Beauty blunders that are ageing you

We are all ageing – and we at BeautySouthAfrica.com advocate ageing gracefully. So in the name of being your most beautiful self, we thought we would mention a few beauty mistakes you could be making that make you look older than you need to.

We consulted beauty expert Erika Katz to unearth the five biggest beauty blunders that add years to your look:

BOLD LIPS AND BOLD EYES

We love a great bold eye or lip, but we also know the two looks don’t exactly go well together. As Katz says, the look can make a woman look ‘painted’ and age her when worn together, so do yourself a favour and choose one or the other. If you’re sporting a bright lip colour, opt for more neutral shadow. On the other hand, if you’re rocking dramatic eyes, choose a neutral lip colour.

LINER LINEUP

Lots of ladies can get away with popping on a bit of black eyeliner on their top lids and skipping the bottom, but if you’re only wearing the black miracle worker on your lower lids and skipping your tops, you could be sabotaging your beauty routine. ‘If you just line the lower lid, it will make your eyes look droopy,’ Katz says. Brighten up and achieve a smokier, younger look with Katz’s trick: ‘Use a darker pencil to outline the top rim, and dip a slanted brush into water and then brown or dark plum shadow.’

TOO LONG HAIR

Unless you’re Demi Moore, long hair can really age you as you get up there in age. Why? It’s pretty simple, Katz says: ‘As you get older, longer hair can pull the face down and make you look like you are trying to look younger. When you bring the length up, it brightens the face.’

HARSH CONCEALER

If you think you’re taking years off your look by wearing a bit of concealer, you could actually be doing the opposite! ‘Cover up that is too white actually highlights fine lines instead of masking them,’ Katz says. The solution? Opt for a concealer that’s one shade lighter than your natural skin tone.

LIP LINER DARKER THAN LIPSTICK

If your lip liner is a shade darker than your lipstick, you’re only dating and aging yourself. You should always want to look fresh, not painted, so do yourself a favour and don’t make this mistake!
It’s good to rock a look that works for you, and let’s be honest, often we are still sporting a look we’ve worn forever – but it’s also good to mix things up occasionally and try something new.

Written by Chrissy Callahan, this article originally appeared in Loving You