Should women over 35 continue to wear MAC Cosmetics makeup? (part 1)

I’ve been wearing MAC Cosmetics for a long time now. I mix some MAC colours with my other makeup items and I cannot remember when was the last time my makeup bag didn’t include at least three to four MAC products.

Lately, I’ve been wondering if MAC Cosmetics was a line that was still appropriate for women over 35. When you look at a cosmetic line like Bobbi Brown where all the colours are greyed down it’s easier to see how women of a certain age would gravitate towards that line.

MAC Cosmetics has much brighter and bolder colours and I wanted to understand how women needed to approach the line as they age.

I met with Senior Artist Jane McKay for a little MAC education.

During my meeting with her, I had some precise questions and she in return had very precise answers. She also managed to give me a 15-minute face that completely hid all of my hyperpigmentation spots (you’ll see the photo at the end of part 2).

Senior Artist Jane McKay from MAC Cosmetics makeup and beauty tips:

1)  What are some of the top essential makeup products women over 35 should NOT be without?

It’s all about the face. Before even thinking of makeup products, women over 35 need to focus on having the perfect canvas (aka the perfect face). The reality is that:

“Skincare is 90 per cent of the end result … every women should strive to have beautiful, translucent, natural looking skin”

This is very easy to create when you know the steps:

1. Exfoliant: This is an absolute necessity once or twice per week – as you age your skin will not rejuvenate its self as quickly. MicroFine Refinisher is a cleanser from MAC that contains an exfoliator to help your skin glow.

2. Moisturize: That’s so important at any age, but more so as you age in order to keep your skin protected against dryness.

3. Use SPF Protection: You really should never leave your home without at least an SPF 15. I’d recommend the MAC Studio Moisture Fix with an SPF 15. We also carry products with protection as high as SPF 50.

4. Foundation: Use the right shade of foundation for your skin tone. If you’ve been using the same foundation since your teens, you should get a makeup consultant to make sure the shade and the consistency is appropriate for you.

5. Use a concealer: you’ll be able to hide a multiple of sins thanks to the magic of a concealer.

6. Use powder: One again, you want to use the right shade of powder to finish your makeup. Mineralize Skinfinish from MAC comes in different shades and it’s perfect to set your foundation.

7. Use a bronzer: A bronzer that is NOT too dark will do wonders at contouring your face. You really want to only use bronzer on certain parts of your outer face and you should NEVER use bronzer like you use a finishing powder.

2)  What are some of the three biggest mistakes women in their 30s, 40s, 50s make when it comes to their makeup?

* They chose the wrong colours for their skin tone

* They do a poor job at properly blending colours

* They wear far too much makeup

You have to remember that after the age of 35, it’s no longer about colours but it’s about intensity. You want to choose the right colours for your skin tone and you want to make sure you’re not using too much of anything.

3) When should women wear fake eyelashes? Can you give us some quick tips on how to apply them?

* Fake eyelashes are great to intensify the eyes and give them that instant pop.

* The best way to use false eyelashes is NOT to choose a pair that is too thick.

* You want to choose ones that aren’t full and you want to cut them in half.

* You want to really only glue the fake eyelashes at the outer part of the eye.

* As women age, their eyes will droop downwards, fake eye lashes will help lift and open the eye.

4) What are the three “must-dos” women in their 30s, 40s, 50s should take into consideration when approaching makeup.

In my opinion you MUST:

a) Moisturize

b) Use a natural looking foundation

c) Use bronzer in a shade that’s not too dark

I’ll add a fourth one … it’s important to use blush because as you age your circulation slows down and you need blush to bring some brightness to the face.

I’ll also add to ALL women should wear pink, gold and coral shades because those colours do such a good job at illuminating the face.