Ah, I was saving this post for my birthday coming up in a few months. By then I would be one year away from the big 40. I’ve been reviewing make-up and stuff and posting pics of my face wherever haha, and the comments have one common denominator. People say I’m looking younger and younger. Lol.
I started reviewing beauty products maybe 2010 or 2011. I’ve always been very much into skin care and to a certain extent makeup. I took a look at my FB profile pics and well, yes it’s true, I did look older back in 2011! The most major thing that happened to me was losing over 25 lbs but I’ve always thought that a person would look younger if he/she were chubbier. I guess that’s not true in my case.
Comparing my Feb 2011 to my April 2013 photo, I must agree that I do indeed look younger two years later. I guess I should be happy, hehe.
A close-up shot of my eye area without any makeup whatsoever will show that I don’t have crow’s feet and wrinkly eyelids. It’s probably because I’m obsessive about eye cream.
This is my latest photo, taken yesterday. True to my lazy self, I just put on the following makeup products:
- Tonymoly Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream SPF 30 PA++
- Laneige Cool Stay Powder in 01 Light Beige
- K-Palette Lasting 2 Way Eyebrow Liner in #01 Chocolate Brown
- K-Palette Real Lasting Eye Pencil in Super Black
- K-Palette 1 Day Lash Perm Volume Curl Mascara in Black
- L’oreal Color Riche Lipstick in Think Pink (review soon!)
So now it’s time for the million dollar question… what did I do? How do I manage to not look like I’m almost 40, lol? My age has become something of a punchline in gatherings. Lol. This is in or particular order:
- Don’t skimp on the skin care and don’t be lazy, lol!
I maybe lazy when it comes to makeup but I never slack off when it comes to skin care. I invest in products I believe in. I have only one face and in my opinion it deserves the best, lol. My daytime skin care regimen consists of at least 6-7 steps and so does my night time regimen which varies slightly. Then I have those once a week masks and packs. Yes, I’m really a firm believer in the merits of skin care. I am the poster girl for anti-aging products.
- Stay in tune with your skin and choose the products that are right for your present condition.
I don’t stick to any one regimen for an indefinite period of time. I’m always flexible and adjustable. I base what I buy and use on what my skin needs at the moment. I usually have a different set of products for the summer and for the cooler, drier months. For example, during my early days of blogging, I loved using Pond’s facial washes with oil controlling properties. One day, my skin felt taut and well, over-stretched. I didn’t like it. I switched to Physiogel Cleanser and then Pevonia Botanica Purilys Phyto-gel Cleanser. Now I’m back to using Pond’s with Pond’s Age Miracle Facial Wash (review soon!) which surprisingly worked very well for me.
- If you can, don’t smoke. Don’t drink while you’re at it.
Smoking can wreak havoc on your skin… and your lips… and your teeth. There’s also your lungs, your blood pressure, and so forth. Notice how smokers usually look a lot older than non-smokers. My parents are both smokers so I know firsthand how it is. My dad looks like he’s 80 but he’s actually just 60+. I can’t stand cigarette smoke so I have never smoked. Drinking too much can dehydrate you and when you’re my age, dehydration = drying up = looking old.
- Moisturize both inside and out.
By that I mean drinking lots of water and using products that hydrate your skin instead of dry it out. At my age, I no longer use oil controlling skin care products because let’s face it, I’m too old for it. In the first two profile photos I posted above I was using oil control skin care products and mattifying cosmetics. I grew up with really oily skin and I hadn’t been able to transition at the time. Result? My skin looked dry and I looked old, lol. In the third photo on the first row I had already discovered BB Creams so the rest of my photos look more dewy and luminous, lol.
- Try to get some exercise.
Whenever I can I make sure I put in some time on the stationary bike in our bedroom. Sweating it out is a great way to detoxify, and doing so makes you feel a lot better about yourself. Notice how much lighter you feel overall when you exercise.
- Eat sensibly and avoid being overweight.
Obesity can lead not only to the losyang look (because when you’re obese, your clothing choices are limited and you tend to get lazy when it comes to looking good) I once had, it can also give you a multitude of more serious health problems. I’ve accepted that I can no longer eat like a kid so I limit my consumption of sweets and other unhealthy things (like when I have ice cream I usually just have maybe 1/4 cup of it max) and I really watch what I put in my mouth. I don’t follow any specific diet, I just eat sensibly. Of course, I indulge once in a while.
- Smile.
Smiling takes years off your face in seconds. Note how I look so much younger when I’m super smiling, haha.
- Get enough sleep.
This is one thing I’m guilty of not doing because I get up before 6am everyday so I can drive my kids to school. I sleep very late (midnight on average) so I’m not all that well rested. I think I can manage to look younger by getting sufficient sleep.
- Experiment with different colors when it comes to dressing up.
I used to live in black clothes when I was fat. These days, I experiment with pinks, greens, and other colors. It’s just more fresh. Of course, you have to make sure that what you’re wearing is also age appropriate. I don’t think I can carry neon colored clothes, lol.
- Color your hair to cover up grays.
I do this a lot because I know people my age who don’t do it and they tend to look like lolos and lolas with salt and pepper hair. Unless you’re Storm from the X-Men, white hair will only make you look old.
- Always protect yourself from the sun.
It’s no secret that I don’t go out of the house without sunscreen. The sun is one of the most major factors that can cause skin aging so it’s very important to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.
- When it comes to makeup, less is more.
I find that piling on uber thick foundation, layers and layers of eyeshadow, and overcontouring with blush only makes one look older. I always go for the fresh look, lol.
- Don’t overpluck your eyebrows. Skip the eyebrow tattoo.
Thin harsh lines for eyebrows make you look older, like those ancient Pinoy movie contrabidas, lol. The in thing these days are naturally looking brows that are on the thick side. They make you look a lot younger.
I think I’ve shared everything there is, haha. I hope it’s helpful. We’re lucky we now live in an age where there are a lot of breakthroughs when it comes to anti-aging skin care and treatments. I only wish I had started earlier, because I think I only got a regular regimen after I had gotten married. If I had the chance to do it all again I would start at 18 years of age, lol.
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