Are you, like me, an eyeliner fan? I’m constantly on the look for the best eyeliners, and as I grow older and the skin around my eyes is changing, I like to be on the lookout for the best eyeliners for older women.
Here is our list of the best eyeliners for older women:
- Almay All-Day Intense Gel Eyeliner – creamy texture and the rich color glides smoothly and effortlessly onto lids without tugging.
- L’Oréal Paris Satin Glide Eyeliner with Mineral Pigments – gentle, waterproof formula that provides even application and comfortable wear.
- REVLON ColorStay Pencil Eyeliner – waterproof formula lasts up to 24 hours and it has a smooth, creamy glide that won’t tug at the delicate eye area.
- Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner – available in a variety of shades that stay on and don’t stray.
- Clinique Quickliner – delivers long-wearing color and is transfer-resistant, water-resistant, and also smudge-resistant.
- Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil – sets in seconds and defines with smooth, even color that looks fresh all day and night.
- Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Liner – glides on smoothly and transforms into a long-lasting eye makeup finish that won’t budge.
The skin around our eyes is sensitive and has been through a lot in our lives. Daily makeup application, sun exposure, and a variety of other factors leave that area of skin prone to wrinkles. I know that’s the first place I started noticing wrinkles many years ago, well before any other wrinkles started appearing.
The way we apply eye makeup, and eyeliner, in particular, changes as we age. We can’t slather on the harsh kohl pencil as we used to because it can leave us with heavy-looking small eyes and can actually accentuate the wrinkles.
Eyeliners for older women should have staying power, should offer smooth application, and not should not cause creasing. They can go anywhere from a few bucks at a drugstore to well over $40 for more upscale brands.
We’ve put together a list of our favorite eyeliners for older women. But first, let’s take a look at the different types of common eyeliners on the market today.
Types of Eyeliners for Women Over 50
Your preference for the type of eyeliner you choose to use may change as you get older. Maybe your skin has gotten dryer and your regular go-to pencil eyeliner is now difficult to apply and even leaves creases? Try different types of eyeliners to find the right one that is perfect for you.
Black eyeliner may appear too harsh on women with fairer skin tone. Instead, a gray eyeliner might be more suitable for everyday wear. Women with darker skin tone can opt for black eyeliner as it looks less harsh. Be bold to experiment with other colors such as purple and navy as well. You will be surprised to find one that suits you well!
Pencil Eyeliners
Probably the most common and most widely used eyeliner. Pencil eyeliners are typically easy to apply and glide on smoothly. Also, pencil eyeliners come in a variety of colors. Green? Blue? Purple? Pencil eyeliners have you covered if you like to experiment with colors on your eyes.
Professional makeup artist Ariane Poole gives the following tips to apply your pencil liner like a pro:
‘One thing you need to remember when using a pencil liner is to sharpen it before every use. Not only will this give you a sharpened point to work with, but it also helps keep the pencil hygienic.
To apply pencil liner, hold a high magnification mirror slightly under your chin. This position gives you a nice angle to work from without pulling or tugging on your eyes. Take your pencil and hold it horizontally, then use feathery strokes to apply the liner along the base of your top lashes.
Don’t take the liner right to the end of your lashes as you did when you were younger. Now that you have some years on you, your eyes have likely drooped, and taking the pencil further out will emphasize that, making you look sad or tired.
Instead, just stop slightly short of the end of your lashes for an uplifting look. If you want to soften the line you can use your finger, a cotton bud, or a soft brush.
If you like some definition underneath your eye, you can use the liner there as well. To do that, hold the mirror in front of you, and, holding the pencil vertically, run it softly along the base of your bottom lashes.’
Gel Eyeliners
Gel eyeliners tend to be trickier to apply but you have more control over the thickness of the line that you want compared to pencils. They also are known to have more lasting power and glide on easily.
For the best results Arianne Poole says ‘I prefer a thicker brush because I want a fuller line. You can smudge the line if you want to soften the look. Because the effect of gel liners is quite strong, I wouldn’t recommend them for the lower lashes.’
Liquid Eyeliners
Liquid eyeliners have lasting qualities and strong pigments but may need some practice to get just right. Although they don’t tend to come in a big choice of colors, they come with a fine brush applicator which gives a lot of definition.
Arianne Poole’s top tips for applying liquid eyeliner include: ‘Before applying a liquid liner, make sure you have all the excess off the brush – otherwise you can get a big blob, and it will put you off of liners altogether. Using a mirror on the wall, hold the brush horizontally and tap the tip of the liner along the base of your lashes. The technique is the same as that used with the felt-tip liners. Liquid liners give great definition because the color is a lot denser and makes the eyelashes look fuller.
Felt Tip Eyeliners
These are a combo between pencils and liquid eyeliners. Felt tip eyeliners are typically long-lasting and highly pigmented. These are great for cat-eye looks or if you want to accomplish a very thin line.
Ariane Poole suggests ‘To apply this type of liner, you can use your bathroom mirror. Tilt your head back so that you are looking up your nostrils. Hold the pen horizontally and tap the tip along the base of your top lashes. Using this technique makes the eyelashes look fuller.’
Want more advice on how to apply each type of eyeliner? Watch Ariane explain everything you need to know about eyeliners for the mature women below
Eyeliner Tips for Women Over 60
So you know the different types of eyeliner and how best to apply them, but how do you get that makeup artist finished look?
Suzanne Blons gives us the following unbeatable tips to get it right:
#1 Get Yourself a Good Magnifying Mirror
This is especially important if your eyesight is anything less than perfect. This strategy comes with a warning however. ‘Do not linger with the mirror over the rest of your face. As women, we are already so hard on ourselves and a magnifying mirror doesn’t help us in this regard.’
#2 The Product Is Important
To apply eyeliner on mature skin, you ideally need a soft pencil that doesn’t melt down your face at the first sign of warmer temperatures or, dare I say it, a hot flash! Cheaper brands are likely to have a harder feel and blend less well. It’s important to try a few brands until you find the one that works for you – our skin is individual and reacts differently, so just because your friend loves it doesn’t mean you will too!
#3 Apply Between the Lashes
Suzanne recommends looking down your nose into the mirror and bringing the pencil from below rather than above the eye-line. You can then apply the product in small strokes that go between the lashes, not on top of them. Starting from the outer edge of your eye and work your way slowly inward, going all the way to the inner corner, using small movements. Pull your eye to the side a little as you work with the liner and it will go on easier.
#4 Blend, Blend, Blend!
To blend the edges to a smoky finish use a stiff, narrow brush and run it over the liner. This technique ensures that your eyeliner isn’t bumpy and messy, but rather soft and without solid edges. Suzanne suggests as much as possible, keep the inner liner as narrow as you can, and the outer liner as blended as you can. If you have dark circles, she would avoid putting eyeliner under the eye as it can draw attention to the circles. If this isn’t an issue for you, then put a little on the outer edge of your under-eye area and blend it with the brush.
#5 Apply Eyeliner Before Eyeshadow
There is no “correct” order to apply makeup, but Suzanne recommends applying your liner first before anything else except an eye base if you use one. Putting liner on first makes any mistakes less dramatic and easier to repair. To avoid any ‘muddy’ looks, be sure to keep your eye shadow color off the already applied liner
She suggests trying your eye makeup in this order: eye base, eye liner pencil, blend the pencil with a brush, crease color, then a dot of something shimmery on your eyelid for a touch of glamour!
Watch Suzanne’s full eyeliner tutorial below:
Best Eyeliners for Older Women
Looking for a new eyeliner? Here are our favourite.
Almay All-Day Intense Gel Eyeliner
This smooth gel eyeliner for sensitive eyes from ALMAY is hypoallergenic, fragrance free, and ophthalmologist tested. It has a creamy texture and the rich color glides smoothly and effortlessly onto lids without tugging. It’s offered in six different shades and dries instantly for an intense eye look.
L’Oréal Paris Satin Glide Eyeliner with Mineral Pigments
The Age Perfect by L’Oréal Paris Cosmetics line is perfectly designed for mature women. The Satin Glide Eyeliner is made from a gentle, waterproof formula that provides even application and comfortable wear. It is created with Mineral Pigments that is suitable for sensitive eyes and offers a non-drying sensation. The unique ergonomic rubber grip helps with precise application.
REVLON ColorStay Pencil Eyeliner
This cult-classic from REVLON is a longwear pencil eyeliner that has been updated for longer wear. It’s waterproof formula lasts up to 24 hours and it has a smooth, creamy glide that won’t tug at the delicate eye area.
Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner
This is one of Stila’s best selling eyeliners. The Smudge Sticks are available in a variety of shades that stay on and don’t stray. They feature moisturizing ingredients that ensure that the color glides on smoothly without tugging or pulling. The waterproof formula assures that the liner won’t budge or fade.
Clinique Quickliner
This silky eyeliner pencil from Clinique lines and defines older eyes with ease. It delivers long-wearing color and is transfer-resistant, water-resistant, and also smudge-resistant. The handy smudge tool helps create a variety of looks. The unique eyeliner formula allows you 60 seconds to blend the liner before it settles.
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil
This long-wearing, water-resistant eyeliner from Estée Lauder stays put for 24 hours. It sets in seconds and defines with smooth, even color that looks fresh all day and night.
Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Liner
The creamy nourishing eyeliner from Neutrogena glides on smoothly and transforms into a long-lasting eye makeup finish that won’t budge. It contains subtle light diffusers that make the whites of your eyes appear whiter. The olive oil and rainforest shea butter ingredients add nourishment to keep the eye area healthy and hydrated.
Best Eyeliner for Older Eyes
Pencil, gel, liquid, felt tip – finding the best eyeliner for you depends on the look you are going for and how your skin reacts. Why not watch the video series below with Arianne and Margaret for even more tips as they discuss the best way of applying eyeliner as we get older.
Which one is your favorite eyeliner on our list? Which one do you think you will try? Do you prefer pencils, liquids, gels, or felt tips? Do you wear eyeliner every day? Let’s talk about eyeliners in the comments below.
