How to Refresh and Enhance Your Makeup Routine After 40, According to Laura Geller

Discover Laura Geller’s pro tips for radiant, effortless makeup that enhances mature skin and confidence after 40.

By Sneha Tete, Integrated MA, Certified Relationship Coach

Created on Sep 24, 2025

Discover Laura Geller’s pro tips for radiant, effortless makeup that enhances mature skin and confidence after 40.

As our skin matures, the beauty products and techniques that once worked flawlessly often need to evolve. Celebrity makeup artist Laura Geller, renowned for her expertise with mature skin, emphasizes the importance of customizing your makeup routine to match changing skin needs. Using targeted products and a few expert techniques, anyone can achieve a look that’s both radiant and effortlessly enhanced. Here’s how to update and elevate your makeup routine after 40, according to Laura Geller.

Why Your Makeup Routine Needs an Update After 40

Changes in skin texture, hydration levels, and the prominence of fine lines make some earlier favorites less effective. Laura Geller explains that maturity is not about hiding flaws, but celebrating natural beauty with products that work with your skin’s current needs, not against them. She advises meeting your skin “where it is now,” choosing hydrating, creamy formulas over matte or powder-heavy options to avoid accentuating dryness and texture.

1. Start With Hydrated, Prepped Skin

Hydration is the foundation of a flawless finish. Mature skin often loses moisture more quickly, making it prone to dullness and fine lines. Laura Geller recommends always beginning your routine with a lightweight moisturizer or, better yet, a hydrating primer.

Hydrating Primer: Creates a barrier between your skin and makeup, helping foundation glide smoothly and preventing it from settling in wrinkles. Her top pick is the Laura Geller Spackle Skin Perfecting Primer: Hydrate, which doubles as a moisturizer and softens the look of fine lines.
Prep Beyond Your Face: Geller reminds us not to skip the neck and décolletage—extend your prep downwards for a seamless, natural look.

This step lays the groundwork for makeup that stays fresh and luminous all day.

2. Choose Foundation Formulated for Mature Skin

Foundation should enhance, not mask. Look for formulas that balance coverage and hydration, avoiding products that settle into fine lines or feel heavy.

Baked Foundation: Laura Geller’s Baked Balance-n-Brighten Color Correcting Foundation is a standout. Its unique baked formula starts as a cream and is oven-baked into a lightweight powder, blending the smoothness of cream with the ease of powder. Marbled pigments provide natural color correction and adapt seamlessly to your skin tone.
Coverage Choice: Opt for buildable, breathable foundations over heavy mattes. Geller’s Double Take Baked Full Coverage Foundation eliminates the need for a separate setting powder, keeping your complexion smooth without creating a cakey look.

This approach gives a natural, healthy finish that won’t accentuate dryness or texture, even after hours of wear.

3. Primer: The Unsung Hero for Mature Skin

According to Laura Geller, primer is non-negotiable after 40. She stresses its role in preventing makeup from migrating into creases and maintaining long-lasting results.

Choose primers based on your primary skin concern—hydration, radiance, or texture smoothing.
Hydrating primers can replace or supplement traditional moisturizer steps, especially if you’re pressed for time.

With the right primer, your base makeup will look and feel better for longer and minimize the look of age lines.

4. Why Baked Powders Are Game-Changers

Standard powders can emphasize dryness and fine lines. Laura Geller’s baked powders, however, are designed specifically for mature skin:

Weightless Texture: Begins as cream, baked into powder so it glides over skin, blurring imperfections instead of settling in them.
Creamy, Hydrating Finish: Ideal for those who dislike the chalky effect or find their makeup creases midday.
Baked powders simplify routine: the Double Take Baked Full Coverage Foundation eliminates steps and layers, keeping skin looking fresh not overloaded.

Choosing these powders ensures your complexion stays bright and smooth, with minimal touch-ups required.

5. Mistake to Avoid: Too Much Powder

Geller highlights the most common error women make with mature skin: overusing powder. Not only can this exaggerate dryness, but it can also make fine lines stand out. She recommends scaling back and reserving powder for strategic areas, switching to creams or hydrating formulas as needed.

Limit powder use if you experience dryness, sensitivity, or deeper lines.
Choose sheer, buildable coverage over heavy applications.
Baked products also provide a solution for minimal creasing or cakiness.

A less-is-more approach keeps skin looking dewy, plump, and natural.

6. Brighten Eyes and Features

Laura Geller advises updating your eye makeup strategy:

White or Cream Eyeliner: Apply to the lower waterline for eyes that appear more open and awake.
Cream Highlighters: Avoid heavy shimmer; opt for subtle creams that add light without emphasizing texture.
Keep colors soft and avoid dark, harsh lines—opt for smudgy, blendable formulas.

7. Creams Over Powders: The Better Blush and Eyeshadow Choice

Cream blushes and shadows blend seamlessly into mature skin, providing a youthful sheen and avoiding the patchy look sometimes caused by powders. Geller’s baked blushes start as cream, meaning they hydrate while delivering buildable color. These formulas glide over texture instead of settling in, making cheeks and lids look naturally radiant.

Cream highlighter and blush offer a more forgiving finish on textured skin.
Baked blush combines the benefits of both cream and powder, lasting longer and feeling lighter.

8. Skincare is Makeup’s Foundation

A well-hydrated, nourished skin surface maximizes makeup’s effect and wear.

Consider regular exfoliation to remove dry patches and ensure smoother base application.
Use serums and moisturizers designed for firmness and radiance before applying makeup.

9. Laura Geller’s Favorite Product Recommendations for Mature Skin

Product	Benefit
Spackle Skin Perfecting Primer Hydrate	Primes and moisturizes, softens fine lines
Baked Balance-n-Brighten Color Correcting Foundation	Color corrects, weightless coverage, avoids creasing
Double Take Baked Full Coverage Foundation	Full coverage, no need for additional powder, smooth finish
Quench-n-Tint Tinted Moisturizer	Sheer coverage, hydrated dewy glow
Kajal Longwear Eyeliner	Soft, smudgeable color for bright eyes

10. Three Common Makeup Myths to Ignore After 40

Myth 1: “More coverage is more youthful” — Actually, heavy coverage can accentuate lines; choose luminous, light formulas.
Myth 2: “Powder sets everything” — Over-powdering can look dry; silky baked formulas are preferable.
Myth 3: “Bold colors are off-limits” — Soft pops of color (rosy blush, warm eyeshadow) enhance vibrance and personality, just applied strategically.

11. Pro Techniques for Effortless, Youthful Makeup

Buff foundation in gently with a damp sponge for seamless blending.
Apply cream blush after foundation but before powder for a natural flush.
Use highlighter sparingly and focus on top of cheekbones for a subtle lift.
Smudge eyeliner for softer definition, instead of a stark line.
Choose hydrating lipstick formulas—skip drying mattes for creamy or glossy finishes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Should I avoid powder entirely after 40?

A: Not necessarily. Laura Geller recommends avoiding heavy, matte powders but notes that lightweight, baked powders add radiance without creasing, as long as they’re applied sparingly and strategically.

Q: What’s the single most important product for mature skin?

A: A hydrating primer. It preps your skin, seals in moisture, and prevents makeup from settling in fine lines, forming the core of a routine that looks as good at the end of the day as it does at the start.

Q: Can I still use bold eyeshadow or lipstick colors?

A: Yes! Laura Geller encourages experimenting, but stick to formulas that are creamy and comfortable. Apply bolder hues selectively—focusing on either lips or eyes to avoid overpowering.

Q: How can I minimize creasing throughout the day?

A: Prep with moisturizer and primer, use baked powder foundations to reduce creasing, and touch up only where needed, skipping heavy layers.

Q: Where should I place highlighter for a youthful effect?

A: Apply cream highlighter to the high points of your cheeks, the brow bone, and inner corners of the eyes for a lifted look without emphasizing texture.

Key Takeaways for Makeup Over 40

Prioritize hydration at every step, from skincare to primer to base makeup.
Choose buildable, radiant coverage and avoid heavy, matte layers.
Use strategic placement of color and highlight for an effortlessly fresh appearance.
The right formulas—especially baked and creamy—help makeup float over texture and lines.
Makeup after 40 is about celebrating your features, not hiding them.

By following Laura Geller’s guidelines, updating your products, and embracing new techniques, you can enjoy makeup that enhances your natural beauty, boosts your confidence, and suits every occasion—at any age.

References

Author

Sneha TeteBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Sneha is a relationships and lifestyle writer with a strong foundation in applied linguistics and certified training in relationship coaching. She brings over five years of writing experience to thebridalbox, crafting thoughtful, research-driven content that empowers readers to build healthier relationships, boost emotional well-being, and embrace holistic living.

Read full bio of Sneha Tete