Clean Beauty Makeup For Women Over 50: Honest Picks

Beauty Thought Leader: Elise Marquam-Jahns

I’m excited today because we’ll be checking out some new makeup products to discover if they’re fabulous, just favorable, or forgettable. Some of them are from brands that were new to me and may also be new to you. We’ll be trying out a moisturizer, three blushes, two highlighters, mascaras, an eyelash serum, a lipstick balm, and a lip gloss. And an added plus is that all of these products except one are clean beauty products, and one of the brands is specifically for those of us over 50.

Why Clean Beauty Matters More for Mature Skin

Clean Beauty Makeup for Women Over 50: What to Look For

My passion is helping women like me who’ve experienced some changes as we’ve gotten older. Because of those changes, the makeup we used in our 20s and 30s doesn’t work as well for us now as it did a few decades ago. The crucial question is: what does work? And that’s the key question that we answer here. Today the focus is specifically on clean beauty, which matters more as we get older since our skin becomes more sensitive and we become more mindful of what we’re putting on it.

Skincare First: The Lawless Perfecting Cream

My skin prep included the first product we’ll be talking about today. It’s a moisturizer from the clean beauty brand Lawless, which they call their Perfecting Cream. The description says that it contains a biomimetic hyaluronic acid complex that smooths fine lines and wrinkles, deeply moisturizes, and increases skin firmness and elasticity. It’s also oil-free and can be used on all skin types. It’s recommended as a smoothing primer or as an intensive overnight treatment.

I went ahead and applied this moisturizer after my skin serums as a primer. I always like to take a look at reviews and although all products receive both good and bad reviews, what I found most interesting about the reviews for this product was that the people who liked it seemed to really love it. In fact, one woman wrote that she wished she’d taken before and after pictures since it made a huge difference for her, especially because her crow’s feet are now hardly noticeable.

Another woman wrote that she purchased it to replace her Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream since it’s much less expensive, and she likes it even more. And another older woman wrote that after using this product her skin looked incredible and she’s really shook by that. Usually you don’t see product reviews that are this effusive in their praise, so I do have high expectations for this Lawless product.

It did feel wonderful going on, is extremely lightweight, and really seemed to brighten my face as well. But as we all know there’s no way we can make a judgment on a moisturizer after only a one-time use, so I’m definitely going to keep trying this and will let you know further down the road how I feel about it.

Eyes and Brows: Setting the Stage

Since I’d already taken care of my eyes, let me share what I used today. I filled in my brows with e.l.f.’s Wow Brow in two shades, plus my Maybelline Brow Fast Sculpt. I also used Makeup by Mario’s Prep and Set Eyebrow Primer and Powder, and a new-to-me eyeshadow palette which is really gorgeous. Unfortunately I was late to the party in purchasing this palette and it’s no longer available. It’s the Lure palette from Blend Bunny Cosmetics.

Don’t you love the phrase they use: “24 shades for the mermaid within”? I stayed in the pink, violet, and purple family. This color story definitely lured me in, and I do love that tagline. In case you’re not familiar with Blend Bunny, it’s an indie makeup brand created by makeup artist Maggie Jones, and the matte formulas are especially amazing. I also have her Blends palette, which is still available.

Sweed Beauty: Clean Mascaras and a Game-Changing Lash Serum

Prostaglandin-Free Lash Care for Sensitive Mature Eyes

I applied the two mascaras earlier because my eyes are so sensitive and I wanted to make sure I didn’t have a reaction to them while filming. The two mascaras are from a brand I’d really never heard of until recently called Sweed Beauty. Sweed is known for its vegan and clean products and is a pioneer in the eye category with award-winning mascaras and an eyelash growth serum that’s free from prostaglandin analogues, which is very important.

The company was founded by makeup artist Gabriella Elio, and she founded it because she wanted to create innovative products that she felt were missing in the market, in order to achieve her signature timeless no-makeup makeup style. Gabriella’s motto is “look like yourself after a two-week vacation: glowing skin, lush lashes, and full of life.”

If you’ve watched this channel for a while, you know that I’ve had a number of eye surgeries, so I’m very hesitant to use eyelash growth serums because of a previous negative experience. But because this eyelash growth serum does not have prostaglandin analogues in it, and because it can also be used on brows, I decided to try it on one eyebrow only to see if I’d notice any results. It’s too early to tell if it’s working, but if it does, I will definitely let you know. I used the Prash Lift Mascara on my left eye and the Cloud Mascara on my right eye. I’d love your thoughts on whether one looks better than the other!

Three Blushes Put to the Test

Saie Beauty Liquid Blush vs. Jane Iredale Stick Blush for Mature Skin

For contour, I used my Makeup by Mario Soft Sculpt Bronzing and Shaping Serum in Medium Light. Now let’s move on to the new blush products.

I love Saie Beauty’s Cream Blush, which is both a blush and a highlighter, but I’d heard really good things about their liquid blush so let’s give it a try today. I was really debating about which color to get, and I may have ended up getting the wrong color, but let’s check it out. I’ll apply the color Chili, which is a mauve color, on my right side.

I probably should have gotten Baby, which is a light cool baby pink, but maybe I’ll put that on my Sephora wish list for their fall sale. I actually ended up really liking this color, and one of the things I like about the Saie Beauty liquid blush is that it’s not too heavily pigmented, because sometimes that can be tricky to apply. I did notice that this color faded as time went on, so I would definitely want to add a couple of layers if I really wanted it to last all day. For a full comparison of blush options at every price point, check out the guide to the best blushes for mature skin.

You can shop the Saie Beauty Dew Blush on Amazon.

On my left side I’ll apply my first Jane Iredale product, which is her stick blush in the shade Balmy. It’s a matte berry rose shade, and I now kind of wish I’d gotten the shade Mist, which is a cool pink shimmer formula. Sometimes I’m totally mystified by my blush shade choices because I tend to opt for deeper shades when the lighter cool pink shades usually work better for me. But I guess I make the choices I do because I want to try shades that are just a little bit different.

The Jane Iredale Glow Time Blush Stick in Balmy went on beautifully and smoothly, and it’s very easy to apply. The color is gorgeous. How long lasting it is remains a question mark, but cream blush does tend to fade into our makeup a little bit more than liquid blush, so I know I would probably have to layer it considerably. What I would probably do is apply one layer and then take a setting spray and just pat it over, and apply a second layer, maybe even a third. You can find the Jane Iredale Glow Time Blush Stick on Amazon.

Prime Prometics: Pro-Age Clean Beauty Built for Women Over 50

The Brand Born From Chemotherapy and Designed for Mature Skin

The next three products are from a brand I had not heard of before called Prime Prometics. This is the brand that’s specifically geared for those of us over 50, but was originally geared toward women recovering from chemotherapy. It’s a 25-member team, and was founded by Kasper Aakerlund.

Her father was an oncologist, and when she was 10 she saw her mother’s best friend run out of her father’s office crying and screaming, saying she would no longer feel like a woman. Seeing her daughter’s distress when this happened, her father decided to talk to her about the repercussions of chemotherapy, including the fact that women lose their hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes, often for life, which can wreak havoc on their looks and in the process strip away their identity.

That day she realized that although beauty may be skin deep, feeling beautiful is a fundamental aspect of self-confidence. Her initial focus on women who’d had chemotherapy grew in scope to all women over the age of 50. The company’s tagline is “pro-age cosmetics that heal instead of hiding, and look stunning at any age, live in the prime of your life.”

I have the Prime Prometics PrimeWand Trinity, which is composed of three stick products. The first is called Nourish, which is an unscented, buttery moisturizer. The description says it can also be used as a cuticle cream to banish rough skin on dry hands, elbows, and knees. I applied some of this to the back of one hand since I’d already used moisturizer on my face, and because my hands are really feeling dry right now this was an interesting test. It feels very lightweight and I can see how well it would work especially as a moisturizer on the face.

The second stick is called Pigment, which is for multitasking as lipstick, contour, and blush. It’s described as a universal shade which mimics the flush of our skin and needs zero blending to look flawless. I’m always a little nervous about products that are described as universal because my experience has been that they most often aren’t, but let’s give it a try as blush and perhaps lipstick.

I have to say I’m really liking this color and I think there’s a little bit of glow to it as well. If you’re looking for a no-makeup makeup look or a very natural look, this is really beautiful. The third stick is called Pearl, a buildable highlighter described as “buildable dazzle and glamour.” The description says that it can be used on the eyelids, the bridge of the nose, the apples of the cheek, the jawline, Cupid’s bow, neck, and décolletage. I’m going to stick to using it on the upper part of my cheekbones as a highlight and also use just a small amount above my Cupid’s bow. Oh, that’s really pretty.

The One Forgettable: Fenty Beauty Liquid Killawatt Highlighter

The other highlighter I have is from Fenty Beauty, their Liquid Killawatt Highlighter, which comes in five shades. I have the shade Hustle Babe, which is a peachy champagne. This is definitely not my best shade, but it was a sample and I just wanted to check out the formula and see how much glow it has.

I have to say this product from Fenty is probably a polar opposite from the Prime Prometics because, wow, look at that metallic glow. I’m almost wondering if it has glitter in it. This one from Fenty is definitely highlighting the texture of my skin, which is not a look I would want to go for most of the time. The other issue with this product is the squeeze tube applicator, because when you squeeze it you always get more product than you want, which really wastes product. So tube applicators are definitely not my favorite, and I really can’t recommend this product.

Lips: Lawless Balm Stick and Gloss

For lips I’m going to use a favorite brand but a new shade of their balm stick and gloss. This is a Lawless Lip Twin Bundle featuring the balm stick in the shade Cupid, which is a pale pinky lavender, and the lip gloss in the shade Lavender Sorbet, which is a light lavender.

I’m already loving the look of that gloss. Before applying these two products to my lips I’m definitely going to apply some lip liner first. This balm stick really feels nice. The look is a little too pale for me on its own, but I would definitely pair it with a slightly darker shade and think I would really love it at that point. Because the gloss over it is simply gorgeous.

First Impressions: Fabulous, Favorable, or Forgettable?

So let me share my first impressions, and of course, first impressions can always change, so I’ll definitely need to work with all of these products several times before giving a final verdict on any of them.

The Lawless Perfecting Cream, as a hydrating and moisturizing product, really felt wonderful on the skin. It applied so easily and gave some really added brightness to my skin as well. It looked gorgeous and worked extremely well as a primer. My first thoughts are very positive about this product.

As I mentioned, the Sweed Pro Lash Serum verdict is too early to give since I’ve been using it for maybe four days now. I have not had any irritation or problem whatsoever with the two Sweed mascaras. The Prash Lift Mascara is on my left eye, and the Cloud Mascara is on my right eye. As I look in my mirror right now, I’m thinking they look pretty much the same, but my right eye seems to have a little bit more volume to me, and that’s the Cloud Mascara. But I really like both of them, and finding two more mascaras that don’t irritate my eyes is wonderful.

I really like the no-makeup makeup look of the Prime Prometics products. I’m not so sure about the Nourish stick used as a moisturizer on its own, and I’ll have to try it separately, but I really did like the Pigment and the Pearl. They produced a really lovely blush and highlighter look that was very natural but really very pretty. I don’t know how buildable it is yet and would have to work with it a little bit more, but if you’re looking for a very blendable, easy-to-apply product that gives a very natural look, I would really recommend these two products.

The one forgettable product I would not recommend spending money on is the Fenty Beauty Liquid Killawatt Highlighter. The peach color is gorgeous and I’m sure the other colors are very pretty, but it had more glitter in it than I would particularly want to wear. It doesn’t blend very easily into other makeup, seemed a little bit patchy, and since it is a tube the product oozes out so you really get more than you need. Tube applicators are definitely not my favorite.

I love Lawless lip balms and I love their glosses. The lip balms are usually a little bit too light for me without adding some more color to them, and I will always do that because I love the feel of these lip balms. And I absolutely adore their lip glosses. I will use so many different colors over so many different lipsticks and I’ve always loved them. There are quite a few shades now so it’s well worth checking out. I highly recommend those.

I’d love to know in the comments below what some of your favorite clean beauty products are. Thank you so much for giving me the gift of your time today. I hope you found today’s video both helpful and interesting. I wish you good health and happiness, and I hope you have a fabulous rest of your day!

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