The fountain of youth is in your makeup bag. You just have to know what to do—and not do.
By Dori Price, Family Circle
Q: Since getting 8 hours of sleep is unrealistic, is there a way to at least keep my eyes from looking tired?
Do
Let a little shadow and liner be your wake-up call, says José Rivera, Benefit Cosmetics national makeup artist. Start with a neutral (taupe or soft brown) eye shadow, like L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow in Matte Café Au Lait (lorealparisusa.com), under lower lashes, followed by dark brown liner, like Mary Kay Eyeliner in Deep Brown (marykay.com), at roots of upper and lower lashes. You can also mix a touch of highlighter into concealer for instant brightening.Don't
Apply concealer just under the eye. It should go from edge of nose to outer corner of eye.Q: My skin is starting to sag—and my cheekbones have practically disappeared!
Do
Contour with blush, says Grace Lee, global makeup artist for Maybelline New York. Apply cream or powder highlighter just on top of cheekbones. Then add blush to apples of cheeks and blend gently. Wander Beauty On-the-Glow Blush and Illuminator (wanderbeauty.com) is a dual-ended product with both blush and highlighter.Don't
Choose overly frosty highlighters, which can accentuate fine lines around cheeks and temples.Q: How do I make my jawline look more defined?
Do
Apply a taupe contour stick just below the jawline and blend, says Patrick Eichler, executive director of Education & Artistry at Make Up For Ever. Jordana Sculpt N’ Go Creamy Contour Stick (jordanacosmetics.com) is a good option. Use a light hand—you can always add more.Don't
Go for an orange-y shade. It will not blend well, regardless of your skin tone.Q: My eyebrows seem to have disappeared over the years. How do I bring them back?
Do
Fake it in a natural way with a fiber-enhancing brow gel, like Benefit Gimme Brow+ (benefitcosmetics.com). Apply upward and outward, in the direction of hair growth, says Rivera. To make brows look more lifted, followwith highlighter just under the arch.
Don’t
Draw on brows with a pencil, says Rivera. This has the opposite effect, making it more obvious that brows are missing.Q: What’s the makeup fix for hooded eyes? You can barely see my eyelids.
Do
Try a cat eye. It draws out the eye line, creating the illusion of bigger, wider eyes, says Charlotte Tilbury, makeup artist and founder of her eponymous makeup brand. Maybelline New York Curvitude Eyeliner (maybelline.com) has an ultra-fine tip that lets you be more precise when lining.Don’t
Use dark eye shadow—it will darken the hooded area and make lids disappear even more, says Lee. Instead, stick to light taupes and beiges.Q: Is it possible to truly hide age/dark spots?
Do
Neutralize with a color corrector concealer, says Lee. Then apply a concealer to blend with your skin tone.Don’t
Use a too-light concealer—it will look gray and ashy.Q: How do I prevent feathering around my lips? It happens no matter what lipstick I choose.
Do
Saturate the center of the lips with a lip stain before putting on lipstick, blending outward, says Rivera. Fine lines will be much less noticeable when lips aren’t as defined.Don’t
Let lipstick get too heavy near the outer edges, suggests Lee. It will bleed pretty quickly.Q: Instead of downplaying my crow’s feet, my makeup seems to highlight it.
Do
Apply an eye primer on eyelids to diffuse fine lines and crepiness while—bonus!—helping shadow go on smoothly and last longer, says Eichler. Choose a thinner concealer, like Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Concealer (sephora.com). Thicker ones accentuate uneven texture and fine lines.Don’
Wear super-sparkly shadow, which usually has big particles that stick to wrinkles, making them obvious. Serious sparkles are best left to your teenager.Q: Whenever I have my makeup done, my eyes really pop—I look 10 years younger! How can I do this myself?
Do
Curl your lashes. It’s an easy way to make eyes look bigger and more pronounced, says Lee. A white or cream pencil, like Smashbox Cosmetics Always On Gel Liner in Blank (smashbox.com), in the water line—which is right above bottom lashes—also has a brightening effect.Don’t
Apply dark eyeliner to both upper and lower lash lines. This creates a V shape, which makes eyes appear smaller. To keep eyes looking open and lifted, wear dark liner on upper eyelids only, says Eichler.Pro tip
Don’t cake on heavy foundation—it ages you instantly and highlights wrinkles. Instead, look for a soft-focus or blurring formula, like Benefit Hello Happy Soft Blurring Foundation (benefitcosmetics.com), that masks imperfections, say Rivera. Lightweight is better, since you can build to the amount of coverage you want.Q: How do I get fuller lips—short of injections?
Do
Choose a lip liner in a shade close to your natural color, line slightly outside of lips, blend and then follow with lipstick, says Eichler. Another quick fix: a lip plumper under any lipcolor, says Tilbury. Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath in Refresh Rose (charlottetilbury.com) hydrates and plumps up lips with marine collagen, plus it has a pearlescent finish that creates the illusion of a fuller smile.Don’t
Wear a dark liner with a lighter lipcolor. It’s actually the best way to shrink the appearance of lips, says Eichler.
