DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’ve noticed that some mature women do not change how they apply makeup as they get older, which makes their maturing features begin to look, well, clownlike.
For instance, their lipstick may be too dark for their skin tone and may be applied beyond the natural vermilion line in an effort to give the lips a fuller appearance, instead looking like the exaggerated mouth of a clown. Ditto for pale eyeshadow applied over the entire lid, which appears even more like clown eyes when a dark (and often uneven) eyeliner is applied.
This makeup scheme is made starker by either the absence of balancing color to the cheeks and eyes, or the inclusion of clownlike rouge patches on each cheek.
Should one make any suggestions as to updating this unflattering makeup? And if so, how?
GENTLE READER: What did clowns ever do to you?
Never mind; Miss Manners is wary of clowns, too. She would never once compare a mature woman to them. Let alone do so four times.
Unless you are a trusted friend who was specifically asked, or a makeup artist, still specifically asked, there is no polite way to tell someone that her makeup is garish. You may, however, give subtle recommendations of products that work for you. (“I just found this makeup crayon in a flattering shade. It works so much better than a pencil, which I find to be too stark.”)
But you better be sure it works for you.
(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, [email protected]; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
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