Makeup Tips & Tricks for Your 30s

So you’ve hit the big 3-0 and your makeup has to be completely boring now, right? Wrong. You can still have plenty of fun with makeup during your 30s—but you need to start getting serious about taking care of your skin by making a few small tweaks to your beauty routine, becoming more selective with the products you use, and investing in tools and methods that will better serve you as your face gets older.

Check out the beauty tips and tricks for your 30s below.

1. Always Wear Sunscreen

If you don’t already wear SPF on your face each and every day, now is the time to start. It will help prevent sun damage, slow early signs of aging, stop discoloration and dark spots, and help you maintain a smoother and more even skin tone. Trust us, your future self will thank you.

2. Embrace Moisture

Good skincare should be the first step in your beauty routine at any age, but as you get older the health of your skin becomes even more important. Now is the time to invest in and routinely use (i.e. morning and night) a good moisturizer, eye cream, and serum or night cream—choose products that are heavy on natural ingredients with anti-aging, hydrating, firming, and/or brightening qualities. We like the combo of our Seaweed Nourishing Moisturizer, Marine Anti-Aging Eye Cream, and Advanced Polypeptides Searum.

3. Find Your Red Lipstick

It’s time to put away your sparkly lip gloss and find the perfect shade of red lipstick for your skin tone. If you have cool undertones choose a blue-based red like Beso Beso, Vino De Amor, or Pomegranate; if you have warm undertones select a fiery red or brown-based shade like Starlet, Sin, or Currant; and if you have neutral undertones opt for any of the above.

4. Don't Overdo Your Face

When it comes to foundation, concealer, and color products in general, don’t go overboard. Keep a less is more mentality and apply makeup to your skin with a light hand. For example, If you don’t need foundation, don’t feel like you need to use it—spot cover with a concealer or color corrector instead. Your best bet is to reach for sheer, buildable products—like our Multi Pots, Mosaic Illuminator, and Liquid Radiance—that let you customize your look and allow your natural beauty shine. Focus on making your eyes, lips, and skin the star of the show.

5. Invest in Makeup Brushes

While fingers work for applying some products, the trick to having a flawless makeup look is to get a set of high-quality brushes. If you use a lot of different products it’s best to choose a full set (like our Professional Brush Collection), but if your are more selective a few versatile brushes will do. Whichever ones you choose, make sure to clean them regularly—at least once a month.

6. Tweeze Lightly

We live by the mantra that full brows are the best brows. If you’ve overplucked in the past, put your tweezers down and give your arches a much-needed recovery period to grow in. To add definition to your face, make sure to fill in your eyebrows with a pencil or gel, like our Cream Brow Pencil—simply brush the product through in an upward and outward motion to beef up your eyebrows in just a few seconds.

7. Add Sparkle Where It Counts

While you don't need to forgo all shimmery makeup, approach it carefully. Not only can it make you look juvenile, but when sparkle and glitter settle in and around your fine lines the wrinkles can look even more defined. Instead, purchase a great highlighter and focus on the areas that could use a little extra glow, like your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, arch of your brow, cupid’s bow, inner eye corners, and décolleté.

8. Always Wash Your Face

So basic, but so important. Choose a cleanser based on your skin type, and use it morning and night—now is the time to really develop and perfect your skincare routine. If you simply must skip a wash, wipe your face down with a Cosmetic Wipe—just don’t make it a regular habit.