And today's Monday makeup lesson, I want to share some of my favorite tips and tricks for mature skin, playing particular attention to eye makeup. I really want to explain why certain things work and certain things don't work and how to get the best out of your application. But before we begin all that, if you're new here to the Makeup Chair channel and you enjoy makeup videos, I might suggest clicking the subscribe button below and clicking the bell to turn on notifications. But if you're already subscribed, then thank you and welcome back. Now let's get started with my favorite tips and tricks. The first step in creating any eye makeup look is to use an eyeshadow primer. Think of this like how you prime a wall before you paint it. It creates a smooth surface and perhaps it for the makeup. And you might wonder if eye shadows are designed to be used in the lids then why do we need to use an eye shadow primer? Well the thing is the thinner the skin is, the less it can hold onto pigment and the skin around the eyes is very thin. So a primer will just help give it a little bit more grip. And it's important for everyone to prime the eyelids if you want your eyeshadows to look their best. However, one thing to note for mature lids is to make sure that this layer is not too thick because an eyeshadow primer actually adds weight to the lid and this can cause the skin to be pulled down, cause a dragging and tired look, which we don't want in our very first step. Now a way to counteract this is to use a damp sponge to blend out your choice of this will do two things. One, it will remove any excess product to make sure you're not weighing down the lids and two, you won't have to compromise on coverage because you're going to get a smooth even thin layer. It's also very soothing on the eyes which is a bonus. Now when it comes to picking eye shadows time and time again, people with mature skin will say I can only use mats, I can't use any shimmers right? And the idea that mature skin have to avoid shimmers isn't actually true. Shimmers can look amazing on mature skin because it adds lightness and brightness and it's really beautiful but if you're scared to use shimmers, use a two to one ratio using two mats versus one shimmer. Now keeping that in mind, the most important shade to find is the one that will sculpt your eyes. Now this needs to be matte and it shouldn't be too dark or too light. Sculpting and shaping the eyes is similar to how you sculpt and shape the face. So if you look at your bronzer in your contour, you can kind of get an idea about what's going to work best for you. And then when you're following a lot of the online tutorials or following makeup artists, you'll hear them use the term transition shade. Now I refer to transition shades as mid tones because they're not too dark and they're not too light, they're somewhere in the middle which is why I refer to it as a mid tone. And using your bronzer in your contour is a great guide to find the middle tone. So you can find an eyeshadow that matches that or just use your contour and bronzer as long as they are matte. And sculpting the eyes will create the framework for everything else. So it's probably the most important shade so take some time to find the right one and the right tone for you. And once you find the right mid tone, feel free to use any other shades that you want. Yes, even shimmers. Now my next trick is about application. So when you're applying your transition shade or your mid tone as I call it, you want to keep your eyes open and relaxed to find your eye shape. Your mid tone is basically applied above the lid and it creates a frame for the lid. It also reduces any hoodedness and it's a great starting point for your eye makeup, which is why a lot of people start with their transition shade or mid tone. Now you want to find your eye shape when it's relaxed in order to make sure you're applying it where it needs to go. You might have heard the trick that if you have mature skin, you don't want to smile and apply your blush because if you smile and apply the blush to the apples of the cheeks when you're smiling, when you relax, the blush is going to be too low. And the same goes for your eye makeup. If you raise your eyebrow when you are applying your makeup and then relax, the shape is going to be very different. Now there's no harm in raising your eyebrow or holding the side of your eye if you want to create a smooth face to blend, but just make sure to keep checking back in a neutral relaxed position. And this brings me on to my next trick, which is using a magnifying mirror. Magnifying mirrors are great if you have difficulty with your eyesight or you wear glasses, but it's really important that you also keep a regular mirror handy and keep looking over and back between the two because the magnification is really helpful in order to see what you're doing, but you have to make sure to see it in a normal mirror to see what it's actually going to look like. For instance, in a magnifying mirror, I can see all of my lashes and they look really full and thick and then in a regular mirror, they look barely there. So you want to make sure you're checking back and forth between the two so you can really understand the look that you're creating. Now bear in mind, it can make you almost feel a little bit carcic, so make sure you're taking breaks in between. My next tip is about the idea of layering your eye shadows. The more layers you add, the more weight you are adding. So when you're following a lot of the younger makeup tutorials, which involve a lot of layers, each layer is adding more weight and pulling the eyes down. Now if you want to follow them, that's totally fine, but just make sure that your layers are just a little bit thinner and maybe even just pick a few of the layers that you like the most. But I will share some of my favorite mature skin-approved products below. They're a little bit more lightweight so you can still follow the younger tutorials. Now in a previous Monday makeup lesson, I shared my top three makeup tricks. Now if you've missed it, I want to recap it, but I also want to add a bit more information on how each step affects mature makeup. So the first tip was about cleaning up around the eyes and the importance of that, and you want to do this for two reasons. One, so you can check your angles, and two, because of the natural discoloration that might come through. Let's start by checking your angles. So cleaning up on the outer edge of the eye will create a lifted look. And as mature skin has a tendency to be pulled downwards, we always want to create that lift. But then how lifted should your angle be? Well, that all depends on the look that you're creating, and also your eye spacing. Now if not sure about eye spacing, I'm going to recap it. We have average, close and wide set. Average is the width of one eye length apart. Close set is less than the width of one eye length apart, and wide is more than the width of one eye length apart. So you can use your thumb and your finger to measure the length of one eye, place it in the middle, and if there's no space then your average. If you poke yourself in the eye, then your close set, and if you have some space in your wide set. For most people, if you're not sure which one you fit into, I recommend just using the average angle. It's very flattering on most people. For this, you use the edge of your nose, eye, and brow to create a line, and blend inwards from this point. And then I use my tear duct to create a parallel line, and keep my shadows between these two points. Then for close set, I would use the dimple of the nose and the eye, and this will pull the eyes apart similar to what you'll see in a siren eye makeup tutorial. And for wide set eyes, you're going to use the average placement, but you're keeping a little tighter on the outer edge, use a vertical line from the tear duct, and this will bring the eyes closer together, similar to what you'd see in a dough eye makeup tutorial. So whichever angle you end up choosing, you want to check both angles on either eye, clean up with a little bit of concealer, eye makeup remover, or if you've already done your face makeup a little bit of light powder, just to sharpen up the edge of the angle. Now, concealing and cleaning up around the eye will also create a good contrast. Sometimes you feel like you need to add more shadow for more drama, when really you just need to create an even skin tone around the eyes. I'm particularly for mature skin because the thinner the skin is around the eyes, the more prone it is to discoloration. So it's a very important step for mature makeup. And brows are also really important because they frame the eyes, and you might find the older you get, the thinner your eyebrows are becoming. So for a balanced look, I like to make sure my eyes have a little bit more depth if I'm doing a dramatic eye. But you don't necessarily have to go too strong, and you don't have to go darker. Depth doesn't mean darker. It can just mean filling in with a little bit more pencil than usually would, even using a mixture of your usual and slightly lighter pencil, to add some depth without adding some darkness. And then that will add some balance. But don't forget to clean up around the brows because a clean area around the brows creates a stronger contrast. So do that before you apply any extra product. And like we said, adding some depth to the brows does create more balance and frame the eyes, but your mascara application does the same thing. And I always recommend checking your lower lashes. Do they need more or less products to match with the upper long thick lower lashes? Well, actually drag the eyes down. So I like to use a 2-1 ratio with the upper lashes always being two times thicker, denser and longer than the lower lashes to add balance and lift. My lower lashes for some reason are always better conditions. So I'll either skip mascara in the lower lashes or add some false lashes to the upper ones to create that balance. And there you go. Just some tips and tricks for my mature friends. I hope that you found them helpful. If you have any tips and tricks, definitely let me know in the comments. Or if you need some more advice, I am always here to help. So just comment below any questions or you can message me on Instagram at Schneider Katie. And those are always my friends. Be kind to yourself, be kind to others. And if you made it this far, share your most used emoji in the comments. I am actually not sure what my one is. I might share a couple of my top three maybe. And with all that said, have a great day and I'll see you in the next one.