"Dear Mariella, I recently turned fifty and feel like a dinosaur where makeup is concerned. There are so many products out there, and it has all become so complicated. I still use a few basic products, but maybe I'm missing out. What would you recommend as the 'must-have' items?"
The moment I hit 50, every powdery item in my makeup bag went in the bin. In midlife, luminosity is key. You don't want to look as though you're wearing a death mask or have been dusted for evidence at a crime scene.
It's a time of life when skin thins, features fade, wrinkles deepen and moisture vanishes - all hilarious - but also easy to cover up by going lighter and brighter. Just as your style changes and matures (though not always), so do your makeup needs.
Back in my day, it was either Rimmel or Estee Lauder, and the arrival of Clarins makeup caused a mini revolution. Now there's a seemingly infinite array of available and brilliant brands, meaning that you can reinstate your glow with products when your hormones are letting you down. I'm not suggesting that you chuck everything out and buy brand new, but next time you run low on eyeshadow or foundation, maybe look beyond your previous go-tos.
© Lia TobyMidlife makeup advice
1. Less is more
The most useful thing I've learned about makeup in midlife is that less is more. You might think you need industrial-grade cement to cover up the crevices and age spots. Not at all. Joyce Connor, the makeup artist who gave us wise advice for our book Cracking the Menopause, is emphatic that thinner layers and lighter textures are the way forward; moving from foundation to BB creams or tinted moisturisers.
I now use Trinny’s BFF SPF 30 cream, £41/$52, (look out for her brand new illuminator called Miracle Halo, £32/$41), and I love Korean brand Erborian's CC Water, £38/$46, mixing the two lightest shades so it exactly matches my skin tone.
2. Add concealer to your routine
Concealer is your best friend (or BFF if you prefer) for dotting over blemishes and dark circles. I'm a big fan of the No.7 Lift & Luminate Serum Concealer, £17/$7.50 and am currently loving By Terry Hyaluronic Serum Concealer, £39/£53.90. Joyce also recommends a touch of setting spray to maintain makeup that's straining to stay put during hot flushes. Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray, £29.50/$40.80, is a genuinely iconic product.
© Getty Images3. Define your eyes
It's a known fact that features become less defined as we lose what's called our 'luminance of contrast'. My face never looks right unless my eyes are strong, and they have sadly segued from prime focus to recesses.
During the day, I use eyeliner under my lid and at night, I highly recommend eye shadow crayons; Victoria Beckham Longwear Eyeshadow Stick, £32/$34, if I'm feeling extravagant. Elf also does excellent crayon colours.
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4. Fake a glow
The youthful glow that suggests a diet entirely comprised of sex and Sauvignon Blanc has faded. So, I recreate it with a dab of Benetint Lip and Cheek Stain, £22/$29.70, to give that post coital flush. Or Nars has a wonderful stick called Multiple, with a shade called Orgasm, £33/$45.60. It's the closest I get some weeks!
5. Avoid mattes
I leave my lips to their own devices bar a swish of lip balm but if you feel yours have thinned, Joyce recommends a long-wearing lip liner to recreate definition and avoiding matte lipstick that makes lips look thin.
Great lip products include Milani's Keep It Full Nourishing Plumper, £13/$7.99, and Kiko Milano 3D Lipgloss, currently £8.39/$16.60.
© Getty ImagesIn many ways, midlife is about going with the flow, accepting the inevitable and then making the most of what you've got. Nobody can avoid the ravages of ageing, unless, of course, you are a Kardashian or the new Mrs Bezos!
