Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Wear It Wednesday - Hair and Makeup

Many of you have asked for more suggestions for hairstyles and makeup tips, so I will share a few of my personal successes and failures in general. 
(Sometimes, a bad example is a great teacher!)



Let's review: Hair too short, and the bangs need to start further back. There is too much going on around my face. Smaller earrings and one less collar sticking up and no scarf would have been better, but the jacket is also too bulky and boxy. That dark smudge of eye shadow underneath makes me look harsh.

At 54, I felt as if I was dressing up as an older woman instead of embracing who I am and letting my personality show by wearing what I am comfortable in.


Wispy bangs that are too short and brows that were not filled make me look older than my 55 years. I should have left off the earrings.


There isn't anything from that look that is working. This navy jacket worn with jeans and the sleeves pushed up might work but not in this dowdy get-up.






My hair is way too short above. I am wearing too many knit items. At this age (56 here), I need more structured clothing and softer makeup, and longer, less neat hair.



I am more true to myself with long full bangs and softer, more blended makeup. The black trench coat from Express and simple black heels work with everything, including these Chico's boyfriend jeans.


I'm four years older than the first picture, but I am now a lot more confident and comfortable in my skin.

Now for the makeup tips.
  • I never put brown on my face... contour powders or bronzers just make my skin look dirty. A bit of rose blush high on the cheekbone is enough.
  • A dark lip color on me is too harsh. A color close to my own lip color to give a bit of color and rich moisture is much better. 
  • No lines, shadows, or even mascara on the lower lash line. I wear liquid eyeliner, but I put it under and into the upper lash line only, then follow with a smudge of a dark shadow on the top of the lash line and progressively get lighter as my shadow reaches the brows. Blending is the most important part!
  • Another eye shadow trick: My eyes are fairly close together, and as we age, the area at the inner corners becomes darker, so I wear a lighter color on the inner third of my eyelid, a little darker color on the center third, and the darkest color of all at the outer third of my eyelid.
  • I don't wear a foundation, but I sometimes wear a tinted moisturizer with a high SPF sun protection.
  • Remove all makeup and sleep with clean skin. I put on moisturizers only when I wake up in the morning. Otherwise, I will have breakouts.
I get a facial about once a month. I drink lots of water and eat mostly fresh organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, seeds, beans, and an occasional glass of wine. I try to get seven (more like five) hours of sleep every night. Those are my skincare tips.

17 comments:

Canuck-Girl said...

You are way too judgemental of yourself. Personally, I love your shorter hair look.

Maggie said...

I agree with the commenter above. You look good in all of the pictures.

Carrie said...

How did you make your overall style change? Did you just find a better hair stylist? Did you consult with someone. I know I want to look more "put together" but I actually don't know how to make those subtle changes to make it happen.
You look so much more polished than everyone around you in pictures.

Joanne said...

I third the motion. Motion passed. You are way too judgmental of yourself. The only thing I see as a possible miss is the blue blazer appears too big. But I believe you were loosing weight at that time. Wear what you have and buy the best you can AFFORD. As far as bangs, IMHO, I think it depends on the individual. I think they can get too far back and too thick which makes an older woman look rediculous. (Coming from a woman who's hair is too short right now. It is just hair, it will grow)

Susan said...

Thank you Carrie. I think my changes came about slowly as I looked at the pictures Mr. Mickey is always taking of me. In the mirror I looked OK. In the photos I saw too many accessorizes, too many colors and the wrong shapes for my body. The hair and makeup was also something that came to me slowly. I applaud you for being open to change. Study the style of someone you admire a lot. That has helped me see that I need less, not more as I age.

Unknown said...

I think you look younger now and very pretty. I always think less is more. .Your look now is perfect for you. .I am trying to grow my hair and just not finding the right amount of make-up. .I am going to try your tips. .Thank-you. .

Singularstitches said...

Like the other commenters, I think you do look pretty awesome in all the pictures, but I do like your analysis - that's a huge help. I am curious about your eye makeup, particularly what brands/shades do you use. Is the last picture your typical makeup look (since you've found a perfect look) or do you change it up a lot? OMG, no foundation??? A testament to 'you are what you eat'!

Singularstitches said...

I would think Susan meant this post to give an analytical summary of her looks over time, not beat herself up. From what I've seen of Susan on her blog (don't know her personally), she seems quite confident and is striving to look and be the person she most wants to be and not beat herself up. Personally, I thought this post very helpful and encouraging as I work to find the person I'm most comfortable being.

Divey said...

Love the makeup tips. Thanks a bunch as I too, am learning as I go.

christy said...

Great post illustrating your journey but totally agree with the other commentators that you are too hard on yourself. This certainly gives food for thought on my journey.

Margo said...

Hi Susan I love your Wednesday posts and would be really sorry that they would stop. I am going to try the hair and makeup tips in the morning. What about doing something for different body shapes or different colouring. You may not want to but it is just a thought you put so much effort into your posts and they are much appreciated. Thanks. Margo

Susan said...

Thank you Glammy Bee. You are correct that I am not beating myself up. I'm just using my old photos to show you what simple changes you can make in your own style to look more polished.

I wear the same makeup everyday. For evening I may go with a little more intense eye but still in the same colors. I use Merle Norman eye shadows in neutral colors. (No frosts)

Carrie said...

Yes. I definitely see a big difference between what I see in the mirror and what I see in a photo. Thank you!

Lori said...

Please continue these posts. Sharing mistakes you see others making benefits me. Thank you.

Unknown said...

I will pile on here in a positive way. There is nothing "tore up from the floor up" about any of this pictures. They may not be your best look or reflective of the style that you have refined over the years but in no way do you look badly in any of these pictures. These may be near misses but they are not train wrecks by any means! I appreciate your teaching us through your "failures" but you are being very hard on yourself here. You are and always have been lovely!

Anonymous said...

Your skin is beautiful. Have you had botox or fillers or any other cosmetic procedures?

Susan said...

No Cathy. I haven't had an fillers, botox or other procedures. Thank you.