Katherine. I'm not in the Fayetteville area, but we use the same name so I read the post. I'm also old and have had the same problem finding help in both California and here in Michigan. But I was lucky to have a great electrologist who took the time to explain a few things to me. She's a 64 year old post-op woman.
First. I'm 62, and she said when I use makeup to go light on the foundation and make sure it's a combination concealer that closely matches my skin tone. Then top it with a good fixing powder. Keep it simple.
Second. Do very little blush (just a light blended brush stroke or two) because it can look "Applied" on an older woman. And not cute or sexy like it does on a young girl.
Third. Don't forget to blend in the neck, around the ears, and a little between breasts. These areas often show, and for older women really need just a little cover to avoid having a "Mask" on your face.
Fourth. Don't overpluck. Older women need to look for long and oddball hairs, but we really don't need as much thinning as we sometimes think. (Unless you've always had thick brows.)
Fifth. Go easy on mascara, color, and liner. It can look great and draw attention to your eyes, but it can also make older eyes look deeper.
Sixth. Use a lighter lip color unless you want to look like and old grandmother going to church.
Seventh. Match jewelry and nails with your clothes. And try not to mix a lot of gold, silver and flashy colors, and diamonds. We're not kids anymore. And although bright nail colors are nice, they have a place. And that''s not on a dinner outing.
And finally Eighth. Remember we're older. Women and men begin to have more complimentary features as we age. We naturally pick up some female features that cis women have, and vice versa. It's all part of maturity, and we don't need to use makeup the way young girls do.
It took a long time to get this right, and I'm still working on it. But then I don't always use makeup. I don't pass well, and I do makeup to blend me into a womans world a little better when I go to dinner or a public event. And unless it's just to try something new, I don't use it to go out for groceries, or to work around the yard.
It now takes between five and eight minutes to put on makeup. That's a big change from the 20 to 30 minutes I needed back in March. And I rarely have to wash it off and start over.
Good luck, and take care. [- Kathy
