As the years go by, skin produces less collagen. It shows as a certain loss of firmness, deeper lines and an eyelid that drops a little over the eye. Make that skin up the way you would young skin, with the same amount of foundation and powder, and the product settles into the lines, so the face looks more tired than it is. That is why wedding makeup for mature skin uses a different technique, one designed to make the skin look better, never worse.
What a bride with mature skin asks for
When a bride, or the mother of the bride or groom, sits down for her trial with mature skin, the sentence I hear most is «I don't want to look matronly». She isn't asking to hide or to look like someone else. She wants to look rested, radiant and younger, and every step of her wedding makeup is decided with that in mind: whether it brings light to the face or takes it away.
At what age skin counts as mature
There is no age at which skin becomes mature. It shows in the skin itself, and it arrives sooner or later depending on each person's lifestyle and, above all, on how much sun she has had over her life. As a general guide, the skin of a bride over 50 can already be called mature.
How mature skin is prepared before makeup
On mature skin, preparation goes much deeper than on young skin. I hydrate more intensely and with richer textures, because foundation on dry skin cracks and picks out every line, while on well-hydrated skin it melts in and lets the skin show through. That same-day preparation works best when the skin arrives already cared for, with a skincare routine that stays the same in the weeks before.
Why less product looks younger
What I never put on mature skin is too much product, whether cream or powder. A heavy layer of foundation gathers in the lines and draws them even more. I am even more careful with powder: it absorbs the skin's natural light and sits in the creases, so I use it only where it is really needed, in very fine layers. The result is dewy skin that looks fresh in the photos, not powdery.
How do you stop foundation settling into wrinkles?
Hydrate the skin well first, apply little foundation in thin layers, and use powder only where it is needed.
How a drooping eyelid is made up on mature skin
On a drooping eyelid, every stroke angles upwards. That direction lifts the eyes and gives back the life the lid takes away as it drops. The eyeliner has to be fine, because a thick line fills the little lid still on show and closes the eye. And dark shades go only in very precise places, chosen to open the eyes, not to sink them.
I remember a bride who was very worried about her drooping eyelid. She had thought of wearing eyelid stickers, adhesive strips that lift the lid. I advised her against it, because they would have been uncomfortable all day and would have spoiled her makeup. I explained that with the right technique her eyes could open without them, and at the trial she saw it for herself.
Can you wear eyelid stickers on your wedding day?
They are not advisable: they are uncomfortable all day and spoil the makeup. With the right technique, the eyes open without them.
If you have mature skin, the trial is where the balance of light and product that suits your skin is found. On the wedding day you arrive knowing how you will look: rested, radiant and yourself.
