As we age, our makeup routines often need a refresh to enhance our natural beauty rather than unintentionally age us. According to professional makeup artists, certain eyeshadow shades that once looked fabulous in our 20s and 30s can become less flattering over time. In fact, some colors can emphasize fine lines, make eyes appear smaller, or dull the complexion. To help mature women look and feel their best, we’ve gathered insights from experts on the top three eyeshadow shades they recommend steering clear of.
Read on for tips, suggestions and insight from Kerrin Jackson, celebrity, film and television makeup artist and creator of The Makeup Refinery blog and Oscar Velasquez, professional makeup artist and beauty expert.
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1. Metallic Red
One eye makeup color Jackson suggests skipping if you want to look younger or more awake is a metallic red one. "Red eyeshadows can add years to your face simply by making your eyes look tired, irritated and generally giving a look of being unwell," she explains. There is "very little" that is flattering about a red eyeshadow, Jackson stresses, and she always recommends "avoiding red on the eyes altogether."
As seen on BeautyTok, Pinterest and elsewhere, "metallics are back," Jackson says, and "for us over 40s, that may not be such good news anymore." A shimmery red eyeshadow, she adds, can be "particularly cruel to even the most slightly textured skin." As a celebrity makeup artist, she says she ultimately "avoids metallic eyeshadows on older skin because shimmers and metallics are so harsh on textured and wrinkled complexions."
2. Bright Crimson
Similarly, a bright crimson shade also isn't often becoming for mature skin. "I generally avoid red eyeshadow because it is such a tricky shade to get right on the eyes," Jackson continues. This, she says, is purely because of the "color of our blood," which is red, of course.
"What happens when we cry, or have an allergic reaction to something, rub our eyes, or get a bruise? Our skin and eyes go red," she continues. This, she says, is why using a red eyeshadow can inadvertently look like "you have been crying, have allergies or something unpleasant altogether is going on. It’s not a very appealing or flattering look."
3. Sparkly Sheer
A shimmering, sheer eyeshadow is also not the best option for it can inadvertently highlight fine lines, Jackson says. Due to the light-reflecting flakes or ingredients in many shimmer products, this kind of eyeshadow can "end up highlighting every wrinkle, line or textured surface you usually spend your makeup time trying to soften," Jackson warns. They can even "cause lines and wrinkles to look more pronounced" than they actually are, she continues.
