Quick answer: The single most impactful makeup step for women over 70 is color correcting before concealer. A peach corrector cancels the blue-gray darkness under the eyes and a green corrector neutralizes redness, so your skin looks brighter and more awake. Pair that with hydrating skincare, a light BB cream, cream blush, and a glossy lip balm for a fresh, youthful finish.
Key takeaways
- Color correct first: Address blue-gray darkness and redness before reaching for concealer.
- Less is more: A cleanser, sunscreen, and moisturizer are enough to prep mature skin, no need for a dozen products.
- Hydration is the goal: An essence and a primer help skin look bouncy, not cakey.
- Let concealer rest: Once you color correct, concealer only adds a touch of brightness where you still need it.
- Prime your lids: Eye primer cancels lid discoloration so eyeshadow reads true.
- Cream over powder: Cream blush gives mature skin a dewy, youthful glow.
- Refresh the lips: A hydrating glossy balm instantly revives the whole face.
- You are worth it: This routine is self-care first, a mood booster for you.
Hi ladies, welcome back. This tutorial is all about what women in their 70s and 80s are doing to look years younger, and it is a technique I have taught many times because it truly is a game changer. As an esthetician and makeup artist, I focused this routine on the two things that make the biggest difference for mature skin: color correcting and brightening. My mom inspired so much of this, she felt like everything changed with her skin when she turned 70, so we concentrated on getting her to look fresh, awake, and alive when she looked in the mirror.
How do you prep mature skin before makeup?
Good skincare sets everything up for success, and you do not need a million products. When you are starting out, one to three is plenty, do not get overwhelmed.
- Cleanser, sunscreen, moisturizer. These three basics are the foundation of any mature skincare routine.
- Add an essence for hydration. I am using an essence from Hourglass to refresh and hydrate the skin.
- Layer on a primer. I follow with Bobbi Brown Face Base to add another layer of hydration and get the skin ready for makeup.
Why is color correcting the key step for women over 70?
Many of us see pigmentation or that blue-gray darkness around the eyes that makes us look tired. Instead of piling on concealer, correct the color first so the eye is drawn to brightness, not darkness.
- Brighten the under-eye with peach. I use Just Peachy, a cream-to-powder beauty stix that cancels out blues, grays, and darkness. I bring it under the eye and down a little lower to hit my pigmentation.
- Cancel redness with green. Around my nose, where I get redness and a few broken capillaries, I use No Redness, a green corrector, since green on the color wheel neutralizes red.
- Blend gently. I buff it in with a brush or my fingers. Do not worry if it is not perfect, your BB cream will help blend it further.
- Add concealer only where needed. Because the corrector did the heavy lifting, concealer just adds lightness. I mix shades from my Custom Concealer Trio in Buffed Cool for a custom match. If you prefer a wand, the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer is a nice option too.
How do you get eyeshadow to look true on mature eyelids?
Lids get discolored with age, which muddies eyeshadow. Priming the lid gives you a clean, even canvas so colors read true.
- Prime the lid. Apply an eye primer to cancel darkness on the lid, just like you did under the eye.
- Wash on a mid-tone. I use the soft, plummy shades in my Naughty Nancy palette, starting with a mid-tone all over the lid.
- Marry the colors. Blend a lighter shade across the top to bring everything together.
- Define the outer corner. Take the darkest shade with a small smudge brush to create a soft liner, smoked out slightly. A blending brush fixes any mistakes, and the low-fallout shadows keep the rest of your makeup clean.
- Lashes and brows. Curl the lashes and use a mascara wand with fine teeth to grip and lift fine lashes without clumping. Groom brows upward with a clear Brow Fixx (a cocoa shade covers gray hairs beautifully).
What products give mature skin a fresh, dewy finish?
The goal is hydrated, bouncy, fresh skin, not a heavy mask. A light base plus cream products keeps everything looking alive.
- Apply a hydrating BB cream. I mix Light and Fair shades of my Nikol Beauty BB Cream, made with aloe, ginseng, and chamomile so it soothes and will not settle into fine lines. Buff it in and blend down onto the neck to avoid demarcation.
- Brighten under the eyes. Set with a light dusting of my Nikita Banana brightening pressed powder. It is triple-milled, so it is lightweight and brightens without adding weight.
- Add a cream blush. A mauve cream blush from Hourglass on the apples of the cheeks gives that dewy, glossy prettiness that powder cannot.
- Refresh the lips. I line with my Cameo lip pencil, then use the Hourglass Volumizing Glossy Balm in Entice. A hint of color, moisture, and high shine instantly revives the whole look.
The bottom line
Color correcting, a little concealer, hydration, and a few cream products are all it takes to look refreshed and awake in your 70s and 80s. But the real message is bigger than makeup: you are doing this for you. When you look in the mirror, you deserve to feel happy and confident. Taking a few minutes to put yourself together can change your whole mood and remind you that you are worth it. Celebrate your age and take good care of yourself.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best makeup technique for women over 70?
Color correcting is the single most effective step. Applying a peach corrector under the eyes cancels blue-gray darkness, while a green corrector neutralizes redness. This brightens the face so people notice your eyes rather than shadows, and it means your concealer has far less work to do.
Should women over 70 use a color corrector or concealer?
Use the color corrector first, then add concealer only where you still need it. Correcting neutralizes darkness and redness at the source, so many women find they barely need concealer afterward. Layering concealer alone over dark areas often looks heavy and can settle into fine lines.
Why is cream blush better than powder for mature skin?
Cream blush melts into the skin and leaves a dewy, glossy finish that looks fresh and youthful. Powder is not off limits, but on mature skin it can look flat and sit on top of texture. A cream formula adds that extra prettiness and glow to the cheeks.
How do you stop eyeshadow from looking muddy on older eyelids?
Prime the lids first. Eyelids naturally darken and discolor with age, which dulls and muddies eyeshadow. Applying an eye primer cancels that darkness and creates a smooth, even canvas, so your eyeshadow shades appear true, vibrant, and long-lasting.
What mascara works best for thin or fine lashes?
Choose a mascara with a wand that has fine teeth on both sides. The small teeth reach the base of the lashes, grip each one, and lift and separate them without clumping. This maximizes the fine, thin lashes common in your 70s, adding length and volume that reads natural.
