The Best Makeup for Women Over 50 in 2024

3. Blush that looks authentic

This year, toss your powder blush. The whole point of wearing blush is to look healthy, and healthy mature skin is definitely not matte — it glows. That’s why blushes are experiencing an uptick in realistic-looking cream and liquid formulas. They’re the secret sauce that gives post-menopausal skin — which can appear more ashy, sallow or paler than pre-menopause — a warmer, more energized look. The same goes for tanning drops or self-tanner, which can make the skin appear flat in tone. Blending on cream blush instantly elevates authentic effect. One thing to note: liquids are lighter and sheerer than creams so the color payoff will be more subtle. Creams, on the other hand, may appear startlingly bright in the tube or compact, but quickly blend out to a flattering tint. Choose a texture in sync with your makeup needs and taste — some formulas are glowier than others, some have an almost semi-matte satin finish and a color that has enough brightening power. Pinks, roses, reds and corals provide a natural flush, while bronze and golden shades offer a sun-kissed effect.

Beauty editor tips: Move blush application away from the “apples” and higher on the face now, along the cheekbone, for an instant makeup facelift. Blend cream and liquid blush with fingertips rather than a sponge or brush for the most control and because the warmth of your skin helps the melting process.

Good choices for creams: Burt’s Bees All Aglow Lip & Cheek Stick ($13, cvs.com), Tower 28 Beauty BeachPlease Lip & Cheek Cream Blush ($20, sephora.com), Honest Beauty Creme Cheek + Lip Color ($19, target.com)

Good choices for liquids: Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Soft Pinch Liquid Blush ($23, kohls.com), Maybelline New York SunKisser Liquid Blush ($10, target.com)

(Left to right) Jane Iredale Colorluxe Eyeshadow Stick; Merit Solo Shadow Cream-to-Powder Soft Matte Eyeshadow; Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Eyeliner Stick; CoverGirl Clean Fresh Brow Pomade; NYX Professional Makeup Fill & Fluff Eyebrow Pomade Pencil

Photo Collage: AARP; (Source: Nordstrom; Khol's; Ulta; Walgreens; CVS)

4. Eye makeup that glides over problem zones

There’s nothing like eye makeup for restoring definition to the face and confidence to your attitude. Still, at 50, applying and wearing eye makeup can be challenging. Brows thin, diminish, change shape or go wild and wiry; eyelids become drier, softer, looser, droopy more textured. Each year, there’s a breakout trend in eye makeup. They’ve run the gamut from 48-pan shadow palettes to swoopy cat-eye liners and waterproof mascaras that wash off with water. This year’s stars are creams that make applying and wearing eye makeup easier than ever. Choices include creamy pencil liners that glide on the bumpiest lids with no drag; cream shadows that apply quickly with fingers, emphasize eyes and resist creasing even on crepey and hooded lids; and creamy brow pomades that fill and extend in seconds and come with their own built-in sharpeners and blending brushes. All resist smudging (so you can apply eye drops fearlessly), are safe for sensitive eyes and enable you to do a finished eye makeup in five minutes.

Beauty editor tips: Pencils are easier than liquid liner pens to manipulate on aging lids. For the best results, work from the outer corner inwards. A cream eye shadow in a shimmery shade brightens and adds sparkle; a neutral shade deeper than your skin tone delivers a smoky eye look fast.

Good choices for shadow: Nars Total Seduction Eyeshadow Stick in Don’t Touch, Oblivion or Mambo ($32, sephora.com), Jane Iredale Colorluxe Eyeshadow Stick ($28, nordstrom.com), Merit Solo Shadow Cream-to-Powder Soft Matte Eyeshadow ($24, kohls.com)

Good choices for liners: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Eyeliner Stick ($34, ulta.com), Rimmel Kind & Free Eyeliner in Pecan ($7, walgreens.com)

Good choices for brows: CoverGirl Clean Fresh Brow Pomade ($13, walgreens.com), NYX Professional Makeup Fill & Fluff Eyebrow Pomade Pencil ($14, cvs.com)

5. Lip makeup that updates your signature look

It boils down to this: By 50 you’re either a neutral lip person or a statement lip person. But that boundary line gets fuzzy fast when you factor in all the lip makeup options available. The current mind-boggling choices include classic creams in traditional roll-up cases, liquid lipsticks, stains, glosses and tinted balms and oils from matte to shiny and everywhere in between. Not all deserve your attention. Remember that mature lips have their own concerns like a dry texture, faded or uneven borders, lines at the corners and crinkles above the lips that encourage color to “bleed.” The best new choices include changes in formula. If you love a neutral, casual look, try non-sticky lip glosses and sheer crayon balms that deliver a tint of color. For a defined mouth, try the moisturizing transfer-resistant liquid lipsticks in what I call “soft matte” formulas. They won’t end up on your cup, glass or straw and will last flawlessly all day or night. And for a statement lip, choose a liquid lip, stain or chunky pencil — all reformulated with skin care ingredients for a more comfortable wear. Even glosses are packed with plant oils and hyaluronic acid.

Beauty editor tips: Prep lips for a new-for-you lip color or formula by coating them with a light layer of petroleum jelly or Aquaphor and gently exfoliating the dry, chapped skin with warm wet washcloth. How to choose a new lipstick shade? Determine if your skin tone is cool or warm. Cool lipsticks with blue or purple undertones like berries, true reds, chilly pinks and mauve-y nudes flatter cool complexions; warm corals, brick reds, tawny pinks and golden nudes flatter warmer skin tones.

Good choices for a natural look: Maybelline Lifter Gloss Lip Gloss with Hyaluronic Acid ($13, walgreens.com), Armani Beauty Prisma Glass Lip Gloss ($38, macys.com), Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick ($12, cvs.com), Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss ($12, walgreens.com)

Good choices for a statement lip: Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Velvet Liquid Lipstick ($24, sephora.com), CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain ($12, cvs.com), Pat McGrath Labs Dramatique Mega Lip Pencil ($29, sephora.com), L’Oréal Infallible Matte Resistance Liquid Lipstick ($14, ulta.com)

(Left to right) Revlon Photoready Prime Plus Perfecting +Smoothing Makeup + Skincare Primer; Wet n Wild Prime Focus Primer Serum; Burt’s Bees Goodness Glows Face Primer; Almay Skin Perfecting Comfort Care Primer; e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter Highlighter

Photo Collage: AARP; (Source: CVS (3); Walgreens; Target)

6. The extras that make your old makeup new

Fashion often depends on new accessories to give a basic or boring outfit that extra oomph. Makeup depends on a support team of extras too, only these can help your existing everyday makeup even if you don’t purchase anything else. The best additions now are a moisturizing primer and a highlighter. For those who love their foundation shade or formula too much to consider a change, a hydrating primer can enhance the application, look and wear. It will smooth the surface, minimize makeup from settling in lines and creases or grabbing around dry areas and create a more radiant look. A highlighter can provide that hint of glow missing from your current products. Use the product judiciously with a small amount dabbed on the high point of the face (like the tops of cheekbones) or in recessed areas (like the inner-eye corners). It can also be mixed with foundation in your palm before applying to boost the radiance.

Beauty editor tips: Apply primer on areas where skin needs help and wait 60 seconds before adding foundation or concealer. Highlighter applied with care can make you look less tired after a sleepless night or stressful day. It can also provide that glow that your existing makeup may not have. Choose a shade from pearl to golden or bronze in sync with your complexion and overall makeup strategy.

Good choices for primers: Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer + Hydrating Primer with Hyaluronic Acid ($42, macys.com), Revlon Photoready Prime Plus Perfecting + Smoothing Makeup + Skincare Primer ($18, cvs.com), Wet n Wild Prime Focus Primer Serum ($8, cvs.com), Burt’s Bees Goodness Glows Face Primer ($12, cvs.com), Almay Skin Perfecting Comfort Care Primer ($16, walgreens.com)

Good choices for highlighters: e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter Highlighter ($14, target.com), Yves Saint Laurent Nu Halo Tint Highlighter with Vitamin E ($29, sephora.com)