My mother wasn’t very makeup savvy, but my Aunt Yetta could make Tammy Faye Bakker weep with jealousy. Growing up in household full of boys, I didn’t have an older sister to lead the way when it came to makeup. So, Yetta guided me down a path of trial and error. However, the gap between our generations created blunders and myths that I would later discover to be completely untrue.

MYTH: Women over 40 shouldn’t wear shimmery makeup.

TRUTH: Replace the word “shimmer” with “glitter” and that is true. In fact, glitter should be left to tweens at their middle school dances. Shimmer, in small doses, could be flattering at any age. Avoid overdoing it and avoid using it over experienced eyes. It can draw attention to crow’s feet. Stick to highlight your brow bone, cheekbones and inner corners of the eyes.

MYTH: Your lip liner should always match your lipstick.

TRUTH: The opposite is actually true! Say you are wearing a deep red lipstick for a date. After your lipstick wears off you are going to look like Eminem’s ex-wife. An awful ring around your lips will be bold and grab attention in a bad way. Your lip liner should match your lips’ natural tone. It will help keep your lipstick in place and won’t look odd when it fades.

MYTH: Foundation should be opaque.

TRUTH: This may have been true in 1985, but not now. For most, the most flattering foundation is a sheer coverage. Tinted moisturizer is my favorite especially when I have a naturally sun kissed glow. The best application method is to apply pea sized dabs to forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. Blend them outward and you have a light coverage that will save on how much you use and the case will get sheerer as you go.

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