Although age is just a number, there's no shame in wishing for plump, dewy, and line-free skin. We asked makeup artists, dermatologists, and other experts to share their best tricks and tips for reversing some of the earliest signs of aging—quickly. Here are 10 tips to help you look and feel your best at any age.
1. SELECT LIGHTER LIPSTICK
According to makeup artist Matin Maulawizada, who works with celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, dark shades can be unflattering on mature skin because lips are thin with age. Choose rosy reds or flesh-colored lipsticks to avoid a harsh appearance, and avoid peaches and oranges, which can make teeth appear yellow. Remember that swiping on lipstick without any other makeup can make you look older than if you don't wear any at all.
2. SWEEP BLUSH HIGHLY
Makeup artist Sandy Linter, who works with Elizabeth Hurley, recommends placing your blush brush at the highest point of your cheekbone and applying color in a circular motion for an instant cheek lift. Warm pinks, apricots, and bronzes will create less contrast.
3. USE A PENCIL TO LIFT YOUR EYES
If you've been using liquid eyeliner for years—or even if you don't use eyeliner at all—time it's to switch to a creamy and soft eyeliner pencil. The softer texture of a traditional kohl or gel pencil enlarges the eyes more than liquid liners. To correct droopy lids, use a Q-tip or flat eyeliner brush to blend the liner up at the outer corners.
4. BUY THE RIGHT CONCEALER
Cover-up can be challenging to apply because many formulas sink into crevices, emphasizing every fine line. Try "camouflage," a dryer form of concealer that can take years off your face, to get the most coverage with the least amount of product, says Maulawizada. It contains less oil than a regular concealer, so it doesn't move, and it's better at hiding sunspots. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage ($28) is a good option.
5. FAKE CHEEKBONES
Take out your favorite highlighter, bronzer, and/or contour kit: it's time to define your jawline and achieve the high cheekbones of your dreams. "Highlight the areas you want to draw attention to," Chanel celebrity makeup artist Kara Yoshimoto Bua advises. "Highlighting dry wrinkled areas with a powdery shimmer highlighter will emphasize it, but using a moisturizing balm to increase the feeling of dewy skin look healthy and can bring a youthful healthy glow." When it comes to contouring, Bua says it can help reduce the pouch that sometimes appears near the jawline and lift the cheekbones if you blend correctly and don't apply too much of it.
6. SELECT A MOISTURIZING FOUNDATION
Using too much powder will accentuate fine lines and wrinkles and make skin appear dry. This is why Bua advises against using heavy-duty foundation or thick powder. "Too much thick foundation and powder on dry or wrinkled skin, like a powdery highlight, can make your skin look older," she says. "I would choose a more moisturizing foundation to add a healthy tone and glow while also evening out skin tone without adding a heavy layer."
7. EXPAND YOUR SUNGLASSES
You're probably aware of how harmful the sun can be, so in addition to slathering on sunscreen, protect yourself with fashionable accessories. According to Boston dermatologist Ranella Hirsch, switching from thin-rimmed aviators to oversize frames will provide more protection around your eyes, which wrinkle first. Don't forget your hat: "Buying a five-dollar fedora now will save you $10,000 with me later," Hirsch says. Wearing a scarf can also help to prevent sunspots on the décolleté.
8. GET SOME OLIVE OIL
Extra-virgin olive oil is a gentle moisturizer that contains fatty acids similar to those found in our skin. If you have dry, sensitive skin from using too many harsh faces and eye anti-aging products, Jessica Wu, an L.A.-based cosmetic dermatologist, recommends stopping your skin-care regimen and slathering on a thin layer of unflavored oil at night instead.
9. BABY'S HANDS
Hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, According to New York dermatologist Heidi Waldorf, to keep your hands looking young, apply the same retinoid you use on your face to your hands and add a layer of Vaseline. To keep the treatment in place overnight, wear cotton gloves to bed. Skin appears suppler, and your cuticles will benefit too.
10. TAKE CARE OF YOUR FEET
Dry and cracked feet can ruin any pair of shoes, no matter how sexy (or expensive) they are. Apply a thin layer of over-the-counter salicylic acid and a dollop of Vaseline to areas of your skin that are thick or scaly before going to bed, then put on your socks, advises Waldorf. The combination prevents calluses and blisters for instantly prettier, younger-looking feet, and it washes away in the shower.
11. BOOK AN EYE EXAM
When you can't see well, you squint, compensating for the work your eyes should be doing and deepening frown lines and crow's feet, according to Hirsch. "Ninety percent of the time, when women in their 30s come in for Botox, I refer them to an ophthalmologist because they require a stronger prescription," she adds.
12. REMOVE MAKEUP BEFORE GOING TO BED
Isn't that obvious? But there's more to it than just avoiding clogged pores. According to Wexler, it's critical to cleanse your skin of the environmental pollution you've been exposed to throughout the day and to wash away free radicals to avoid the breakdown of collagen and elastic tissue.
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