Beauty in Your 40's

Women in their forties may start feeling the pressure of aging. However, many women in their forties begin to appreciate their individual beauty attributes and cater to themselves. Now is the time to make your peace with what you can not change about your looks and work on improving what you can. By now, you hopefully have learned what colors best compliment your skin tone, what clothing looks best on your figure, and what make-up is necessary to make you feel your best.

Now is not the time to try to follow all of the latest trends. Of course, there is a way for each age group to translate the trends in ways that will work for them. But, the truth is, none of us want to look like mutton dressed up as lamb. You can have a classic look and not be boring - you're not old, but you are a fully grown woman and should look the part. It's not necessary for you to look younger, but you do want to look fresher.

Using the right moisturizer becomes very important at this age (as if it wasn't before, right?). Women who had perfectly normal skin before may start to experience dry patches in places where they did not exist before. In order to combat these dry patches, you can switch your moisturizer from the light lotion you have been using to a heavier cream.

You have to always wear more make-up at this age, but you have to be careful about what make-up you use and how you use it. You may discover some redness on your face and this can be neutralized by wearing a yellow-toned foundation that adequately covers the redness. Just be sure that the foundation you choose looks absolutely natural on your skin - don't pick one so heavy that it appears mask-like.

If you notice that you're looking a little "grayer" than usual, meaning "washed out", find a lovely, brighter blush. You'll be amazed at how far that will go to making your face look fresher and more radiant. Also, adding some color to your eyes, if you've never worn eyeshadow before, will go a long way to making you look more perky.

Here is an easy look to make yourself even more beautiful than you already are!

For a neutrally pretty face:
Make sure your brows are groomed to perfection. (The easiest way to have beautiful brows is to get them waxed or, my favorite brow-care system, threaded, and then, when you see stray hairs sprouting, you can tweeze within the shape created by the professional). Fill in any sparse areas in your brows with an appropriately colored shadow - usually some shade of brown, like taupe or chestnut.

To keep things as easy as possible, use a foundation stick - which is basically a cream-to-powder foundation in a stick form - swipe it on areas that need coverage, like under eye circles or red spots, and blend in gently with your finger. (Make sure you wash your hands before you touch your face.)

Dust your face with translucent powder to cut down on any shine. Using a black or dark brown eyeliner pencil, draw a line as close to your lashes as possible, only on the top lid. Using a soft brown shadow, either powder or cream, apply it all over the lid. Curl your lashes and add one coat of mascara. Apply a soft pink blush to give yourself a pretty flush. Use a neutral lipliner to line lips and fill them in. Add a swipe of clear gloss.

Live life to the fullest, Beautiful!

Perfume-scented hugs and lipstick kisses,

Makeda