Make-Up Masterclass: How To Highlight Mature Skin

“The best areas to apply your highlighter are where you want to enhance volume –for instance, your cheekbones, forehead and Cupid’s bow. Avoid highlighting an area where the pores are enlarged or where texture is uneven and wrinkled, because you’ll only draw attention to this further. If you’re someone with rough skin, highlight with a lighter, brightening concealer instead. Look for a product that’s matte but doesn’t have any iridescence, as these formulas will just draw attention to problematic skin.” – Valeria Ferreira, make-up artist

“Women with mature skin often steer clear of highlighter but, providing you use the right texture, you’ll find it can be very youthful. I recommend trying Vieve's Skin Dew which is a liquid and easy to work with. Apply it once you’ve finished the rest of your look – dot it over your cheekbones for a smattering of luminosity. The tiny flecks of shimmer catch the light well and mean you get soft, subtle definition as you move. Creams and liquids are best as they have a youthful glow to them – powders can crinkle and settle into fine lines. That said, it’s always worth setting a cream or liquid with a very light, translucent setting powder just to ensure there’s no slip as the day or evening wears on.” – Zoe Taylor, make-up artist & SL beauty contributor 

“Texture is key for defining the structure of your face. I recommend Stila’s Heaven’s Hue Highlighter which feels like putty. Bouncy and mousse-like, it’s a hybrid between a cream and  a powder, which also means it lasts that bit longer. It has light-diffusing particles that give skin a soft, luminous glow. These formulas are so easy to apply and blend, making sculpting your skin a quick and easy task.” – Sophie Tilley, make-up artist

“Avoid shimmer highlighters and anything with big glitter chunks. Mature skin attracts product into fine lines like a magnet, so you want to avoid anything that brings too much attention to the skin. My advice is to forget heavy products and try gloss sticks instead – or anything cream-based. SUQQU’s Glow Highlighter Stick looks great on cheekbones and I love it as a touch-up tool for tired, midday skin. Just pop a little onto your fingers and pat onto any areas of skin that need a bit of life.” – Tania Grier, A-list make-up artist

“When it comes to applying highlighter to ‘define’ your skin, use the outer corner of your mouth as a guide. Then, imagine a vertical line travelling up to the top of your ear. Start by buffing the colour – be it a cream highlighter or powder – down this line, then stop when you reach where the centre of your pupil would meet your cheek. You want any colour to stay beneath the cheekbone, not above it. This helps to ‘lift’ the bone structure rather than flattening it.” – Jessica Kell, make-up artist