The Ultimate Over-40 Beauty Bag: What Works, What Doesn’t

Published Feb 5, 2025, 10:28 PM

What if we told you that a few simple tweaks could completely change the way your makeup looks and how your skincare works?

In this episode, we’re diving into the best beauty hacks for over-40s—helping you get better results, with less effort.

From active skincare to makeup tricks that lift, brighten, and enhance, we’ve got everything you need to refresh your routine. 

LINKS TO EVERYTHING MENTIONED: 

Retinol Rookie? Here’s How To Start Without Freaking Your Skin Out

Smashbox x Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector $55

Bio Ex Cell Toning Peeling Gel $45

James Cosmetics Hydrate & Firm Silk Face Mask $49

Wrinkles Schminkles Eye Smoothing Kit $44

Revlon Age Defying Touch & Glow™ Powder $39

Real Techniques Expert Concealer Brush $19.99

Real Techniques Setting Brush $18.99

Bobbi Brown Mini Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick $32

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CREDITS:

Hosts: Kelly McCarren & Sarah Marie Fahd

Producer: Cassie Merritt 

Audio Producer: Tegan Sadler

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast.

Mamma Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters that this podcast is recorded.

On Makeup is My Therapy.

I'm I'm obsessed and I don't even feel guilty a body. Hello, and welcome to you Beauty, the daily Podcast for Your Face.

I am Sarah.

Marie Fast, I'm Kelly mccaren and this is in her Bag. And today we are discussing something that's very close to the hearts and skin of many of our ubi's, and that is skincare and makeup for over.

Forties fifty plus, sixty plus eighty plus at this suits everyone.

If you're worried about aging, this episode is for you. I had to find the liner in my bag.

What's all right?

So let's not beat around the bush.

There's this shift in your skin's elasticity and collagen levels which many of us start noticing from thirty plus breach.

Ah.

Sometimes I like to look at photos of myself when I was he ang and just whisper to younger me that I'm an ungrateful mule.

You can't imagine a time when your.

Skin isn't simply oozing collagen and elasticity, and I know that a lot of people will be listening and watching and going, yeah, I'm still so young and I'm aware, but I have.

Gels exactly, And look, I put it out there on my socials. I wanted to know, are your concerns. So many people were like, forty plus skin care, fifty plus skin care, brightening on the skin, skin texture, anti aging, it's all about their skin changing, and they didn't know what to do. So I was like, man, we need to do an episode just on this because it's such a big topic.

Exactly. But Analie's has asked, Hey, there, this is a question for you, beauty.

I'm in my forties and I'm really struggling with dark circles and eyebags.

I've tried all the ie creams, but.

They just don't seem to do the trick. Any tips for targeting those, especially for the morning when I look absolutely exhausted, it would be great.

Thanks.

Okay, look, dark circles is just too Yeah, there's too many factors with dark circles. It could be dehydration, which then yes, I creams and all that kind of stuff will work, But it could be genetic. It could be pigmentation on your actual skin. So forget about dark circles for now. Use yourself a concealer in that regard, and keep onto your hydration. Right, There's only so much you could do puffiness unless it's like.

A fatty tissue build up.

I have a bit of advice that was given to me by my mom and I absolutely love this. She does it for her like eyes and face. It's a bit of both. It's this she bought me there, yes, right, do you want to know what it does?

It makes the ice like a rose your face every morning, So this is the trick.

My mom doesn't just use ice, she uses rice water. So she boils the rice I've got the giggles now, right, uses the rice water and freezes the rice water into this she massages around her face underneath her eyes. The benefits of rice water it's rich in antioxidants, so it's really good for anti aging rice water. It is also really good in regards to brightening the skin because it's got vitamins B and E, so the minerals help to brighten the skin. Again, the ice, of course, is going to help with the puffing your face in the morning. And if you've got puffiness around the eyes, so there's actually something to it. My mum was doing it on FaceTime with me. She's like massage just She's like, look, you could see it brightening, and it actually could. It was really freshening up her face. She does it like almost every morning.

It's so good if you do tend to store water in your face or just get a little bit puffy. If you have high salt diet, drink lots of wine, you might be a bit puffy the next day.

It's a great practice. Yes, you don't have to use the rice well, you can just use ice.

You could also just use an ice cube and just quickly run it over your face.

You can so my mum used to do that with a big ice cubes, but it's too cold to hold, so that's why she's got this. So you just like hold in there. They are great mass sage it over your face. Some are really overpriced and expensive.

She probably got like a silicon holder.

She probably just got this from like the two dollar shop or something like that. But you can get them like like a few dollars. Ye.

Makeup wise, you can use color correctors. Something peach or orange tones will really neutralize those dark circles. Ye, so depending on your skin tone, and then you build up with a good underreg conciller. We've got some great options to talk about later in the show. But in case I didn't bang on about it enough last year, the smash box becker under a brightening correcter is literally magic. And anyone that had it and then thought it didn't work listened to the episode and then I was like, you're using too much if you don't think like you literally need a cheer seed type amount.

I've had that for a year.

I remember you're talking about it, but you've barely used anything since I've seen that last.

Yeah, it's honestly amazing, but you need a tiny little amount. But after the break, we are going to deep dive into the question we're asked, again and again and again.

How do you do it? Come on, I'll show you.

Okay, So let's talk about more mature skin concerns and skincare options that really work for over forties. We've got a big one here, non invasive alternatives to needles aka strong active products or treatments that will actually make a difference.

Prudence has asked.

I'm sixty five and I've noticed my skin just isn't as smooth as it used to be. I do moisturize every day, but I just feel like I'm not getting the same benefit from that. What can I use to smooth out my skin without going down the filler root? Which really scares me.

Well, you see, going down a filer root to smooth your skin out, You're going to damage your skin because filler is not going to smooth your skin in my opinion, unless you're like got dimpling, like scarring, and they're using it specifically for that. This you've got to focus on your skin texture, so you might be using the same oisturizer that's not suiting you. There's a few factors here. I personally love this current combination. So one is the bioexcel toning peel. So this is a Korean brand, so it's not overly strong, and it's something that helps to brighten your skin. I absolutely am obsessed with it. I have not been able to use just like a regular exfoliant as much. I always end up going back to something like this. So they're thirty dollars water gel type exfoliator gently removes excess build up of dead skin cells. It gives your really lovely, brightened, glowy skin over time. Does help with the texture of your skin and your pores as well if you've got any blackheads, because you could be aging but still get the black heads. It doesn't mean you don't get oil. I would recommend you doing this once a week to start for like the first two weeks, and then build it up to twice a week. I've not used it three times a week. I think twice a week personally is enough for me. But if you've got really oily skin, then that is going to be really good. I pair this with the James Cosmetics hydrating and fur mask, so I find this most really good. It's forty nine dollars. You do need to leave it on for twenty to thirty minutes, but it's so plumping, like I feel like it really hydrates and smooths my skin. It's a sheet mask. They come like this. It's a thick, textured sheet mask. It's not like a flimsy one. Genuinely love the way it feels on my face. It stays on and my skin looks plump and bright and the next day you can see the difference in your skin. So I feel like, if you pair those two together, it's a really nice treatment and it does, over time help to boost your skin. You know that as well as you're like syring, you need to get your anti aging serums and retinols and stuff are really good as well. But if you need like treatments to start with, I feel like those two as a combination's really good.

I agree, And I think that introducing a retinol into your routine if you're not using one, would be an amazing place to start.

We'll actually link an episode.

I think it might have been Monday's episode, but we will link the episode. In the show notes, Lee and I answered a question from someone who'd never used a retina before about the best ways to sort of introduce it and what to look for.

Yeah, when you start rent or you can't use it every You really need to ease into these kind of products. You don't just bang like yeah, start once a week, build it up to twice a week. Don't use it on the same day. You do not exfoliate and then put a retinol on. Oh my god, no way to burn your eyes. That's one way to burn your face. No, no, no, they have to be like three days apart or something like that. But I definitely think you'll benefit from something like that.

I love those wrinkle shrinkles eye patches so much.

They are so good.

These are the self dissolving micro needle packs.

Yeah, they're so good. So it works so well.

Again, because these are going into the skin like a sheep mask.

You don't notice that they're going into the skin. No, you really doesn't hurt.

No, So individual packets, you put them on the areas you're concerned with. You've got the lab your phoats on the mouth, you can use them under the eyes and yeah.

Those skin is way plumper after using them. However, they're great for events because they're not cheap and they sort of only work for a couple of hours and then you'll yeah, but they're great for events.

Yes, if you really love them, it's worth the investment. There's four per pack that I.

Don't realize you could buy it like that. That's really good to know because I love those ones. If you're looking to invest in treatments that aren't filler, like, I agree with what Sam Mauri said about black filler wouldn't do anything good anyway. There are two that I would really recommend for you RF micro needling, So that's radiofrequency micro needling, So that's when tiny little needles create micro injuries which stimulate collagen and elastin production.

Whether radio frequency then sort.

Of shoots heat into that pore that the needle's in to stimulate the collagen deep into the skin. This is honestly one of the best things people can do for their skin. However, like with anything, you sort of need to book in for a couple of treatments in order to see results. But generally places will offer you a discount if you do book in for that, and you can chat about that with your skincare practitioner. Another great one is the laser resurfacing that uses lasers to remove damage skin and stimulate the collagen. There are varying degrees, same with RF micro needling actually because it depends how deep they're going, and then that sort of depends on what your downtime will be like. But if you're actually after something that's really good for smoothing out your skin texture, those are true treatments, professional treatments that I would recommend. However, both of these treatments are not a one size fits all. You definitely need to actually go and have a consultation with a skin therapist to make sure that you're choosing something that's right for you. So please don't just book a bunch of treatments, like actually go in and have a chat with someone, because a professional will have a look at your skin and decide what's right for you.

There is something worth noting though, if you're prone to pigmentation. You do need to speak obviously the person doing the treatment for you. Let them know your prone to pigmentation. So it really depends on your skin. They can be absolutely amazing, but yeah, just worth noting if you are prone to pigmentation, make sure you let them.

Know because then they might well they'll use a difference. But there's so.

Many treatments similar like similar things where they'll be like, okay, well what about this.

You know, different types of facials. Was it the PRP where they take your blood?

Oh? Gross, gross, grossaut it makes you feel very ill. After the break, we are going to go shopping for you again. We're going to share our favorite makeup solutions and products for mature skin.

Put it on buy now, pay later, Yes, in the bag, baby in the bag.

All right, we've covered some great anti Asian skin care.

But let's talk make up. What would you add to your back? Okay, So I've got three categories that.

I want to cover rather than specific products.

So my first one is to.

Prioritize your skin prep because as we get older, our skin generally gets way drier and more dehydrated because as we age, our oil glands produce way less oil, and then our skin doesn't have the ability to retain moisture like it once did, which is very alarming. So making sure that we're really applying our serums, applying our moisturizers, priming the skin, making sure that it's ready, rather than just like slapping makeup on. My second tip is to use really lightweight foundations because you can build them up, and also opt for cream or liquid products over powders. Only use powders if you absolutely have to in certain areas, because then the powders kind of just sit on the skin and enhance texture, whereas cream products you can really melt them into your skin. Finally, I would say to avoid harsh eye makeup, avoid harsh colors, and avoid sharp lines. Use soft, smudged eyeliner instead of really precise lines for a more natural look, and brown or grayish tones are often far more flattering than black as we get older.

I actually do have a tip.

It does include powder, but it's like you said, it's interesting, we both have the same way of thinking. It's not the product I want to recommend. It's the way you're using things, exactly.

Because it's not like products.

I mean, of course they do sometimes with marketing, but it's not like they release products. This blush is just for people that are sixty five exactly. Anyone can use the blush. It's about how we're using it.

And you might have products that are actually great for your skin, but you're using it incorrectly exactly.

So personally, this is a little tip.

I did bring my personal brushes because as we were saying, I know someone's sixty, you might be listening to what I'm saying and be like, oh, roll their eyes like what I do with a twenty year old. Okay, But in saying that, I'm at a stage where I don't have set wrinkles showing it. It's the way my skin sits. At the end of the day, I can see the forehead in a more increased fownding kind of position, the way my eyes are, the way my face shape is changing.

Because we don't have the elastin in college when we did when we were twenty, which then springs it back into place.

Absolutely absolutely.

And I look back at some of these photos where I judged myself and I was like.

Oh, we thought we were ugly, and it's like, come off at sis, what is wrong with you? Exactly? Beautiful glorious beasts. Yes, exactly, It's what I was saying. I was literally saying to my name. But look how beautiful I was, like how high I was smoking.

And now I'm like, what I do have a recommendation for a powder that I thought was really really cool recently that I found. Revlon do have an age defying touch and glow loose powder.

Oh, and I bet it's beautiful. Their age range is yoh fantastic.

It's actually really really nice.

Anyone can use it, but it's amazing for more mature skin because they're not going to just sit in texture. Yeah.

I thought it was a really really nice one.

So if you're not using powder, you're scared of powder, because if you do want longevity with your makeup, you do you.

Need a little bit of powder.

But here's a little technique, right, you apply the conceala on your inner eye. I wouldn't use a very very very very thick one, kind of use an in betweena in a corner of your eye on the outer corner, a little bit to lift upward at an ankle, and then a very fine line in your creases on the sides of your mouth where you might be getting that right, because that's going to bring it out with I apply rather than using a sponge. This is actually by real technique, real techniques.

They are so good.

This concealer brush, by real techniques is really fluffy, so you're actually just pressing it into their lightly blending it and then into the creases of your mouth so it's not going everywhere. You don't have to put it all over the place. Don't use a sponge because I feel like a sponge is more like when you're doing a full face of makeup. Then real techniques have this lovely powder brush. It's a really small fluffy brush. Get that Revlon agedifying loose powder a little bit and then just lightly press it where you've got that conceala. You don't have to wear a lot of makeup It could be just to freshen you up, or you can be doing that as part of your technique and that will just help to bring out and freshen you and youth, give your skin that little bit of youth. So I feel like that technique is always going to be handy. Also, the Bobby Brown long wear cream eyeshadow sticks. Love them so easy to use. They're really easy to blend, so soft they set though. Oh yeah, don't put it on both eyes and then think you can blend. No, no, no no, apply it to your eye, then smudget basically lifting it up, then do the next eye. You don't need to use more than that. Like that's literally and they've got really really like safe colors for you to use. Again, don't go with blacks like I wouldn't be using blacks, you're harsh. I personally love a Bronzie Brown. I feel like that tends to suit most people. It's a really nice one to practice with, like to adjust your eye and face shape.

Well, that's us done for the day, and I hope that if you're looking for tips and tricks and recommendations that you found something useful, but just a little reminder that aging, I mean listen. I sound like a woo woo lunatic sometimes when I start crashling on about this, But aging really is such a beautiful privilege. It is a privilege, and we get a lot more confident as we get older.

You get more confident, less elastic, and more confident.

And don't think you're not like sexy and beautiful because you're getting old. Like, this is about helping you build your confidence, know how to work with your face, what to change with your skin. It's not to put anyone down. We're trying to build you up. We're trying to build all of us stuff like we're trying to build up our collagen.

We're trying to build up your confidence.

And honestly, like I know, it doesn't matter. We don't do these things for the male gaze. But on Year's Eve, let me tell you, I got more wolf whistles from the eighteen year olds than I did when I was actually eighteen, and I am officially double their age. I'm pretty sure, yep, so I could be their mother.

Ah dear o, lordy lord, you still got it. You. Beat is produced by Cassie Merritt, with audio production by Lou Hill. Bye hi everyone,

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