Our skin don’t age overnight. How it looks now could be the result of an accumulation of actions you have been doing or have not been doing for the last few years.
What this means is that if you’re hoping to still look youthful when you’re in your 40s, even though it may be years later, you have to start putting in time and effort now.
Determined to freeze your age? Here are nine things you can start doing now.
1. Upgrade your cleansing procedure
Cleansing is the first step of your skincare routine, and arguably the most important step of all. Making sure that your skin is free from grime and impurities, helps your skin absorb the goodness of the other skincare products more easily.
If you find that your products don’t seem to be “working anymore”, there’s a chance that you need to upgrade your cleansing routine to help your skin receive the products better. Consider using a cleansing device, which is able to cleanse your skin more deeply, and exfoliating away dead skin cells gently.
Try: Mary Kay Skinvigorate Cleansing Brush (SGD81). This tool promises to remove makeup 85% better than cleansing by hand, and helps provide deep cleansing, gentle exfoliation, and massaging in one step. It is available through Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants. Call 6226-6888 to find out more.
2. Go for fuller brows
As we age, the hairs on our bodies thin too – jus think about thinning of hair on your head that’s usually associated with age. This is why full eyebrows are a sign of youth. Thankfully, it’s not too difficult to create the appearance of thicker brows and you can start practising now. Visit a professional to get your brows shaped and fill in your brows with a good product that makes them look natural.
Try: Maybelline Fashion Brow Collection. Maybelline will be launching an entire brow collection with products that are designed to help you achieve #browsonfleek in March.
The collection includes: Fashion Brow Promade (SGD16.90), a creamy wax-based stick to help sculpt, tame, and colour your brows, Fashion Brow Ultra Fluffy (SGD13.90), a gel-to-powder brow pencil that fills in bald spots but with a natural precise tail, and Brow Precise Fiber Volumizer (SGD17.90), a fibre-infusing gel brow mascara that boosts brow colour and volume so they look more three-dimensional.
3. Flutter luscious lashes
The same logic as why full brows make you look more youthful, luscious lashes take age off your face. While you can use mascara to make your lashes look more voluminous, too much of it can make your lashes unnaturally thick and risk the “spider lashes” look. Consider using a lash growth serum instead, because it can help you achieve fuller lashes in the long run.
Try: L’Oreal Paris L’Extraordinaire Lash & Brow Serum (SGD22.90). This is formulated with an essence oil and a densifying molecule called Filloxane, which has been proven to lengthen and thicken hair fibre, while strengthening lashes so they can resist breakage. The great thing about this product is that it also works on your brows, so if you have sparse-looking brows, this doubles up as a great solution. (Remember Point 2?)
4. Firm and volumise
It’s not too late to start using an anti-ageing product. Remember we mentioned right at the start of this article that aged skin doesn’t happen overnight. Defending your skin from signs of ageing can make sure they appear later. While your current skin condition may find thick and rich cream uncomfortable, go for lightweight products that are fortified with anti-oxidants to help you fight the damage of free radicals.
Try: Etude House Red Energy Tension Up Renewing Capsule (SGD49.90). Designed to brighten, lift, and volumise, this is made of highly concentrated essence capsules that nourish skin. Formulated with nutrients extracted from the Lychee fruit to provide a strong boost of antioxidants, this product helps provide intensive moisturisation, and help skin improve its elasticity.
To use it, dispense the capsules onto your palm with the spatula provided, then press the capsules to crush them, before gently applying onto areas prone to sagging such as cheeks and forehead. This product will be available from March 2017.
5. Find a less invasive alternative than botox
Botulinum toxin (more commonly known as botox) is a common aesthetic treatment used to treat wrinkles. If you prefer not to go for injectable treatments, invest in topical products that act as good wrinkle management alternatives.
Try: Sothys BX Wrinkle Corrector (SGD229). This product is inspired by botulinum toxin, and like the aesthetic treatment works by limiting the the formation of expression lines. But if you’re already going for botox injections, the product promises to strengthen its effects so that results can last longer. Sothys products are available at appointed Sothys salons.
6. Conceal and brighten
For a youthful-looking complexion, the right concealing product is important because it helps to eliminate the look of signs of ageing such as dark circles, blemishes, and even lines. Pick a brightening concealer that doesn’t just hide imperfections but also diffuses the look of them for a more natural-looking result.
Try: YSL Touche Eclat (SGD62). This is one of the most classic holy grail products in the market that acts as both a highlighter and a concealer. It illuminates skin and enhances features so that complexion looks perked up and radiant. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, YSL has launched a limited edition design of this product. It is available in three shades and will launch in March 2017.
7. Brighter, smoother lips
Another feature that gives away our age: our lips. As we age, our lips tend to look thinner, duller, and have more lines. To make them look more youthful, go for lip products that give them a fresher look and is hydrating enough so lips won’t dry and form deeper lines.
Try: Lunasol Sheer Aqua Stick Lips (SGD39). In five vibrant shades that are flattering on Asian skin tones, this lipstick is designed to create a succulent, lustrous finish. The sheer colours are reminiscent of water, and help give your overall complexion a fresher look.
8. Keep skin hydrated all day
Now that you’ve aced your makeup, remember to have a hydrating mist by your side to help you keep it fresh-looking all day long. Besides setting and refreshing your makeup, a mist also helps to hydrate your skin throughout the day so that moisture is replenished, which helps keep dehydrated skin at bay – and as we know, dehydration cause fine lines to appear.
Try: Kanebo Relaxing Brume (SGD49). This helps to deliver intense hydration throughout the day. Designed to be used even on top of makeup, this mist helps to fight dryness and leaves a lush natural rose fragrance that will leave you feeling refreshed.
9. Find a signature fragrance that lifts your mood
Our emotions have very much to do with how we look. Wearing the right fragrance doesn’t just leave people with good impressions of you, but can also help to lift your mood – and a more relaxed you = a more youthful-looking you.
Try: Miu Miu L’Eau Bleue (SGD35 for 10ml rollerball, SGD103 for 30ml, SGD147 for 50ml, and SGD176 for 100ml). The second fragrance by Miu Miu will be launched in March, and this fragrance is inspired by spring. This is why its notes are invigorating and fresh, consisting of the delicate scent of lily of the valley that’s tamped down by a sparkle of dew, sprightly honeysuckle, and the deep accents of Akigalawood.
