Make up advice please!

I'd recommend Bobbi Brown - yes, the assistants look a bit scary and the range of products is mind-boggling, but they will book you in for a make up lesson and won't apply any pressure to buy the products. They'll listen to your preferences and won't send you out looking like Coco the clown! I'd recommend choosing an "off peak" time for your lesson, when the store is less busy.

Meant to say the make up lesson is free of charge!

Look at Look Fabulous for Ever range. She posts videos on how to use make up and concentrates on the over 50s

I find the Clinque staff in my local Debenhams very helpful. They did a free make-up for me that made me look ten years younger. I was never able to replicate it exactly but the basis was good moisturiser, expert application of the right foundation and subtle eye and lip colour. I recommended the stylist to a friend. She had her make up done for her son's wedding and looked fab.

Firstly chuck out your ancient stuff.
Start again with a few good basics.
I second dragonfly, Look Fabulous Forever is well worth splashing out on. I love the concealer particularly.

I read an article by a dermatologist at the weekend whose basic message was for the sake of your skin keep it simple. I think if you get the base right i.e. the condition of your skin then very little make up will be needed to enhance your natural look. I would probably go to a salon where they also do make up rather than a counter in a shop in full view. Clarins have their own as do a few good brands. Have fun with it.

I forgot to say the dermatologist stressed the importance of not hanging on too old stuff as the ingredients may have 'gone off/lost their effect' and may be a bit 'dirty'.

Agree with chuck out ancient stuff. It will have deteriorated and might harbour germs.
A make up consultation is a good idea, but beware they may be expecting you to buy their products.
Clinique is a good starting point, it you don’t want to have heavy foundation, then try a BB cream, foundation mixed with moisturiser and sun protection. Getting the right skin tone colour can be tricky so advice is needed. Their mascara is lovely and doesn’t clump.
In Boots they can do a No 7 skin tone test with a little gadget, skin tone changes with age.
No7 is a good reasonably priced range as well. Also think of make up remover. Some might be too harsh for aging skin. I used to use make up remover wipes, but my skin became dry, I now use Micellor water and soft cotton pads.
Have fun with your new adventure.

Another fan of Boots No 7 here.

I was sent a promotional mailer by Boots yesterday. If you book in for a free make up consultation.. at any store.... and subsequently spend £10 on their No. 7 makeup range ... you receive a super make up palette, with all sorts of useful bits and pieces.

Worth considering. My sister had a consultation prior to her wedding. She too had seldom worn make up and the advice she was given was first class. She looked absolutely beautiful on her special day.

I do not bother with make-up, and none of my friends do either. I wash my face in water, and bung on some Garnier face cream - because this is often on offer in Tescos - and Bob's your uncle!

None of my DDs use make-up either.

I would say embrace the new you, as you change over the years. There is nothing worse than a a lady of mature years with a load of slap on.

Another vote for Bobbi Brown, they do seem very good at lessons.

I used to use Look Fabulous for Ever and liked their videos but found the casings of the products were very flimsy, I lost count in the end of the eye shadows with broken hinges and lipsticks and the concealer that had cracks in the plastic cases and gaps where bits of the tubes had fallen off.

I was sure it wasn't rough handling as these days I don't carry make up in my handbag.

I’m 64 and am finally happy with my makeup application. It makes me look fresher and not as tired and old. I second the idea of having makeup “lessons”. As many as you can in fact. And try to find a more mature woman as many of the youngsters have never made up an older face. Also never buy a product, especially blush, concealer, and foundation without trying it on your face first. Or even better still, ask for a small sample to try at home. It took about 30 samples of foundation for me to find one that worked for me. Good luck. Makeup is lots of fun.

Jessity the packaging was rubbish when they started out but they have improved it now.

I only wear lipstick and clean my face with baby lotion. After decades of searching for lipstick that didn't travel all over my face, disappear in minutes or 'feather' (as I got older), I tried Boots Natural Collection - fabulous colors, fabulous 'feel', virtually no traveling/feathering and all for around £2. However, a couple of years on Boots is discontinuing the range to my enormous disappointment. The replacement looked very cheap and meagre so Natural Collection lipsticks are the only item I am stockpiling..... Otherwise I second all the Clinique recommendations for a makeover but cost of lippy is prohibitive for me and they have discontinued their fantastic lip brush....

Bobbi Brown = tested on animals
Clinique = tested on animals
Clarins = tested on animals
Boots no 7 = cruelty free status dubious as they’re about to start selling in China

Look Fabulous Forever is the only one not tested on animals or sold in China.

Have you looked at the Trinny London website? They have a ‘match2me’ questionnaire to help you find suitable products plus a gallery of women (including us oldies!) to see how the make up looks. You can request samples of the foundation/concealer for free. It has simplified my make up routine, it comes in small, portable, stacking containers that last for ever & they have supportive staff plus a wonderfully helpful Facebook community. Give it a go!

Another vote here for LFForever!
I've always worn make up, as did my DM and DGM.
DGM wouldn't open the front door if she wasn't wearing at least a touch of lippy!
The whole point of make up is to apply it to look as though you're not wearing any, it just evens out the complexion and brings your better features to the fore!
Have fun finding your 'look'!

I know Avon is probably considered a bit old fashioned now but their products are still reasonably priced and they have a great choice also I the lady I order from has a lot of good advice and if I'm not happy with a product I have no problem in exchanging it ps I am not an avon rep?

One tip I will give is not to use eye liner...it does not look good on older women. Instead push dark eyeshadow into base of your eyelashes with the point of a sponge brush. This gives a lovely soft outline to your eyes. A pale eyeshadow and mascara with this will look good. Your skin is paler when older so be careful of colour you use. A tiny sweep of colour to your cheeks and you will be good to go.

Charlotte Tilbury have lovely range and fabulous artists in stores for us oldies. She has a great You Tube making up her Mum

I am also a makeup free Nana. My daughter worked for Elizabeth Arden a few years ago and said most of he customers had bus passes. So I assume that’s because it’s suitable for the mature woman.

Morning everyone. There are lots of great tips on here so far, but the very best advice I can give is to

1) Cleanse (Micellar water is perfect and you can get some for sensitive skins
2) Tone - use a toner for sensitive skins which doesn't have to be an expensive one
3) Moisturise - use a moisturiser which is suitable for your skin e.g. dry, oily, combination, fine lines and wrinkles etc.
4) Use a richer moisturiser at night, preferably one which contains vitamin E as the skin needs this vitamin to repair itself, which it does at night.

When you have a good skin then very little is needed to enhance it. I would recommend a tinted moisturiser - No 7 do a great one - because this will be light on the skin and give a fresh, dewy look. Ideal if you are not used to wearing foundation.

Go easy on the eye makeup but make sure your brows are defined - if they are sparse use a tiny brush and fill in the gaps with a suitable colour eye shadow. The eyebrows frame the face and then a lipstick - not too dark - will complete your look. If your lipstick bleeds into the fine lines around your mouth, use a lip liner in a similar colour to outline the lips with feathery strokes (not a solid line) and if you lose your lipstick very quickly, colour the whole of your lips with the lip liner and you will still have a colour on your lips after your lipstick has disappeared!!

I hope this has helped, but another tip is to always wash any brushes and sponges frequently, and change your mascara after 3 months. Keep an old mascara brush, wash it thoroughly, and if your mascara goes clumpy when you apply it, then immediately go through your lashes with the clean mascara wand. This will separate and define your lashes.

Have fun experimenting with products and I'm sure you will look wonderful.

Ive always used makeup and gave paid out loads in the past for products that are no better than cheaper brands.
I've found the best foundation is L'Oreal True Match at about a tenner.
Add a little stick or cream blusher, Nars is good but pricey
Dust a little translucent powder. Magic by Avon is white in the container but doesn't add colour.
Any mascara
Any eyeshadow if you like, not essential, and not pearly or sparkly. Too ageing.
Any lipstick but avoid pearly for the same reason.

"tested on animals" - next door's nine-year-old couldn't see the point of that. She couldn't think of any animal that would look good with eyeshadow or put up with lipstick.