Help! I need makeup advice for defining mature eyes. Ask The Kit

“I’m a well-preserved 70-year-old, with brown eyes and fair skin. My eyes look awful without makeup, and my eyelashes are beating a hasty retreat. I feel it’s time for a new look. I need advice from someone who has experience with older women.” — Laura, Oakville

I was excited to get your letter, Laura, because the subject of my own eyes and makeup drives me bonkers, too. In fact, I often throw up my hands and wear no makeup at all. And yet: memories of feeling sultry with a smoky eye keep me coming back to the makeup counter, time and again, looking for fresh, magic solutions.

So I asked some talented pros to share their best strategies for making up mature eyes. First up I spoke with Simone Otis, longtime editorial makeup artist and part of the creative team at 19/99 Beauty, a Canadian line designed to defy age limits. Otis recently did glam for the one and only Tilda Swinton, a performer who fills me with awe and wonder. So as a special bonus this week, we get some wisdom on aging gracefully from Swinton, who is almost 62.

“She’s had no work done,” says Otis. “She has extraordinary features. She takes care of her skin. But here’s the thing: she doesn’t dwell on the negative. She was focused on the fun of it, the playful side of getting made up. She doesn’t worry about wrinkles.” The upshot? “You have to make that choice,” says Otis. “Accept the changes; that is what is beautiful. Wrinkles are beautiful.” She can relate. “I’m over 50 and I remember how taut things used to be. I can either obsess over it or, like Tilda, make the choice to amplify what I like instead.”

First of all, focus on formulations: powders settle into cracks and crevices and can look cakey on drier, mature skin. 19/99’s core products are multipurpose pencils that work as liner and shadow, cheeks, lips and highlight (depending on the colour, of course). They are blendable and buildable and creamy, which is especially great for the delicate skin around the eyes, which gets thinner and crepier as we age.

“You aren’t looking to line your eyes in the same way as you age; the line is never going to be as sharp,” says Otis. Instead, take the pencil and draw a line along your lashes, then blend it out. “You can decide the opacity, how deep to make the colour, how far up to blend it.” She says Oro, a universally flattering rose gold shade, gives a great everyday eye.

But her favourite advice, which I love, is to take risks on days when you feel up to it. “We can all get stuck in a look, a makeup habit. Then when we can’t execute that the same way it’s frustrating. So practise going outside your comfort zone.”

As we age, Otis says, every skin tone loses colour and lustre, and we all lose definition in our features. So why not fight back with bold colour? “Try the blue liner, make your eyes pop, have some fun. Sure, it may be outside your comfort zone, but it changes how you feel and gives you confidence.” A green pencil is coming soon to the 19/99 lineup, which might be really nice with your brown eyes, Laura.

Also: don’t forget to give some love to your eyebrows with a pencil, brow gel or professional tint. “Brows frame the eyes in a way that is so powerful,” says Otis. “They can give you back your expression and the definition you are looking for.”

A little glow never hurts. For subtle highlighting that works for mature skin, Otis suggests dabbing RMS Living Luminizer on cheekbones; it’s a pot of creamy, pearly goodness that helps add some zip to your complexion.

You mentioned lashes in your note, Laura, and I’ll mention that I’ve been a fan of 19/99’s Lash Tint mascara since it launched — it has a thin wand that’s great for defining fine eyelashes precisely and it’s one of the very few that never irritates my eyes.

I also recently tried a terrific eyelash curler designed by another Toronto celebrity makeup artist and I was thrilled with how much it opened up my eyes, which I feel get smaller by the year. “It’s a game-changer in the world of eyelash curlers,” says its creator, Victoria Radford, who has a salon called Radford Studio in Yorkville, and her own line of makeup and skin care. “I developed it with a unique pronged design that works to gently separate and lift each lash individually.”

This is ideal for shorter and sparser lashes, because “the prongs really pick up lashes from the root, even the shortest ones, for a fantastic fan-like shape.” It is also wider than traditional curlers and comfortable for most eye shapes.

Like Otis, Radford’s secret to makeup for mature eyes is blendable liner. Her eye pencils are super soft and creamy, enriched with vitamin E. “My tip would be to apply the Multi-Liner only to the top outer corner of the eyelid to open the eyes, then smudge with a brush or finger for a soft, diffused look.” She uses her Multi-Liner in Rose Gold on both eyes and lips. “It’s a monochromatic everyday look that enhances flecks of green in every eye colour.”

Radford also suggests applying her skin care/concealer combo EYE under the eyes; it has a golden tint to brighten all skin tones. And a glowy primer is a great choice underneath it all. (Personally, I use Radford’s instead of foundation.) Radford recommends applying it under tinted moisturizer, then tapping a little on top of cheekbones afterwards to add some very subtle, not glittery sheen.

So channel Tilda and have a little fun. Go for a modern look with a little shine and try an unexpected eye colour. The worst thing that can happen is you wash it off.

Shop the advice

These products will deliver definition and a touch of glow

19/99 Beauty Precision Pencil Duo, $40, ssense.com SHOP HERE

Do as the pros do and use eye pencils to softly line and add colour to the lids — this set has a flattering rose gold as well as a warm rosy brown shade.

Radford Curl eyelash curler, $28, radfordbeauty.com SHOP HERE

This lash curler has unique prongs to encourage even the sparsest lashes to curl skywards, making eyes look wider.

RMS Living Luminizer, $48, thedetoxmarket.ca SHOP HERE

This cult-favourite luminizer enriched with vitamin E and coconut oil is dewy, semi-sheer and adds a gorgeous gleam.

Lise Watier Illuminating Primer, $45, sephora.ca SHOP HERE

A little glowy, hydrating primer goes a long way both under makeup and tapped on cheekbones for subtle highlight.

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