As a woman ages, "less is more" when it comes to makeup and "more is better" when it comes to skin care.

Makeup should be applied in a way that helps lift the face to make you look younger and more beautiful.
Your cosmetics should not be used as something to hide behind, rather makeup should be used to enhance and accent the mature beauty that you have become. Below you will find skin, makeup and styling tips for mature beauties.

Tomi Skin Care for Mature Beauties

Since less makeup produces a more attractive look in women over 50, a good basic skin care regimen becomes even more important as you age. Using AHA cleansers, rich moisturizers, natural exfoliants, body scrubs and toners will make your skin visibly smoother and more youthful so that makeup application has an even more natural and beautiful look.

A great way to firm and rejuvenate skin is a by using a masque. Masques really do work to tighten skin. Makeup goes on much easier after a firming masque has been used. We offer a Firming Mint Masque with a clay base for normal to oily skin and a deep moisturizing Nourishing Masque for normal to dry skin types. Masques lift impurities, moisturize, firm and help to shrink pores. Try using a Tomi Gion masque twice a week to keep skin firm and nourished.

Tomi Makeup Tips for Mature Beauties

Use light tint to highlight or bring skin areas forward, such as on uppermost part of the nose and brow bone. Apply light tint to line areas on forehead and around mouth. Use yellow tint to even out any dark, discoloration, undereye or blemish areas. Place light concealer tint lightly around the edge of lips on each side of the mouth, just over the outer edge of the lips - this will create a more defined lip line when you apply lip liner. Add a dot of yellow just at the outer corner of each eye and blend. This tiny line area ages the eye. Yellow is good for countering vertical lines around the sides of the mouth. As you get older, the area between your eye and your nose can darken and age your appearance. Use the orange tint or yellow tint corrector to counter the dark or bluish tones there. Corrector in this small curved area is best applied with a small cosmetic Chisel Fluff Brush. Be sure to blend concealer tints well for a natural look.

Our 5 way All Around Camo Creme Corrector tints include the four shades above and two other inportant correcting tints: Mint green tint counters red, ruddy and areas with broken capillairies. Pink counters shadowy areas and sallow, yellowish skin tone.

Next apply a loose powder in a shade just slightly lighter than your skin tone. Use a puff or a soft powder brush. Keep powder light, heavier powder application can accentuate wrinkles. Press and roll powder in - do not rub. Rubbing will result in streaks in your makeup. Loose powder will help to soften lines, blend your makeup and make it last all day.

For your blush, you should wear soft and matte shades such as soft pinks or light corals and be sure to blend it well. Apply the blush lightly to the apples of your cheeks and brush a little extra high up around the temples, outside of the eye so that this area is the strongest point of color. Also lightly dust blush under chin (on the neck) and at the temples. This emphasizes the area of the eyes and has the appearance of lifting the face.

Emphasizing the upper part of the eye is the secret to visually lifting them. Keep eye shadows fairly light, avoid strong colors like charcoal, black and iridescent shadows. Eye shades that are muted neutrals like soft brown, brownish gray, taupe, charcoal and mink are softer and more flattering to your eyes. To make shadow go on smoother and last longer, apply a golden powder base to lids. Apply a light shadow wash to the lids but do not extend it downward on the side because this ages the eye area. End shadow just at outside corner and sweep it up to give the eye a lift. (Don’t extend shadow beyond the edge of the eye area, this tends to lower rather than lift the look of the eye.) Brush shadow just a slightly over any saggy brow bone area up toward the brow. With fingers or sponge, blend edges. To create more depth, use a slightly darker shadow on the outer curve of each eyelid. To further create "lift" to emphasize the upper part of the eye, use smudger/liner in brown or gray to line the upper lid. Apply line on base of the upper lid as close to the upper lash as possible. Then rub with smudger end of liner until there is no line edge there, only soft natural looking color. The end effect of the line should be that your lashes appear fuller at the base. Never line the inside of the rim of the eyelid. For added defination, with the eye pencil draw a thin line just on the edge of the inner part of each upper lid where the lashes are the thinnest. This will further define eyes without looking unnatural. (Use liquid liner for a more dramatic, evening look. Don't use liquid liner too heavily or to line the lower lash area because it tends to give you harsh look and can age the eye.)

Enhance the upper lashes with volumizing mascara. Wait a minute and then apply a second coat. If the lower lid is puffy, wrinkled or dark avoid putting mascara there because it will drag down the look of your eye. If you apply any mascara to the lower lids, do it lightly with the pointed tip of the mascara wand. This gives the lower lashes a natural look. Mascara applied heavily to the lower lids, gives a fake, raccoon look. Another way to add a little color to lower lashes is to place 3-4 dots, at the base of the lower lashes. Don't be in a hurry. Be sure to wipe away any stray mascara that may leap from your lashes to our lids. (Note: Mascara should be discarded after two months of use because it collects bacteria and becomes unsanitary and losses moisture which results in clumping.)

For mature beauties, a lip liner pencil is a must for defining lips and keeping lipstick from bleeding since lips become thinner and loose definition with age. Tomi Gion suggests that you keep your application as natural-looking as possible. Lip pencils should be the same color or slightly darker than your lipstick. Start with a lip pencil to outline lips as close to the natural edge as possible--without extending beyond the lip line. Draw in edges to even out uneven lips to make both sides symmetrical. Fill in the lips with the pencil before you apply your lipstick to make color last longer. Use a cotton swab to soften line for a more natural edge. Dust a little powder lightly over your lips before you apply lipstick. This will help lipstick stay on longer.

For your lipstick, use rich colors that go with skin tone. Choose a color that is bright enough to liven up your face but not so bright it over takes your whole look. Avoid dark shades that can harden and age your face and too soft shades that can make you look washed out.

Generally, thes shades work well: brown hair/mature fair skin: natural and deep tone shades of warm reds, warm mauves, pink mauves and soft plums. Use lip pencils and avoid pastels.
Gray or white hair/mature fair skin: Roses, mauves, warm reds, rich colors in creamy textures. Use lip pencils. Avoid too dark or too light colors. Try a dab of lip gloss.The best way to apply lipstick is to use a lip brush, load it from your lipstick and brush it on. Fill in outlined lips. If you are stepping out, dab a bit of lip gloss in the middle of your lower lip for a dewy, youthful effect.

Lipcolors that work can vary greatly, based on individual taste. Here is a very broad, simplified breakdown of shades that generally work for specific skin/hair types:
• Light to Dark Blond hair/fair skin: Soft pinks (better on younger skin), watermelons, salmon, warm pinks, pink browns, plum reds, soft tomato reds, corals, mauves, rose and rose browns
• Brown hair/fair skin: Warm reds, warm mauves, pink mauves, pink beiges, soft browns, terracotta, plums, and soft plum.
• Brown hair/medium skin: warm reds, deep reds, rich deep pinks, pink browns, deep mauves, pink beiges.
• Brown hair/Olive skin: Light browns, deep browns, soft browns, velvety chocolates, red browns, plum browns, wine browns.
• Red hair fair skin: Raison,, bronzes, coppers, orange browns, sheers, soft beiges, brick reds, brown reds.
• Black hair/Fair skin: Raspberry reds, blue reds, geraniums, fuchsia, rose, medium pinks, berries, burgundies, soft plums.
• Black hair/Afro-American skin: Nude pinks, nude beiges, mochas, coffees, mahoganies, chocolates, berry shades, dark plums, wines, burgundies
• Dark hair/Asian skin: Sheer, beiges, pinks, plums, brown plums, bright reds, deep reds, pink mauves, mauves.
•Brown hair/Mature skin: Natural and deep tone shades of warm reds, warm mauves, pink mauves and soft plums.
•Gray or white hair/Mature fair skin: Roses, mauves, warm reds, rich colors in creamy or matte textures.

Lip care and maintenance - Lips need special care so that they look soft and youthful.
-Exfoliate lips occasionally with a soft toothbrush or terry washcloth to remove dead skin cells and increase blood circulation. Be gentle, only brush away loose skin that falls away easily.
-Protect lips with a sunscreen or hydrating gel.
-Moisturize lips and the area surrounding lips with almond oil.

For the eyebrows, lighten the brows one or two tones if your hair has gone to a lighter color (gray or any other color) but don't over do it or you'll take away your expression. A rule of thumb is that the brows should start vertically parallel to the outer edge of your nose. The highest part of the arch should be just above the outer edge of the pupil and the end of the brow should connect an invisible 45 degree straight line past the outer corner of the eye to the outer edge of the nose. Use a soft brown, taupe, or gray pencil never black. Apply hair-like pencil strokes upward starting with the part of the brow closest to the nose. For thin brows, a pressed powder light brown, taupe or gray shadow can be used by filling in brow with light strokes to give a soft, natural brow line. Use a crystal clear brow fix to set brows and make them stay in place all day.

No time to spend on makeup application? If you don't have the 15-20 minutes to go through the whole makeup process, shorten it to what works for you but include the two most important steps for a more youthful look -- defining the lips and the brows.

Style Tips for Mature Beauties
Using clothes to make the most of your shape:

Wear clothes that make the most of your shape and that make you feel comfortable. Remember, if something is too snug it only makes you look bigger. Loose flowing clothes can make you look thinner.

The waistline thickens as we age so an easy way to deal with this it to camouflage it. Wear clothing that hides the waist and tummy such as blouses with shirt tails intended to be worn outside, light jackets and hip length, thin sweaters. Dresses without waistlines can be very flattering. If you have a tummy avoid slacks with pleated fronts. Dark colors and long V-neck lines on jackets, sweaters, shirts and dresses are always sliming and flattering. Monochromatic outfits create the illusion of height and de-emphasize individual flaws or lack of proportion.

Separates in different colors break up the body and highlight each area. Whites and bright pastels and colors emphasize and darks and blacks de-emphasize. If your figure is pear-shaped you should emphasize above the waist and de-emphasize below the waist. This could mean white or light top and a dark skirt or pants. For example, a classic dark pantsuit with a white cotton tailored shirt, tee or V neck will draw more attention to the upper part of your body and de-emphasize waist, hips and thighs.

Horizontal stripes make you look wider, vertical stripes elongate the body. Keep it simple in your problem area so you avoid calling attention to it.

A scarf tied in an attractive way or a pin on the shoulder can distract from a thick waist. Also a light, bright color or metalic and shimmering scarf can brighten your entire face. For evenings, pearls, intricately designed jewelry or stones can create an attractive look. Sparkling cut stones can add a sizzle to your look. Always use jewelry cleaner on your jewelry just before you go out, it does make a difference in glamorizing your look.