You spent fifteen careful minutes blending your foundation this morning, and by noon it has already crept into every fine line on your face. The powder you trusted looks cakey, and your eyes somehow seem smaller than when you started. Sound familiar? If you have been chalking these frustrations up to aging skin and accepting them as inevitable, a veteran makeup artist says you may be skipping one crucial step – and choosing the wrong textures entirely.

Why your makeup routine may be working against you after 40

Laura Geller, the longtime makeup artist, cosmetics legend, and owner of her eponymous beauty brand, has built an entire career around creating products with mature skin in mind. Her advice is designed to smooth over the most common struggles women over 40 encounter during makeup application, from foundation that migrates into wrinkles to highlighters that magnify every pore.

The problems are real, and most of us have experienced at least one of them. Powder settling into fine lines. A full face of makeup that fades well before the end of the workday. Eyes that look tired no matter how much liner you apply. But according to Geller, every single one of these issues has a practical fix – and the solutions often come down to product format and layering order rather than piling on more coverage.

The one step Geller says you should never skip

If there is a single non-negotiable in Geller’s routine, it is primer. She has explained that primer creates a barrier between your skin and your makeup, which prevents foundation and concealer from settling into wrinkles – a challenge she acknowledges is especially common for women over 40. For anyone who wants makeup to last all day long, she considers primer the essential tool to achieve that staying power.

Her own line offers a range of formulations tailored to address various skin concerns and preferences, but the one she reaches for personally is the Laura Geller Spackle Skin Perfecting Primer: Hydrate. The reason is simple: it doubles as a moisturizer, which means one fewer layer on your face before you even get to foundation.

That philosophy of fewer, smarter layers extends to her powder recommendations, too. Geller points to baked powders as an ideal choice for mature skin. These products start as a cream formula and are then baked into a lightweight powder, resulting in a finish she describes as weightless, creamy, and hydrating. The airy texture keeps the powder from sinking into wrinkles and avoids the dreaded cakey, creasy look that heavier formulas can produce.

Her go-to pick is the Laura Geller Double Take Baked Full Coverage Foundation, which eliminates the need to use both a foundation and a setting powder – yet another way to prevent heaviness and keep skin looking smooth. For those who prefer a color-correcting option, the brand’s award-winning Balance-n-Brighten Color Correcting Powder Foundation has earned over 50,000 ratings on Amazon and holds a number-one best-seller ranking.

Small swaps that make your eyes look wider and your skin more luminous

Geller also challenges a makeup habit many of us have carried since our twenties: lining the lower waterline with black eyeliner. She suggests swapping black for a beige or white shade to create the illusion of wider, more awake eyes. A brighter hue on the waterline provides a widening effect, and between white and beige, she notes that beige will look more natural for those who prefer a subtler result. Her recommended product for this trick is the Laura Geller INKcredible Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in the shade Beige to Beige, a waterproof formula designed to stay in place throughout the day.

To make eyes pop even further, she suggests applying a small dab of highlighter near the inner corners of the eyes for a brighter, wide-eyed appearance. But here is where texture matters enormously. You may be drawn to those mesmerizing, sparkly compacts, yet chunky, glittery formulas tend to emphasize skin texture rather than blur it. Geller recommends reaching for liquid or balm formulas instead, which create a blurring effect for a more youthful-looking complexion.

Two affordable and effective options she highlights are the Laura Geller Wonder Balm and the Baked Illuminating Face + Body Bronzer. Both products sink into skin rather than sitting on top of it, which makes all the difference on mature complexions. For application, Geller advises focusing on the high points of the face – cheekbones, the center of the nose, and just under the eyebrows – and using either fingers or a sponge, which helps the product adhere better. The payoff is a natural, lit-from-within finish that looks like healthy skin rather than a layer of shimmer.

What to take away from all of this

The thread running through every one of Geller’s tips is the same: less weight, more strategy. Primer keeps everything anchored so makeup does not travel into creases. Baked powders deliver coverage without bulk. A simple eyeliner color swap opens up the eyes. And choosing balm or liquid highlighters over glitter prevents texture from stealing the spotlight. You do not need a larger makeup bag – you just need to rethink what is already in it.