Regardless of your age, you should feel great about expressing yourself through makeup. Whether you are all about embracing new trends or going your own way, makeup should always be fun. But as your skin’s needs change, you may find that makeup wears differently, especially when it comes to the eyes. Eye shadows and liners may have started sitting less easily on your lids, but that’s no reason to throw them away altogether. Read on for some of our tips for making up mature eyes…

Always start with eye cream

You’re probably doing this already, and if so, keep up the excellent work. But on the off chance that you’re reading this and don’t use an eye cream on the daily, maybe this will change your mind. Both the eyelid and the undereye area need to be properly hydrated — but not greasy — with a good eye cream, so your shadow of choice can glide on more smoothly and stick around for longer. Let it sink in for at least five minutes first – maybe go grab that coffee – for a flawless finish. We love Tailor Skincare Awaken Caffeine Eye Cream for morning eyes, and it has a pretty pearly sheen to boot.

Re-think your formula

Using a cream shadow versus powder can give a smoother texture, which can be difficult to achieve when working with mature skin. Creamy formulas often appear more hydrating and don’t accentuate fine lines around the eyes that powder eyeshadow can at times. Because cream textures are more malleable, you might want to opt for cream blushes and highlighters, too. Aleph’s Lip / Cheek Tints can be used on the lids to beautiful effect, and nourish as well. Try the shade Grounded for a warm, daytime look and dramatic Terra for the night. And don’t throw away your powder shadows by any means – layer them lightly on top for more intensity.

Prep and prime

Just as you do applying your foundation, priming is an essential step for your eye makeup, as well. Eye makeup doesn’t sit as well as we age, so providing a great, well-primed canvas is a great habit to get into. And although you may already be familiar with applying eye primer to your lids, under-eye primer is just as (if not more) important when it comes to eye makeup for mature skin. As your skin matures, under-eye wrinkles and fine lines are a fact of life, and under-eye primer can definitely help reduce their appearance.

Re-think your eyeliner

Eyeliner is one of the best ways to add definition to your eyes, and the key to nailing it as the years go by is getting the formula and technique right. When you’re young, a sleek cat-eye looks amazing. But as you age and the skin becomes less taut, it’s nearly impossible to maintain a straight, even line. Even if you draw it on perfectly, it will look uneven once you let go of the skin. Instead, to create a sexy, not severe, look, use a soft eyeliner pencil to trace the shape before buffing a bit of darker matte or satin shadow on top to diffuse the line. You’ll get the definition, but without the harshness. Or, create dots along the upper lash line and connect them. Then, smudge the line for a softer look.

Less is sometimes more

If you’re not certain about a specific eye makeup look then don’t pressure yourself to wear it. If you want to rock a new trend then do so by all means, but if you have better things to do? A simple eyeshadow look can go a long way. If you’d rather take a break from eyeshadow altogether and your eyelids tend to be tinted or veiny, you can always cover them with concealer to even out the tone.