How to do make-up for a special occasion, without looking overdone

So you have your new hat for a wedding. Or a fascinator for Ascot. Or a glam gown for a black tie do. You've thought about shoes, of course. Bag, naturally. Sartorially you're sorted. But have you planned your make-up? If not, you're missing a trick or three.
According to Zara Findlay, senior pro artist for Bobbi Brown, while special occasions aren't the time to go off at a complete cosmetics tangent, it pays to make sure your make-up syncs with your special outfit, lasts the distance and boosts your confidence.
Here's how to elevate event make-up at every age. We trialled getting occasion make-up right whatever your age with The Telegraph team.
In your 20s, play with colour
– As shown by Sophie Tobin, acting style editor
Rather than merely dipping your toe in trends, this is the age to dive right in. Sophie loves a bold lip with pared back eyes, a look worn at this year's Chanel spring-summer haute couture show. When you give equal dramatic billing to both eyes and lips, they can fight for attention and ironically, impact can be lost, whereas treating just lips to a pop of colour really makes a statement.
If you're shopping for a new shade, Findlay has a great strategy. 'Select five colours (max) that you're drawn to and apply to individual fingertips. Then, in the mirror, offer up each one to your lips. This makes comparisons super-easy, helping you spot which one chimes with your skin tone.' In Sophie's case, this was a bluey-red as she has a cool skin tone, whereas orangey reds suit warmer complexions.
For longevity, Findlay prepped lips with balm, patting off excess then lightly dusting with setting powder before lining with Bobbi Brown Lip Pencil, £27, and filling in with lipstick. To soften and create contrast to the crisply lined lips, she kept Sophie's brows fluffy and added a flush of blush. 'I loved the look and I'm now inspired to go even more minimal on eyes,' says Sophie.
In your 30s, be the best version of you
– As shown by Sonia Haria, beauty director
'When you're in your 30s, you've usually figured out what suits you and you won't want to drift too far from what makes you feel confident,' Findlay analyses. 'The secret now is to take time to prep and perfect the skin, as well as amplify the feature you most like to define.'
With Sonia, Chloe Zanotti from the Bobbi Brown team, meticulously applied foundation with a brush, building thin layers to create a smooth canvas. If you load too much on in one go, the result will be heavy-handed. Finally, to finesse foundation and concealer, pat it in with fingertips – tapping also subtly removes excess without wiping carefully applied base away.
To dramatise Sonia's eyes, there was no need for obvious winged eyeliner. Instead, Zanotti created a feline look by framing the eyes using Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner (£27.50). 'I love that in the picture I don't look hugely different to my normal self, I just have the best version of my skin,' said Sonia. 'Spending time on getting your complexion right is key to any good make-up result, particularly for a special occasion – you don't need trowel it on just because you're going somewhere fancy. There's magic in the basics done really, really well.'
In your 40s, try going tonal
– As shown by Tamara Abraham, acting deputy fashion director
TikTok's 'one lipstick full-face' trend has been a big hit. The idea is you use just one colour in multiple ways. A sophisticated version is tonal make-up, where a singular shade is used for blush, lips and eyes. As make-up in your 40s is not about full coverage or strong contouring but rather about pulling your whole look together, the tonal technique achieves this effortlessly – all you need is a final slick of mascara.
Zanotti used Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge Velvet Matte, £32, on our model Tamara, applying it with a brush to the lips before sweeping it over cheeks, then introducing it into the crease of the eyes – you can add a little shimmer on the lids. She chose a colour to match the pink outfit, but you could also select a shade that simply enhances your skin tone, for instance a bronzy shade looks great with black or white outfits. 'Tonal make-up felt glowy and youthful,' said Tamara. 'Definitely a look I want to recreate for my next special occasion.'
In your 50s, reinvent the smoky eye
– As shown by Annabel Jones, beauty editor at large
Many women who were a dab hand at the smoky eye in their youth (when it was always a go-to look) find that as they mature, they either avoid it, thinking it too young for them, or they repeat it but in the same old black shade and it looks too harsh. However, Nicole Kidman rocked smoky eyes at the recent Met Gala and showed how brown works much better when you're in your 50s.
'Remember, it's a technique not a colour,' says Findlay, who added that rich chocolate works great with brown eyes, bronzy coppers with blue, and an ambery brown for green eyes. As she worked on Annabel, she explained it's very easy to achieve a 'sunset' effect using soft brown on the lid and into the crease. Then, rather than grapple with traditional eyeliner, you simply work darker brown shadow right into lash line, before buffing it, a technique at Bobbi Brown that's called tightlining. 'For a pro finish, always buff out using a clean brush,' she adds.
'As I've got older I've stopped doing a smoky eye,' says Annabel, 'partly because it feels too much like hard work and partly because I'd assumed I had to use black which feels too heavy for me at this stage of life. I now realise by switching to brown, I can wear a bolder eye without looking dark and moody, especially as the soft pink lips and cheeks felt summery and youthful.'
In your 60s and beyond, switch shades and textures
– As show on Jan Masters, beauty writer
I was the model for the 60+ age group and wanted to learn how to use colour without emphasising lines. I also wanted to find the right make-up to wear with a hat. 'In your 60s, finding flattering textures is crucial,' said Findlay, who advised me to use more cream-based products for their soft, cushiony feel. However, she explained powder still has a place when used subtly, for instance, only on the T-zone. You can even use a little cream over powder for dewy effects. Findlay showed me how to sweep powder bronzer through my cheeks to bring out facial contours, then add a touch of cream blusher on top, using a brush to lightly tap and stipple it on.
I tend to shy away from bright lipstick but Findlay was keen to show me that a bold splash of lip colour creates focus, especially if I'm going to be wearing a hat or fascinator. She chose a raspberry shade but didn't want to scare me so patted it down to mute it a little, then added gloss over the top, maintaining the essence of brightness.
Another surprise was that she brought out some sparkle in the shape of Bobbi Brown Luxe Eye Shadow in Moonstone, £32, 'One of the biggest myths about make-up for mature skins is that you should avoid sparkle. While it's true that icy shimmers accentuate lines and dryness, clear sparkle will reflect light,' said Findlay, who used it just above the crease of my eye.
It took me a while to get used to the bright lipstick but I could see how it would create balance if you're wearing a posh hat. It also made my smile look brighter.

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