Lack of radiance and glow make us look older before lines and wrinkles show up on our skin. Yes, you can cover your skin with makeup, and apply a ton of a highlighter but your skin will look most youthful if you can recreate that inner, healthy glow. So, how to look fresh-faced in your 30’s and 40’s when that inner glow ins’t always there? Today, I’ll share five beauty products I use daily to keep my skin looking fresh all day long. You can easily add any of those products to your skincare routine without breaking a bank balance.
*Some products featured were sent as press samples and some links are affiliate.
Paula’s Choice Essential Glow SPF 30 moisturiser.
The Essential Daily Moisturiser was one of the first products I tried from Paula’s Choice. The brand is well established in the US but new to the UK market. For some reason, I didn’t expect much from this cream. Maybe I judged the book by its cover.? Paula’s Choice products don’t have a fancy smell or packaging. They are practical and efficient. Tubes are there instead of jars so that your products stay fresh for longer. The scent or lack of it is the next thing. The cream smells, well of cream and that’s it. Surprisingly, from all the products I had a chance to try when I first was gifted a range this moisturiser become a favourite. You will find it hydrates your skin for many hours and gives you smooth looking complexion plus the gentle glow. It makes you look like you woke up fresh as a petal. It also has SPF 30, so that’s an added bonus.
Erborian BB Creme – for baby skin.
There is no secret that I LOVE Erborian. This brand makes beautiful skincare products with effective formulas that are barely there. You’d love the BB Creme as it gives a little coverage but still keeps your skin look, like your skin. If you wonder how to look fresh-faced but can choose only one product it must be this. You won’t feel or look like there is a product sitting on top of your skin. Nothing to gather in any of your lines when you smile. The BB Creme has a subtle glow but not shiny finish. It truly fakes the way a healthy skin looks. A little goes a long way. You will also find that this BB product doesn’t rub off your face. I have been using it now for over two years, and I think it will take a lot to convince me to replace it with a different product.
Reveal the glow with 2% BAH Exfoliating Liquid
You don’t want to overdo it but consistent and gentle exfoliation helps to bring back to the surface of your skin those fresh and young skin cell. As we age our skin cells turnover period is longer. How can you look fresh-faced when you end up with a layer of dead skin cells on the very surface of your skin? The result is complexion that is dull and lacks radiance. Products can’t get to those fresh young cells to nourish them and as a result, our skin looks like an old handbag. Haha, ok maybe not that bad, but I’m sure you know what I mean. Dry, a bit dull and not as bouncy as it could.
I was blown away by Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exforlat as it gave my skin that looked as radiant and smooth as after a premium facial. In my twenty years of beauty career, I have tried many chemical exfoliators but a few that I’d be both able to use daily without irritating my skin and see significant results. Of course, if you can afford it try to have a chemical peel in the clinic once or twice a year, it works wonders for the skin.
A lip balm because juicy lips are more kissable.
Honestly, try it in front of the mirror. When you have dry lips that look like sultanas all dry and crinkly, give them some love because smooth and hydrated lips will make your whole face look fresh. A glossy finish on your lips looks more youthful than matt too. I have plenty of lip balms to had, but since lips don’t have pores you want to use more waxy formulas. I like Burt’s Bees for everyday handbag essential. My Elemental Herbology is my bedtime treat and I also use it first thing in the morning. It helps to nourish and plump my lips. If you are feeling spending La Mer makes a divine lip balm too. I love it for running as it leaves a long-lasting protection layer so there is no need to apply it very often.
If you have extra dry and chapped lips try lip scrubs, don’t ever use any other scrub on your lips you will hurt yourself. I tried a few lip scrubs and like the one from Fresh Beauty but you can also find a pretty good one from Clinique, which comes with a balm too.
A Hollywood filter will save the day if nothing else can
How to look fresh-faced if all the previous steps fail? You cheat! But if you do it, do it well.
Say hello to Hollywood Flawless Filter, it’s a makeup product, not skincare, but it will change your life. It’s one of Charlotte Tilbury products which you can use as a primer or a finishing product on top of your makeup to add glow to high points ( where you’d place a highlighter). The formula is so smooth and particle less* you’d fall in love from the first use.
Why you need a Hollywood Flawless Filter?
Well, when all fails, and you wake up looking dull and tired, dap a small amount of this product on your cheekbones and blend. Apply it after your moisturiser but before your foundation or base.
If you haven’t heard of Charlotte Tilbury before, where have you been hiding?
Make sure to follow me on Instagram. I share a lot more of Charlotte’s fabulous products there because I’m addicted. They are incredible for so many reasons.
The bedtime story
It goes without saying that a good night sleep and plenty of water are incredibly important too. I used to overlook it for years, but I got older and wiser. Now, I prioritise my sleep, water and ensure I look after my body the best I can with the resources I have.
Saying this, if you can add beauty treatments than absolutely do so. One of my most mindblowing experiences this year was facial acupuncture with Dr John Tsagaris, the world-class doctor of Chinese Traditional Medicine and Acupuncture, at his Harrods Clinic. However, if you want to look fresh-faced in your 30’s and 40’s, you must nail down your everyday skincare routine first.
*particle less – I’m pretty sure I just invented this word. It means that you can’t see any glittery, shimmery bits in your makeup so that when it’s on your face, you don’t look like you have borrowed a makeup bag form a teenager.