When Janice Hick turned 50, she figured it was time to "tone down" her makeup. She began using more neutrals and tossed the vibrant red and pink lipsticks. But something was amiss.

"I was not happy with the look," she said. "It was way too dull for me."

So Hick, a Gilbert resident, got a makeover at Sincerely Sandra, an image development and modeling agency in Chandler. She's now 55 and uses cosmetics that liven her features without causing her to look too made-up. As women enter their 40's and 50's, their skin changes, which means they need to re-evaluate their makeup kit. But many women make the same mistake as Hick.

"A lot of times, people will go into a department store and they'll give you soft, dusty colors" said Sandra Saoud, owner of SincerelySandra. That won't work for women with stronger features or darker coloring. Instead, Saoud recommended that Hick lighten up just one shade on her colors, going from a deep smoke and dark violet on the eyes to a lighter gray and lavender, and from a nearly fluorescent fuchsia on the lips to a bright rose.

Boomers also make a lot of other makeup errors. Darla Van Norman, a Mesa makeup artist, said women older than 40 often wear heavier foundation to cover dark spots and wrinkles, but this is a no-no. "Some women, their skin gets thinner," she said, "so heavy foundation looks heavier."

She suggests using a lighter foundation and cutting it with moisturizer so it spreads more thinly. Above all, keep in mind that makeup should look natural. It shouldn't be a big production.

"People come in and say they're spending half an hour to do their makeup and I say 'What?'" Saoud said. "It should take five to seven minutes."