6 Eyeliner Tips For Women Over 40

Eyeliner gets a little tricky as we age. I think we need it but how much do we need? And what color?

6 Eyeliner Tips For Women Over 40

Here are some eyeliner tips for women over 40:

  • Don’t skip eyeliner altogether—it’s a great way to make your eyes look more open and pop.
  • Choose brown or gray over black eyeliner. Black can be harsh and we are trying to soften our look.
  • Start at the outer corner of the eye and draw inward.
  • Keep the eyeliner thin and as close to your lash line as possible.
  • Line the lower lash line if you want to, but don’t rim the inside of your lower lash line.

Remember we want to define the eyes with softness and blending, not strict lines.

A thick liner (on the upper or lower lash line) can actually accentuate the areas that we don’t want to accentuate. It can make us look older.

Right now I’m using Almay eyeliner in black/brown. It definitely looks more brown than black.

What eyeliner are you using? Do you have any other tips?

Beauty For the Heart~~I love this prayer…..Dear God, I’m trusting you. I know you heard my prayer, your time, not mine. Amen.

He hears ladies, let’s just trust in His timing!

Have a blessed day!


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  1. Try one of Bobbie Brown’s eye shadow brushes. She has several different kinds for what you need them for. They are great and hold up very well. They are well worth the $$ you spend. Sephora carries them if you don’t have a Bobbie Brown counter close to you.

  2. Loved thes tips! I did not wear liner when I was younger but now that I am older – my lashes are thinner – especially on my lower lid and I need it to keep from looking tired and sick….. seriously….

    I put a little liner on and it just perks up my entire face!

  3. I struggled with finding the right eyeliner for years, until my daughter introduced me to MAC’s Powerpoint eyeliner pencils. (It’s the one you sharpen yourself, not the self sharpening one.) It lasts all day without smudging or smearing. When applying it, I use a pointed cotton swab to thin the line down a bit, and depending on my activities for the day, I sometimes set my bottom liner with translucent powder for extra staying power. I also learned the trick of lining the inside of your upper lashes from the makeup artist who did my daughter’s wedding. I use the dark colored shadow (more of a black/brown) in the Urban Decay basic Naked palette to do that, applied with a stiff, narrow brush. That takes practice, but is worth learning, as it really makes my eyes pop. That prayer must have been meant for me today – it was truly the reminder I needed that “God’s got this.”

  4. Any recommendations for what color eyeliner would look best on blue/green eyes? I’m guessing brown?

  5. I do the same! I find that using a pencil brush gives it a softer look. Also using shadow gives me more color choices, so I can use a taupey color that is not so harsh, but still defines.

  6. I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks black eyeliner looks harsh and aging. After 40, we want to keep our look soft, not jarring. I have always used some shade of brown (on the lighter side) because I have brown hair, blue eyes and fair skin. My sister is more olive toned and has hazel eyes, she uses a plum eyeliner and it looks marvelous on her!

  7. I love eyeliner, and still line the top lash line with blue, purple, green…but it’s subtle. I’ve resorted to using eye shadow for lining my lower lash line.

  8. I like gel formula pencil from Ulta in Brown (their brand) . Use urban decay primer potion and neutral shadow and it even lasts through workouts!

  9. I’m blonde and relatively fair-skinned so I have to be careful with liners or they can be overpowering on me. I love Avon’s glimmerstick eye liners and wear them on the outer 1/3 corners of my lower lashes. Definitely do not wear their sparkly liners if you’re 40+. Avon makes several nice shades of matte liners and they go on smoothly and last all day. A cool trick I learned with a liquid water-proof liner is to line the rim of the inside of your “upper” lash line. This is direct opposite of what is usually done. By rimming the inside of your upper lash line it makes your eyes appear larger and also makes your lashes look longer. Another nice trick I learned many years ago is to add a little water to your eye shadow, then using a good liner brush line the upper and lower lash line. This allows you to control the color intensity of the liner and the results are a natural, soft look. Smooth out any defined line with a Q-tip to soften the look even more. If you line both your upper and lower lash line be sure to make the two lines meet one another on the outer corner of your eye or you will look like you forgot to finish your eye make-up this morning! I love the prayer and since we’re talking eyes..keep looking UP while trusting God for His answer!

  10. The best eye liner on the market for ease of use and durability is Mally…her products are the BEST and seriously last the whole day! You will not be disappointed if you use Mally products…promise! 🙂

  11. I just bought a eyeliner by Bare Minerals and so far I love it! Thanks for the tips and also for the prayer!

  12. Rebecca – what type of eye shadow brush do you use with Urban Decay? I don’t like the brush that came with it and my MK brush just doesn’t seem to be doing a good coverage.

    Anyone have any recommendations for a good but not grossly expensive eye shadow brush?

    I also use the eye shadow as a line, using a bare minerals brush.

  13. Thanks for all the great tips! I’ve thought my eyeliner was looking a bit harsher than it used to, and now I have some wonderful ideas to try out.

    P.S. I also needed to hear that prayer today! 🙂

  14. I am in my 60s and use an eyeshadow for my liner. It was a tip given to me many years ago (in my 40s) by a young woman at a MAC cosmetic counter. I use a small angled brush and stay close to my eyelashes. On my lower lid I only put it in the outside corner. I use a deep plum colour that enhances my green eyes.

    1. I am over 40 and I have always used just a touch of Black Eyeliner under her eyelash and on my eye brows. I also use black Mascara.Applying Black Eyeliner and Mascara to heavily can make one look Gothic.I like to use a soft color lipstick.Red lip sticks makes the lips look
      to big.

  15. I like a very soft eyeliner, so I use Bare Minerals in cocoa brown. It is a powder and I apply it with a small angled brush. Just a little on my lower lid, and sometimes on my upper lid, for a more dramatic effect, like at night.

    Love the prayer , Cyndi! Great reminder for me!

  16. Consider using a color…just on the top lid. I have an “emerald” estee lauder liner that makes my green blue eyes pop. Same with a purple one I have. I actually prefer these to a brown or black. Dont make the line really harsh either. You might like it! 🙂

  17. I love Mary Kay eyeliner in dark brown. I’ve gone through at least 5 of them! And thanks for today’s prayer — it was exactly what I needed today. Praise God!

  18. I’m using Lancôme Le Crayon Kohl in Black Coffee. It’s a dark brown color. It’s smudgable but with staying power.

  19. You are reading my mind. I was just wondering about eyeliner; you answered my questions. Thank you!

  20. I use ZUZU purchased from Whole Foods in a soft black. I use only organic products on my face, mostly Mineral Fusion, but believe anything near our eyes or on our lips requires that we be even more diligent to watch the ingredients. I also use a rose water spray that sets my makeup and makes it last all day.

  21. I use waterproof eyeliner from Avon, only on top (hardly ever on my lower lid-unless I want drama). It stays on, doesn’t smudge and you can draw a fine or thick line, as you prefer… ♥ it!

  22. Eyeliner is tricky! I have recently started using Sonia Kashuk (Target) eyeliner. I purchased the gel liner in plum (my eyes are green and plum makes them look amazing) and regular liner in grey. I totally agree about grey, not black. I really like the gel liner (pencil that goes on like gel liner). I also love Mally eyeliner, amazing staying power! The young’uns on you tube have taught me about doing a little tiny wing 🙂 For evening I like to go over my liner with a little Bare Minerals liner shadow mixed with water. I am an upper/lower liner every day girl. I think using a smudge brush is a must. Thanks for this topic!

  23. Cyndi, My liner and eye shadow use to get transferred to my brow bone because I have hooded eyes (think of Jennifer Lawrence’s eyes from Catching Fire). What I’ve found to be very helpful is Stay Don’t Stray by Benefit. I apply this from my eyelids up to my eye brow. It gives nice coverage, keeps my eyeshadow in place and does what the name says – keep shadow/liner from straying. For eyeshadow and liners, I use the original Naked Palette eye shadows by Urban Decay. 95% of the time, I use the color “gun metal” with a very small, angled brush for eyeliner. I’ve also used the two darker brown eye shadows as liners too. I think the key to using an eye shadow as a liner is using the correct brush to apply.

  24. Eyeliner is like framing a picture, it just looks better. Eyeliner is tough. you have to find a brand and texture that you like. Keep trying. Check out some you tube videos on application. Use the right color for your eyes, it will be worth it 🙂

  25. I never go without eyeliner. It really seems to make my eyes pop. My new favorite is Stila Stay All Day Liner. It’s a liquid in a pen form with the absolute finest brush I’ve ever seen. It really lets me control how thick it goes on. I usually use the charcoal color, but if I want a more dramatic look for evening, I will sometimes use navy. Another little trick I learned is that since the outer corners of my eyes tend to go downward, I cheat a little with a TINY upward stroke at the outer corner. It really makes them look “lifted.”

  26. great again. the eyeliner has been an on and off situation throughout my make up years.
    the prayer is spot on also. great reminder

  27. Thanks Cyndi. Your prayer really hit home today. I am anxious about something at work and I need to turn it over to The Lord and let his timing and will take control. Thanks for reminding me.

  28. Thanks for these tips! I never wore eyeliner when I was younger, but I have definitely converted!! Eyeliner makes such a big difference, particularly in photographs. I will say that I’ve noticed that eyeliner looks particularly good on women with brown eyes, but if appliled correctly it looks good on women of any eye color. One thing I don’t like is the look of eyes made up with eyeliner but no mascara. Eyeliner applied close to the lash line defines your eyes and makes lashes look thicker and longer, but I think it’s good to finish the look with mascara.

    Because I have green eyes, I sometimes use brown/black eyeliner on my top lids and a lighter color on the bottom. I particularly like an eyeliner made by Clinique called “Khaki”–it’s kind of a light brown with a greenish tint. Sometimes I like that subtler color on bottom.

  29. I have used a color called Hyacinth Sky by Estee Lauder for years. it is a very soft charcoal with a perwinkle undertone. I NEVER line my entire bottom eye lid but I do a little accent right at the corner and blend it. I think as we mature a entire bottom lid lined is too harsh no matter what the color. Less is more as we mature, IMHO.

  30. I have that problem too! I use a eyelid primer, then pale shadow, then a good long lasting liner….still have the creep under eyebrow problem some days (humidity doesn’t help).

  31. I love using a dark brown or charcoal eye shadow in place of my eyeliner for daytime. I use a small angled brush and smudge the shadow into my lash line. I find that it last almost as well as my gel liner but it has a softer look. I have small eyes and I really need the boost of eyeliner; but too much can make my eyes disapear.
    Thanks for the great beauty info for the over 40 girls!

  32. I do NOT like eyeliner. I have never liked how it looked on me. Asking an honest question- what purpose does it serve–really? When I wear it my eyes look smaller & darker-complete opposite of what I’d prefer. 😉 So I guess I wonder how important it really is?

  33. Oh YAY for this post! I go back and forth wondering what liner I should be using. Much prefer the softer line than a dark defined line. But how can I keep my pencil or crayon-type liner from creeping up under my eyebrow? Is there a sealer or primer I should be using? Shellac? Thank you, Cyndi!