Beauty Kuel Category Expert: Elise Marquam-Jahns
Have you ever decided to purchase a particular makeup product, but had no idea how to find the best product for you out of the hundreds of online, drugstore and department store options?
Well, today I’d like to share with you six ways that those of us with mature skin who are over forty-five can find great beauty and makeup products. And, I’ll also share with you four great new products I’ve recently discovered that I thought you might find particularly interesting.
1. Ask For Recommendations
The first and most obvious way to find a great product is to ask your friends for recommendations. If you notice one of your friends has a lipstick that’s absolutely gorgeous or a particular eye shadow color or mascara that looks fantastic– ask her what she uses—what she’s tried that she hasn’t liked and what she’s tried that she absolutely loves. I’m sure she’ll be glad to pass on her tips for truly outstanding products.
2. Checkout Online Reviews
The second tip is to check websites of retailers like Ulta or Sephora. These are the stores that carry the largest array of makeup and beauty products and most products on their websites have reviews, so be sure to check to see if any of those reviews are by people in our demographic. The age range will be listed if the person writing the review checked the appropriate age range box. Finding a review from someone who’s roughly our age and who has the same challenges and issues we do can really make a difference in helping us evaluate if that product will be a good choice for us.
3. Sample Products
The third tip revolves around an action that many of us are somewhat loathe to do . . . and understandably so. And that is to try out various products at department store makeup counters or at Sephora or Ulta by asking for small samples of creams and liquids to take home with you. Of course with the current pandemic situation, this most likely won’t be possible to do now, but I hope you’ll consider doing it in the future. This approach can be really helpful because you can then take these samples home, try them out, and determine over a period of time if the products will work for you.
Also for things like concealer and foundation, you’re able to check how they look on your skin in various different lighting situations—natural daylight, fluorescent light or evening light. And by the way, the consultants at the makeup counters are happy to give you samples because they’re of course hoping you’ll come back and purchase the full size product from them. So creams and liquids are fair game for getting samples and don’t hesitate to do that.
4. Check Out YouTube Product Reviews
My next tip—number 4—is to enter the name of a specific product you’re interested in in the YouTube search bar because many Beauty YouTubers do product reviews on a wide range of products. So invariably you can find the particular product you’re interested in covered by a YouTuber. So this is another way to find out more about that product so you can get a sense of the pros and cons of that product.
5. Use Facebook Groups
Another tip—number 5—is to check out products through your various Facebook groups. I know in the city where I live there’s a particular Facebook group for women who live in our city. So often I’ll write a post with the name of the type of product I’m looking for and see if anyone has any recommendations.
6. RankAndStyle.com
And for our sixth and last tip, I want to let you know about a very interesting website that can be incredibly helpful. It’s called rankandstyle.com. On that website you can find top 10 products in every possible beauty category—from hair products to makeup—you name it. And, I think they’ve also now expanded into fashion and other products as well. All you need to do first is click on “top 10 lists” and follow the prompts. It provides a great starting point for checking out a variety of products.
See How Elise Makes The Magic Happen
Four Great New Makeup Product Finds
Now let’s focus on the four great new makeup product finds that I’m excited about sharing with you. Only one of them is actually a ‘new’ product, but the other three are ones that have been around for a while, but they are new to me.
1. Veil Mineral Primer
First I want to let you know about Veil Mineral Primer from Hourglass. I love the fact that it’s oil free with a mineral sun screen and that it glides on without feeling the least bit greasy. And, I do think it helps minimize the look of pores. It is definitely pricey, but it does come in three sizes including a travel size which is $20.00 for 8.9 ml.
2. Juno and Company Microfiber Sponge
Next, if you want to feel something that’s absolutely luxurious to the touch but doesn’t have a huge price tag, check out the Juno and Company microfiber sponge. I absolutely love the shape of this sponge and the feel of it. It is unbelievably soft. One thing to know about this product is that the brand does not recommend putting foundation or other cream product directly on the sponge to apply it since it will go on too thick. They recommend first putting the cream product on another surface, and then using light dabbing motions to apply the product to the skin with the sponge.
3. “Enduring Love” Palette From Sydney Grace
When I heard people I trust raving about this next product—an eye shadow palette—I had to check it out. It’s the “Enduring Love” palette from Sydney Grace cosmetics. It’s a gorgeous neutral palette with 15 colors and it includes a couple pops of color—a gorgeous blue and cranberry. But what’s special about this palette is the formulation of the shadow. They are so blendable and glide on so easily. There are seven matte shades, seven metallic and one with a pearly sheen.
4. Elf Cosmetics’ Instance Lift Brow Pencil
And last, but certainly not least, is one of the best eyebrow pencils I’ve found and it’s only $2.00. It’s Elf Cosmetics’ Instance Lift Brow Pencil. It comes in 6 colors and there’s a spoolie on the other end. The formula is what I love. It glides on effortlessly so it takes me far less time to do my brows. I highly recommend it!
And if you’d like some tips on some additional great products, please check out these other videos:
“Great Affordable Drugstore Products Makeup Up Look for Women 50+”
“8 Newly Found Makeup Products I’m Loving for Women 50+”
About The Author:
Elise Marquam-Jahns is a professional, working makeup-artist who is passionate about helping women 45+ get their glow back. In addition to her work as a makeup artist for a major cosmetics line, she founded Boomer and Beyond Beauty. Be sure to check out Elise’s YouTube channel which specifically focuses on makeup tips, techniques, and product reviews for those of us 45+. Don’t forget to subscribe! Elise is also an author and speaker and hosts Normandale Community College’s monthly Learning Well Edge Talk Radio show where she interviews experts in the field of health and wellness.
