The Best Eye Makeup for Older Women, According to a Celebrity MUA (2024)

Beauty
Makeup

These tips and products will make your eyes pop.

Victoria Moorhouse

Victoria Moorhouse is a writer, editor, and consultant based in Brooklyn, New York who focuses on beauty, fitness, and health. Victoria was previously the Senior Beauty Editor at InStyle.com and a Senior Editor at POPSUGAR. Her work can also be found in notable publications such as Shape.com, The Zoe Report, Forbes.com, and Well+Good. She graduated from The College of New Jersey with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Professional Writing.

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Updated on June 27, 2024 @ 02:37PM

The Best Eye Makeup for Older Women, According to a Celebrity MUA (2)

Just like your eyes are a dead giveaway for how many hours you slept last night, they can be a billboard for your birth date. It's one of the first areas of the face that show signs of aging, like fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness, and deepened dark circles. So if appearing more youthful and energized is something you want, you'd benefit from knowing the best eye makeup trips for older women.

Of course, beauty isn't tied to age—you're beautiful no matter what. But makeup tends to make us all feel a little more beautiful. When using your shadow, eyeliner, and mascara in strategic ways, you can make insecurities a little less visible, while masking your insufficient sleep log in the process. For eye makeup looks that deliver a youthful glow, we tapped makeup artist Kimara Ahnert, whose clients include Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz, and Anne Hathaway.

Keep scrolling for six expert-approved tips for making older eyes pop.

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Swipe on Simple Black Liner

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This makeup bag staple has a lot of power in the anti-aging genre. "Line your inner top lid with a black pencil and a nude on the bottom inner rim," says Ahnert. "This eye-awakening tip is all about the contrast that brightens and pops. Black will make the whites of the eyes look clearer and the eye color richer and bolder. Pairing it with nude on the bottom keeps eyes fresh, natural, and youthful," she adds. Look to a celebrity like Amal Clooney for inspiration.

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Apply White Liner to Your Waterline

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Putting black liner on your lids isn't the only way to make your eyes pop. When you apply white liner to the bottom lash line, your eyes instantly widen. You get an almost doe-eyed look that opens up your face and makes you look younger. To date, one of the best white liners we've tried is Halsey's About-Face Line Artist, which is highly pigmented and lasts through the night.

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Try an Extended Cat Eye

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Kerry Washington is the queen of this red carpet classic. "Layer top lashes with an extended cat eye liner," says Ahnert. "Emphasizing the outer corner of the eyes makes eyes look more open and lifted. Reapply extra coats of mascara to the outer lashes only."

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Go Heavy on the Mascara

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If you're going sans liner on your lids, applying a lot of mascara can be another way to open up mature eyes. The plus side is that by using only mascara, you're letting your natural features shine. We'd recommend the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara. While you'll see a difference with one coat, we suggest applying two for extra drama.

To really lengthen lashes and open up your eyes, use an eyelash curler—or even a spoon—before applying mascara.

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Contour Your Eyes With Shadow

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Use this makeup look, exemplified by Diane Kruger, as another excuse to splurge on a neutral eyeshadow palette, like Smashbox Halo Sculpt + Glow Face Palette. "Contour eyes with a medium to medium deep shadow to the crease and outer crease of eyes," instructs Ahnert. "Contouring gives eyes depth and definition, making them look bigger, bolder, and perfectly shaped. Use one color for the entire crease and then go darker with a shade on top to the outer corner."

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Highlight With Lighter Colors

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Opt for a lighter eyeshadow rather than a dark, smoky shade on your eyelids and around the eyes, like Jenna Dewan here. "Highlighting the corners makes eyes look brighter and fresh," Ahnert says. "Use a light color shadow in matte or shimmer to the inner corner, lower lash line in the outer corner, and the inner lid."

We're big fans of the Thrive Causemetics Brilliant Eye Brightener stick. It comes in more than a dozen colors and has a creamy and long-lasting, creamy texture that's really fun to put on.