Switching up eye makeup looks, tends to be one of the trickiest (and most intimidating) areas of the face when it comes to women of a certain age. We all get stuck in our makeup RUTS. We do the SAME eye makeup look, and colors, every – single – day. Because it’s what we know and are comfortable with. So, today I have 2 Eye Catching Makeup Looks For Mature Women.
What is the harm in trying something new with your eye makeup?? Shaking things up is what life is all about. And there is no time like the present for older women to just have fun with makeup and embrace change.
Remember, it’s makeup, it is NOT permanent. It can always be removed, adjusted, or manipulated. Practice until you get it right. Treat yourself to some new products, a brush set made for aging eyes, a mirror, or whatever will light a spark in your makeup journey!
Here are 2 easy eye makeup looks you can try now as we head into the fall and winter seasons. I’ll guide you step-by-step so that when you sit down to do your makeup today or tomorrow, you’ll have a roadmap to help you step out of your comfort zone!
TL;DR
Jennifer gives step-by-step instructions for 2 new eye makeup looks
Jennifer’s product recommendations are shoppable via text links and image widgets
2 Eye Catching Makeup Looks For Mature Women
What you’ll need for both looks
1. Neutral Shadows – I will be using the Nable Side-By-Side palette, $39, for both tutorials today. It’s one of my go-to palettes if you need a new one for fall – the colors and pigments are magnificent and all the shades are very wearable neutrals in various matte and shimmer finishes.
2. Lid primer – The Nars smudge proof shadow base, $26, is legendary. Works so well to lock in all of that work so there’s zero faint during the day. It sells out often, so grab it while you can!
3. Eyeliner – I am really a big fan of the latest Laura Mercier Caviar eyeliners, $27, that have great staying power but also are soft enough to easily glide onto the lash line. I will be using the shades Tuxedo (black) AND Bleu Marine (navy) between both tutorials. The tarte Wide Awake nude eyeliner, $21, is always a great one to have as well for both tutorials.
4. Shadow brushes – It’s important to have a couple of brushes for both looks. The BK Beauty brushes are some of my faves, especially their Essentials Eye Set, $80. Invest in great brushes – they’ll last you forever!
Shop The Products in This Post
LOOK 1: HALO EYE
The halo eye is a super eye-catching look that seems difficult, but it’s not when you break it down. Its purpose is to play with varying shades of light and dark around the eye, which eventually gives the illusion of rounder, more awake eyes.
How to:
The basic technique calls for applying darker shades on the very inner and outer corners of the lid, and then packing a lighter, shimmery shade in the center. You repeat this along the lower lid as well – or omit if you want to start off slower.
A. I started with my eyelid primer as always, then I used my trusty smudge it brush with one of the lighter taupe/brown shades in the palette.
B. I then patted small amounts along the top of the tear duct area and then in a small sideways V shape < > on the outer corners of my eyes.
C. If you want a bit more of the dramatic (like I did!) I also rubbed this same shade along the outer part of the lower lash line and right near the tear duct, keeping the center free and clear.
D. Then take a fluffier shaded brush and rub along the upper parts of these areas to blend out the edges.
E. I then went back in with an even darker brown shade and layered right over the first spots I applied the light taupe to create dimension. Repeat the fluffy shader brush along the edges to soften.
F. Now for the fun part – take your ring finger or pinky finger, and dip it into a shimmer shade that is much lighter than your first two colors. I used the champagne shade from my palette. And you’ll press it right into the center of that lid that was left bare. If doing the lower lash line, take the smudge it brush and pop the shimmer in the center of that lower lash line.
G. You could then curl your lashes, add mascara, and go for a soft halo effect. If you haven’t tried the lengthening and volumizing Tower 28 mascara, $20, and you have sensitive eyes, I say give it a try! It won Allure’s Best of Beauty award in 2022.
Or, for more dramatic vibe, take your black eyeliner, I like this “Tuxedo” shade, and rub it into the inner waterline on the upper and lower lash line, leaving the center of both open again.
H. Take your nude eyeliner and then rub it in the center of the lower lash line to fill in.
Shop The Products in This Post
LOOK 2: EMBRACE NAVY EYELINER
Black and brown are safe, but can get kinda boring. Consider trying the shade NAVY which looks good on every eye color (I promise) and will actually create a softer look than a black, but give more drama than brown.
I am using the Laura Mercier Caviar Eyeliner, “Bleu Marine,” which is a most gorgeous shade of navy.
The great thing about using navy liner, is that you can just keep the rest of the eyeshadow look very simple and neutral. Let the navy take center stage!
How to:
A. As always, start with your eyelid primer and place it all over the lid down to the lash line. It will even give the liner more longevity.
B. Grab a light ivory shade and run it under your brow bone and from the lash line to your crease.
My favorite brand to pull from for eyeshadow palettes lately are the mini collection of shadows from Natasha Denona, $27. Her pigments are exquisite in all of the palettes!
Curl those lashes and use two coats of a super volumizing mascara, like Lash Idôl, $30, to really make your eyes stand out. Do not skip this step whatever you do! Mascara is a game-changer.
C. Then, take a neutral color like taupe, brown, or warm gray and sweep it along the center crease to create shadow and dimension.
D. Now take your navy eyeliner and rub it as close to the lash line as possible, with the outer corners being slightly thicker and the line should gradually get thinner as it nears the tear duct. If you decide to also tightline this lash line, it will increase the depth of navy.
E. Now grab your eyeliner brush and smudge the liner immediately to soften the line and blur. This automatically helps to correct any harsh edges you might have created while drawing the line.
- TIP * Do one eye at a time – meaning once you draw the line, go ahead and sweep the brush over it before you move on to the next eye so as not to give the liner time to dry down too much.
F. Finish off by keeping the lower lash line clean of any shadow just add your mascara and nude eyeliner in the inner waterline to brighten the whites of the eyes. Simple as that!
SHOP THE products in this post
As you can see in this tutorial, both eye looks go quite nicely with my new favorite 2 piece sweater lounge set from Amazon that is just $36!
It is the most comfy, well-made set, and comes in a variety of color combos. I couldn’t keep this item to myself. The ivory-black combo is going to be my next purchase. It’s my new favorite outfit to throw on with lots of gold jewelry and cool leather sneakers to be able to wear out and about. (I’m wearing a small for reference – and the pants are fairly long, so if you’re petite, keep that in mind – I am 5′ 5″ )
So which eye look are you going to try first?? You might just be surprised how many compliments you get! And if you didn’t catch my post on the method for keeping your foundation staying ALL day, read it now!
Shop the Products in this Post
In Case You Missed It
Yesterday, Beth and Kelly Celebrated the Arrival of October. Click the title or image below to read the article.
Celebrate the Arrival of October
About The Author
These are great tips, but we ladies of a certain age have overlapping/no lids, so how do we do eye shadow?
Hi Jeanne! You can still try both looks with hooded lids. The key is with the crease part with shadow, to take the color up higher above the fold so that when the eyes are at rest, you can notice the color. (Bc if a color is placed in the physical crease, it would just be hidden). The navy liner would still look good when you blink, and tightlining would also help with hooded lids. And curling eyelashes really helps open up eyes. Hope this makes sense!