I Finally Achieved A Natural Makeup Look At 40 That Didn’t Age Me 15 Years Using These 6 Things
Skill level: Beginner
by Carolyn Firestone
If you had told me a year ago I’d be writing an article about how to do your makeup I’d have laughed and laughed, and all of my laugh lines would have been on full, cakey display. Part of that’s because the idea of putting my face anywhere on the internet is gutturally nauseating. But the other part is that the idea that I, of all people, could master natural, beautiful, glowy makeup much less write about it was just plain silly.
Even though I’ve been wearing makeup since I was a broken-out 15-year-old, I’ve never actually felt like I’ve gotten it right. Even 25 years in, as a gaping-pored 40-year-old, I was clueless what to use and overwhelmed by the wild number of influencers with seemingly God-given clear skin telling me how to do makeup. ME! With all my texture and lines and sagging and adult acne and paralyzing fear of needles and injections.
So I stuck to my old methods - coats of foundation, powders to banish oil, plenty of blush to make me look not dead, and heavy eye makeup to hopefully pull your own eyes away from the surface of Mars parading itself as my skin. Ok, it wasn’t as bad as all that, but it wasn’t good.
And more than that, all the things that kind of worked when I was 25 stopped working at 35. My makeup was making me look older, dryer, and far less fresh-faced.
That’s when I had to start seriously editing. And in a stroke of luck thicker than the stroke of my eyeliner, I started working at The Candidly. Which is where I discovered a sea of beauty tips that were not only for the glass-skinned, 20-something goddesses of TikTok. They were for impatient, lazy, over-40 ME.
To my relief, the solutions were so much simpler than the hell I’d been putting myself and my skin through. There are actually just 6 earth-shaking products I’ve discovered that I need to do a full face of “no makeup” makeup. Do I suddenly look like I should be running my own TikTok tutorials? Well, no. But do I look like a better, healthier, glowier version of me? Undeniably. And I look like I’m wearing less makeup.
It is such a dumb cliché and I hate hearing myself type it, but if I can do it, anyone truly can. But you have to get specific. And here’s how.
1. bareMinerals Complexion Rescue® Natural Matte Tinted Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid and Mineral SPF 30
Just because I have crow’s feet and an increasingly sinking jawline doesn’t mean I don’t still get acne. Such fun! And now that there are those darks spots popping up, I have zero plans to give up foundation. I still need beautiful, blended coverage, but a big mistake I was making was wearing thicker, more drying formulas and powders to even my skintone. And, of course, that was accentuating all the aforementioned things that aged me. This tinted moisturizer is actually the most natural foundation of them all. I was worried that a dewy foundation was just a fancy way of saying it would exacerbate my shine, but this is so deeply not the case with this creamy formula. I did get it in matte cause I run oily, but both the original and matte version give you a natural, even glow that’s very much your-skin-but-better (as the beauty professionals say). Apply it with this for smoothness and ease. It’s light as air, but truly, your skin will never look better.
Price: $39
2. jones Road Miracle Balm
Powder blushes add years to our face. Cream blushes are the easy answer, but so many of them are not great on mature skin. This one glides over pores and fine lines and gives the glowiest, glassiest, flushed finish. Another trick is not to apply too far in on the cheekbone. Start below the center of your eye-line and dab up toward the ear. You can’t go wrong with any color, but I’m very keen on dusty rose for my pretty fair skin.
Price: $38
3. Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer with Vitamin C
I use this just for blemishes and an itty bit under my eyes, because it makes everything look blurred and even but also brighter because of the hit of vitamin C. This means you don’t lose an ounce of that glowiness I keep going on about.
Price: $32
4. Finding Ferdinand Delicious Balm And Lip Gloss
You know that look that makes it seem like you were just born with perfect soft, peachy-pink lips? Well Finding Ferdinand has bottled that, both in their sheer, deeply hydrating balms and in their non-sticky glosses. The balm in Mon Cheri looks like the color you wish your genes had blessed you with, while the gloss in Thorn is the ultimate earthy rose petal hue you always dream of finding. I swear it improves my mood 37% every time I swipe it on. And for a wee bit of twinkle for the evening or just to feel romantic, I go for Rooftop Sunset, which is still sublimely natural. Can you tell I’m in love with this brand’s lip products?
Note: Not for those with a nut allergy.
Price: $26 for the balm, $26 for the gloss
5. Beauty Pie Über Volume Boost Velvet Formula Mascara
I’d given up on unearthing a mascara that really stays put and doesn’t clump. They’d all, one by one, let me down. This tubing mascara from Beauty Pie made me look like my lashes had doubled and darkened, and basically as if I’d applied the most real-looking fake lashes of my life. Needless to say, my joy at this discovery has been felt by every woman I know and work with and probably 85 strangers I’ve inadvertently batted my eyelashes at because I’m suddenly under some kind of delusion that I’m the midlife incarnate of Betty Boop. Point is, your lashes will look unbelievable.
Price: $20
6. Soshe Beauty Waterproof Precision Eyeliner
Here’s a fun little thing I learned. Excellent mascara + excellent eyeliner = never needing to use eyeshadow again because it settles into creases and ages you 11 years. Obviously, we can all still have fun with a gorgeous cream shadow or the occasional smokey eye, but for an impactful, everyday, “no-makeup” makeup look, you just need a dead-on accurate, glidey liner that won’t smudge so much you have to double its size to even it out.
As a devout eyeliner lover, I have tried so, so many, from drugstore to designer, and this one is superfine and precise and so easy to apply. Also, it’s waterproof, which is great, because life is just packed with things to cry about. I kid … kind of.
Oh and it also has these incredibly easy to snap on, refillable heads that cost $17, and that you can have on hand to replace on a moment’s notice.
Price: $23
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Ok, now for the moment of truth. I didn’t want my face to be part of this article which is so blatantly about … my face. But if, like you, I’d gotten this far and didn’t see a before and after, I’d be pretty pissed. So here it is. Left is how I used to do my makeup and right is with the above 6 things.
Once again, I am by no means the best at this whole anti-aging, natural makeup thing, but I no longer feel like wearing makeup makes me look older. Nevertheless, please be kind in comments. My ego isn’t nearly as resilient as my eyeliner.
Oh wait, A Bonus: Skincare
It’s dumb to call this a bonus, because this is maybe the most important thing I’m going to say. You probably already know it, but the real secret to your healthiest, glowiest, most youthful look is not actually makeup … it’s skincare. There are four things that have absolutely transformed the palette that is my skin once I realized (rather late in the game) that I needed to address aging if I didn’t want to rapidly accelerate the signs of it.
The Face Oil: This stuff is liquid gold. In just a few drops, lines disappear and your complexion looks kissed by the sun. However, it is NOT drugstore. It’s worth it’s weight in … well, gold. But we do have a code to help. Use CANDIDLY 20 to get 20% off.
The Cleanser: This is the gentlest yet most purifying cleanser out there. I was hitting a weird wave of breakouts and since using it, my blemishes have all but dissolved without my skin being the slightest bit stripped.
The Face Cream: Same miracle brand as above. The dewiness it has given me has made me emotional. The price isn’t easy, but if you’re ready to invest, you can use the code CANDIDLY for 15% off.
The Vitamin C Serum: Vitamin C is one of only 3 things proven to be anti-aging. This one doesn’t cost a fortune and leaves my skin so much brighter, it’s addictive.
Carolyn is the Managing Editor of The Candidly. Her favorite thing to do is to write about her favorite things, especially when they have even the slightest chance of making someone else’s something (mood, relationship, travel plans, or toiletry kit) a little better. You can find more of her articles here.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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