Easy to apply cosmetics

December 14, 2019 12:00 PM

My 75 year old mother wants some cosmetics for Christmas. She has very reactive skin, poor eyesight, and has lost some of her fine motor control. What are some options for her?

I've picked up some Bare Minerals powder foundation for her. It's fragrance free and goes on with a brush, so that seems easy enough. What is a good eyeliner option? I'm not sure any eyeliner would work at all or would even be safe? She refuses to get her eyes tested and isn't able to see well with her current pair of 15 year old glasses. (I'm working on the glasses thing and I'm not up to receiving advice or encouragement about it as I literally have zero spoons left to even think about it in depth rn. So please do not do that!)

I was looking at Laura Mercier eyeshadow sticks but they're way out of my budget. Are less expensive eyeshadow sticks available? With no fragrance or any irritants?

I know she feels less archetypically feminine as she ages and it bothers her a lot. So fancy packaging is not necessary but would be a bonus.

posted by Feminazgul to Shopping (14 answers total)

I think you’re on the right track with creamier formulas that she could apply and then smudge with her fingers to blend. You might try one of the NYX brand stick shadows or the Pixi ones (although those are more expensive) as a dupe for the Laura Mercier ones. I have sensitive skin and don’t react to these but you could always do a patch test first just to be sure.

I also wonder whether she might be interested in eyebrow/lash tinting? It makes a big difference especially if she feels like she wants more color in her face and she wouldn’t have to reapply every day. She (you) can do it yourselves at home with something like Godefroy or depending on where you live many salons will offer this and that could be a fun fancy lady thing to do together. Be sure to do a patch test first!!
posted by stellaluna at 12:25 PM on December 14, 2019 [6 favorites]

If she wears glasses (even if she needs new ones), why not get her some makeup readers with some eye makeup? Then it wouldn't be framed as 'you need new glasses' but rather 'hey, these are specifically designed to help you put on makeup'. I don't know if something like eyeliner stencils would help with the fine motor control part of application.
posted by Vortisaur at 12:26 PM on December 14, 2019 [1 favorite]

Someone on another recent makeup thread was a fan of Boomsticks which do look pretty awesome and I like the idea that it’s a low-key way to add some color and definition without a bunch of fiddlyness.
posted by amanda at 12:27 PM on December 14, 2019 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: NO GLASSES ADVICE PLEASE OMG
posted by Feminazgul at 12:28 PM on December 14, 2019 [3 favorites]

I would suggest a nice lighted, magnifying mirror for putting on makeup. Although to be honest, I never wear glasses to put on makeup even though I can barely see to walk across the room without them, I just hold my compact mirror close to my face and sit in good light.

Eyeliner sounds dicey if she can't see well and her fine motor control is failing. A cream eye shadow would let her apply and blend with a finger and is more forgiving as far as application. Wonky eyeliner is super obvious whereas smudgy shadow is just "smoky eye" (up to a point.)

Similarly, creamy, sheer lip colors are easier to apply and more forgiving than lipstick.

I don't have specific product recommendations due to her reactive skin issues. I can tell you that my grandmother also had makeup allergies and she swore by Clinique.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 1:16 PM on December 14, 2019 [5 favorites]

As someone whose elderly legally blind mother was wearing makeup until a fortnight before she passed my suggestions based on what she used are.

I'd look into BB creams for foundations. You can basically apply them like moisturiser and they blend into the skin. bare Minerals does a great one with their Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream. Feels luxurious but not at a crazy price point. Super easy to blend, doesn't accent lines but covers enough coverage & glow to make skin look nice. If in doubt about her blending skills with bad eyesight introduce her to the joys of a beauty blender.

I'd avoid powders they accent wrinkles if applied too heavily and that is hard to check if you can't see well, they also accent the little hairs you tend to get on your face when you age. If you do go the powder route make sure to get a big soft fluffy brush for her to use to help disperse the powder. Sephora have a huge range at varying price points, & Elf make nice ones at very good prices that feel fancier than their cost suggests.

Clinique have stick formula eyeshadows called Chubby Sticks shadow tint at around $19 each. They demagogically test so they should be OK for reactive skin being a wider stick they are easier to apply a sweep of color over the whole eyelid and just blend with your finger. Super easy to use & lots of flattering colors. As she can't see well, being able to use her fingers to apply & feel what she is doing will help a lot. NYX also do really nice ones at a cheaper price point, I use them a lot on my 50+ year old crepey eyelids they work great, but they don't feel as fancy.

Lip tints & balms for the lips, NYX also make some nice ones with the NYX Butter Balm. Flattering, easy to apply, not so heavy they creep up the lip wrinkles.

If she want's a blush for some color on her cheeks. Milani Baked Blushes are a drug store brand department store quality at drug store prices, not too heavily pigmented. Get a nice Elf Brush to go with it for under $11.

Other ideas that might help. Getting her eyelashes tinted. & a nice magnifying make up mirror. Even though she was legally blind, if she stood in a sunny window with her 10x magnifying mirror my mum could see enough to get her makeup how she liked.

You are super sweet to do this for her.
posted by wwax at 1:20 PM on December 14, 2019 [11 favorites]

Eyebrow tint - Benefit Gimme Brow is a dead easy if pricy option. It's amazing how much difference it makes especially if her brows are greying.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 1:25 PM on December 14, 2019 [2 favorites]

That was me in the other thread with the Boomsticks. I have VERY reactive skin and they don't bother it at all, and they're almost impossible to fuck up. She could do it by feel in the dark and come out looking fine. They're incredibly forgiving. (They also have good customer service. I decided I didn't like the Glimmer stick and they refunded that portion of my purchase, no questions asked.)
posted by HotToddy at 2:06 PM on December 14, 2019 [8 favorites]

Great suggestions already. A few more thoughts.

A cream blusher she can apply with her fingers. She can literally just gently tap the colour into her skin in the desired location and easy to blend.

Also, if holding things like a brush is difficult for her perhaps something like a beauty blender to help with blending things.

A nice, luxurious* moisturiser, especially if she tends towards dry skin, something like Cerave or Vanicream is least likely to be irritating. This would help foundation to blend more easily and make her skin feel nice, too.

* admittedly not in the pretty packaging or fancy fragrances sense but her skin feeling nice should help make her feel feminine
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:21 PM on December 14, 2019 [3 favorites]

Cover Girl makes a cream eyeshadow stick that’s supposed to be a dupe for the Laura Mercier. The color range is nowhere near as broad but they’re very nice and easy to apply. I believe they’re exclusive to Ulta, but you can get them online if you’re not near an Ulta. They’re all in pretty neutral shades, so you don’t have to worry about picking a weird purple or what have you.
posted by holborne at 3:43 PM on December 14, 2019

I'm allergic to most fragrances and a lot of weird things in makeup. I have 100% success with Clinique. I particularly like their chubby eyeshadow sticks mentioned above.
posted by notjustthefish at 4:04 PM on December 14, 2019 [2 favorites]

I'm a grandmother, wearing makeup. Love my magnifying mirror that sticks on the bathroom mirror with suction cups. A lighted magnifying mirror would not go amiss. I have really good tweezers for the crone whiskers.

I'm white. I now wear softer makeup colors because my skin looks fragile and my hair is white, and I don't like the way that looks with dark lipstick, so I recommend really nice lipstick in a color a bit pinker than her natural lip color. I'm wearing a dark purple on my eyes, it's a thick pencil that I use like eyeliner, then smudge. Not sure what brand, but I've been happy with Revlon or other drugstore makeup.

Can you take a couple hours, go to the makeup counter with her and do a makeover? With lunch, that might be an outing she's like.
posted by theora55 at 6:01 PM on December 14, 2019 [4 favorites]

My visually impaired mother also uses Boom sticks and is weirdly obsessed with them. I use them too when she visits and they are actually lovely!
posted by tatiana wishbone at 5:07 AM on December 15, 2019 [1 favorite]

Sephora makes some eyeshadow sticks that are pretty great and not pricey. I prefer the LM ones, having tried them both, but the Sephora ones are not bad at all and have a better range of colors.
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:38 AM on December 16, 2019