Revealed: make-up mistakes which are making you look older than you are

OFTEN I think, if I could erase every edict telling women what they should and shouldn’t be doing based on age and propriety, I would. If something makes you happy, then knock yourself out.

However, I would not be doing my job if I encouraged you to embark upon make-up methods that made you look worse, out-of-touch or older.

And using the products and techniques that we cherished in the 1970s, 1980s and even 20-teens, can make us look like extras in a historical drama rather than the switched on, culturally relevant individuals we are.

Fashions change, technology powers forward, and faces evolve, meaning that nifty little trick you perfected back in 1994 now looks not only dated, but as if you’ve lost the plot.

Here are the things to avoid.

The mask

THE most obvious rendition of the mask was the flight attendant’s in-flight maquillage — an over-bold face in which every feature received equal emphasis. Some women now concoct a heavy-handed equivalent with cartoon contouring and blocky neutrals. Whether you’re 19 or 90, a mask will make you look years older and weirdly inhuman.

How to break the habit? Start by taking something away, at least for a while. Lock your eyeliner away and simply opt for mascara, or ditch the mascara and work brown liner into your lashes’ roots. Trade lipstick for balm. Thin out your foundation with moisturiser and back away from the bronzer.

Invest in nuanced tools. E. L.F. Professional Set of 12 Make-up Brushes (€12, elfcosmetics.com) is a good place to start to work out what you will and won’t use. I’d add a Charlotte Tilbury Eye Liner Brush (€25, charlottetilbury.com) for smudging kohl; a Jones Road Blush Brush (€36, jonesroadbeauty.com) for rouge; plus a Morphe M101 Lightform Dual-Ended Foundation Brush (€17, morphe.com). And work with subtlety, not the proverbial trowel.

Tired texture

WE’RE often advised to avoid shine with age, but it’s a flat, over-matte guise that can pile on the years. If you throw money at anything, make it your foundation. The best not only simulate a luminous complexion, they yield skincare benefits.

Names to try include Glossier, Shiseido, Charlotte Tilbury and Pat McGrath. Apply while your SPF is still lending some slip, layer on sparingly, and stop while skin still looks like skin. Add dimension with the highlighter of your choice. Then, fix with a dusting of the brightening Revolution Y2K Cherry Bake Loose Powder & Puff (€4.95, lookfantastic.com).

Horror brows

EYEBROWS diminish with age — we can look medievally bald by our late 30s. Pencil in gaps with the hairlike Ilia In Full Micro-Tip Brow Pencil (€28, spacenk.com), then bulk up and out with Glossier Boy Brow (€25, glossier.com).

A right eyeful

IT’S so easy to get our eyes looking off, which is why I’m a huge fan of YouTube, Instagram and TikTok phenomenon Erica Taylor. In her late 40s, the New York-based make-up artist, has become famous for demonstrating old-fashioned ageing versus new-broom brilliant techniques.

I particularly recommend her demonstrating how a heavily black-lined 1980s look causes the whole face to slump, while her 2024 ‘sunrise’ version only lifts. I’m thrilled that she’s made an exclusive video for readers of my column! See link below.

Too safe a face

ERICA and I also agree that ‘safe face’ can be classic and dull — we should all experiment, modernise and bring joy.

Open your eyes — and your mind. Get yourself a Jones Road, Space NK, and/or MAC makeover; scour Superdrug for E.L.F. glitters; and hit Kiko for breaking pigment. Check out TikTok and introduce yourself to Gen Z brands and viral trends.

SEE Erica in action at drive.google.com/drive/folders/14M0FvSyo3SmL2GSLEt055ZdvxE_I4Qrk