Thankfully, I feel we are (slowly) moving past the belief that appearing “beautiful” means trying to look like you’re 21 again. Especially here on SAACA, we realize that women can be gorgeous at EVERY AGE! So today, The Hidden Ways You’re Aging Yourself.
As a heads-up, this is going to be a two-part series, so be sure to check back next week for the second installment!
Now, as we age, we should acknowledge there are things about our appearances that are inevitably going to change – and you get to choose if they are for the better or for the worse! Ha ha! But with those changes, we can use certain techniques and products to help improve the effects of the aging process and age gracefully by caring for ourselves and putting in a little effort.
Since the popularity of my post, 5 Sneaky Ways To Appear More Youthful, took off, I figured maybe it’s time to dive a little deeper into this topic. Even though I’ll be pointing out what things tends to make us look older than we are, I’ll also share how to correct those things and slow down the clock a little!
Let’s dive into the first 5 of 10 ways you could be aging yourself, AND how to reverse them. Maybe implementing a few of these ideas will help you to wow yourself and other people as the years go on!
TL;DR
Jennifer shares common beauty issues that age you, and how to fix them
Jennifer’s product recommendations are shoppable via text links and image widgets
The Hidden Ways You’re Aging Yourself
1. Choosing Too Light or Too Dark Of A Foundation Shade
When your foundation is too light, it gives off a sickly and ashy appearance. On the flip side, if it’s too dark, it can look like a mask plastered on your face. Definitely, both are the opposite of youthful and healthy!
FIX IT: I know finding just the right foundation shade feels almost hopeless, especially if you’re having to buy drugstore foundation with no testers! My solution for that would be to try the Il Makiage Woke Up Like This Foundation, $45. Il Makiage has gotten choosing your closest shade match down to a science with their easy 90 second quiz where they’ll send you your perfect match, and the best part – you have 14 days to test it out at home. And if you don’t like it, you can send it back…for free!!!
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I’ve been so impressed by this service and love the full but weightless coverage, finish, and staying power this amazing foundation has. Worth every penny in my opinion. (I am wearing shade 55, which they picked for me!) Try this Anastasia Beverly Hills Kabuki brush, $24, for applying any foundation and making it look like it’s airbrushed on!
2. Applying Blush TOO Low
We’ve all heard to apply blush on the “apples of the cheeks” right? Well, what happens when you age and your apples start heading south because of the fat pads underneath the skin start to diminish and sag?? This causes the middle parts of our faces to lose structure. So if you apply your blush too low, it draws our eyes downward, thus making our faces look droopier than necessary.
FIX IT: So let’s start applying that blush higher up, about an inch and a half under your eye on the upper part of the cheekbone, closer towards the temples. This will give a subtle, but inviting illusion of a mini facelift!
I simply cannot get enough of the Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double Take Cream + Powder Blushes, $36.
They’re just so pigmented, the powder is silky smooth, and the cream blush blends like a dream – both give you options or you can double them up for mega staying power and impact! (wearing shade “She’s That Girl.”) Make sure you have a small enough blush brush too for applying in such a small area. The Morphe Precision blush brush, $18, is my favorite tool for this!
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3. Not Incorporating Hyaluronic Acid In Your Skincare Routine
If you’re not using hyaluronic acid in your skincare routine, are you even really doing your skincare properly?? Chances are if you’re over the age of 30, you could benefit from using an HA (hyaluronic acid) product.
Why? Because HA, which occurs naturally in the skin, binds to water molecules to plump your skin with hydration and, thus, helps you to achieve a naturally dewy, more plump, and glowy complexion. Which equals a more youthful complexion! It works for oily, combination, to dry skin to help achieve BALANCE, making this a must-have for everyone’s skincare routines.
FIX IT: Start incorporating a hyaluronic acid product into your routine pronto. It could be in the form of a cleanser, serum, moisturizer, or all of the above…just use it! And HOT TIP – use it while your skin is damp for it to work most effectively so you can reap all of the benefits from this hero product. By plumping up your skin, your makeup & foundation will lay so much better by not settling into fine lines and wrinkles.
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I love love the Drunk Elephant B Intensive Hydration Serum, $49. It immediately makes my tight skin feel smooth and plump. And if you are more of a cream/moisturizer gal, definitely give the Glow Recipe Plum Plump cream, $39, a try! This whipped gel cream is a dream to apply and smell! And if you need a hydrating face cleanser, you can’t get much better than the CeraVe Cream to Foam cleanser, $17, that is gentle enough for all!
4. Lifeless Hair
Some will challenge that thinning flat hair can age you faster than face wrinkles! So if your hair is laying very flat to your head, with zero body to it, it’s drawing and weighing your face down, making you appear much older than you are. Ask any hairstylist 🙂
FIX IT: Luckily, there are products and ways to combat thin flat hair. First, is one of my favorite products I’ve used for years now. The R+Co Dallas Thickening Spray, $32. The smell resembles the scent of you just walking out of an expensive salon – I’m not kidding. It’s great for giving you “Texas Hair!” with volume at the roots, control on the ends, and overall gives your locks more body. I spray a good bit on my on towel dried hair and blow dry though. I even use this on my daughter bc her hair is way thinner than mine. She is such a fan and always asks me to let her use it!
Adding a volumizing mousse is also a good idea for extra added youthfulness to your hair. Try the award-winning Kerastase Densifique Volumizing Mousse for thinning hair, $45. Don’t be shy with it, really work it into the roots for max lift.
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5. Not Using Eyeliner
I know one of the biggest complaints I hear from my clients about why they don’t wear eyeliner, is “it’s too hard to apply and I don’t know what to do with it anyway!” But doesn’t everything worth doing, take a wee bit of effort?! When you don’t use it, you aren’t giving your lash line the boost it deserves and your eye beds are left looking like belt loops with no belt!
FIX IT: If you just can’t do the eyeliner pencil thing, try this instead: grab a tiny angled eyeliner brush like mine from BK Beauty, and dip it into a dark eyeshadow shade (feel free to add a bit of water to the brush beforehand for deeper pigment). Start at the outer corners and flick the end up a bit to give a more lifted awake eye look.
Then trace as close to the lash line as possible with short dashes, connecting them together, and head towards the tear duct. Just line the upper lash line and keep the lower one clean with mascara only, for a bright-eyed look! If you like the winged liner look but want to get it without eyeliner, watch my shadow hack on YouTube Short here. My new favorite mascara that has really impressed me is the Tower 28 MakeWaves Volumizing, $20, in case you were looking to try out something new for your lashes.
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More look details
Navy Deep V Tee (on Sale) | Create Your Own Necklaces by Sequin Jewelry | Wearing Buxom Plump Shot lip serum in “Fuchsia You”
Stay tuned for next week’s part two of this series. Let me know in the comments which tip you liked best!
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Great suggestions Jennifer! There is one I would like to add. Sunscreen. I will turn 69 in less than 2 months. I was never a sunworshipper when I was young, back in the day when there really weren’t effective sunscreens and we didn’t know we should wear them every single day. But, I am lucky that I have very little sun damage. My dermatologist, who I see once a year for a skin cancer check, always praises me for having such beautiful, undamaged skin. I have no sun spots on my face or chest. I regularly get mistaken for someone 20 years younger. Sunscreen is the number one weapon against skin aging. I see others my age and younger who look far older than I because of their damaged skin. Obviously, none of us can turn back the clock and undo the sins of our past, but we can certainly use sunscreen today to ward off more damage!
Oh I would 100% agree. That will def be on the next installment of this series 😉 My own mother is 74, and looks 15 years younger than her younger sister who is 8 years younger than her, bc her sister was a sun worshiper! And my aunts skin sadly has aged so quickly. I love a tan, but I fake it with self tanner on my face!
Your advice on eyeliner is spot on! i think that I have purchased every pencil eyeliner on the market and the only one that I would recommend is the Marc Jacobs thin liner pencil, which sadly, has been discontinued! I use a small angled brush from ELF and Mac powder eyeliner. Dipping the brush in water helps the liner stay on all day.
So glad you are already implementing this makeup tip! It makes the eyeliner look so much easier. I should have also included that dipping the eyeshadow and brush into a few squirts of makeup setting spray also works like a dream!
Beautiful nice.
thank you Sally for reading!
Very helpful post. One of the things I struggle with is not putting make up on – but removing it. I wonder if you would consider a post on the topic. I love to wear eyeliner and mascara, but my eyes are very sensitive. I have had several eye surgeries. While I have found some products that work, removing them at the end of the day in a way that does not irritate my eyes has been a challenge. Do you have favorite products or procedures that you follow?
Hello Bridget. you aren’t the first to struggle with the removal process! Even though I don’t have sensitive eyes, I have heard that makeup remover balms work well for this type of sensitivity and also bc they require little scrubbing to get off the makeup. this one by it cosmetics is also opthamologist approved so check it out >> https://bit.ly/45TSagX
Yes! All true. At 69, I find that all these tips work. Now after reading this I WILL do eyeliner because just a thin line makes a huge difference. Simply been too lazy. Will use the angled brush to make sure my pencil liners really get into the lashes (the hardest part for me) and also use the old favorite of wet brush in dark shadow. Really does work. P.S. Just reread your old beauty post – all gems!
fantastic to hear you are back to paying some attention to your lash line with a little bit of liner! It’s the subtle differences that truly elevate a face. thanks for taking time to leave this comment Kathleen 🙂
Thank you for the info and product suggestions. This morning I was applying my makeup and just jot feeling great after I finished. I’m definitely going to incorporate your ideas and see how they work. I definitely have been applying my blush incorrectly.
Tracy, I would love for you to come back here and let me know how you’re feeling after trying out some of these new makeup approaches!