This Often-Overlooked Makeup Hack Practically Guarantees Glowing Skin at Any Age

Is it just us, or is the 40-plus age range suddenly the most lit of them all? For reasons beyond our comprehension, it was once a scary marker of time that women met with dread and dismay, but these days, it's the unofficial kickoff to the unbothered era of doing whatever the hell we please, whenever we see fit. While there are certain drawbacks like changes to our hair, skin, and nails that require slightly different beauty practices than the ones we carried out in early adulthood, there are so many experts and resources out there to help us make the smoothest transition. One area that requires a fair amount of retooling when we graduate to mature skin? Makeup.

That's where Monika Blunder comes in. The Hollywood makeup artist is known for creating the most gorgeous fresh and glowy makeup looks on icons such as Jennifer Garner, Gemma Chan, Jessica Alba, and Benjamin Button herself, January Jones. Blunder is also the creator of Monika Blunder Beauty, a clean makeup line dedicated to helping us all create that signature dewy complexion at home.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

Being that she's a bona fide glow expert, we couldn't help but probe Blunder for some tips and tricks for achieving that enviable aura, and one of her answers was so simple yet so profound that it left us reeling. "I'm 51, and I just feel like I look so much younger when I wear less makeup," she said. "When I wear a lot of foundation or a lot of concealer, it goes into my fine lines, and it just ages me. So I think less is more, 100%." That's right—Blunder's big hack for creating the most glowy skin you've ever seen is using less makeup. 

In a "more is more" makeup landscape, this is truly a revelation. So what exactly are the pared-back makeup-bag staples that constitute the best makeup for mature skin? Blunder reveals all ahead.

1. Lightweight Foundation or Tinted Moisturizer

2. Cream Blush

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(Image credit: @traceeellisross)

3. Lip Liner

4. Lengthening Mascara

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(Image credit: @monikablunder)

5. Eyebrow Pencil

6. Eyeliner

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

7. Weightless Powder

8. Concealer

Associate Beauty Editor

Courtney Higgs is a Cancer sun, Libra rising beauty enthusiast with about six years of experience in the editorial space. She was previously Who What Wear's associate beauty editor after spending many years working on the West Coast edit team at InStyle Magazine. She graduated from California State University, Northridge, with a BA in communication studies and pivoted to editorial after spending her college years working in the legal field. Her beauty philosophy is simple: She believes there are no wrong answers and that discovering our favorite beauty products and rituals is a journey, not a sprint. When she's not geeking out over products, she can be found adventuring around L.A. with her fiancé; watching reality TV with their French bulldog, Bernie Mac; or relating way too hard to astrology memes.