The festive season is here and we have the hope of all hopes that after weeks of Lockdown 2, we might have some semblance of a normal Christmas. Perhaps this Christmas, after spending the majority of 2020 living in loungewear, we won’t be as eager to get into that traditional Christmas onesie. Maybe after a pared-back and dressed down year it’s time to put some sparkle back into our routines and refuse to allow the usual festive changes to our makeup and wardrobe become the ghost of Christmas past.

The simple and previously normal tasks of putting on makeup and getting dressed often felt exhausting this year but there is no doubt that putting in the effort puts a spring in our step. Just like that first caffeine hit in the morning - it wakes us up and lifts our mood and we’re ready to face the day. Never before have I put such little effort into my appearance over such a long period of time. Pyjama days became pyjama weeks and on many occasion when I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror, I could hear Liam Neeson’s voice in my head exclaiming ‘’I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. But what I do have are a particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career.’’ I had indeed been ‘Taken’ and although I had the skills to get the old me back, I didn’t always have the motivation. Besides, in some ways, it felt liberating to be makeup-free and while I hope many of us now feel more comfortable in our own skin it’s also important we don’t forget who we used to be and start investing some overdue time into our self-care and self-esteem. And what better excuse than the holiday season to get our glam on.

While Christmas is the season to sparkle, midlife is the ultimate time to shine.

We are confident, we are armed with life experience and we generally care less about what others think of us. But can women over a certain age wear shimmer? And can we wear it teamed with a festive red lipstick? Of course, we can! While it’s important to be aware of some makeup dos and don’ts, rules are often made to be broken. We are all unique, our features are different, our preferences and style choices are varied so not every rule is going to apply explicitly to each individual. Eliminating products and textures from your makeup routine because you’re over a certain age limits your options and curbs your self-expression.

SHINE ON

You just have to look at Charlotte Tilbury’s campaigns to see that women in midlife look fantastic with shimmer! How refreshing to see older women included in these campaigns, wearing makeup that’s modern and youthful and dare I say it, age-appropriate. But age-appropriate doesn’t have to be a negative term. We all need to adapt our products and techniques as we age and learn how to use the products we love but perhaps in a slightly different way. When it comes to shimmer, placement and quantity is key to achieving a makeup look that’s wearable and not overdone. It’s also important to understand the various shimmer finishes available to you. Choosing sheen over metallic will allow for softer, more flattering results. Avoid blushers and shadows with loose glitter particles and opt instead for satin finishes for a more ethereal and natural glow.

The application should be purposeful, focusing on particular areas of the face and combining matt finishes with sheen textures where possible. Swap shimmer shadows on the brow bone for neutral mattes. Apply shimmer to the lids only and contour the sockets with matte shadow. This will give your lids a radiant pop while softening the texture of the skin around the rest of the eye area.

Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise, €26 — *Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise,* *€26*

Some of my favourite products for creating a pop of sheen on the lids are Charlotte Tilbury’s Eyes to Mesmerise cream shadows. They are super easy to press into place with a brush or by simply using your finger. These cream shadows can be worn alone or for longer wear time and a more intense finish, I like to apply a layer of shimmer powder shadow on top in a similar shade.

SHIMMER SKIN

Your complexion with this look should be radiant. Opt for subtle sheen on cheekbones over intense high shine. Think candlelit instead of high beam. Using an illuminator like Becca Backlight Priming Filter (€36) before foundation is a great way to create that subtle lit-from-within glow. One of my favourite products for illuminating cheekbones is Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder Highlight 01. It delivers a radiant healthy glow with buildability so you can customize the intensity to your taste and adjust from day-to-night.

Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder, €35 — *Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder,* *€35*

Zoeva 114 Luxe Face Focus brush (€11.20) is the perfect partner to any powder highlighter as it is soft yet precise enough to use on cheekbones and other high points of the face including the cupids bow. I love to finish the look by adding a delicate sweep across eyelids or a spot of light to the inner corner of the eye.

WHAT ABOUT POWDER?

So, if makeup for the over 40s should be radiant and glowing, that begs the question - Should we avoid powder altogether? The answer to that is quite the contrary. We should absolutely wear powder. In fact, it should be a staple product in any makeup bag. It is an essential step in any makeup routine and a necessary one if you want to achieve long-lasting results. Powders have come a long way in recent years and are no longer a product to be feared – we fear looking caked and we fear looking old – but we have now moved on from chalky, heavy formulas to lightweight and invisible offerings that blur imperfections and soften fine lines.

The right products and application techniques can complete makeup beautifully and make it bulletproof. A lightweight powder is the perfect partner to a dewy, liquid foundation and setting under eye concealer is a must to prevent it from moving into fine lines throughout the course of the day.

Mac Prep and Prime transparent finishing powder, €29 — *Mac Prep and Prime* transparent finishing powder, €29

Using a powder brush helps distribute product evenly and delicately. I like to lightly mattify the t-zone, leaving cheekbones powder-free and luminous. Light and moderate application will ensure the longevity of your makeup while maintaining a natural, youthful glow in the right places. Some of my favourite powders for a translucent finish are Mac Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder, Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder (€43) and Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder (€17 – €50). Combining light, velvet matte textures with satin sheen shadows or highlighters will result in a finish that is both soft and wearable every time.

Too much of anything - as they say - is a bad thing, but a little of what you fancy does you good. Perhaps that’s a mantra that can be applied to Christmas too. And while this party season might be minus the actual parties, I still fully intend to look the part. If that means watching The Wizard of Oz in ruby lipstick and fluffy slippers, I will be content in the knowledge that there really is no place like home.

Ailbhe Lynch, December 2020.