how to fix cakey makeup

By the time you reach your 30s, you generally know what works for you and what doesn't when it comes to wearing makeup — but it's easy to get stuck in a rut. Lilit Caradanian, makeup pro and founder of Elcie Cosmetics, has tips on how to keep your makeup looking fresh and modern through this decade.

Here are four habits to avoid.

1. Wearing shimmery finishes

Call the shimmer police! There are so many pretty products on the shelf that glimmer and glow, tempting you to buy and try them — but loading up on them can be a mistake. Too much shimmer is notorious for creeping into fine lines, making areas of your face appear more wrinkled and your pores larger.

Instead ...

Stick with matte eye shadows, highlighters and blush — or opt for mineral formulations for a soft glow. Anything with a gentle sheen is OK, but how does one tell the difference between shimmer and sheen? "Shimmer has glittery sparkles in it, while a sheen has very subtle mica that glows without sparkling," explains Caradanian. The goal is to look lit from within by candlelight, and not twinkling like a disco ball.

2. Overdoing your eye makeup

If you're loading on the mascara in multiple coats and/or using several eye shadow shades and heavy strokes of eyeliner, the effect can look very aging, says Caradanian. Since the eye area contains the thinnest skin and amount of fine lines on the face, it's easy to overwhelm this delicate area with too much makeup.

Instead ...

Simplify. Universally flattering colors include matte earth tones like bone, champagne pink, beige, taupe, bronze and chocolates. Choose one or two eye shadows to use at most, lightly define your eyes with eyeliner if you prefer, and finish with one coat of mascara wiggled slowly from lash root to tip. While you can certainly experiment with fun colors if you want to, be aware that cool bright tones like blue and green often look like too much on the eyes, says Caradanian.

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3. Spackling on concealer

We get it: Late nights, stressed lifestyles and never quite enough sleep can bring on the dark under-eye circles like whoa. However, piling on a thick concealer formula will end up creasing into fine lines in no time, and will make the eye area look older by drawing attention to it. Heavy pancake can also look obvious and unnatural, says Caradanian.

Instead ...

Stick to lightweight, liquid concealers like Urban Decay Naked Skin that utilize light-diffusing particles to help do the hard work of reflecting darkness. If your circles are very dark and you need a miracle, Caradanian suggests blending a bit of peach corrector onto the undereyes first to help counteract the blue hue, and then layering concealer on top.

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4. Using more foundation than necessary

Once you get into the routine of applying cover-up, it's easy to inadvertently apply too much. Most women at this age use much more coverage than they actually need says Caradanian, which ends up emphasizing your skin texture so that the look of makeup (especially in natural light) is super obvious.

Instead ...

Ideally, skin should breathe through any type of base that you apply. Even if you want fuller coverage on a given day to perhaps conceal redness or discoloration, it's always better to work in thin layers to it build up believably, as opposed to applying a thick spackling all at once. Try Elcie Cosmetics Micro Silque Foundation as a matte option that offers high definition coverage in an easily buildable formula.