Make the most of your make-up by wearing it to suit your stage in life.

YOUR 20s
Embrace your youth

With youth and beauty on your side, your 20s is a decade to shine.

• Use make-up to enhance your youth, not to hide behind, Lancome national make-up artist Lara Srokowski says.

• Use foundations that mimic your skin tone and let your natural skin shine through.

Alison Jade, Perth beauty entrepreneur, says the 20s is the time to experiment with make-up colour and dramatic looks. It's important to establish a skincare routine - for life.

"Invest in active skincare and a quality mineral make-up foundation and concealer, always wear make-up with an SPF and never sleep in your make-up," she says.



YOUR 30s

Go for radiance

Your 30s call for a bit of make-up multi-tasking, especially if you have a career, partner, children and a home to run, Ms Jade says.

"Try using easy-to-apply BB Cream instead of a heavy foundation, and a lip gloss that can be applied without looking."

She says women in their 30s should have a lip and cheek cream along with a foundation stick for touch-ups on the go tucked into their handbags.

Ms Srokowski says that by your 30s you should have a good skincare routine in place and this will help to maintain the skin's quality and project a youthful appeal. It's in the 30s though that she says choosing the right foundation is the key to glowing skin.

"Keep your complexion radiant with luminous foundations and products that will highlight the skin," Ms Srokowski says. "Stick to neutral shades on the eyes but don't be afraid to add a flash of colour to the lips."



YOUR 40s

Less is more

By your 40s, you know who you are, what suits you and what you like - but strategically placed make-up will help to shave years off your appearance.

"Avoid anything with too much shimmer, as it will highlight fine lines around the eyes, and replace with a matte texture to absorb the light and create a smoother appearance," Ms Jade says.

Less is more, Ms Srokowski says.

"Use skincare and foundation to keep the skin looking dewy and healthy and then awaken the eye gaze with matte eyeshadows in neutral tones," she suggests.

"Create fullness to your lips by choosing lipsticks a shade or two brighter than your natural lip tone."



OVER 50s

Elegance is your go-to look

In your 50s and beyond you may notice your skin tone and eyebrows begin to fade but how do you fix it?

"Simple, add colour," Ms Jade says.

Evaluate your favourite features and play them up, keeping in mind elegance is your aim. For example, if you don't like your eyes, wear a bright lipstick. Ms Jade says a brighter shade of blush will draw attention away from fine lines around your eyes and refresh the face.

If you love your eyes, draw attention to them with lashings of mascara and a complementary eyeshadow. Ms Srokowski suggests using a neutral-coloured eyeliner close to the top lash line to open up the eyes and a waterproof mascara, applied to the top lashes only.

"Use a make-up primer to help disguise and blur imperfections before foundation," Ms Srokowski advises. "Apply a moisturising foundation or try mixing a small amount of serum into your foundation for a dewy finish."



DIY Skincare remedies

Rae Morris, international make-up artist and author, says you need not spend a fortune caring for your complexion.

Try these make-at-home options:

Face exfoliant: Make a cheap, but effective, face exfoliant by mixing equal parts bicarb of soda with Cetaphil lotion (available at the chemist). Apply in a circular motion across the face and rinse clean.

Pimple irritations: Invest in a bottle of anti-red eyedrops (available at the chemist) and next time an angry red blemish begins to appear, just dab the spot with a few drops of the eye solution. Ms Morris insists the unlikely remedy calms the redness instantly.

© The West Australian

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