While a great anti-aging skin-care regimen can definitely keep those fine lines and wrinkles at bay, we'll take a little anti-aging help anywhere we can get it, even when it comes to our makeup routines.
However, while many assume that slapping on more makeup can successfully conceal sun and age spots, expert makeup artists suggest that less is always more, especially since going with a cleaner and brighter beauty look can make all the difference.
To help you fake a younger look with makeup, we asked top makeup artists to break down age-defying makeup tips that will help your skin look healthy and radiant.
Read on for tips on how to achieve your best makeup look yet.
19 Ways to Look Younger Instantly With Makeup
Start With Skin Care
As celebrity makeup artist Thynna Wagenblast reminds us, makeup will only ever look as good as the skin beneath it. That’s why she recommends a skin-care routine tailored to your skin’s main concerns. From hydrating ingredients to sunscreen, looking for skin-caring ingredients in your makeup products can make all the difference in both how it wears and the long-term health of your skin. “Sun protection is the ultimate anti-aging step, and I love when it’s built directly into makeup,” adds celebrity makeup artist and ciele Cosmetics founder and CEO Nikki DeRoest. “That’s why I made ciele, so you can get SPF at every step and so your skin looks good now and stays healthy in the long run.” The bottom line: “When skin is properly cared for, makeup naturally appears smoother and more youthful,’ says Wagenblast.
Prioritize Hydration
Celebrity makeup artist and founder of Makeup by Kelli Anne, Kelli Anne Sewell, says to look for a hydration element in all of your makeup and skin-prep products. “Mature skin is a little more dehydrated in general, so every single product that you're putting in your face should have an element of hydration, starting with skin prep. Use a rich cream like The Dewy Skin Cream by Tatcha ($72), it will hydrate your skin, brighten and help you look more plump.”
Do a Quick Facial Massage
Before applying any makeup, do this. Sewell says to start by investing in a good gua sha—she loves the Stainless Steel Gua Sha by Tweezerman ($25)—pair it with a nice lotion and take the time to massage your face before applying any makeup. The result: a more contoured face, plus a rush of circulation to the area for a more wide-awake look. “Spending 10 minutes on facial massage is way more beneficial than 10 minutes on makeup because you’ll feel and look better and you can put on less makeup," she says. Not sure where to start? Read our guide to gua sha here.
Swap Out Your Heavy Foundation
"Looking younger isn’t about covering everything, it’s about letting skin still look like skin," says DeRoest. “Heavy foundation can actually weigh down on the face and clog pores,” she says, recommending a breathable formula like ciele tint & protect SPF 50 for buildable coverage that moves with the skin, “which is what keeps the complexion looking glowy and youthful.” Sewell agrees, saying that instead of covering your face with a heavy foundation, let it shine through. “A good tinted moisturizer is exceptional. My mom who’s in her sixties loves the Tower28 SunnyDays ($32) because it’s everything in one and takes five seconds.”
If You Can’t Part With Your Foundation, Don’t Overdo It
While it may be tempting to slap on a ton of full-coverage foundation, celebrity makeup artist Mari Shten explains that using too much can accentuate fine lines and wrinkles. “Don't use too much foundation, just make sure it’s applied evenly (and cover the sunspots, if you have them),” she says. “Instead, make sure your skin is well-moisturized, and add some glow with slightly pink undertone to create a more youthful appearance.”
Use Concealer Sparingly
Just like applying too much foundation can instantly age you and settle into fine lines, the same goes for using too much concealer around the eyes. “Rather than applying large amounts of concealer here, focus on strategic placement,” says Wagenblast, noting her go-to is Shades by Shan Concealer. “Use small amounts at the inner corner, center of the under-eye area and lifted toward the outer corner to brighten the face while visually ‘lifting’ the area,” she says. Our favorite: Sarah Creal Face Flex Concealer & Complexion Enhancer with Caffeine ($58), a smartly formulated pick designed for over-40 skin—think zero creasing, a hyaluronic acid–infused texture, and an effortless, airbrushed finish.
Stick to Matte Formulas
While shimmery, high-shine formulas might look prettier in the pan, celebrity makeup artist Trish McEvoy says matte formulas, specifically bronzer, are more forgiving. "The more glow you have to a product, the more the pores will appear enlarged," she says. For a smooth, warm finish you can’t overdo, try the Polite Society Cabana Club Blurring Bronzer ($34), packed with vegan hyaluronic acid so it never looks patchy. Sewell says the same rule goes for eyeshadows. “Metallics accentuate texture, so if you’re applying a lot of sheen or glitter on your eyes, you're going to be accentuating any fine lines or wrinkles in the area,” she says. “So a good rule of thumb is to stay more matte in the eyeshadow space.” PATRICK TA Major Dimension Essential Artistry Edit Eyeshadow Palette ($44) pairs six warm and cool matte shades for all of the impact and zero guesswork.
Contour Correctly
While harsh contouring had its time in the sun, now it’s all about a soft sculpt. "The trend used to be all about contouring and chiseling your cheekbones, now it’s all about the no-makeup look, and also elevating the makeup," explains McEvoy. “Contour should create lift, not shadows,” DeRoest adds. "Instead of applying makeup in the contours [of your face] to create shadows, go higher with your blush and bronzer,” says McEvoy. The result: a lifted, more youthful look. "Think high," she adds. To keep things hydrated, not cakey, opt for a creamy bronzer like REFY Cream Bronzer ($28) which can be easily applied and sheered out with a brush, sponge or fingers. DeRoest’s favorite? ciele sculpt & PROTECT SPF 30+ ($34), which she uses “sparingly along the cheekbones and temples to add structure without harsh lines. Soft sculpting makes the face look more defined and youthful.”
Don’t Skip Blush—Ever
“Blush is one of the fastest ways to look younger,” notes DeRoest. “I place it slightly higher on the apples of the cheeks and blend upward toward the temples to ‘lift’ the face.” Celebrity makeup artist Sara Talias agrees, noting adding a liquid blush is "the best trick to create a lit from within glow." Fan-favorite Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush ($25) is her expert-approved pick for the task, a formula she says "adds a playful color that blends seamlessly." However, celebrity makeup artist Branden Melear warns that applying too much blush can make the complexion appear garish, making it important to apply a small amount in the right areas. “Blush should be applied to the tops of the cheeks (and swept back), to allow the face to appear more angular,” he tells us. “This helps give the face more shape.”
Think Upwards
“Whether it’s contour, bronzer or any cheek product, always think upwards,” adds Sewell. “Place and extend your blush a little higher, your bronzer a little higher. Let it enhance the shape of your face but just ‘lift’ it a little with those contour products.”
Remember to Add Contrast
“When everything on the face is the same tone, it can look flat and tired,” says DeRoest. “Youthful makeup has contrast, like warmth from blush, subtle sculpting, and light where the face naturally catches it. That balance is what makes skin look alive.”
Avoid Dark Eyeshadows
While a sultry smokey eye can definitely leave your onlookers guessing, Shten advises against using darker shadows, as they tend to bleed easily, and can accentuate lines around the eyes. Instead, she recommends selecting lighter and softer shades—plus brown and grey eyeliners!—that will help keep your look clean.
Finish With a Mist
To instantly add a youthful appearance to any makeup look, Talias says to finish your makeup with a hydrating mist. We're loving the Saie CitySet Ultra-Fine Mist Setting Spray ($34) which locks in your makeup for up to 16 hours without feeling heavy or wet.
Go Easy on the Setting Powder
Setting powder can be a godsend when you want to give your makeup primer a boost. However, makeup artist Naseeha Khan explains that this product can actually add a heavy layer onto the skin, which can ultimately pronounce fine lines and wrinkles. To use this product carefully, she suggests using it under your eyes to ensure your concealer doesn’t crease. Otherwise, she warns against using it on other areas of your face, as she says you always want your skin to look natural and healthy. For a skin-like finish, ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Bouclé Silk Airbrushed Finishing Powder ($40) is talc-free and won't leave you looking cakey or powdery.
Master Lip Liner
Lip pencil may seem like a tricky makeup product to use, but Shten says it can be mastered easily if you know where to start. The secret to nailing precise lip liner application, she explains, is to actually make sure the pencil shade is as close to your lip color as possible. Once you have found your go-to lip pencil shade, she advises overdrawing your lips with your pencil first, and then finishing your lip look with a gloss and light lipstick. “Just go right on top of your lip liner, and then use gloss or light lipstick on top to make lips look more plump and instantly look younger,” she adds. Tilt Beauty The Easy Way Lip Liner ($26) offers an ergonomic grip and a creamy, long-wearing finish that makes the often-tricky step a whole lot easier.
Carefully Define Your Brows
While full and defined brows look great at any age, Melear says you’ll want to exert caution when drawing in those arches, as you’ll want to keep your look appearing clean and natural. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t go for a fuller brow look, as he recommends using a taupe brow pencil to lightly fill in your brows. “This ends up giving them a more lifted look,” he adds. The no-tug MERIT Brow 1990 Ultra Fine Eyebrow Gel Pencil ($24) makes creating fine, hair-like strokes easy and comes in four long-wearing shades.
Reconsider Your Lipstick Shade
If your go-to lipstick shade is a dark and sultry one, listen up. Makeup artist Helena Olivares advises swapping vampy plum or brown tones for more neutral shades, as they can look a bit harsh on aging skin. Neutral tones and subtle pinks, she explains, can help you achieve a more youthful appearance, as they instantly give the skin a brighter and cleaner look. Melts-right-in Victoria Beckham Beauty Posh Lipstick ($39) comes in an array of nude, berry and brown shades to suit every skin tone and keeps lips super moisturized for hours.
Use Highlighter Carefully, If at All
Highlighter products, without a doubt, can give your cheeks that effortless glow in seconds. However, makeup artist Jessica Sanner advises using highlighter products carefully, as you won’t want to use products containing glitter. “Be sure to use a liquid or cream-based highlighter that does not contain glitter, as you want to aim to achieve a satin-sheen glow,” Sanner tells NewBeauty. And while it may be tempting to add more product onto your cheeks, she advises against using highlighter on textured areas, as it tends to exaggerate lines and wrinkles. “If you have more textured areas, do not add highlighter to that area, as it can exaggerate, and give you the opposite effect of what you want.” VIOLETTE_FR Baume Shine ($28) is an easy-to-apply highlighter stick that melts right into the skin for a youthful, woke-up-like-this glow.
Cocktail Your Foundation
To achieve a natural glow without packing on the highlighter, Malear advises adding some face oil to your foundation to keep your skin looking dewy and bright. “Apply two or three drops of face oil into your foundation to give your makeup a youthful glow,” he says. “This is also a great way to hydrate the skin too.” Our go-to: U Beauty The Super Intensive Face Oil ($188), packed with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and E, peptides and more to keep skin glowy, bouncy and hydrated.
The Bottom Line
“The goal isn’t to look different. It’s to look like you on your most rested, lifted day,” DeRoest reminds us. “Product placement, breathable coverage, and skin-first formulas really make all the difference.”
