the usual charcoal, Nikol chose a waterproof Navy liner to complement them. She actually layered it: first a soft dark-grey powder liner along the lashes, then the navy pressed right into the lash base for dimension. On one eye she also tight-lined underneath the lashes — a more dramatic touch she noted you would save for special occasions rather than everyday wear.
How do you build an eye-popping look on mature skin, step by step?
Here is the order Nikol followed on Susan, start to finish:
- Prep the skin. Susan came in bare-faced, so Nikol smoothed on a light milky skincare lotion (Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Bright) as a base.
- Prime the lids. Using an angled concealer brush, she tapped eye primer from the lash base up to the brow bone to neutralize the natural pink and red pigmentation.
- Shape the brows. She drew hair-like strokes with the Skinny Brow Pencil in Taupe, filling gaps without over-plucking.
- Build the eyeshadow. From the matte Rewrite the Rules palette she washed a mid tone across the lid with a flat shadow brush, placed the lightest shade on the brow bone, and smudged the darkest shade into the lash base with a short smudge brush — then added a hint of sheen from the lighter Cabana palette in the center of the lid.
- Line the eyes. A dark-grey powder liner first, then waterproof Navy at the lash base, with optional tight-lining for drama.
- Coat the lashes. Volume Up mascara, wiggled from the root and combed up to lift sparse or short lashes.
- Brighten under the eyes. Just Peachy corrector to cancel blue and grey, then creamy concealer for brightness, plus a dot of green No Redness corrector on a red patch.
- Even the complexion. BB Cream in Fair and Light mixed together and buffed on for a light, semi-matte finish.
- Add color. A cream blush stick in St Bart's swiped on the cheeks.
- Finish the lips. Rose lip balm to prep, Rose All Day waterproof liner, Pretty Smart light-pink lipstick, and a layer of Manifest and Glow gloss.
- Take it to evening. False lashes and extra depth of the darkest shadow, blended out with an airy blending brush.
- Set and refresh. A few spritzes of a rose hydrating spray to finish.
Nikol also leaned on her Essential makeup brush kit (each brush is labeled on the handle) and her new Deluxe brush soap — a reminder that soft, clean brushes are half the battle, especially around delicate mature eyes.
What is the real trick to brightening tired under-eyes?
It is not a swipe of yellow banana powder — it is correcting before you conceal. Nikol first taps a peach-toned corrector (Just Peachy) under the eye to neutralize the blue and grey that show through thinner mature skin. Only then does she add a creamy concealer for brightness, tapering it out with an angled brush. Because the darkness is already cancelled, you need far less concealer, so the area looks lifted and awake instead of cakey or heavy.
What does Fierce Aging have to do with makeup?
For Nikol, beauty after 70 is whole-body. Susan's story — running half-marathons in her 70s, traveling the world, staying strong to protect against falls — is the point: energy and confidence show on your face as much as any product. Nikol's makeup message matches her fitness message: push past your comfort zone, do not keep doing the exact same thing, and trust that technique and practice (not piling on more product) are what make you look and feel your best.
The bottom line
You do not need a full face of heavy makeup to make your eyes pop over 70 — you need a primed lid, a flattering liner color, and a brighter under-eye. Ready to try Nikol's approach? Explore the eyes collection, browse eyeshadow palettes, and find your liner in eyeliners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use navy eyeliner instead of black on mature eyes?
Deep navy gives you definition without the harshness pure black can bring to mature eyes. In the tutorial Nikol chose waterproof navy specifically because it flatters her guest's blue eyes, layering it over a soft grey powder liner at the lash base. The effect adds dimension and makes the eyes look brighter and more awake.
Do you really need an eye primer over 70?
Yes — it is one of Nikol's non-negotiables. Mature lids naturally develop pink, red, or bluish pigmentation, and shadow applied straight over that looks patchy and fades fast. A dedicated eye primer neutralizes the discoloration first, giving you a smooth, even canvas so your eyeshadow reads true and stays put through the day.
What is the Rewrite the Rules palette?
Rewrite the Rules is Nikol Beauty's talc-free matte eyeshadow palette, made in Italy, with soft, creamy mattes in wearable tones. In the video Nikol uses it as the base of the look and mixes in a hint of sheen from the lighter Cabana palette, so mature lids get a little life without heavy glitter or fallout.
How do you brighten under-eyes without it looking cakey?
Skip piling on powder. Nikol first taps a peach color corrector (Just Peachy) under the eyes to cancel blue and grey shadows, then adds a creamy concealer for brightness and tapers it with an angled brush. Correcting before concealing means you need less product, so the area looks lifted and awake instead of cakey.
Can women over 70 wear false lashes and a smokier eye?
Absolutely. Nikol encourages mature women to step outside their comfort zone. After a soft daytime look she added false lashes and blended extra depth of the darkest shade for an evening upgrade, showing that with good technique and blending it reads polished, not overdone. If you do not love it, you can simply wipe it off and start again.
