When we're young we barely need make-up to look good - but when we get old and need the camouflage more than ever, it sometimes seems impossible to find make-up that's up to the job!

Don't despair, it is possible to find make-up that works for mature skin. It's all about good preparation, choosing the right products, and applying them with subtlety.

For some women, it may also be about breaking long-standing habits and foresaking much-loved products - which can be difficult, I know, but will pay dividends in the long run. So with that in mind, let's start by looking at products you might have in your make-up bag - and which you need to ditch!

For most mature women, powder is - or should be - public enemy #1.

Most of us grew up using powder cosmetics. Those born in the '40s may use pressed powder instead of foundation; later baby boomers were taught to set their liquid foundation with translucent powder; and nearly all of us have used powder blush.

The latest craze for powder mineral foundations has sucked in a few of us, too, with the promise of better skin.

Unfortunately, powder is very unflattering to older skin, for two reasons:

When we're young, our skin has a natural glow. If we have oily skin, that glow can get out of hand - which is where powder has its place. However as we age, the glow diminishes, so now we need to enhance it, not hide it! Powder can give a flat, lifeless look on older skin.

Many older women develop fine downy hair on their face. Powder clings to those hairs and makes them far more obvious, especially in bright light. If you're self-conscious about facial hair, steer clear of face powder - even the new mineral foundations in powder form.

The only powder a mature woman should wear on her face is eyeshadow.

Another recent buzz word, particularly in foundations, is "light reflecting". The advertising is often aimed at mature women, as a way of reclaiming a youthful glow - but in fact it can be the worst thing for lined skin.

Put a light reflecting foundation or highlighter on a wrinkled area, and light will reflect off the peaks but not in the troughs - making your wrinkles even more obvious.

The same applies to foundations or highlighters that are pearlised. Here again, the new mineral foundations aren't all they're cracked up to be, as they often contain mica or other light reflecting ingredients. The combination of powder and light reflection can be an unfortunate double whammy for older faces.

Uneven skin tone is a giveaway sign of ageing. The obvious reaction is to upgrade to a foundation that offers better coverage, to hide the pigmentation. The result may be a more even skin tone - but at a price!

If a foundation promises to cover better or last longer, it's also going to be heavier or at least, stickier. That means it's almost certain to settle into lines more. The same goes for concealers.

If you're trying a foundation or concealer, don't judge by how it looks when you put it on. Many foundations will sit on top of your wrinkles when you first apply them, but they don't stay that way. Wait half an hour, then take a good look at your face in a good light (and, if your eyesight isn't what it was, use a magnifying mirror!).

I tried this recently with an expensive foundation which promised a "dewy, age-defying, long-wearing finish". It looked great at first - but half an hour later, when I looked in the mirror and smiled, I changed my mind - the foundation had settled into my eye wrinkles, so when I smiled I had a map of the Nile delta below each eye!

Once again, mineral powder foundations promise to even out skin tone, but can emphasise wrinkles and facial hair.

Now I've told you what doesn't work, you're probably wondering what's left!

The purpose of make-up is to make us look like we were born beautiful, with glowing skin, ruddy cheeks, moist pink lips, sparkling eyes. The reality is that when we're young, we have many of those qualities already, and all make-up does is highlight our best features and disguise the bad ones. There's a big difference between highlighting what's already there, and creating beauty from scratch, which is what many older women are looking for when their skin starts to lose its lustre.

Frankly, that's unrealistic. It's achievable if you're under flattering studio lights, but not in real life. Make-up can't hide wrinkles, full stop. If you have wrinkles, you probably can't wear a foundation heavy enough to even out skin tone, either. All make-up can do, exactly as it did when you were younger, is highlight your good features so people don't notice the bad.

The ideal is to work on fixing your skin problems, rather than trying to cover them up. There are several non-surgical facelift systems  which really do make a difference. My personal favourite is Omnilux Revive - I now have a monthly salon treatment and can't say enough good things about it.  Good skincare will make a difference, too.

Rather than trying - and failing - to cover up your flaws with make-up, it's best to accept that you can only achieve so much.  You don't want to look like Baby Jane!  Be subtle in your use of make-up - you want people to think your beauty is natural!

• Use primers under make-up - it will help even out skin tone and texture, and keep your make-up fresher longer. Primers are available for the face, lips and eyes.
• Use a light, moisturising foundation - if your skin is good, consider a tinted moisturizer instead, or mix your foundation with a drop of moisturizer for a soft finish.
• Use cream blusher (stick or compact) not powder, for a more dewy look.
• If you use concealer under your eyes, pat it from the inner corner of your eye to the mid-point - if you use it under the outer corner, it will highlight your wrinkles.
• Use a highlighter just under your browbone to open up your eyes - a pale peach shadow over the whole eyelid can work well.
• Use a nude or pale pink eyeliner along the inside edge of your lower lid (like kohl) - instant sparkle!
• Never put mascara on your lower lashes.

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All text copyright Marisa Wright.

Photos courtesy of ooikikioo on Flickr