Don’t Complicate It: My Easy Morning Makeup Routine for Mature Skin

Step 1

Start With Moisture (Grandma Was Right)

My pick: Pond’s Crema S 24 Hour Moisturizer

My moisturizer isn’t trendy or new. It’s Pond’s Crema S, a 24-hour moisturizer and the same Pond’s my grandmother and my mother swore by. Three generations can’t be wrong. It keeps my face moisturized all day, and that matters more than any foundation you buy. Hydrated skin is what makes foundation grip, blend smoothly and actually stay put instead of sliding off by lunch or settling into every line.

What you want is dewy skin: plump, smooth, with a soft glow coming from underneath your makeup instead of on top of it. Apply it, then give it a minute to sink in while you pour your coffee. Multitasking!

Don’t complicate it: the classics are classics for a reason.

Step 2

Protect the Canvas (SPF + Primer)

My pick: Laura Geller Spackle Primer (Hydrate)

SPF every single day, even when it’s cloudy, even when you’re “just running to the store.” Then primer. Spackle smooths texture and fills in fine lines so foundation glides on instead of settling in. It’s the step that makes everything after it last.

Don’t complicate it: SPF first, then a little primer. Two minutes, all-day payoff.

Step 3

Skin That Looks Like Skin (Foundation)

My pick: Laura Geller Baked Balance-n-Brighten Powder Foundation, from the Baked Starter Kit

The goal is even, not mask. My foundation is a baked powder, and the kit comes with a kabuki brush, so there’s no sponge, no pump and no mess. Swirl, tap and buff it on, starting at the center of your face and blending out. You can always add more, but taking it off means starting over, and nobody has time for that.

Don’t complicate it: start in the center, buff out, stop sooner than you think.

Step 4

The Soft Sculpt (Bronzer)

My pick: The Best of the Best Palette, also in the Baked Starter Kit

This is where my palette saves my mornings. The guide on the back shows exactly where each shade goes, so there’s no guessing and no “why do I have a stripe on my face.” Bronzer goes where the sun naturally hits: the top of your forehead, your cheekbones and along your jaw. Think soft and warm, not sharp and dramatic.

Don’t complicate it: follow the map on the back. That’s literally what it’s there for.

Step 5

Where Did My Rosy Glow Go? (Blush)

My pick: Laura Geller Baked Blush-n-Brighten in Ethereal Rose

Somewhere around 40, our natural flush packs up and leaves without a forwarding address. Blush brings it back. The trick for mature skin: place it slightly higher on the cheeks and sweep up toward your temples. It gives an instant lift, and lift is the closest thing to a facelift that comes in a compact.

Don’t complicate it: smile, tap on the top of the cheek, sweep up.

Step 6

A Little Glow (Highlight)

My pick: The Best of the Best Palette

Just a touch on the tops of your cheekbones and maybe the inner corners of your eyes. Again, the guide on the back of the palette tells you where. We want “well-rested,” not “disco ball.”

Don’t complicate it: tops of the cheekbones, and stop there.

Step 7

Lashes That Last All Week

My pick: Pawotence DIY Lash Cluster Kit

This one changed my mornings. I apply lash clusters once and they last me 7–10 days. For the next week I skip mascara, skip lash glue and skip the raccoon eyes at 4 p.m. I wake up already looking awake, which is honestly more than I can say for my coffee maker.

Between lash sets, I use the Laura Geller Kajal Longwear Mascara in Black. One or two coats and you’re done.

Don’t complicate it: one application, a whole week of done.

Step 8

Eyeliner for Hooded Lids (Yes, You Can)

My pick: Laura Geller Kajal Longwear Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in Soft Black

If eyeliner scares you, you’re not alone, especially with hooded lids, where a perfect wing disappears the second you open your eyes. The fix: apply it with your eyes open, keep it close to the lash line, and smudge it slightly so it looks soft instead of perfect. With lashes already on, a thin line is all you need.

Don’t complicate it: close to the lashes, eyes open, smudge it.

Step 9

Lip Color That Doesn’t Feather

My pick: Laura Geller Jelly Balm Tinted Hydrating Lip Balm in In the Buff

Feathering happens when lip color travels into the fine lines around the lips. My fix on busy mornings: skip heavy lipstick and reach for a tinted balm. It hydrates, gives a soft wash of color, and if it moves a little, nobody can tell. That’s the beauty of a sheer, my-lips-but-better shade.

Want more staying power for a night out? Line your lips first, all the way around the edges and a little into the lip, then add the balm on top.

Don’t complicate it: tinted balm on busy days, liner when you want it to last.

Step 10

Set It and Forget It

My pick: Airspun Loose Setting Powder in Translucent

My finishing touch is Airspun. A light dusting with a big fluffy brush sets everything so it lasts through the day without looking powdery. On mature skin, less is more: press a little where you get shiny and let the rest of your face keep its glow.

Don’t complicate it: big brush, light hand, out the door.