Our Top Anti-Aging Makeup Tricks
I love the fact that I never stop learning on this job. Recently, Birnur Aral, Director of the Heath, Beauty and Environmental Sciences Lab here at GHRI, gave you a behind-the-scenes look at how we picked the winners of our 2012 Anti-Aging Awards. In addition to finding the best products to help you look younger, we picked up some valuable tips on how applying your makeup can help turn back the clock.
Related: Makeup Mistakes That Age You
Use an eye primer to correct imperfections. Most of us assume the first and only job of a primer is to help makeup stay in place. While that's a great reason to use one, I've learned how important an eye primer is for evening out your eyelid's skin tone. In the lab, we had women put on their assigned eye primer before applying eye shadow, and so many testers, many of whom had never used an eye shadow primer, remarked at how much better their eye area looked, even before applying eye shadow. Several women mentioned that they enjoyed using the eye primer even when they weren't planning on using eye shadow. One of the makeup artist's we worked with, Troy Surratt, told us that in a pinch, concealer works just as well to brighten and correct the area.
Lip liner should match your lips, not your lipstick. Lip liner is used to prevent bleeding and feathering of lipstick, so using a shade that matches the natural color of your lips creates lip definition and a natural-looking barrier. Even when you're wearing a bright color like red, use a natural lip liner for an overall look that's neat.
Related: Anti-Aging Makeup Tips from Experts
Even if you love powder makeup, don't skimp on the SPF. When we were helping testers find a foundation shade, we were surprised that almost half of our testers use powder makeup. We were also surprised when many of those admitted that they don't wear any additional SPF protection besides their makeup. While many powders nowadays claim to have some sort of SPF protection, you really have pile it on to get any protection. Don't rely on your makeup as your source of sunlight protection; always use a moisturizer with SPF as your first step.
I know I've said it before, but, more expensive isn't always better. This was never more evident than in our concealer test. The most expensive ones in the group were the worst performers. There some very pricey products that were very disappointing, barely providing any coverage. Maybelline was a standout for performance and moisturization - and was the cheapest product in the group...you gotta love that!
For more makeup tips, check out the winners of our 2012 Anti-Aging Awards.
What are your favorite tips and tricks for applying makeup? Let me know in the comments!
- by Mary Clarke
More from Good Housekeeping:
