Moisturize religiously.
Applying cream every morning makes skin look fresher even when you don't wear foundation—and helps it glide on smoothly when you do.

 
Use concealer wisely.
Look for a color one shade lighter than your natural skin tone, and make sure it's creamy enough that it won't crease under your eyes. Dab a little over the lip line, too; it's a needle-free filler for fine lines around the mouth and keeps color from bleeding.

 
Proceed carefully with powder.
A soft dusting helps set makeup and absorb shine, but too much can settle into lines. Always use a brush rather than a puff for a lighter application, and avoid the fine lines around the eyes.

 
Blur the edges.
As we age, perfectly drawn eyeliner starts looking more dour than dramatic. Rimming your lids with an eye pencil will define the eyes and seem to plump lashes, but always smudge the line a bit afterward for a more flattering, soft-focus effect. And while a lip liner is a great tool for shaping the mouth, use the liner to fill in the whole lip so there isn't a hard edge.

 
Go light on lipcolor.
Dark colors can look harsh and accentuate age spots and other imperfections. A lip gloss—not too shiny—looks much fresher.

 
Don't be afraid of shimmer.
"Formulas have evolved so much in recent years that they're not at all sparkly," says Kashuk. "They just have a very subtle, softening effect." A dusting of shimmer shadow over the lids refracts light and brightens the eyes.