Easy makeup and shaping tips and tricks to give a younger, brighter appearance without needles, surgery, or big time investments.
Summer heat means less makeup and more bare skin– but that can be downright daunting for those who like to use makeup to conceal their true age. Instead of caking on layers of makeup, here are a few tips and tricks from veteran beauty experts to help press rewind on your face’s age.
1. Pay close attention to eyebrows. Neat, defined eyebrows are a hallmark of youthful faces. Umbreen Sheikh, Founder of Wink Brow Bar in NYC shares, “it’s a fact that as we get older studies show our brows get thinner and grey.” She suggests keeping brows one or two shades darker than your natural hair to give the appearances of a younger eye area.
2. Less is more. Don’t use heavy foundations or powders. Opt for light, nearly-weightless BB, CC, or buildable foundation creams that offer mild color coverage and great SPF. The sun protection will keep your skin from looking even older with time, and the mild coverage will give a more natural glow.
3. Add a dab of highlighter. Highlighting sticks are the key to adding dimension without lots of makeup. Add highlighter to the points of the face where you want to draw attention, like the tops of cheekbones and above the middle of your top lip (this creates a fuller appearance). If you’ve never used a highlighter, this video will show you how to nail the look.
4. Go for gloss, not lipstick. Matte lipstick is super chic and on-trend, but, gloss gives a more youthful appearance. Stick to berry and wine-tone shades that give lips a naturally-flushed looking tint, the same way our lips appear in our late teens when estrogen is being produced in mass.
READ MORE: Flawless Summer Skin Recipe
5. Use a thin eyeliner. Eyeliner looks great when it accents the eyes in a subtle way. Thick, smoky eyes tend to age faces beyond their 30s. Try a precision to get this look.
6. Contour your cheekbones. Careful contouring only takes 2-3 minutes and instantly sets the stage for a younger looking face. All you need is a bronzer or a powder foundation 1-2 shades deeper than your actual skintone, and a good kabuki or contouring brush. Start by sweeping a generous amount into the area where your cheekbones meet your hairline, and work down from there. Sweep the sides of the nose, hairline of the forehead, and the neck area. Covergirl makes a great bronzer compact that offers three shades, so you can blend, use different shades for varying seasons, or do a more expert-level, multi-shade contouring job when you’ve built your makeup confidence. Available here.
7. Add a little citrus to your body. Scientifically speaking, there’s something about citrus scents that gives people the impression of youth and vibrance. Spritz a little grapefruit perfume, add some mandarin body lotion, or even try rubbing organic lemon peels on your neck and wrists.
8. Add some algae. We’ve talked a lot about how healthy algae is for your digestive system and blood, but what a lot of people don’t realize is that healthy blood is one of the main sources of skin health. Try popping a once a day Astaxanthin gel cap to ward off bad germs (it’s good for immune support) and keep circulation going strong.
READ MORE: Astaxanthin for Better Skin
9. Brisk walking. Not everyone is a weight lifter or a marathon runner, but did you know a 30 minute brisk walk can send more blood and oxygen to each and every cell in your body? Blood and oxygen are like cell food, so exercise is the key to keeping all your cells (facially, and otherwise) nice and perky. Try a 30 minute walk, a commitment to dance like crazy to the next 10 songs on the Shakira station you have programmed on your Pandora, or even an intense makeout session.
