'I'm a makeup artist and there's a contouring technique I would avoid over age 50 - it highlights hollowness'

Michelle Spieler / Woman applying makeup

An expert shared a top anti-ageing makeup hack

TikTok / @maturemakeupmasterclass / GETTY IMAGES
Anna Barry

By Anna Barry


Published: 27/10/2024

- 07:00

Middle-aged ladies should "lighten and brighten" their temples

While makeup can be worn to accentuate your facial features at any age, your application technique might have to adapt slightly as you get older.

Professional makeup artist Michelle Spieler (@maturemakeupmasterclass on TikTok) offered a top tip for women in their 50s and above. For a more flattering look, they should consider skipping their temples when using contour.


The face changes as we get older and women can either use makeup to disguise the signs of ageing or highlight them.

Experts at Harvard Medical School said: "When we're young, fat in the face is evenly distributed, with some pockets here and there that plump up the forehead, temples, cheeks, and areas around the eyes and mouth.

Michelle Spieler

Women over 50 should never contour their temples

TikTok / @maturemakeupmasterclass

"With age, that fat loses volume, clumps up, and shifts downward, so features that were formerly round may sink, and skin that was smooth and tight gets loose and sags.

"Meanwhile other parts of the face gain fat, particularly the lower half, so we tend to get baggy around the chin and jowly in the neck."

One of the signs of facial ageing is the "hollowing" of the temples. So, according to the makeup artist, this is an area to avoid contour.

Michelle explained that rather than contouring the area, women over 50 should "lighten and brighten" it.

She said that this nifty trick "instantly adds volume" to an otherwise hollow area.

Demonstrating the makeup hack on one side of her face, she said: "Look at that fullness! It's full and round."

Showing her viewers the side of her face that hasn't been "lightened and "brightened", Michelle pointed out that it looked "dark" due to the hollowness.

Women over 50 on TikTok were delighted to receive this simple anti-ageing makeup tip.

One said: "I did this and OMG! I'm so happy I found your TikTok." Another stated: "Contouring makes me look skeletal...thank you for that tip!"

A third asked the makeup artist to please show the women over 50 where to contour and bronze.

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Michelle said: "Bronze where the sun hits, top of the forehead, top of the cheeks, nose - contour isn't good on most women over 50.

"But you can contour if you have a long forehead, need to define the jawline or hide a double chin - rarely cheeks unless it's a full face."

A former model revealed that she never leaves the house without completing two essential eye makeup tasks.

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