All of the high-tech serums and creams aren’t doing one bit of good if the type of makeup you’re using (or the way you’re applying it) is aging you. Makeup pros share the makeup mishaps women commit that are making them look older and advise on how to trade in these habits to look your freshest ever.

Aging makeup mistake #1: Wearing too dark a foundation. “Some women think that they’re too pale and this makes them look sick or tired so they use a darker foundation to add some colour to their face—but this only makes them look tired and older,” says David Vincent, Lise Watier international makeup artist.

Solution: Opt for a foundation that offers some reflective qualities. To get the colour you want on your face, David suggests using a bronzing powder or a tinted cream, which has translucency to it. With the bronzer, try to choose one that most closely mimics the golden shade you would naturally turn with tan.

Aging makeup mistake #2: Putting on too much powder. “Too many women overuse powder foundation by reapplying all day. The more powder you layer the older you look, so you may be ageing yourself by five to 10 years in 12 hours!” says Singapore-based international makeup artist Andrea Claire. “The problem with powder, and yes, this includes mineral powder, is that it is drying and accentuates fine lines.” And here’s an interesting insider tip: Andrea says that when clients ask makeup artists to do a simple aging job on a model, they simply put on more powder.

Solution: You don’t need to quit using powder altogether. If you have excessively oily skin, Andrea suggests using a mattifying primer before applying your powder to cut down on the feeling that you need to reapply powder throughout the day. Then, through the day, use a powder-free blot film to blot occasionally. If you must put on more powder (“only with extreme cases,” stresses Andrea), re-powder just your T-zone. Be sure to avoid powder under the eyes and anywhere fine and deep lines tend to develop, such as the forehead and around the mouth.

We’ve got 3 more aging makeup mistakes and the best solutions on the next page…

Aging makeup mistake #3: Overly thin, over-plucked eyebrows. “Decades past, very thin eyebrows were in style. But overplucked brows now just scream out that you’re a victim of a trend that’s not around anymore,” says David.

Solution: Use a powder to fill in your brows rather than a pencil to get a softer, less harsh look. Filling in your brows will bring emphasis to the upper part of your eye, giving an instant lift to your eyes, says David. If you’re not used to having your brows filled in, you may feel they look clown-ish and scream out to you when you look in the mirror. He suggests doing your brows last, after you’ve done the rest of your face (including your lashes and liner). “This way all of your features are already enhanced and you’ll have a better idea of the intensity of your browns,” he says. Also, take note of how you’re peering at yourself in the mirror. “People often look into the mirror and automatically make a weird expression –almost an angry look—when examining their eyebrows, in particular,” says David. Look in the mirror and smile and your eyebrows will accentuate your happy expression.

Aging makeup mistake #4: Wearing too much blush—and in the wrong areas of your face. “Women are just applying a blush randomly with too big a brush, so they’re going lower than they should go,” says Joelle Boucher, a makeup artist based in Montreal. “Using a too big brush will apply too much pigment too close to the jaw line and this will give the impression that the muscle is going down,” she says. And why’s that bad? “We want to fight the law of gravity!”

Solution: Ditch the oversize fluffy brush. Instead use an angle brush—and watch how much product you’re using, a little can go a long way—to precisely put blush onto the apples of your cheeks or work with contouring your face by working with your bone structure.

Aging makeup mistake #5: Avoiding shimmers and frosts on your mature skin. You’ve probably read somewhere that shimmer and frost will only highlight your fine lines and wrinkles and that you should avoid them at all costs. “But light is useful. Going too matte is not a good idea, either,” says David.

Solution: Instead of a matte blush (which can essentially turn out all of the light hitting your face), use one with a slight sheen to it. Use highlighter in spots where light naturally reflects on your face , like on the arch of your brow, for example. David also recommends a soft dab of frost to the centre of your lips will give them a poutier, full look.

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