shhhhh…
the real secrets!
Less is more, less is more, let’s all sing it together!
You have earned every single dimple, divot and ridge on that beautiful face, through every smile, tear and life experience. What a better way to celebrate than freeing yourself, for beauty has no expiration date. Darling, be beautiful you!
How to choose Foundation for Mature Skin
The same foundation that worked when your skin was oiler in earlier years won't be a good fit for drier mature skin where wrinkles and hydration are a concern. Using foundations that help with smoothing the appearance of various textures and provide longevity and hydration throughout the day is now a better option. Hydrating formulas and CC Creams diffuse and blur large pores and soften the appearance of lines. Look for formulas that specifically address your concerns, luminosity, longevity etc.
Those with dry skin or mature skin should opt for liquid or cream foundations. Powder foundations tend to get stuck in fine lines and enlarge pores. Liquids spread easier and provide fuller coverage than their powder counterparts.
Although, if you opt for a powder foundation formula, always finish the application with a spritz of water spray.
Creasing: While the cause of creasing is sometimes the foundation itself, more often it's the state of your skin underneath. If you don't moisturize enough, your skin drinks up all the hydration in your foundation formula, which causes the pigment to either disappear, sit unevenly or be drawn into fine lines.
The opposite can also apply, if your moisturizer is too oily or heavy it will not allow the foundation to dry down appropriately. Try gently blotting the face before to rid of excess before applying foundation.
A great way to see if a foundation works well for mature skin? Place a swipe of the foundation on the back of your hand with a clenched closed fist, then open your hand and see how much it settles in the lines and uneven surfaces.
Test foundation on the cheeks where pores are smaller. If it emphasizes them more it’s a good indication it won’t be a good formula for the rest of the face where pores appear larger.
Tending to the Skin for Foundation Success
Proper exfoliation is key, think of your makeup sitting on top of bacteria, dead skin, oil, perspiration, and dust. Not tending to the skin can cause product pilling, which is the inability of the product to be absorbed by the skin. The less a product is absorbed the more it balls up looking unsightly on the skin.
Although be mindful on exfoliation too, less can be more in this area. As we mature the cell turnover rate is slower, but our skin is also thinner. The use of exfoliation is important, but do not over do it. Generally non granular exfoliation products are better for you and the environment and held devices can be harsh, go at your individual pace.
Prior to any makeup application you should moisturize your skin because the foundation adheres more effectively. Use a light formula (using an SFP with a moisturizer is a good choice). Also, using a heavy cream might prevent your foundation from properly absorbing and drying down. It can cause it to settle into lines. Don't forget to address your neck, blend it into the skin, try using a kabuki brush, vertical strokes first, followed by horizontal for a seamless finish.
Exfoliate the Scalp
We often forget to exfoliate the scalp. It’s an extension of the skin on our faces. Although heartier, it still needs tending to. Not only does it help our hair grow by allowing the follicles to open and breathe, but it’s a great way to deposit our natural oils along the hair shaft. Try combining lemon juice with water (1 to 10 ratio) and leave on the scalp for a few minutes before shampooing. Invest in a nice scalp brush or massager, ahhh.
Dandruff test: Brush or rub your scalp back and forth over a dark piece of paper. If you see tiny dry powdery bits, you have dry scalp. If the flakes are larger and look slightly moist or greasy, they’re dandruff. If you have large greasy flakes and your scalp is irritated and red, chances are you have seborrhea. If the flakes/scales stick to the scalp it could be psoriasis, consult medical attention for any uncomfortable or ongoing issues.
Turkey Neck?
The platysma muscle in your neck is the culprit who loses it strength and elasticity. When this happens the skin begins to sag. An exercise to help: Slightly tilt your head back and stretch your lower lip over your upper lip. Hold for 10 seconds, then release, aim to do three reps of ten daily.
Or Tech Neck?
The creping, sagging, and wrinkling of the skin around our neck and décolletage happens when we are constantly bending the neck to look down at our various devices. And if your “Zooming” bad lighting casts shadows, creases are magnified and look worse than they do in real life.
Look up at the camera, rather than tilting your chin down, use an old telephone book to give height your laptop (remember those?). Look for skincare products that increase elasticity and boost hydration, neck skin lacks oil glands and the thin delicate nature of the skin on the neck makes it especially susceptible to loss of collagen and elastin.
A side note: Because the skin on the neck is delicate, you may not be able to tolerate some of the more irritating anti-aging topicals that you can use on your facial skin. A patch test for any new product is always recommended. Don’t forget about the neck, its an extension of the face!
Dehydrated?
Skin turgor test: Skin turgor is a direct indication of internal hydration, skin that snaps back indicates good hydration. Try pinching the skin on the top of your hand, if it stays “tented” and retracts slowly could be an indication of bodily dehydration. Drink up!
A hmmmm thought… for brows.
Gels and waxy pencils can actually wreak havoc on your brows, technically to the hair and follicle.
While many vie for the fluffiest dense youthful eyebrows, that’s not really the reality of most. The brow hairs are just like any hair with a follicle and shaft that needs to be kept healthy and alive. While most utilize gels, waxy pencils and even glue, these treatments can suffocate the follicles leading to shedding of the brow hairs. Many brow formulas also have alcohols which can dry out the actual hairs and cause them to break.
It would be cause for pause to consider using a basic eye shadow for brow enhancement. A powder won't pull out or damage your hair or the follicle.
The majority of eyebrow powders and eyeshadows are actually made the exact same way, just branded differently and your brows won't be weighed down or damaged. Achieving an effortless volumized look that's otherwise hard to achieve especially for people who have sparse areas, give them a fuller appearance without looking harshly filled in.
The best tone for most complexions is a taupe color, one that is not too warm (red) or ashy (grey). Tap a small angled brush and fill in any sparse areas and replicate the same approach onto the other, remember they don’t need to be twins, but beautiful cousins.
Is my undereye darkness “fixable”?
Figuring out what’s causing your dark circles is essential in actually addressing the issue. The undereye area is one of the thinnest, most sensitive areas of the face and body and it has less oil glands and collagen, which predisposes it to wrinkles and discoloration.
What causes dark circles under the eyes? Here are some reasons…
You can thank your parents: Genetics.
The undereye area may appear to be hollowed out due to a lower bony orbital rim that surrounds the eye. There’s more space that will catch a shadow and the eyes might appear more deep-set. Also, genetically darker skin around the eyes or visible discoloration that appears through the thin skin in the area.
Glowing up: Age
As we mature, the fat pad under the eyes that provides structure in this area slowly sags downward which causes a volume loss in the tear trough.
Seasonal allergies: Itchiness and inflammation can also contribute to dark circles. The inflammation alone can cause darkening even after it has healed, rubbing exacerbates it.
Sunlight exposure: All facial exposure to the sun is damaging, eyes are no exception.
Lack of sleep and dehydration: Nothing you haven’t heard before, rest and drink up!
There are many over the counter remedies you can consider for topical relief and effectiveness. Many inquire of the necessity of an eye cream, it's helpful when you need a lighter texture than your facial cream or have issues with milia (cysts that occur when keratin becomes trapped beneath the surface of the skin) around the eye area.
Although, as we mature the majority of people need filler or energy-based devices like radiofrequency microneedling. An eye cream is never going to correct for a shadow created by lack of volume and lack of structure that happens as you mature because of all of the above reasons. Speaking with a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon is necessary to find what suits you best. Identifying the real source of the problem is key to success!
Want to know the knitty gritty?
Why the Blue? Fine almost transparent skin under the eyes is meshed with capillaries, tiny blood vessels. These capillaries are so narrow that the red blood cells break through these walls and leak into the surrounding skin. Special enzymes break down the red blood cells, which turn dark blue in color. So your under eye circles are actually caused by leaky capillaries - same as a bruise. Lack of sleep can make dark circles more visible because fatigue contributes to poor circulation. Also your skin looks overall paler enhancing the blue, lymphatic massage to drain the area can help. Hello face massage!
Shaving your Lip?
Have you ever noticed that men who shave don’t have wrinkles on their top lip lines? It’s because its a daily exfoliation in a downward direction along the line of the upper lip. Take notes, proceed carefully and make sure your up for the task! *Only recommended for the top lip line. This is an old Hollywood trick that’s been around for decades! Shhhhh, it’s a secret!