Makeup trends change over time \u2013 and so does our skin. How can you enhance what you have and refresh your look? Here, makeup artists share the fundamentals of applying cosmetics, at every age.<\/p>\n
Commit to a good skincare routineKate Hughes, who specialises in midlife beauty. Photograph: Louise Rose<\/p>\n
Whatever your age, \u201cfirst and foremost is skincare,\u201d says Kate Hughes<\/a>, who works as a freelance makeup artist in London and Ibiza. \u201cNo good skincare, no good makeup. Full stop. I\u2019m a big advocate of this.\u201d<\/p>\n Hughes, who specialises in midlife beauty, explains that as we age, the turnover of our cells slows down. \u201cThe dead skin cells stay on top of the skin, giving you that dull look, and we want to look fresh \u2013 dewy is the buzzword.\u201d People often say her skin is glowing and ask how she manages this at 56. \u201cIt is because I exfoliate three to four times a week, sometimes every day.\u201d If you are starting from scratch, Hughes suggests exfoliating once a week at first, then slowly building up. \u201cYou could start off with exfoliating pads, anything from Boots\u2019 own to First Aid Beauty<\/a>, and then go on to a liquid exfoliant, like Paula\u2019s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant.\u201d<\/p>\n If you are starting young, keep makeup minimal\u2018There isn\u2019t a \u201cright\u201d age to start wearing makeup,\u2019 says Bobbi Brown. Photograph: Posed by models; Maskot\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Children are getting into cosmetics younger than ever before. \u201cI don\u2019t think there is a \u2018right\u2019 age to start wearing makeup,\u201d says makeup artist Bobbi Brown<\/a>, founder of Jones Road Beauty and Bobbi Brown cosmetics, who lives in New Jersey. \u201cIt depends on the child, their maturity and, honestly, their interest.\u201d<\/p>\n Brown advises keeping it simple: \u201cA little lip gloss, a tinted moisturiser, maybe a touch of blush or mascara when they\u2019re older. The goal isn\u2019t to look like someone else. It is to look like yourself, just a little more polished. Too much makeup is when it starts to feel like you\u2019re covering yourself up instead of enhancing what is already there. Confidence will always be the best thing you can wear.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t focus on covering blemishes\u2018Spot conceal only where you need it,\u2019 says Bobbi Brown. Photograph: Posed by model; Samantha Pierre\/Getty Images\/500px<\/p>\n From adolescence on, hiding spots is often the focus. \u201cThe biggest mistake I see is people trying to cover every blemish with a thick layer of makeup,\u201d says Brown. \u201cIt usually ends up drawing more attention to it. Use a lightweight complexion product if you want to even out your skin, but don\u2019t feel you need full coverage everywhere. Spot conceal only where you need it, using a concealer that matches your skin tone, then blend the edges so it disappears into your skin. Less is almost always more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPinpoint concealing<\/a> is one of my most-asked-about techniques,\u201d says Lisa Eldridge, a New Zealand-born, London-based makeup artist who received an MBE for her work in 2025. \u201cMy philosophy involves resisting the urge to apply a thick layer of blanket coverage to the skin, and precisely concealing only the areas you feel are absolutely necessary to disguise, moving focus to the skin in between your problem areas.\u201d<\/p>\n In the heat, go for a makeup sandwichLayered makeup will last longer during a heatwave. Photograph: Posed by models; Klaus Vedfelt\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Hughes is spending the summer working in Ibiza, where it is 80% humidity and 30C at 9am. How can you prevent makeup from melting off? \u201cUse a grippy primer \u2013 Maybelline do a fabulous one<\/a> \u2013 then spray your face with a setting spray, put your makeup on and spray again. If you layer makeup, you get more longevity in the heat. The sandwich method, we call it.\u201d But this is more for special occasions than every day, Hughes adds.<\/p>\n Hughes also stresses the importance of wearing a high SPF and staying out of the sun: \u201cIf I sit outside, I\u2019m in the shade. I wear a baseball cap and glasses all the time. I wear SPF on my body and my face religiously. The face factor 50s are brilliant now: Nivea has brought out a couple that are like primers. You don\u2019t feel like you\u2019ve got suntan lotion underneath your makeup, which can feel claustrophobic. A dermatologist said to me you can either have good skin or a suntan. You can\u2019t have both.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t try to disguise eye bags<\/p>\n Eye bags are a common issue from middle age onwards, thanks to ageing skin and exhaustion levels. It can be tempting to want to hide them. \u201cAs we get older, the skin under our eyes becomes thinner and drier, so heavy concealer tends to settle into fine lines and emphasise texture,\u201d says Brown. \u201cInstead, focus on hydration first. A good eye cream and moisturiser will make any makeup you apply look better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018The more skincare you do, the less makeup you will need\u2019 \u2026 Antonio Cruz. Photograph: Courtesy of Antonio Cruz<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have bags, it\u2019s all about finding the right eye cream for you,\u201d agrees Antonio Cruz<\/a>, a Venezuelan makeup artist in Manchester. \u201cEye creams with caffeine are fantastic. You have to be consistent, because a lot of people buy a cream, use it once, they are not sure [if it works], put it away\u201d \u2013 and it definitely won\u2019t work then. \u201cYou need to wear it for at least for 28 days,\u201d says Cruz. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t need to be expensive. What matters is how consistent you are in applying that eye cream, moisturiser, retinol. The more skincare you do, the less makeup you will need.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to regulate sleep,\u201d says Hughes, which can be easier said than done. \u201cEye bags come from within, not from outside. If I\u2019ve had a bad night\u2019s sleep, I\u2019ve got some ice rollers in my freezer \u2013 they take down the puffiness and really tighten the skin.\u201d<\/p>\n Tired eyes can be refreshed with ice cubes, says one expert. Photograph: Posed by model; Tatiana\/Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cOne of my favourite remedies for refreshing tired eyes are homemade green tea ice cubes,\u201d says Eldridge. \u201cThey are great for boosting circulation and for draining the fluid under the eyes. Make a cup of strong green tea, allow it to cool, then pour into an ice-cube tray. Once frozen, wrap a single cube in a piece of muslin or gauze and use the cube to gently massage and press under and around the eyes for a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen you need to be quite creative with your concealer,\u201d says Hughes. \u201cFind a really hydrating concealer with good pigment. Again, layer it. Apply a little bit, blend, then apply more. I probably put four to five coats of concealer on my face. If you didn\u2019t blend that correctly in between, it would look awful. I can use Rimmel or Chanel \u2013 I\u2019m still going to get the same finish. Application is king.\u201d<\/p>\n Apply foundation with a brush\u2018A really good finish.\u2019 Photograph: Posed by model; Halfpoint Images\/Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people are happy to apply foundation by hand,\u201d says Cruz, \u201cbut the bristles of a brush would be better at blending the foundation into the skin,\u201d to give a smoother effect. A sponge like a Beauty Blender can work well, says Hughes, but on the whole she has more of a \u201cwhatever works for you\u201d approach \u2013 although she does stress that if you use your hands, quite a lot of makeup will get lost on them. \u201cSome days I\u2019ll put my concealer on with my fingers because I\u2019m in a rush. I use brushes if I want to get a really good finish.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t feel you have to cover wrinkles\u2018As skin changes, less makeup usually looks better.\u2019 Photograph: Posed by model; Maria Korneeva\/Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cYour goal shouldn\u2019t be to erase every line or wrinkle,\u201d says Brown. \u201cAs skin changes, I find that less makeup usually looks better. Focus on skincare, hydration and lightweight formulas that let your skin show through. Heavy foundation and too much powder can make skin look older.\u201d<\/p>\n If you are worried about signs of ageing, focus on your favourite features, says Hughes. \u201cSo many people say to me: \u2018I really don\u2019t like this about myself.\u2019 Well, then put a bright lip on, or do a really soft, smoky eye, and that will take away the focus on the thing that you don\u2019t like.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep up to dateMaking makeup fun again \u2026 Linasha Kotalawala. Photograph: Courtesy of Pave Creators<\/p>\n Cruz used to work for YSL at the Trafford Centre in Manchester and saw customers who \u201cprobably learned how to do their makeup in the 70s and 80s and just carried on with those techniques\u201d. To update your look, he advises chatting to beauty counter makeup artists and possibly having a makeup lesson (top tip: bring along what you already have rather than buying all new stuff), or look online for inspiration.<\/p>\n Hughes recommends recreating the actor Zendaya\u2019s recent eye makeup<\/a> that went viral \u2013 \u201ceyeshadow in the corner of the eyes that gives you a fresh and glowy look\u201d. For more mature skin, rather than a shimmery shadow go for \u201ca lighter concealer, blended right in, which can really open up the eyes\u201d.<\/p>\n Linasha Kotalawala<\/a>, a makeup artist and beauty content creator in west London, loves the trend for brightly coloured liner and mascara: \u201cI am obsessed with an NYX liner in a metallic, bluish mermaid colour \u2013 it is so beautiful on the skin \u2013 and then I apply Marc Jacobs\u2019 blue mascara on top.\u201d She says after the post-Covid clean girl aesthetic<\/a>, renewed attention on colour is \u201cmaking makeup fun again\u201d.<\/p>\n The actor Zendaya\u2019s eye makeup recently went viral. Photograph: Scott A Garfitt\/AP<\/p>\n