Express Lane Makeup – Part 1
Though I love playing with makeup and occasionally enjoy trying a new look applied by a makeup artist, on a day-to-day basis I actually don’t wear a lot of makeup. The reasons for this are twofold: one, I think I look better with a more natural look (though enhanced, bien sur), and two, time. My morning routine de maquillage takes usually 5-10 minutes, and with the carefully calibrated weekday morning schedule chez femme, time is a precious commodity.
I’ve honed my daily makeup routine down to the following:
Prep. When I’ve finished drying my hair, I use the blowdryer to warm up my eyelash curler and curl my eyelashes. If you have straight lashes and have never tried a curler, you won’t believe the difference this makes. It really opens up the eyes, even if you don’t wear eye makeup. The one I use and recommend is from shu uemura, below left. I use almost daily, replace the rubber pad after three months, and the entire curler after six months.
I’ve learned to wait until after I’ve walked the dogs to apply the rest of my makeup, as my nose tends to run in the cool, damp morning air, and touching up after the inevitable tissue use during our walk seems like a waste of time.
I used to use a primer, but find with my current foundation I really don’t need it. If the weather is humid or my skin seems oilier than normal, I’ll use a blotting tissue on my nose and chin prior to applying foundation. NARS blotting sheets are good, but drugstore brands are just as effective, IMHO.
Foundation. I prefer a very sheer foundation, just enough to even out my skin tone. After experimenting with different foundations for the last couple of years, I’ve returned to the one that I think really works best for my skin, Chanel Teint Innocence compact.
Next up, eyes and cheeks.
Have you had to adapt your maquillage due to changing skin or lifestyle? Have you found any new products that have helped you streamline your morning routine or work especially well for you?
~
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 United States License.
Stay in touch
Sign up to be notified of new posts and updates from une femme d’un certain âge.
I have the same eyebrow issue you have. What I LIKE to do is have my facial professional dye them. My eyebrows are blond and there are not very many of them. By dyeing (not a dark color) they become visible and I don’t have to deal with them for a while. Of course eyebrows come and go quickly, so they have to be redyed when that happens.
I am very careful to avoid overplucking. I like a bit of an arch but always admonish the facial professional to remove only where necessary and not as much as she thinks is necessary.
My makeup routine includes starting with sunscreen, then foundation. I’ve found that my skin in allergic to many high end foundations. Those high end foundations work great at first, but then the rashy splotchiness sets in. As a result, I use the lowly Maybelline Age Rewind foundation and don’t have the allergic reaction. Go figure.
My favorite makeup product is Lancome Artliner. It is an easy way to apply eyeliner in a very thin line. I use brown, as black would be too harsh for me.
For years, I have used Loreal’s Fabulash mascara. I’ve used every kind of mascara you can think of—and always come back to this drug store brand product.
I also used a loose translucent powder over my foundation and a cream blush.
I gave the wrong name for my long time mascara (!). It’s not fabulash by Revlon, but Loreal’s Voluminous. I truly think it is the best.
Another good option for eyebrows is eyeshadow applied with a brush.
Does anyone else change their blush color depending upon what clothing they plan to wear? My go-to blush is a rose brown, but if I’m wearing purples or pinks, I switch to a cranberry pop of color. If I’m wearing rusts,etc, I’ll go with a more peach-y tone.
Pseu, you know, stepping away to think like this is a good way to figure out the best makeup routine. I find that now that I don’t have to put any on, I’ve gotten much better at the whole thing. Just taking some time to review without the clock ticking:). And I concur, the Chanel foundations I have found to be the best, along with Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer for less formal times.
Ladies, I’m older than the rest of you…I’ve gone to lipstick only…and it matches my natural lip color. Less is more when you get really old!
I’ve always been uncomfortable with makeup, even as a young woman. For many years I wore no makeup at all, then when I started working in offices I wore a bare minimum of concealer (for blotchy parts and under-eye circles) tinted moisturizer, a little bit of eye base, and lip gloss.
when I do put on makeup for a big night out, I probably wear less than most women wear for day. I really don’t like wearing foundation.
Does anyone have experience with the so-called “mineral” foundations?
My brows are still pretty lush – I regularly get them shaped by threading. I have never used a pencil to darken them or define them more, but now that I’m aging they are getting paler.
I like your eyelash trick – with age my already sparse lashes have become very sparse.
My eyebrows are like yours but my physician told me that the hair loss was due to my hypothyroid disease…
I use Mac brow powder which I apply with an angled brush and fill in where necessary…I am toying with the idea of have my brows dyed as there are greys appearing!
I am with you on the 5-10 minute routine.
The sheer foundation is key to looking younger, I see far too many over powdered 50 somethings in line up at the grocery store…
I need to know more …waiting for the next installment!
Great post! I may give that Chanel powder a try.
I tend to be oily and live in a humid climate, which makes it worse. So I always have blotting sheets on hand. I buy Walgreen’s version of Clean & Clear; they are exactly the same and cost less.
I always wear lipstick- either some fabulous red or a nude. And Touche Eclat by YSL.
I swear by Dior. Have for years… um, make that decades.
I find that less is more as I get older, but always pay attention to the eyes.
My routine? 5 minutes daily. 10 if I’m going out.
Yes, that changing skin thing. But I hate the way foundation looks on me, so I go with a very little bit of blush put on the apples of my cheeks, applied with fingers, and I’m outta there!
One last thing – I’ve gone back to doing something I did in my 20s. Accessorizing with eyewear. Gone are the days of contacts. Instead, interesting glasses to suit the mood and brighten the skin tone. (It works!)
And I’m with La Belette on that NARS orgasm.
Fabuleux.
Chanel brow pencil. La Mer Treatment Creme Foundation. Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner. Nars Orgasm blush. These workhorses are so dependable and reliable that making up is easy. I am in the market for a better mascara. I hope you have a suggestion!
Oh, this is such a girly subject :). Nearly all my makeup comes from Chanel, as the colors are so great. The eyebrow and eyeliner pencils are the most important for me. I might check your foundation, as I assume no powder is then needed.
I too overplucked despite mom’s warnings 🙁
On the other hand, why didn’t she bring me to a professional plucker? That’s what I would do for a kid!
What a great post.. love the Express Lane Makeup Part 1. I use the Chanel Tient innocence in the liquid form – a very small amount on a brush and find it brilliant. Recently for my eyes I have been using a taupey shadow all over the lid and then a khaki MAC colour ‘Coquette’ I think, along the lash line. I wet the shadow and use it as a liner with a a liner brush. It stays all day and is less harsh then say a dark brown or black. Looking forward to Part 2 of your series. X
After turning 40 I began to invest in high-quality tools. I use MAC’s stipple brush to apply foundation and it’s fabulous.
Don’t know how old Anonymous is but I am going on 63 and do not wear foundation, just doesn’t make things better. Just a slight brush of powder to take off the shine. Spend 5 mins. (7 for evening) on eyes and a quick flick of lipstick.
Once read a woman’s comment that “I don’t want to know anyone who spends more than 10 min. on her makeup”. While that sounds mean, it holds a germ of truth, at least once we’re out of our major play-with-makeup phase.
Makeup is an ongoing challenge as we age. I use alot of different brands and still haven’t settled. A few yrs back, while recuperating from an operation, I impulsively ordered Lauren Hutton’s makeup disc. It contains concealers in different colors as well as shaders, highlighter, blush, eyebrow powder, liner, powder & bronzer. It’s great.
Can I ask why you replace your eyelash curler? I replace the pad once every few months, but have never replaced the curler itself.
My biggest issue is with foundation – my skin is fairly oily, so foundations always feel heavy by the end of the day and inevitably contribute to breakouts. I’ve tried everything from liquid to power to tinted moisturizer. I’m using bare escentual mineral powder right now, which offers good light coverage, but it stains everything (sink, and worse, if I’m not careful, my clothing). I might try your chanel suggestion next.
No only have I overplucked my eyebrows, what hair I have left is turning gray! Yikes.
I might need to have a session with your Brian. I need some new ideas.
I also had the problem with disappearing eyebrows. A make-up artist recommended the following RevitaBrow & Revitalash available on line at this address http://bit.ly/f5k3ho. It is expenisive but it really did work and my eyebrows have now grown back which saves all that filing in.
I use a very sheer foundation by Almay that has something close to 100% ingredients — I used to use BareMinerals, but once I started using my Clarisonic I found that I didn’t need so much coverage. (Still swear by BareMinerals tinted Mineral Veil in SPF 25, though. I dust it over my foundation to set it.)
Don’t need blush, pink enough already (thank you, rosacea). In the summer, I use BareMinerals Warmth to simulate a tan.
A little bit of brown eye pencil (I think the current one is Yves Rocher), curl the lashes, and a swipe of Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Plum, and I’m out the door.
For evening, I add a sheer, shimmery eyeshadow and do a stronger lip. I might also dust a bit of sheer highlighter over my cheekbones.
I have managed to not overpluck my brows — miraculously — and have them and my lashes tinted regularly. When the brows are fading, I apply a BareMinerals brow powder with a bitty angle brush (which I also sometimes use at night for a more dramatic brow, even if the tint is more recent).
I just found your blog and also just found eyelash curlers. You’re completely right, they really do open up your eyes! I couldn’t believe it, and then wondered why I had never tried one before now. I picked one up for $1.99 at Ulta to give it a try and am glad that I did.
I’m a short makeup routine gal as well. I use Bare Escentuals mineral powder foundation, a tiny bit of mineral powder blush or bronzer, mascara, and a brow pencil. I’ve started using a lip stain occasionally because I don’t like lipsticks or glosses but wanted some more color. I go through phases of wearing eye shadow. I’m in a no-shadow phase right now.
That’s funny, I just learned about coloring eye brows! A nice lady Sephora showed me how to do it. It never occurred to me that part of the reason I wasn’t liking the appearance of my face is that I didn’t recognize myself. I too have lost eyebrow hair and what’s there is graying. I bought the Lancome Le Crayon Poudre in Brunet. It has the feathering brush like yours, but needs sharpening.
As for foundation, I’m using a Cargo liquid. I keep hearing nice things about powder, like the Chanel you use. What’s better about powder vs liquid foundation?
This is a fun one. Although I think of myself as very minimalist in the makeup department, it looks less minimal when written down. I don’t wear foundation, just a tinted sunscreen (on top of other sunscreen). Then YSL Touche Eclat under the eyes. Eyebrows get a little colour from a ModelCo eyebrow kit (but the Latisse style stuff really works on them, so less of this now). A smudge of bronze, brown or khaki eyeliner under lower lid. Mascara on top lashes only. Nars Illuminator if I’m in the mood. And lippy …
My eyes are super sensitive, so I’ve never been able to wear much eye makeup–shadows, liners and lengthening mascaras look all wrong on me anyway. My big discovery has been Kiehl’s eye cream, the first not to bother me. I love it.
My make up routine is fast and spare: in Winter (after moisturizer) I use a tiny dab of pale foundation around the end of my nose, and anywhere else that’s reddened or shadowy. Then I brush the lightest shade of bronzer over forehead, cheekbones, chin, and the bridge of my nose, for a touch of warmth. I use a brown-black mascara, often Neutrogena, first wiping the wand on a tissue to get rid of most of the glop. Then plum-rose lipstick or stain, rubbed in and followed by a little clear gloss or waxy chapstick, and a smidge of rose-brown lip pencil along the bottom of my lower lip for definition. Finally, rose blush on the apples of my cheeks.(I get very pale in Winter.) In Summer, when I turn a light biscuit color, it’s just the blush, lip pencil and gloss. I’ve been working out basically the same natural-looking makeup since I was 18, with small adjustments. Sounds boring, but at 60 it still works for me.
C.
I had never thought to replace the whole curler after so long. May I ask why you do this?
I consulted my hair stylist about eyebrows when my husband was receiving some treatments that caused him to lose his hair.
She recommended powder over pencils, saying that the powder clings to what little hair might still be there and gives a more dimensional look.
He never really got onboard with the eyebrow powder I got him but I’ve been using it and it does fill in where my brows are a bit thin or gray.
I think it’s a good idea to get a shade lighter than your hair, so it doesn’t look so obvious.
Similar routine – a few products to recommend: Guarlein’s Lingerie Foundation (so light, but evens out the skin so nice – unbelievable), Clinique’s Delovely Lipstick (nice, soft, sheer and nude). Of all mascara’s, I am very happy with Loreal’s Telescopic Mascara.
Susan – I’ve done that in the past (dyed eyebrows) but found I still had to fill in the sparse bits. That’s great that the Maybelline works for you!
LBR – I’m still a fan of Diorshow mascara. Try the waterproof to avoid the “afternoon raccoon.”
frugalscholar – you’re right, and I’ve done that in the past. I just don’t have the right eyeshadow color on hand at the moment. (too red)
spacegeek33 – yes, I do that, also depending on what lipstick I’m wearing.
metscan – Chanel does make some really good makeup! Whether to apply powder or not really depends on your skin and how matte of a look you prefer. I find just a little powder on the nose halfway through the day is all that’s required.
LPC – So true, the best time to figure out a makeup routine (and practice) is NOT in the morning when one is trying to get out the door! I tend to experiment on weekends and evenings, when it’s easy to wash off the mistakes.
Jane W – I love that brush too! It works with the Chanel foundation for days when a quicker, lighter application. Thanks for the reminder!
California Girl – I didn’t know Lauren Hutton had a makeup line. Glad you found something that works so well for you!
Anonymous – that’s great!
Kady – I can’t remember who told me to replace, but have just always done so. I think it’s because the mechanism itself wears out after a bit, but I’ll have to research this a bit more. I’m oily on my nose and chin, and find with the blotting paper first, the Chanel foundation works really well. You might also try a primer; some are supposed to keep the oil at bay.
Aunt Snow – I don’t think women universally “need” to wear makeup. Some really do look better without and/or don’t find the bother worth the results. It’s a style thing. I’ve tried the mineral foundations, but they take a bit of practice. On me, they look good at first but by the end of the day I find my skin looks a bit dull. Everyone’s skin is different though, and they certainly do provide light and natural-looking coverage if that’s what you want.
hostess – I wonder if my thyroid issues are part of it? (Had my thyroid removed over 4 years ago, take replacements but they like to keep me a bit “under.”) I agree that at our age, a light hand with the makeup is often the better course.
Chicatanyage – I’m going to have a look at that product. Thanks!
style odyssey – the Chanel foundation is actuall a cream that dries down to a medium matte look. Not powdery, but not “dewy” either.
Susan Tiner – brows make SUCH a huge difference, don’t they?? I find that most liquid foundations tend to look too shiny on me. The Chanel is a cream compact, but it’s really not heavy, can’t even feel it on.
Tiffany – so Latisse can be used on brows too? Hmmm.
BigLittleWolf – I love my eyewear too! do you use the powder blush or cream?
Kalee – I’ve always done if but am going to research and try to find out why that advice was given.
WendyB – back in my day, they didn’t have professional pluckers, or at least not in our neck of the woods. That would’ve been much better!
Semi-Expat – will check out that “Coquette” color! I’ve used NARS “Night Clubbing” with a wet brush as a liner too. Thanks.
Duchesse – I think for most of us, unless we’re in front of a camera for a living, there’s no need to spend more than a few minutes on daily makeup.
Belle de Ville – Brian does great work, both with hair and makeup. I’m getting grey hairs in the brows too!
RoseAG – great advice! The right color powder can give a really natural look.
Rubiatonta – haven’t tried the tinted Mineral Veil, that might be worth looking into. (Wish Bare Essentuals would make compacts; the loose powder is so messy!) I love the idea of mineral foundations but the powders just look dry and dull on me after a few hours.
Misty – the eyelash curlers are a wonder, aren’t they? Which lip stain do you like?
Anonymous – Guerlain is one brand of cosmetics I haven’t tried yet. I like some of the sheer Clinique lipsticks, nice formula!
I love this subject as I am a make-up floozy and will try anything once…