Scrolling through Instagram, I was targeted by a sponsored ad that recommended eye-liner pencils for mature eyes.

And I, like the highly impressionable social media victim I am, said “Oooh, that looks good” and briefly contemplated buying one, even though the creative values of the ad were atrocious and the clunky voiceover was almost unlistenable.

Someone had added a comment underneath which said, huffily: “Why are you recommending it for older eyes, they’re just eyes.”

Ah, no my friend. This comment tells me you are young. Any woman will tell you that once you turn 50, most of your carefully applied makeup will disappear into a black hole a couple of hours after you put it on.

Black eyeliner drawn across the top lids will become a grey smear underneath your eye. Eyeshadow, gone, who knows where. Lipstick will no longer be on your lips, it more likely bled into the vertical lines around your mouth.

A big, red-faced mistake

That youthful stroke of blush, gone. Probably just moved closer to your nose, so you look like you have rosacea.

I decided I did need some new makeup, but going shopping on the cosmetic floor at David Jones was going to be a much more pleasurable experience than obtaining it online. And I learned that the trick is waterproof eyeliner.

I have avoided waterproof makeup most of my life because I didn’t like all the extra trouble and product, and the extra rubbing of the eyes it took to remove it, but now, it’s not negotiable.

After a long discussion with an extremely helpful sales assistant at the Dior counter, I have a few more makeup hacks for 50-plus to share.

1. Forget liquid eyeliner, it so hard to get a perfect line. A soft ,waterproof eyeliner pencil is your best friend. Draw a line close to the top lashes, and importantly, under the top lashes. This will fill in any gaps and stop the line looking uneven or patchy, and really opens the eye up.
2. Neutral powder eyeshadows, layered, should stay on longer. Apply a light taupe or brown across the lid, a dark brown in the eye crease, a charcoal near the top lashes, Blend ,blend, blend. Then apply again. Avoid cream or liquid formulations, and also anything sparkly, as this accentuates wrinkles.
3. Less is more when it comes to foundation, and it is better to choose a shade slightly warmer than your natural skin tone, as it gives a more healthy glow. Don’t use it straight from the bottle – put a squirt in the palm of your hand and mix in a couple of drops of your favourite face serum before you apply. The effect will be more dewy and sheer.
4. Have your eyebrows professionally dyed. As we age, we need to hold on to eyebrows we have left and in my experience salon technicians manage to really enhance every tiny eyebrow.
5. Double blush. Use a crème blush first, then follow with powder. The powder will cling to the crème pigment which should hold the colour a lot longer.
6. A waterproof 24-hour lipstick is the best choice, applied  straight from the tube or wand but then blotted, reapplied, blotted. You don’t want any hard lines, just rather a rosy-all-over stain with slightly blurred edges. Then use a tinted lip balm throughout the day for extra moisture.

Voila, flattering makeup for the ages! Or a good 24 hours at least.