5 Makeup Rules For Older Women Melania Trump Isn't Afraid To Break

Melania Trump has had quite the style transformation since her modeling days, from wearing pageant-style attire to now donning chic designer duds, and there's no denying that she brings glamor to her White House wardrobe. The mom of one makes sure to step out looking camera-ready at all times, and although Melania Trump looks gorgeous nearly makeup-free, she always puts a full face on to be out in public.

While Trump switches up her look from time to time, what remains constant is that she tends to wear heavier makeup. As a makeup artist with over 15 years of experience, I would advise against piling on products if you're older, especially if looking younger is your focus, as it tends to enhance wrinkles and settle into fine lines. However, as we all know, Trump loves a good smokey eye, and at 50+, the native Slovenian isn't afraid to break any makeup rules.

Lining your entire eye is one eyeliner mistake that will make you look older, as it tends to close up your features. Some definition is always necessary, but I prefer a winged look for the top lid and slightly smudged liner on the bottom to really open up and lift the eyes. Melania Trump, on the other hand, encircles her whole eyes with dark liner, connecting the inner and outer corners. This technique makes her baby blues stand out even more, and because her eyes naturally angle slightly upward, a wing on the ends isn't completely necessary for a lifted effect.

Instead of a cat eye, Trump relies on eyeshadow to bring her features upward. Since her eyes are on the smaller side, I would like to break up the liner by not bringing it in so close to the inner corners. Or, she could use a lighter color on the bottom lid and refrain from lining her waterline, which is another makeup rule Trump breaks as an older woman. But if it works for her, we're all for it.

Filling in eyebrows is one makeup step I never ignore, as the face just looks incomplete when they're undone. Even the simple step of getting rid of an empty spot or shaping them for more symmetry makes your eyes stand out. Bright and bold brows are going mainstream like never before, but when you're over the age of 40, a softer approach can keep you looking youthful — if that's something you're interested in. As a makeup rule-breaker, Melania Trump doesn't adhere to that caveat, and she loves to block in her brows with a dark pencil.

With Trump's sharp features, strong eyebrows are necessary, or else they would get lost on her face. However, rather than using a pencil, I think a brow powder would work better. She definitely should stick with the dark color, but if the edges were blended slightly, her eyebrows wouldn't look so severe. My favorite option? The Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo, which allows you to go lighter or darker, depending on your mood.

If Melania Trump is known for one thing, it's her love of smokey eyes. The FLOTUS has been rocking the sultry look for as long as folks can remember, and it's rare that she doesn't pile on the dark eyeshadow. Even at daytime events, Trump goes full-on glam with her makeup, which is a style usually reserved for evening affairs. She seems to have no problem breaking that particular rule, however, and is always seen with different variations of the smokey eye.

It looks like Trump likes to keep her shadows on the cool side, often wearing shades of gray and mocha. Since her eyes are hooded, she extends the color past her lids, focusing the pigment on the outer edges to give them a lift. Although older women should keep the eye area light and bright if they're going for a younger effect, smokey eyes suit Trump's almond-shaped peepers. However, a warm caramel brown mixed with gold on the center of her lids would bring out the blue in her eyes and be more suitable for an everyday look.

As we age, the hollows of our cheekbones naturally become more pronounced, so heavy contouring isn't usually necessary. Rather, I like to focus on visually plumping the face by placing bright blush high on the apples of the cheeks and highlighting them with a soft shimmer. Contouring, especially when placed low on the sides of the cheeks like Melania Trump often does, weighs the features down and creates unnecessary shadows that add more years to the face.

Trump has cheekbones that anyone would envy, so it's understandable that she wants to enhance them with bronzer. She doesn't hesitate to use it on the high point of her forehead and tip of her chin, either. Since features can get washed out on the camera, the FLOTUS knows to sharpen them with contour, and it's possible that Melania Trump making some big makeup mistakes over the years led her to pick up some great tips. 

False lashes are perfectly acceptable at any age, whether they're for a special occasion or worn on the daily. When applying them to older faces, I believe the more natural sets are ideal, as they enhance the eyes without overtaking them. Falsies that are too thick and heavy can actually make the eyes look smaller as opposed to open them up for a more youthful effect. However, Melania Trump is the perfect example of breaking this rule, as she often has sky-high lashes.

Trump sometimes trades her full set of falsies for a more natural look, and she has her makeup artist, Nicole Bryl, to thank for her ever-changing lashes. "I would also say I have a gift for customizing individual eyelashes quickly. When I was 22 years old, I landed my first full-time makeup job out of university at a live TV show where every single host and guest requested individual eyelashes," she told Women's Wear Daily in 2017. "Because I needed to be able to apply them quickly yet precisely, I developed this odd skill of being able to get those crazy suckers on fast." With Trump's love of fake lashes, this is one talent that's super useful to have.