Lose 10 years with 5 simple make-up tricks

You can do wonderful things with make-up. Here are five simple tricks I use to turn back time.

Primed for action

When you get older, it's not enough to use only moisturizer as your make-up base. You'll get far better results with various types of primer. It's like preparing a wall for painting. It may have a fair few cracks and imperfections so you prime it first. I like to use three different types of primer: one for face, one for eyes and one for lips if I'm going to wear lipstick.

Urban Decay's primers are great for the eyes. Sometimes I'll use it on its own to take away the shadows or dark skin on my lids. My mum and I both swear by Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lip Lift for lips. This miracle primer stops lipstick bleeding and keeps it looking good for longer. For face, if you're going to use foundation, there are many great primers to choose from. I like Laura Mercier or Smashbox.

Wake up tired eyes 

Awaken tired looking eyes by applying a dot of concealer or Touche Eclat to the inner corner of your eye. I'm just started using a new concealer, Clinique All About Eyes, in light neutral. It's a good texture, doesn't gather in lines, if you have any, and certainly diminishes  under eye circles. If you don't have time for mascara, or it's problematic for you  (I find it almost impossible to avoid "panda eyes" no matter what brand I use), curling your lashes with an eyelash curler will give your eyes a bit of oomph.

My "Go To" products for the make-up tricks 

Add luminosity 

I'm not a big fan of contouring for older women - our faces lose volume so we don't need it! But a touch of highlighter acts like a magic wand to lend a touch of luminosity. I have several but my favourite is Stila All Over Shimmer liquid luminizer, which, quite appallingly, seems to have been discontinued! I stroke a fine line down the centre of my nose, apply a dab to my cupid's bow and in the middle of my chin, and paint Adam Ant small streaks on the top of my cheekbones. Blend well. This is a key product to use, particularly if you use a matte foundation.

It's eyeliner but not as we know it 

Use eyeliner but differently. It's very ageing to use the same products and techniques as you did years ago. Those thick lines of black eyeliner and the cat's eye look may be looking a bit dated. Instead, use a liquid eyeliner and push the brush into your eyelashes. This fills any gaps between your eyelashes, and gives a subtle definition without looking like eyeliner.  I prefer liquid eyeliners for this and in any colour but black, which to me looks harsh and ageing. I like green or aubergine. My favourite product is Prestige Cosmetics extreme long last waterproof liquid eyeliner. Buy from Cult Beauty or Amazon.

Shape those brows

In mid life we often find that over-zealous plucking, which was all the rage in the 70s, has left our eyebrows in a thinly arched permanent state of surprise. Or, fear of plucking has resulted in unkempt brows with long wiry hairs. I've never had professional attention on my brows. I admit I'm a bit scared of the idea. But with trial and error, and the excellent brow products available including stencils, you can safely create a neat shape and use tiny pencil strokes to create hairs where you'd like to see them.  I love Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, which is a very fine and soft pencil in a great range of colours, and I always stroke on their Clear Brow Gel afterwards which stops the hairs from doing their own thing. Buy both from Cult Beauty.

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