Women over 40 are no longer fighting aging but now embracing this new stage in our lives. The 40’s once known as “dreaded” now more commonly praised as the fabulous 40’s. And as we enter our 40’s we start noticing three things about ourselves; Our growing intolerance for bullshit, the need for a more comfortable yet stylish footwear and the ever-changing needs of our maturing skin.
But what makes our 40’s different from our mother’s counterpart, is we are now realizing that aging is natural. Women want to look the best we can at the age that we are. For example, you don’t want to look like an “overdone” 49-year old. Yes, we all know her, the poor woman who has been convinced to do “just one more procedure.” No, we want people to look at us and say, “she looks amazing at 49.”
We are also figuring out that prevention is the key to aging fabulously. This being said, prevention is not always an easy feat after years of abuse and hormonal imbalances we struggle with now. Our 40’s complexion can one day be compared to a teen fighting acne, and the next we are slathering on moisturizer because our it feels like the Sahara void of all moisture. All the while, resisting the urge to dip into your kids’ college funds for lotions and potions promising to reverse the years of damage done from baby oil and iodine in the 80’s halting the formation of crows feet, jowls and other ghastly things with adjectives, that I’m sure a man monikered, because who else would be so utterly negative and brash to use such ridiculous words like …jowls, furrows, and crows feet,
Because of this widespread problem so many of us women in our 40’s face, not knowing which lotions and potions, do-dads, and gadgets to purchase, I a self-proclaimed “facial preservationist” who vows to age fabulously have come up with 10 simple and affordable beauty items every woman over 40 must own!
CC Cream
Throw those powder foundations from your 30’s away. The powder will set in your fine lines and creases and age your beautiful 40 something face. Find a good CC or creme foundation. CC Creams are known for their multitasking abilities. They contain an SPF and serum. I personally find them magical and I don’t know what I ever did without them. Most day’s I wear my CC Cream and nothing else because it just evens my complexion out. My personal favorite for years has been “It Cosmetics” CC Cream. When I wear it people stop me in the store to compliment my skin.
Creme Blush
Creme Blush is versatile. I prefer a chubby creme stick to a pot because I love a good multitasker. When blush is in a stick form you can use as a touch of color to your lip also. After you apply your cc, just dab a few dots on your apples and blend with a sponge blender. You will immediately glow dahling…The Nars Multiple Stick is the bee’s knees! It doubles as a lip, cheek wherever you need a little rosie pick-me up!
Shimmer Pencil
I learned this trick from youtube tutorial of course. And what did we ever do before tutorials?! My entire high school experience would have been different, enough said. Dab a dot on your tear duct (not in) and on your inner lid for an immediate awake look, you can thank YouTube and me later 😉 I am using the Becca Highlighting pencil, but It has been discontinued, such is life. I found a budget-friendly alternative coming in at only $14 from Sephora!
Highlighter
A Funny story my 17-year-old daughter tried to teach me how to “strobe” with her highlighter stick. Honey sit down, mama has been highlighting for thirty plus years. I dab a few dots on my cheekbones, tip of the nose, cupid’s bow, chin and brow bones for an immediate glow all year around. My all-time favorite highlighter is Clinique’s Chubby Stick
Black Mascara
YES, black all the time, and the blacker the better. *Mascara hack- dust your lashes with setting powder first and the mascara will set thicker. If you leave the house with just one thing let it be mascara always. A budget-friendly fav of mine is always Loreal’s Lash Paradise, at around $6 it never disappoints even the pickiest beauty blogger. And a luxury cult favorite for years is DiorShow, many have come since, but I always seem to go back to it.
Rose Lip Color
“I used to have lips” I caught my self-staring in the mirror uttering the other day. Where do they go as you get older? They must have run off with the single socks from the dryer…So invest in a good long wearing and moisturizing rose that is one tone darker than your own lip. I use and love the Neutrogena Moisturizing Lip pencils they last forever and don’t dry out your pout!
Brow Pencil/Mascara
Brows frame our face and can make or break you. If they are too heavy that’s all you see on someone and if they are too light, well you end up looking like powder. And as we get older the brows to go to the same place that the lips go, I think. They thin out and never come back. If you don’t want to invest in micro-blading or if your chicken like me, just go pick up a good brown brow mascara with fibers to thicken and do not over pluck, those babies will not grow back one day trust me. A good pocket-friendly option is the Loreal Brow Stylist it thickens without being too cakey, I wear this daily!
Moisturizer
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize! If you remember one thing from me and all of my “wannabe wisdom” let that be it, ladies! Even if you have bipolar skin like me with an oily, breakout prone T-zone you still want to moisturize, just maybe with a lighter alternative like a serum or oil-free moisturizer. This Olay Regenerist Face Serum contains collagen for plumping action and at only $16 is a steal!
Hydrating Face Masks
Facemasks are great once a week thirst quencher for your skin. I make it a routine so I don’t forget, every Sunday I can be found making “Big Sunday Breakfast” with a sheet mask on. My preference is a facemask that contains hydrogel, it’s similar to a silicone-like feeling and helps the mask contents absorb that much better. Afterward, my skin feels like a babies tush. I often find Lux closeout brand facemasks at Marshalls and TJMaxx for $2-3 versus $7-8. Here is a budget-friendly containing a double bonus hydraulic acid, stem cells, PLUS hydrogel!
Acids, Peels, Retinoids OH MY!
Were baby oil, Iodine, and sun your best friend in the 80’s and 90’s like me? Don’t fret, there are so many great OTC products out there these days, You can reverse a lot of the minor sun damage and discolorations at home with glycolic and lactic acids as well as retinoids. They work by promoting cell turnover and the creation of new collagen aka new skin turnover. But tread lightly, you can do damage if not careful and cause scarring. Consult a dermatologist and always wear an SPF when using any sort of peels or acids in your skin routine. Start gently with an OTC containing glycolic for a gentle slow peel at first like these Bright Reveal peel pads by Loreal.
No more damage!
Hats and spf! To avoid any further damage and skin discoloration always use an SPF in your routine. Pick a facial SPF over 30. Never leave home without it, and not only on your face but your neck shoulders, decollete, and hands. Our face isn’t the only part of us that has to age fabulously! Further damage prevention is so important, we are trying to correct our bad deeds from our silly reckless days, rebuild collagen, so it is especially important we don’t add any further work for our bodies or our dermatologists to deal with. Also, very if not the most important get checked yearly for skin cancer my sister friends, in 2018 there will be almost 200,000 new cases of skin cancer diagnosed in the United States alone. Here is your’s truly this year on vaca in my favorite hat. I still do love the sun but I am smarter about it!
Aging Fabulously doesn’t have to be painful or expensive mama’s! Do you have any favorite products or tips? I would love to hear from you! Drop me a note in comments!
