Thursday 12 / December / 2024
Line both eyelids, not just the bottom
If you’ve done this in school, we can let it pass. But continuing the practice into adult years — we’ll have to stop you right there. And we aren’t listening to ‘I was lazy’ or ‘Oh, it takes time’. It isn’t a five kilometre run and it isn’t like braiding Rapunzel’s locks. A thin line over the upper eyelid is all that it takes. Severely lining only the lower eyelid (especially with black liner) makes your eyes look droopy, smaller, and drags down your entire face.
Without making the line too thick, heavy or dramatic, line your upper eyelid with a dark brown liner. If you are comfortable tight-lining your eyelid (and are confident you won’t blind yourself in the process), remember that it’s a great trick to really open the eyes and make you look younger. For your lower waterline, opt for softer, lighter, and more neutral shades like beige, pink, gold, light brown, and even white if you think you can pull it off. It works wonders to make your eyes look youthful. It is alright to use these colours with a slight shimmer, even if you are using it on both the inner eyelids, as it helps to bring light to that area.
Avoid sharp lines
Unless the style icon you are looking to idolise is Cruella de Vil, avoid drawing sharp lines. Apart from making you look older, there is definitely something plain mean about the look.
If it is the eyeliner, smudge it up a little, especially towards the end. When it comes to eyebrows, make it look more natural by filling it in softly instead of literally drawing out a perfect brow. The same rule applies for the lips. Follow the natural line and avoid using your liner too harshly to create more than what is really there. You get the picture.
Curl your lashes
Lashes that point straight are not visible and those that point downwards (the worst) make you look older. Eyelashes flatten with age and we need to keep it going upwards, defying gravity.
Trust us, lash curlers are not dangerous; and following it up with some lash-pumping mascara is the simplest way to combat signs of ageing. But let’s keep some guidelines in mind to get this right. Always curl your lashes before applying mascara. Applying mascara to bottom lashes on most occasions, makes the eyes look tired, so we’d suggest you skip it to be safer. Instead of volume mascara, go for lash-lengthening mascara. And there, you have the perfectly curled lashes and more than a couple of years off your face – as simple as that.
Sport natural lipsticks in glossier shades
Those browns, maroons and shades of wine are lovely, we agree, but darker lipsticks make lips look smaller, less plump and dull.
No, it doesn’t mean you have to toss them out. If you want to wear darker colours, make sure they aren’t in a matte finish. Layer on some lip gloss to add that dash of lustre (and let us assure you, you can never be too old for some gloss). To make lips more youthful, we need to mimic the pinkish undertone and the luscious surface. Opt for shades in pink, peach or even nudes with long-lasting hydration. A shade in between your natural lip colour and a berry works the best. Don’t overdo the lip gloss though; else it’ll look like slobber and there is only so far we want to go to look childlike.
Skimpy eyebrows
With age, skimpy doesn’t go well. That being said, eyebrows can really transform how you look. Don’t over-pluck your eyebrows to a thin line to start with, as it anyway tends to get sparse over the years. Hold your pencil at a 45 degree angle (this works to sketch softer lines) and simply fill in. Thicker, fuller and gorgeous eyebrows – just like the old days.
Conceal the concealer
Which means you can’t make it obvious that you are wearing one. The area under the eye is the most delicate and often the place where we need concealers the most. Using a thick concealer might cover dark circles but will creep into fine lines and highlight any wrinkles. Avoid this mishap by using light-weight concealers that come as highlighter pens with illuminating particles. The illuminating particles will reflect light and brighten these darker areas.
Blush at the right place
Contrary to traditional practices, blush is not supposed to be applied only on the apples of your cheek. It looks clown-like and clearly not flattering. Young skin has a rosy glow to it and a little blush gives the face an instant face lift. So don’t skip this essential if you want to dust some years off. Sweep it over your cheekbone in an upward motion to give the illusion of a slimmer structure and blend it in to avoid it looking like a streak. Choose brighter shades that look like a natural blush rather than those dusky ones.
Moisturise all the way
Before expecting any makeup to do its job, it is essential that we have our skin moisturised to take on the load. Skin tends to get drier with age and putting makeup on dry skin can be a disaster, even making you look older than you are.
Without forgetting your lips, slather on some light-weight moisturiser. Apply it soon after washing your face and give your skin some time to soak it in.
Using foundation when and where required
As much as we like to go natural, going bare-faced when there are signs of ageing you’d want to hide, isn’t a good idea. But it is a tricky deal as using excessive or wrong foundations can pile on a good number of years instead of counteracting it.
It is essential to know which shade and finish work best. Use foundation sparingly to just give an even tone. Avoid mattes, velvets or long-stays and instead go for lightweight formulas and sheer liquid foundations with light-diffusing pigments or luminescent particles.
Using minimal powder
Yes, we said that alright. We understand it’s a habit, but pressed powder settles into wrinkles bringing it to everyone’s notice. And we don’t want that, do we? Dust some translucent powder with a powder brush instead of pressing it in. If you have oily skin, focus only on the T-Zone. That way you can remain shine free while the rest of the face can still retain its natural luminescence without the powder clogging the pores. —[email protected]
Hi Beauty Editor, Antara Bose is a model turned fashion and beauty consultant. A popular blogger, anchor, and voice over artist, she maintains a deep connection with the local fashion industry and is passionate about discovering and celebrating aspiring talent as well as promoting animal rights. For fashion updates with a side of humour and sarcasm follow Antara on instagram @antarabose and on Facebook (Antara Bose)
