A make-up artist reveals the 4 mistakes that make you look old – and the anti-ageing hacks to try instead

It’s easy to get stuck in the same make-up routine that feels safe and easy, one you can whizz through in a flash in the mornings without a second thought. But in the same way that a tired wardrobe needs updating over the years, the make-up you’re putting on may no longer be working – and make-up artist Amy Adams says it might actually be ageing your face.

Stop: Using concealer

Start: Using brightener 

Amy says that as you age, the structure of your face slowly collapses. Concealer doesn’t change this, so instead of covering your skin up, concentrate on helping it reflect outwards. Using a brightener adds light to those areas where your skin sags (think nasolabial folds and marionette lines). Each face is different so there is no hard and fast rule – look at yourself in a mirror and work out where you need it. However, most of us will find a few problem areas that once brightened will lift the whole face without having to resort to surgery a la Kris Jenner:

• Underneath outer corner of eyes

• The area at the side of your nose, between your nostril and your cheek

The secret weapon in Amy’s kit, the product above is creamy and blendable brilliance in a bottle. There are five shades to cover a range of skin tones and it layers well with other products like foundation and concealer if you do choose to use them.

Stop: Defining with eyeliner

Start: Defining with eyeshadow 

Using kohl pencils (or god forbid liquid liner) on your lower lash line is sacrilege. Just don’t do it. It might feel like you’re emphasising your eyes, but the eye area droops as time marches onwards and using something dark and harsh just emphasises the sagging instead. 

Instead, Amy suggests using something softer and more neutral, like a brown eyeshadow, to gently highlight the shape of your eyes without looking like a Bassett Hound. Depending on how dark your skin is, aim to go a couple of shades darker than your own natural tone for subtle definition.

Cheap as chips with a richly pigmented formula that applies smoothly, blend this eyeshadow into the lash line well. It’s soft enough for any slip-ups to be buffed out.

Stop: Over-plucking your brows

Start: Adding volume with a brow pen 

Eyebrows naturally get sparser with age, so plucking your eyebrows to oblivion really dates you. Eyebrows are the framework of the face and add structure, and once you’ve got some static lines on your face, without the definition of a brow you’re aged up by at least a decade. 

Amy’s pet peeve is blocked out brows – using powder for flat colour doesn’t look like an eyebrow. She’s a fan of brow pens with fine tips you can create thin strokes with to replicate fine brow hairs so they actually look real. She warns that this does take time, but for shearing decades off, it’s worth a few extra minutes in the morning.

This product has a super-fine brush tip for making believable hair-like strokes. It’s got decent staying power and is lightly tinted so you don’t need to worry about wobbly hands. Plus there’s nine shades to choose from, including blonde and taupe if you’re worried about too harsh a contrast with any greys you have.

Stop: Suffering crepey make-up

Start: Using polyfiller (sort of)  

Yes, you read that right. One of Amy’s favourite tips for masking crepey eyelids is using a fine line filler, like a blurring primer, that subtly blurs out lines – like an Instagram filter for your eyes. It might be temporary but it’s an invisible product that has a high impact.

A blurring putty with a transparent universal shade, you can wear alone or apply before make-up. Not just great for eyelids, it’s pretty good on crow’s feet and very effective on lips too.