The Best Eyeliner Colors To Wear If You're Over 40

As beauty trends evolve, so does our skin, meaning not every fad translates well for women over 40 and beyond. Trends come and go, but our skin continues to age. With eyeliner, keeping up with colors, formulations, and brands is one thing, but knowing which shades suit you best is key to refining your look so that it aligns with the current times. Best of all, informed makeup practices will yield a more youthful appearance.

The last thing you want is to be stuck in a dated routine simply because it's familiar, resulting in a look that feels boring or passé. For women over 40, black eyeliner has long been the go-to. It's classic and effective, but is it always the most flattering choice? According to hair and makeup artist Luna Viola, who spoke exclusively to Women.com, it may be worth taking the time to explore different color palettes, as they can deliver some surprisingly soft and youthful effects.

While embracing the natural changes that come with aging skin, thoughtful makeup choices can enhance your overall appearance. So, rather than relying on eyeliner habits that no longer flatter, or risk making mascara mistakes that could make you look older, consider subtle tweaks to your routine that could make a noticeable difference – ultimately softening features, enhancing definition, and refining the eyes for a more polished, modern look.

Makeup artist Luna Viola told Women.com exclusively about the surprising effects different shades of eyeliner can achieve. "Eyeliner color can significantly impact the overall makeup look by defining and enhancing the shape of the eyes. Different colors can either intensify the natural eye color or create contrast that makes the eyes stand out more," Viola said. "For people over 40, this is especially important, as softer shades can lift and brighten the eyes." Also, keep in mind, a well-suited eyeliner shade is just one of many effective eye makeup tips for enhancing the beauty of mature skin.

For a more flattering effect, skip ultra-black eyeliner — which many women over 40 rely on — and take a softer approach. "Generally, for people over 40, softer, more muted versions of colors tend to be the most flattering," Viola said, adding that classic shades like brown and soft black always work well, but deeper tones like midnight blue, forest green, or dark purple "can also be very flattering when they're more subdued."

Choosing the right kind of eyeliner can also go a long way in achieving better results. "Pencil eyeliners tend to create a much softer, more blended effect compared to gel or liquid liners, which are usually more defined and graphic," Viola noted. "These define the eyes without drawing too much attention to fine lines, helping the overall look appear more lifted, sophisticated, and polished."

Applying eyeliner is a multi-layered beauty process — and there's a lot you need to know about applying eyeliner to older eyes. Typically, it involves lining the upper and lower lash lines, the inner waterline, and the outer corners. More advanced techniques include creating a winged/cat eye look, subtly smudging above the upper lashes and below the lower lashes, and tightlining the lash line, which involves lining the base of the lash line while filling in the gaps between lashes.

That said, no single eyeliner will meet all these steps in a makeup routine. To achieve different effects, for example, there are brightening waterline pencils (for brighter, more wide-awake eyes), liner + smudger combos (for a smoky-eye effect), and traditional pencil liners (for defined eyes). Once you've established which eyeliners will best execute the desired effects, color becomes the final defining step. "Generally, people over 40 may want to be cautious with very harsh or overly bright tones," Viola advised. "Shades that are too warm or red-based can sometimes clash with mature skin tones, and very cool metallics like strong silver can appear too stark if used all over the eye."

However, the beauty expert said there's room for experimental color, "These types of colors can work better as subtle accents, like a small highlight or as a detail at the outer corner rather than as a full eyeliner look." Her eyeliner recommendations include L'Oréal Paris Haute Couleur Kohl Eyeliner Pencil (try 130 Blue Suede), MAC Cosmetics Eye Kohl Matte Eye Pencil (try Teddy Brown), and Victoria Beckham Beauty eye makeup collection. Viola's guiding principle remains consistent: "Overall, softer, well-balanced shades that complement both the skin tone and eye color tend to be the most flattering choice."