There is a day is every woman’s life when we look in the mirror and ask, “Who is that person staring back at me?”. It feels as if almost overnight our skin has lost a youthful luster and those fine lines are a little more pronounced. Here at TME you will find a lot of product reviews, but you will not find a single endorsement that bullshits you into believing that a particular product is going to make you look 20-something again. We believe in the beauty of a woman -- no matter one’s age. And, quite frankly, embracing your older and still-very-beautiful self is empowering!
What we hear at TME, time and again, is a lack of understanding regarding the transition from makeup that looked good on you at 30 to makeup that looks good on you at 40. Digressing for a moment, one can blame a “youth-driven” society for our thoughts about getting older and continuous attempts to chase youth, when in fact society is embracing the beauty of mature women. Case in point is the recent announcement from NARS Cosmetics that the brand has chosen 53-year-old Tilda Swinton as the “face” for its Spring 2015 campaign.
SKIN CARE: Getting back to transitioning your look. It begins with skin care. If you don’t have a solid skincare regimen … get one. If you’re using the same products as you did 10-years-ago … it’s time to update. As we age, our skin slowdowns oil production and cell turnover, especially after menopause. Older skin needs moisture, so looks for products designed to help skin retain it. TME Picks: Face Wash - Burt's Bees Radiance Facial Cleanser with Royal Jelly ($10), Toner – Pixi by Petra Glow Tonic ($29), and Juice Beauty's STEM CELLULAR Moisturizer ($65). Once per week … exfoliate. TME Pick: St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub ($5) or check out “DIY Beauty - 10 Homemade Facial Scrubs” and make your own.
BEAUTY PRODUCTS: Glimmer, Shimmer, and Glitter are NOT your friends.
- Primer and Foundation - It would be lovely if we retained the perfect skin of our youth, but our skin changes at every age, and so too should the level coverage. While full coverage foundation is fine for your 20s and 30s, once your reach 40 plus, opting for a BB cream is a good way to go and incorporating primer is essential for flawless looking skin. Primer makes the “canvas” smoother and helps prevent makeup from “laying in the lines”. TME Picks: jane iredale Smooth Affair Facial Primer & Brightener ($48) and as for BB Creams, they are lighter in weight but still offer great coverage.
- Blush – Again, moisture is key. So powder blush is not the route to go. Instead opt for a tint like Shu Uemura Tint In Gelato ($28). It seems that the older that we get, some insane necessity to overdue the blusher kicks in. The objective is to give your face a kiss of color. A gentle sweep or tiny dab is all that you need.
- Eye Shadow – Natural or shear eye shadow colors in a matte finish will always be an essential in every woman’s makeup collection. Shimmery shadows are fun, but as we age shimmer tends to accentuate fine lines.
- Eyeliner - A simple way to add drama to the eye is eyeliner as it adds depth to the eyes. But for the love of all things, do not line the bottom of your eyes! The object for mature beautynistas is up -- lining the bottom of your eyes “drags” them down and accentuates dark circles! Check out Makeup Mistakes That Make You Look Older.
- Mascara - Lashes can get thinner as we age, but mascara shouldn't be off the table. While you may not be able to achieve long and lush lashes at 50 plus, mascara still enhances your eyes and will make them pop. TME Picks: For thin lashes - Dr. Lili Fan’s Probiotic X Mascara with Lash Booster ($35).
- Lip Color – First and foremost, you need lipliner. Fine lines around our lips are common as we age and liner prevents our lip color from bleeding. TME Pick: Flower Beauty Line & Shine Lip Liner ($6.98). As for color, you do not need to shy away from the bold. The important factor here is again about moisture. TME Pick: Chantecaille Hydra Chic Lip Stick ($35) and Luminous Gloss ($34).
Trendy beauty products like high metallic shadows and neon mascara are fun, but are not beauty products that will become staples in your beauty arsenal. What looks chic and sexy on you at 20 isn’t going to have the same result at 40. With that said, the basic product itself does not change … and that product happens to be your own inner beauty!
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