I celebrated my 9th 29th birthday last month and, as I approach the number that shall not be named (40, it’s 40, I just hate saying it because, gah, and 17 year old me would have some words for about-to-be-40 year old me right about now), I’ve found a variety of skin things I have issues with.
Not Dude-Botox-on-my-face-NOW issues, just concerns that I’m not super in love with.
I feel pretty fortunate in that I have a relatively young appearance. I don’t think I look like a lady who has been on the planet for nearly 4 decades, and I still get carded at the bar (always a good sign), but that doesn’t mean I don’t work hard to keep up this facade of youth and vibrancy.
In no way is my makeup/skincare routine a highly developed, scientific process that ensures I will keep looking all youngified for years to come. I just know that, as I’ve aged, I have begun to be more intentional about what I do for and to my face and less I-guess-I-will-wash-tonight-since-I-sweated-earlier like I used to be.
Growing up and even into my teen years, the only real skin care I did was sunscreen. When it came to makeup, I was largely in the mascara-makes-you-fancy camp and reserved anything beyond that and shiny gloss for special occasions. Like prom. And meeting boys at the mall.
Now I have a daily product lineup (foundation, blush, mascara, lip tint, smile) that I feel naked and elderly without. It only takes me 5 minutes to apply and it makes me feel like I care. Even though YouTube clearly doesn’t care about which screen grab it uses on your videos…
Here are some tips to help all of you feel that way too (while also looking less washed up 80s rock star in the process).
How to Look Younger: Beauty Tips for Oldish Chicks
1. Stay out of the sun. Real talk y’all, you will look like a piece of beef jerky before you know it and as tasty as beef jerky is, no one wants that to be their face. Pale you is better than wrinkly, old, burnt to an actual crisp you.
2. Go hard on the sunscreen. Like don’t play games. Put that junk on under your makeup. Wear it when you’re not wearing makeup. Slather it on throughout the day if you’re going to insist on laying out. I even like to use a tinted moisturizer with SPF when it’s too hot for real makeup
3. Go light on the make up. When I see those chicks with it caked on the first thing I get is suspicious. Like, dude, what are you hiding under all of that? A monster?
4. Try not to draw anything on. Eyebrows, bigger lips, that fake mole you’ve been rocking since like ‘83. If it doesn’t exist, you probably don’t need it. Unless it’s eyelashes, get falsies, they change lives.
5. Pick a lighter lipstick. That magenta joint you discovered in the 90s needs to be retired, otherwise you are going to look a little like you should be too. Go for a lighter, more neutral shade. Also, not Barbie car pink. That’s not hot.
6. Do something about your facial hair. It’s cool, we get it, you get older and your body is all a beard sounds fun, let’s try that. Only not fun. NOT. FUN. There are so many easy, affordable, safe hair removal options for women out there that there is no reason you have to rock a full goatee.
7. When I say facial hair, let’s throw eye lashes in there too. I don’t know what the heck happened to them, but mine have basically disintegrated. Not that they were ever amazing, but jeez, I have maybe 12 total between both eyes. I wear my favorite mascara and use my curler consistently.
8. Rub some sparkle on it. A little shimmery shine never hurt anybody. Unless you use too much and then it hurts, a lot.
9. Turn down for what. For everything if I’m honest. Makeup trends used to be so intense. Black liner, bold shadow, dark brows, blue lipstick; everything was always so turned up. You can still get away with that if you’re young and perky and hitting some runway somewhere with your collar bones exposed, but on us more mature, less starving ladies who are NOT Nikki Minaj, it just looks like we are trying too hard.
10. Smile. Nothing makes a person look older and more jaded by a lifetime in the world than a frowny face.
If you need some product ideas, check out this round up of recommendations for the best beauty products for women, by women.