I'm 54 and have also eased into it. I started with a light dab of mascara into the base of my lashes to accentuate the lash line with out lengthening them too much. Almay thickening mascara, I use 401, works good because it doesn't have fibers in it. I then used a detail brush and lightly put shadow on the lids only. (For my complexion a blend of taupe and onyx worked well.) Friends I trusted to ask said they couldn't really tell at first, but I knew and it was a good confidence builder. I'm doing full eye makeup and lip gloss now, 2 months later, and no one bats an eye. They notice but just accept it since it wasn't all at once. I'm going to start adding a tinted moisturizer or BB cream soon. This has worked well for me. Good luck. Oh yea, I've also practiced in private for years so I was already pretty good with eye makeup, it can be tricky. Try to find a cis girl you trust to open up to and get help with it if you need to. Talking with others has helped me a lot too.
