Image via Wikipedia

One of the problems with getting older is that the skin around our eyes isn’t as resilient as it used to be.  Using a good eye cream (I use Clinique‘s All About Eyes) is one way to help slow down age-related issues.  However, it may take a little practice to change how you apply eye makeup so that your eyes look bright and happy.

A sponge-tipped applicator and an eye shadow brush can be your new best friends.  Experiment with how each tool holds product and applies it, especially in the crease and under the eyebrow.  There are also eye pencils and eye liners in formulations that go on gently without tugging at your skin.

To darken the crease, try using a soft pencil in brown or dark charcoal.  Black is cool but may be too intense if your face color is pale.  You can soften the crease color by using a small brush with eye shadow that complements the color of your pencil.  This is where a sponge-tipped applicator can smear or leave product in the wrong place.  A lighter hand is required to place the color exactly where you want it.

Remember that frosted colors act like highlighters and will attract light wherever you put them.  That being said, it’s obvious why you would not put frosty eye shadow where your skin is starting to exhibit that crepe-y look.  A matte color, especially in a neutral, will enhance your eye color without drawing attention to the parts you would rather not emphasize.

I loved cream shadows when I was in my teens, but I have more control over where the color goes when using a brush or applicator instead of my finger.  Cream shadow may also pool or collect in the crease, requiring more maintenance than a powder.  You may wish to use a cream under the brow where it won’t look cake-y.

Another thing to remember is that sometimes less is more.  You may be going for a theatrical look, and lots of makeup is required for that.  As a general rule, though, a little color skillfully applied will provide a balance to your lip color and help you look polished and “finished” or well-groomed.