Thursday, March 10, 2016

Mature Fashion: Rocking Cosmetics


Good Morning All;

In earlier posts it has been mentioned the importance of make-up in styling for a particular role in our play of lifestyle. A Fashion stylinista has to consider the whole package when putting together a complete look for herself. That means the garments she wears, the hairstyle she chooses, and the desired cosmetic application.  Rocking cosmetics is all about make-up that allows rocking ones age while at the same time being appropriate for the role we are filling at the time.

In this post I am not displaying pictures of myself as examples of make-up ideas because there are so many beauty bloggers who I think can do a much better job than I can.  I have mentioned them before in previous posts.  Twominutetips-a v-log series conducted by Sharon Danley accessed on YouTube offers superior advice on both make-up and styling (I never miss a new release). Tricia Cusden, also on YouTube, and Sharon Capehart are all excellent sources for the how-to of application and examples of make-up application and advice. My post merely re-inforces the necessity of addressing the importance make-up plays in personal styling.  In any event, all beauty sources recognize the fact that for the mature woman, the following beauty practices must occur to "rock our age". (unfortunately, the very young woman can ignore most of this and still look terrific-for a while).

Most women over 25 cannot look very good with thick plastered looking make-up.  The older a woman gets, the more important it is for her to give the appearance of flawless skin.  A more mature woman must have a look that radiates youth and good health; the skin must look smooth and even, the make-up foundation color must be flattering and provide a pleasing color. The skin must glow  and project the blush that suggests good health. A more mature woman must know how to contour the face shape to diminish sag and  provide highlights to give the face a "lift".


A woman over 40 must take special care to give the appearance of youthful eyes. Unfortunately, most of us over that age have some issues with sagging lids, red-eye problems, and the ubiquitous advent of wrinkles.  Fortunately, most of us can still look terrific, but it does take a bit of know-how.

It is also essential to realize the importance of framing the face(eyebrow definition and contouring).  Even young women who have too pale or poorly groomed eyebrows cannot look their best without paying attention to this detail; one which many women do not address.  As we age, our eyebrows fade and may thin.  Skin all over the face begins to sag as we may lose some fat in the face and gravity takes its toll.  Fortunately, both of these occurrences can be mitigated a bit by cosmetics.  Learning how to take advantage of framing the face is necessary to look our best.  I especially recommend Sharon's videos for the how-tos. (I recommend her especially because she does not push any particular product, just application.  Tricia's application steps are also good, but she also is selling a product and some of the application may be product driven).

Plumping the lips is also necessary to give the appearance of youth.  As we grow older, our lips usually thin a bit and lose color and definition.  All of this is aggravated by the wrinkles that may occur around our lips.  Some of us ex-smokers have more than our share of these fine lines that make an even lipstick application somewhat difficult.  In any event, if an older woman wants to project any type of youthful and healthy impression, it is vital to develop a regimen of cosmetic application to the lips.

All of the above is primarily directed at projecting health and vitality.  The type of make-up one would apply needs to be appropriate to the role.  The make-up that one wears to an upscale social event is usually not the same that one would apply when performing house-hold roles.  As the costume designer for our play, each of us would define the requirements for the costume we choose, but to 'rock it', is is essential to make the distinctions and make a conscious choice.  Personally, I prepare my face in the early morning with the base for any cosmetic application I expect to occur during the day.  I rarely wear any more make-up than I think is necessary during the day because of skin sensitivities that I have to deal with. I do use a more elaborate range of cosmetics for social and important business roles, usually in the arena of eye make-up.  My base guide line is no application of eye shadow unless I am wearing heels (of course!, there are exceptions, but it is unlikely you will see me in eye-shadow if I am wearing sport shoes)

.......................Geneva...................Rockmyages@aol.com

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