For Mature Audiences Only...

OK...get your minds out of the gutter...this is about your makeup routine as your skin ages. There's nothing worse than seeing a 30-something young lady walking through the mall thinking she's 70, well...yeah there is-a 30-something young lady thinking she's 15. So, what do we do at this age-too old for glitter and too young for girdles? I say, BE GLAD! You've seen enough to have learned some things, but not old enough to know it all...
I like to think of my 30s as a time to find my "signature look". Now, that doesn't mean getting stuck in a rut of wearing the same two (or in my case, five) eyeshadows everyday, same gloss, etc. It just means making some decisions on your basic look that can be tweaked every once in a while...
When we were teens, we could throw on any Debbie-Gibson/Mary-Kate-and-Ashley glitter on our faces and call it a day. Well, we could do that because we were probably either coming from or going to a pep rally. That was our schedule.
In our 20s, we could experiment a little more with color and get really bold, keep some of that glitter on the eyes for nights out, and still not look too ridiculous. During the day, we probably still wore some frosted eyeshadows, a foundation that was two shades too dark (because we wanted that "sunkissed" look-FYI...we looked like we forgot to rinse after a mud mask), too much "translucent" (not when WE were done with it!) powder, some pepto-colored lip gloss, a chalk-line of eyeliner, and layer upon layer of Great Lash mascara. Ouch, did I hit a nerve? Don't worry-I was there with ya!
Now, we're in our 30s and it's time to shine-literally. We're just going to do a little less shine on the eyes and a little more on the skin. Yes-you heard me-even my "slick chicks"! First and foremost, I will reiterate, less is more!
FOR YOUR SKIN: Glow for it! Create radiance! Get rid of all the mattifying powder. Now, if you have oily skin, use something UNDER your foundation to help control oil or use a blot powder (only where you need it) or blotting sheets. But, as far as foundation goes, start using foundations that give you a natural, satin, or radiant finish. You can even pump up the radiance in a favorite foundation of yours by adding an illuminating lotion. The reason we want to stay away from so much of the matte ingredients is because they REALLY accentuate fine lines and wrinkles-you know...those pesky little boogers underneath your eyes-yeah, that's where mine first popped up-sneaky devils! And powders do the same thing-they will camp out right into those lines and scream, "Hey look at me! I'm making this chick look old!" Not cool.
FOR YOUR EYES: Don't kill the messenger. I know the really crazy, funky colors are BEAUTIFUL (and you don't necessarily have to put them away just yet...), but they are not appropriate for everyday use! So, if you're channeling your inner Boy George, stop-I must save you from yourself. Bold, funky colors are fun for nights out, holidays, 80s parties, what have you, but for every day, keep it pretty and soft. This doesn't mean you can't switch it up! You can wear neutral browns one day, olives the next, and purples the next! Just don't be too heavy-handed and NIX THE GLITTER. When was your last pep rally? OK-that's what I thought. And with eyeliner...electric blue isn't helping anyone out! Again simplicity is key! You can never go wrong with brown or black-those are always safe bets and again-SOFT, SOFT, SOFT. No Cleopatra, no Tammy Faye (RIP, sister)...Speaking of Tammy Faye! Those LASHES-whew! Keep in mind, you want nice, long, thick lashes, right? Well, coat after coat after coat of mascara will not give you this! More is not better! What happens is you get dry, brittle, spider lashes (yikes!). Just use a primer first and then use a lengthening mascara-this will give you length and volume minus the CRISPY lashes. Ew.
FOR THE CHEEKS: I love cream blush! Again, I have drier skin, so it does well for me, but with the winter time coming, it may work well for you, too! Cream blush just really looks so nice if it is well blended and the color is right. I try to choose a color that is close to the inside of my lip and I look for some with a little bit of a shimmer to it (radiance, remember?). Now the key is placement with this. You don't the Raggedy Ann-two circles on your face, but you also don't want to regress to the 80s and take it to the temples, either. Who started that, anyways? Just smile at yourself (which is good for your self-esteem-I highly recommend it) and your sweet apples will pop right out! That's where the focus of your blush should be. Then gently rub in the cream blush into a "Nike" symbol-the fatter part of the "swoosh" on your apples with the smaller part going away from the nose (I REALLY hope y'all already knew that...) Now make sure to pick a cream blush that's not too sticky-I've been the victim of a gnat fly-by before and dang if it didn't stick to me like needy girl to a new boyfriend! I already have enough beauty marks on my face-I didn't need another! And if you're not comfortable with cream blush...powder is still great-just make sure to find one with a hint of SHIMMER, NOT GLITTER. They look nice, too.
FOR THE LIPS: This is where it gets easy. Unless you smoke (naughty, naughty) your lips should still be in great shape! So, unless you really feel the need to use lipliner, you don't have to! A great gloss in a light color will work great for day and/or night. Nothing ages a woman more than really deep, dark lipstick. Put down the dark burgundy, dark purple, dark red, and most certainly, the dark brown. Do you really wanna look like you just polished off a turd sandwich?! Yeah, I did just go there. And again, you want shine-get rid of the matte lipsticks and the ones that stay on for 12 hours...they just dry out your lips and make you look like you desperately need a drink! Gloss is very pretty and low-maintenance, but some of you still don't like the feel of it-I understand. Some of you just love the look and feel of lipstick-no problem! Just make sure that you don't fall into the trap of a frosty, non-hydrating pink or coral color! Why do we do this? Look at your teeth after you put that on-it makes you look like you could spit butter! Go for a creamy, hydrating, even sheer texture in those colors if you like-it will look much better than the frost! Your lips and smile will thank you.

Lastly, here is a list of some of my favorite MAC products that I was describing if you ever want to check them out for yourself:
FOR THE SKIN:
Strobe Cream or Lotion (to add to your foundation for radiance)
Mineralize Satinfinish SPF 15 Liquid(sheer coverage)
Studio Tech (medium coverage)
Full Coverage Foundation (full coverage-but can only be found at MAC stores)
FOR THE EYES:
Eyeshadows...
NEUTRALS: Vanilla, Shroom, Blanc Type, Era, Naked Lunch, Haux, Texture, Kid, Cork, Wedge, Grain, Mulch, Bronze, Folie, Embark, Espresso, Sable, Sketch
GREENS: Sumptuous Olive, Humid
PURPLES: Beautiful Iris, Satellite Dreams, Fig. 1, Star Violet
PINKS: Girlie, Expensive Pink
DARKS: Typographic, Signed,Sealed, Carbon, Prussian
FOR THE CHEEKS:
Ladyblush (creme)
Lillicent (creme)
Laid Back (creme)
Plum Foolery (powder)
Peachtwist (powder)
Ambering Rose (powder)
FOR THE LIPS:
Viva Glam V (gloss and lipstick)
Viva Glam VI (gloss and lipstick)

So there you have some of my favorites! I hope this has helped! Please leave me feedback either on this blog or on FB (The Beauty Mark). If you have any other topics you'd like me to write about, please, let me know! And if you like my blog, TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!!

1 Peter 3:3-4

Love,
Mel