Beauty Thought Leader: Elise Marquam-Jahns
Celebrity makeup artist tips for mature skin over 50 can look incredible in theory, but the real question is whether they actually work on real aging skin.
Celebrity Makeup Artist Tips for Mature Skin Over 50
Have you ever been tempted to pick up one of those grocery store tabloids with headlines like Celebrities Without Makeup? Most of us have given in to that guilty pleasure at least once. And when we do, what becomes quickly apparent is just how skilled celebrity makeup artists really are.
As a makeup artist myself, I love learning new tips and techniques from other artists and testing them on mature skin to see if they actually work in real life. Today, I tested six makeup tips from three well-known makeup artists to see how well they translate to mature skin and whether they are worth trying yourself.
We will cover tips for creating a radiant base, achieving a natural sun-kissed finish, applying blush for a youthful glow, preventing lipstick from feathering, and even using face oil in unexpected ways.
Tip One: Create a Custom Tinted Moisturizer
From Rosemary Swift, founder of RMS Beauty
Rosemary Swift rarely applies foundation all over her mature skin. Instead, she prefers to create her own tinted moisturizer by mixing concealer with either a facial oil or a moisturizer and applying it only where coverage is truly needed.
To test this approach, I mixed a small amount of face oil with a concealer and applied it selectively to areas that needed coverage, such as uneven tone and age spots. The result was surprisingly radiant and smooth. The coverage was effective without looking heavy, and the added oil gave a natural glow that worked beautifully for dry skin.
This technique may not be ideal for very oily skin types, but for dry or mature skin, it created a finish that felt fresh, flexible, and skin-like.
Tip Two: Apply Bronzer Only Where the Sun Naturally Hits
From Rosemary Swift
Rosemary is very clear about one thing: bronzer should not be applied all over the face. Instead, it should be used sparingly and only where the sun naturally hits the skin. This includes the top of the forehead, the bridge of the nose, and horizontally across the cheekbones.
She created her cream bronzer specifically to mimic the look of naturally sun-kissed skin, with no orange, pink, or gray undertones. The subtle warmth includes a hint of red, which she believes closely resembles how skin looks after light sun exposure.
Applied lightly, this technique created a soft, natural warmth without overpowering the face. Even for someone who tends to burn rather than tan, the result looked gentle and believable.
Tip Three: Use the Blush “Sandwich” Method
From Scott Barnes
Scott Barnes believes the most natural blush effect comes from layering blush between two layers of foundation. His technique involves applying a few bold dots of liquid blush over foundation, blending them in, and then lightly tapping foundation back over the blush using the same brush.
The idea is to trap the color between layers, so it appears to be coming from within the skin rather than sitting on top. While this technique requires some practice and may feel intimidating at first, the final effect was a soft, youthful flush that appeared very natural.
It is not necessarily the quickest method, but the finish was smooth and well blended, especially on mature skin.
Tip Four: Prevent Lipstick Feathering With Powder
From Rosemary Swift
One of Rosemary’s favorite lip tips involves applying a small amount of powder around the outside edges of the lips before lipstick. This helps fill in vertical lip lines and prevents color from bleeding or feathering.
The powder is gently pressed around the lip line and softly blended before applying liner and lipstick. This extra step created a cleaner lip edge and noticeably improved wear time.
Tip Five: Go Beyond Blotting for Longer-Lasting Lips
From Rosemary Swift
Most of us know to blot our lips after applying lipstick, but Rosemary takes it one step further. After blotting with a tissue, she recommends pressing a finger firmly through the tissue against the lips.
This technique helps set the lipstick more thoroughly and creates a softer, more diffused finish. It also reduces feathering and improves longevity without drying the lips.
Tip Six: Skip Powder Highlighter and Use Face Oil Instead
From Alex Mayo
Alex Mayo prefers to avoid traditional powder highlighters on mature skin, as they can sometimes look dry or emphasize texture. Instead, he suggests using a small amount of face oil as a highlighter.
A drop or two of oil is gently tapped onto the high points of the face, such as the upper cheekbones. The result is a soft, natural glow with no shimmer or sparkle. It adds light to the skin without looking heavy or artificial.
Final Thoughts
Testing makeup techniques from other artists is always an interesting process, especially when working with mature skin. Some tips feel instantly intuitive, while others take practice, but each offered something worth considering.
What I enjoyed most about these techniques is that they focus on enhancing skin rather than covering it. If you have tried any of these methods or are curious to experiment with them, I would love to hear your thoughts.
Until next time, I wish you good health, happiness, and a fabulous rest of your day.
Watch Elise in Action:
Disclosure: Some product links in this article are affiliate links, which means the author may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are entirely her own.
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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. She is also an author and a speaker. Be sure to check out Elise’s YouTube channel which specifically focuses on makeup tips, techniques, and product reviews for those of us 45+ and don’t forget to subscribe. She also does personalized online Zoom makeup consultations so be sure to contact her at boomerandbeyondbeauty@gmail.com if you’d like to work with her. And, if you’d like to receive more inspiration each week, check out her weekly newsletter here.
