Is Your Makeup Making You Look Older? Top 5 Reasons Why Your Makeup Is Aging You (and How to Fix It)

makeupbyren4
Feb 2
3 min read

Hi Gorgeous,

As a professional makeup artist, I work with women from all over Georgia through personalized makeup lessons. And I’ll tell you this gently but honestly—most of the time, it’s not you that looks tired or older. It’s your makeup routine.

Skin changes. Faces change. But many women are still using the same techniques and products they loved ten years ago. If your makeup feels like it’s working against you instead of enhancing you, one (or more) of these five things is usually the culprit.

Let’s get into it.

42 Year Old Makeup Artist helping my girls look and feel their best.

1. Your Skincare Isn’t Supporting Your Makeup

Makeup can only look as good as the skin underneath it. As we age, our skin cell turnover slows down. That means dead skin sits on the surface longer, making makeup look dry, heavy, or textured. Two things I see missing the most during lessons are exfoliation and hydration.

Gentle exfoliation helps smooth the skin so makeup lays better
Hydration plumps the skin and softens fine lines
Eye cream is non-negotiable—under-eye skin is thin and shows fatigue first

If your makeup is creasing, caking, or emphasizing lines, it’s usually a skincare issue before it’s a makeup issue.

I recommend an exfoliating toner to all my clients like Pixi Glow Tonic with Glycolic Acid. Use 2-3 times a week for gentle exfoliation.

2. Your Foundation Is the Wrong Formula

This is a big one. Many women are still wearing the same matte, full-coverage foundation they used years ago. While those formulas can look flawless on younger skin, they often emphasize texture and dryness as we age.

What usually works better:

Lightweight, buildable foundations
Satin or dewy finishes
Skin-like coverage instead of mask-like coverage
If your foundation is settling into lines or making your skin look flat, it’s time to switch it out.
NARS Light Reflecting Foundation is one of my favs for mature skin - it has built in skincare, a glowy finish, and light to medium buildable coverage.

3. Your Color Choices Are Outdated

Makeup should evolve with you. The tones and finishes you use should complement:

Your current hair color
Your undertone
Your eye color
Your skin’s texture

If you’re warm-toned, warm colors will make you glow. If you’re cool-toned, cool shades will look more natural. Using the wrong tones can make skin look dull, sallow, or harsh—and this is aging you.

This ELF Eyeshadow Palette would be a great palette for those with warmer or neutral skin tones.

4. Your Brows Are Too Sparse

Brows are one of the fastest ways to look more youthful. As we age, our brow hair naturally thins and lightens. Fuller, softly defined brows help:

Frame the face
Lift the eyes
Restore balance

This doesn’t mean harsh or blocky brows—just more structure and fullness in the right places.

A thin brow pencil like the NYX Microbrow Pencil is great for drawing in realistic hair like strokes to thicken the brows and give a more useful appearance.

5. You’re Missing Lip Definition (and Face Color Placement Matters)

Two things happen as we age: lips lose volume, and faces lose natural color. If you’re skipping lip liner, you’re missing an easy way to:

Add definition
Create the illusion of fullness
Keep lipstick from feathering

And when it comes to blush and bronzer—placement matters. Applying color too low pulls the face downward. Keeping color higher on the face instantly makes you look more lifted and refreshed. Tip - Get a Cream Blush and Bronzer - they look more natural on the skin and are easier to blend. I love the Merit Blush and Bronzer Bombs.

Get yourself a good lip liner. A shade darker than your natural lip tone will give you back fullness and definition. I love the Maybelline Lifter Liners because they're so creamy and glide on so effortlessly.

Want Help Updating Your Makeup the Right Way?

If you’re in Atlanta and want a personalized Makeup Lesson and shopping session, visit www.renolanthomas.com or comment below. Not in Atlanta, that's Ok! I also offer Virtual Makeup Lessons.

I go shopping with my clients every week to help them find products that actually work for their skin, and then we do a one-on-one lesson where I teach each step while they apply it themselves. No guesswork. No wasted money.

I hope this was helpful—and remember, aging doesn’t mean looking older. It just means updating your approach.