Little ways to start taking years off your appearance
Forget breaking the bank on expensive (and risky!) in-office procedures or super goopy anti-aging creams that aren’t guaranteed to work. The key to taking years off your look, while still looking like yourself, could be as simple as opening up your makeup bag. Unleash the powers of your favorite cosmetics with these easy anti-aging makeup tweaks.
LIP LINER
If you’re well into the aging process, you may have already noticed your lips looking a little deflated. Without the extra (good) fat around the lip area, you’ll begin to lose that definitive lip line and—much like your older relatives—may notice your lipstick starting to bleed. Fake a plumper pout and keep your favorite shades where they belong by lining your lip with a clear lip liner. That way, you can use your new product with any color, and you won’t end up with a clownish lip line when your all-over lip color starts to fade.
OPEN UP EYES
They say your eyes are the window to your soul—but they’re also the window to your age, thanks to super delicate skin that’s more prone to wrinkling and sagging more than any other part of your face. But here’s a trick even novices can master: get religious with the eyelash curler. That little device collecting dust in your makeup drawer curls the eyelashes up and away, making your eyes look wider, more open, and more awake—all key ingredients in the younger-looking-eye recipe. Be sure to curl your lashes before you apply mascara; otherwise, the rubber pad could get stuck to your eyelash and pull it out. Ouch!
START SPONGING
Cakey, opaque foundation might be the most telltale sign of aging skin. But if you want the most even, natural-looking result with the best anti-aging coverage, give your fingers a break and opt for a makeup sponge. Applying foundation in a stippling motion with an egg-shaped or wedge sponge will allow you to get just the right amount of product into every nook and cranny without buildup. Better yet, slightly dampen that sponge for a more sheer, dewy finish that will naturally thin out any clumps.
ACCENTUATE BONE STRUCTURE
Remember the losing-fat-as-you-age thing? That applies to your cheeks, as well. Fight it with this sexy sculpting blush and highlighter trick: Without smiling, find the highest part of your cheekbone and rub a peachy, slightly shimmery blush (cream or powder) along the bone, working outward. Then, using a pearly highlighting cream or shadow, lightly blend in a ‘C’ shape along your brow bone and around your eye. Use what’s left over on your finger to run along your jawline and down the middle of your nose.
PRIME YOUR EYELIDS
Years of pulling and prodding at your eyelids may have left them a little crepe-like. Before you apply eye shadow, lay down a thin layer of skin-colored shadow or lid primer. Instead of eye shadow that creeps into every tiny crevice, a lightweight primer will sit on top of the skin, giving you an airbrushed-like look of creaseless, wide-open eyes.
BULK UP THOSE BROWS
If your eyebrows are looking thinner and sparser by the year, you can chalk it up to an age-related dip in hormones that’s also probably affecting your eyelashes and the hair on your head, too. The good news: you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how a few flicks of an eyebrow pencil or gel can transform your entire face! Grab a soft eyebrow pencil that’s one shade lighter than your actual hair color (blondes, go one shade darker) for the most natural look. Hold the pencil at a 45-degree angle and make little soft strokes in the same direction your natural hair is growing to fill in bare spots. Top the whole thing off with a lightly tinted brow gel for a two-minute transformation you will love.