Mature eye makeup: hiding hooded eyes & dark eyelids

 As we age, our eyes undoubtedly change in ways we probably weren’t expecting:

• The skin on the eyelids may begin to darken and take on a brownish tinge.
• Our eyebrows begin to lose colour, definition and shape. They may also start to sprout in all directions and become wiry and difficult to tame.
• The skin on the upper part of the eyelid starts to become loose and stretchy and descending over our lower eyelid.

This all sounds rather depressing, but I want to show you there are many ways to improve the appearance of eyes when we’re older that can avoid making you look like Cruella De Vil.

Here are my top tips for eye make-up as an older woman.

Make-up and the older woman

How to shape, tame and define your eyebrows

Keep eyebrows in their place and put them back if they’ve disappeared.  Eyebrows are incredibly important to framing not only your eyes, but your whole face. 

As we get older, they have tendency to become wiry and difficult to manage. 

A magnifying mirror will show you the worst offenders when it comes to brows which are growing at strange angles or in weird shapes. Pluck these out or if you don’t feel confident about doing this at home, visit a professional to do it for you. 

If you have sparse or over-plucked eyebrows, you can recreate the illusion of beautifully balanced and groomed eyebrows by using a product like Fabulous Brow Shape (£25) which gives the effect of natural looking brows and even individual hairs.

Top tips for great looking eyebrows

Make the most of your eyelashes

Mascara used with eyelash curlers can be an older woman’s secret weapon.

I’m not a fan of very volumising and lengthening mascaras which can make older eyelashes look spidery and unnatural.

Instead use eyelash curlers before you apply mascara and the effect will be just as dramatic.

Read more about enhancing your eyebrows and eyelashes

Keep your eye shadow in place

Eye prime will stop eye shadows from migrating and looking messy.

The skin on eyelids might not be as smooth as it once was and it can also be drier, so products get absorbed into the skin.

Some women also find their eyelids become greasy, again making it hard for eye shadows and colours to stay put.

Applying an eye prime first can help solve lots of these problems, and if you use a flesh-coloured one like Fabulous Eye Prime (£16), it will also hide any discolouration you may have.

Primers for the prime of your life

Disguise hooded eyes

Hooded eyes can be disguised by using different shadow in the right places.

The way to do this is to think of the space between the eyebrows and the eyelashes in three distinct areas

1. The brow bone should be a light colour

2. The socket line should be a darker colour

3. The eyelid should be light

Blend well to create a subtle effect and this will give you depth to your eyes which may have begun to disappear.

Create the illusion of thicker eyelashes

Make your lashes look thicker by using a dark eye shadow and a wedge brush. 

If you push the shadow, dry or wet, into the roots of your ashes with a small wedge brush, you will create a soft, subtle line that will open your eyes up as well as giving you thicker looking eyelashes.

Take care of your eyelids

Don’t forget your eyelids when it comes to nourishing your skin.

The skin on our eyelids gets thinner and may also become loose and stretchy as we get older.

It’s important to make sure the delicate skin on our eyelids is well nourished. Use a serum and a moisturiser all over your face including your lids, and I find a gentle eye makeup remover stops the delicate skin from around your eyes from becoming too dry. 

Do eye creams really work?

Informative, in-depth and in the know: get the latest news, interviews and reviews with Saga Magazine.