Makeup is about subtlety and illusion. It enhances your assets and downplays your debits. It’s a magic wand for creating a look you love. But the real trick is to do all this while looking like you’re NOT wearing makeup. So here are some subtle but quick makeup tricks that can instantly take 10 years off your age.

Keep the prize on your eyes

When it comes to your eyes, nothing ages you more than thick black eyeliner, heavily clumped mascara, too-bright eye shadow and dark eyeliner inside your lower lid.

As the saying goes, eyes are the windows to the soul so you want your eyes to give others the most positive peek into who you are. To start, women over the age of 35 should use a neutral eye palette to minimize wrinkles and less-taut skin. Consider using a thin brown or gray eye liner, mascara in a soft brown or black and a soft sweep of powder shadow in beige, brown, khaki or gray to replace the Crayon-colored eye shadows of the ’70s and ’80s.

• Before you begin, prep your eyelids with a creamy eye primer to smooth out the surface, camouflage any skin discolorations and help set the eye shadow color you’re about to apply.

• Instead of applying three different eye shadows as was once de rigeuer, try two powder eye shadows in a neutral palette and blend them, with the darker shade in the crease. Avoid cream shadows that may sink into the eye crease.

• Every skin tone looks good wearing a brown eye shadow, so find the shade that works best for you. If you have blue eyes, use a taupe color. Green? You’ll want a shadow with khaki undertones. And brown eyes look great in smoky darker hues.

• Next comes eyeliner. Starting at the outer lid and working toward your nose, draw a thin line on your top lid close to the lash line, then blend with a small brush or sponge. My eyeliner even comes with a small sponge on one end for that very purpose.

• If you must line your lower lid, avoid placing liner inside the lid or you’ll not only look older, you’ll look like a raccoon. It also makes your eyes look smaller. Instead, draw a thin line from the outer corner of your lower lid half way across the lid, then smudge it to look natural.

 Lip synching 

Angelina Jolie has been described by men and women alike as one of the most beautiful women in the world, notably for her perfect pout. To make sure your lips are as flattering as they are kissable, try these easy tips:

• Nothing ages you more quickly than dark lipstick–it emphasizes dark circles, puffy eyes and thin lips. Also passé is “bleeding” lipstick lines above your lip and lip liner that’s darker than your lipstick. How to avoid? Utilize the power of pink. No matter your skin tone, everyone looks prettier in pink. It gives your mouth a luminous glow that compensates for the loss of the glow in your skin.

• But just which shade do you choose? Opt for a pink version that’s one or two shades lighter than your actual lip color. Look for a creamy style rather than a lip stain or a matte finish version. The latter two don’t reflect light, so they may age you.

 Before applying lipstick, prep it with exfoliating stick, then moisturize. It will not only make your lips smooth but it helps set the color. If you have lip lines where your lipstick might “bleed” up, dab concealer where the lines are. These will prevent bleeding.

• If you must use lip liner, make certain it’s the same color as your lipstick, not lighter, not darker. You want to create the illusion that your lips are perfect as they are.

• Once you apply color, add gloss. It catches the light and gives you a more youthful look.

Getting cheeky 

Nothing gives a woman of any age a rosy glow and a more youthful appearance than blush. But you want to choose the right shade for your skin tone and not use too little or too much

• To add a rosy glow, dust a mineral powder blush on the apples of your cheeks. If you want to create the illusion of high cheekbones, suck in your cheeks and apply bronzer where the indentations are. For a dewy look, top the apples of your cheeks with a light-catching mineral highlighter.

 Ready, set, go 

There you go! By waking up your makeup, you’re ready to take on the world as a woman who looks and feels 10 years younger–not to mention 10 years better.