I also believe strongly in the importance of appreciating your beauty at each stage of life. As the saying goes, “Today is as young as young as you’ll ever be.” So enjoy it! Yet even when you have things in perspective, it’s natural to want to look one’s youngest—why appear older than we feel? Thanks to today’s cosmetic technology we have the tools to bring back what nature has taken away.
Another word to the wise: No matter what the label says, nothing (apart from genetics) plays a bigger role in your beauty as you age than sun exposure. UVA/UVB broad-spectrum protection is the only true cosmetic anti-ager, so before you do anything else, make sure that you’re using sunscreen on the face and body, with a minimum of broad-spectrum SPF 30.
Now for more things you can control, here are my top skincare and makeup tips to help you look your forever best!
Skincare
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Exfoliate at least three times a week with a gentle daily exfoliator. Once a week, step it up a notch with a professional-strength peel that also helps to correct uneven skin and brighten the complexion. Among its many benefits, exfoliation is the number one difference between radiant and dull, tired-looking skin.
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Moisturize AM & PM with products on the face and eyes that contain a high percentage of hyaluronic acid. The most powerful skin-hydrating ingredient, moisture-binding hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in skin but is depleted with age. Luckily, you can apply it via skincare to instantly plump lines, boost skin’s moisture barrier (i.e., keep water in) and enhance your moisturizer’s performance. Treat skin by night with vitamin C or retinol cream to help correct uneven tone and rough texture of sun-damaged skin.
- Retin-eyes! Reduce fine lines and build collagen with retinol eye cream. Retinol has instant enhancing as well as long-term reparative and preventative powers.
Makeup
When it comes to makeup, it’s all about using color and definition to address what is lost or fading and bring it back:
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Brighten the upper lid: Most women focus on concealer when it’s just as important to brighten the upper eyelid for a vibrant, rested look.
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Lashes: Be sure to use a lash enhancing serum each night to support lash growth while you sleep. During the day, apply a gel liner pencil between lashes to get an “invisible liner” look. This is ideal for creating a younger-looking eye because it creates the look of a naturally fuller lash line by going where mascara cannot. Then, use a mascara that adds volume back to the lashes.
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Concealer: When it comes to brightening under the eye, my “Triangle of Light” technique will banish the look of fatigue and add volume to the center of the face. Apply a line-diffusing under-eye brightener in an upside-down triangle under each eye and pat gently into skin until blended.
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Even out skin tone: Use a foundation that’s lightweight and natural-looking but pigmented enough to correct uneven tone. Formulas with treatment benefits are a great way to build skin-beautifying ingredients into your regimen.
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Warm up your complexion: Brighten and enhance your facial structure with bronzer applied in a 3-shape from forehead to temple and cheekbones to jawline. To brighten, apply a pop of blush to the high apples of cheeks.
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Brows: Brow sparseness is a common side effect of age. Use a lash/brow-enhancing serum each night to help fill in sparse or overly plucked brows. During the day, fill in brows with a precise natural-looking pencil.
- On lips: Always start with a primer to anchor color within the lip line. Define with liner that matches your lips, not your lip color. Liner will also resist feathering. For color, use a moisture-enhancing balm lip texture. Don’t use any colors that are too deep, it will make the lips look smaller. Use a bright or natural tone in a sheerer formula.
