I’m a 54yr-old makeup artist – how to reverse age every part of your face with budget buys, from your brows to cheeks

MAKE-UP tricks which take years off your face are big business on Instagram.

Posts with tips such as how to use eyeliner for youthful eyes, or blusher to hide wrinkles, get thousands of hits every day.

2

2

But can the way you apply your slap really give you younger-looking skin?

Make-up artist and influencer Kate Hughes has worked in the business for more than 30 years and is ready to share her secrets.

“I know how it feels when your face doesn’t look how you feel on the inside,” says Kate, 54. “When I hit my 50s, I suddenly felt quite unseen. My skin became dry and had no lustre. Menopause happened.

“Using the wrong techniques can make everything go a bit south.

“But using a few simple, easy hacks, you can get that glow and luminosity back.”

In a special experiment for Fabulous, Kate used different techniques to show how a few simple changes can make you appear years younger.

AGE-FLATTERING TECHNIQUES

Give you a glow and define structure

DO give brows a long tail

To look more youthful, I used the pencil higher on the brow and made the tail a lot longer.

 This frames the face and lifts it slightly.

Always try to match the natural colour of your eyebrow. Use a pencil that is soft and make sure it is sharpened. Also use a brush to brush the eyebrow upwards.

 Eyebrow mascaras are really good, too, but make sure you wipe the brush as it comes out of the tube, before applying.

DO give your eyes a flick

FOR something to lift the eye, use a slanted eyebrow brush and a really dark aubergine or chestnut brown eyeshadow, not black, as these are softer on mature skin.

Anything goes in terms of colour, it’s more about getting the right technique. Use the brush close along the lash line and flick it up at the end to give the lift illusion.

 It’s a much more youthful look. Tubing mascara is a good option, it wraps around the lash and is easier to remove than waterproof mascara.

DO apply bronzer high

FOR a more youthful look, use bronzer to lift the face by applying it higher up on the cheekbone than normal.

 Then apply the blusher uncomfortably high on the cheekbone. This gives you that lovely “lifted” effect. Use something with a tiny bit of shine — but not too much product, as you don’t want to enhance any fine lines or wrinkles.

DO overline lips

ON my better side, I’ve slightly overlined, but I haven’t gone right into the corner.

 This makes the lip look a little fuller, with more volume and less pinched and small. I’ve also used a red, which brightens the lips. If you want to go for a vibrant, bold lip then do so. It can , brighten your appearance and boost confidence.

You might think matte lipsticks or lip glosses are a no-no, but you can wear them - it’s just about getting the technique right.

DO use illuminating base

USE a product that is hydrating and illuminating, such as a BB cream.

Make sure you go for the same colour as your skin tone.

Prepping your skin with a primer before using a foundation can help smooth out your make-up application.

Use the same foundation all over your face to even out skin tone. Then use a concealer to conceal problem areas such as dark under-eyes or blemishes.

AGEING TECHNIQUES

Make skin look flat and drag features down

DON’T do dark brows

I USED an eyebrow pencil to pencil in the eyebrow and just below.

 I left it quite short on the end so that the tail of the eyebrow isn’t very long and brushed it downwards. The eyebrows should frame the face, but doing it this way is unflattering.

It pulls the face down, which gives it an aged appearance.

Never go too dark with your colour either, as that can make the eyebrow look flat.

DON’T use kohl eyeliner

HERE, I applied a black kohl pencil eyeliner, a technique that was popular in the Nineties, but is now outdated.

It is a good illustration of why you need to always reassess your make-up regime, and not rely on doing something just because it’s the way you’ve always done it.

I lined across the lash right from the corner of the eye and I went down slightly at the end.

It’s a very hard look that drags the eye down and ages the face.

DON’T blush apple of cheek

BRONZER here is applied underneath the cheekbone.

We’ve always been taught to put blusher on the apple of the cheek, but as we age, these can drop.

 Again, applying blusher here drags the face down and makes your skin appear older.

And another word of warning, you should never use anything that is completely matte, as this can result in making dull skin look even duller.

DON’T line corner of mouth

HERE I used a lip liner just below the lip line and I went right down into the corner of the lip.

You can see that this is a no-no, and that the results are pretty unflattering.

 This technique can drag the face down, as you may have a tiny crease in the corner of the mouth that naturally points downwards.

You should always avoid applying liner there as it drags the lips down.

DON’T use matte foundation

A THICK, matte foundation can flatten your complexion and is ageing. It’s good to match the colour of your skin as anything too light can be unflattering.

Don’t use too much, as this will highlight fine lines. Many make-up artists on Insta say to avoid concealer under eyes and using colour corrector to disguise dark circles, as it can clog in creases.

 However, concealer is fine and can work well as long as it is not too thick.