Inevitable signs of aging like wrinkles and lines can be discouraging to a woman in this image-driven world.  We could all agree to age gracefully and quit our whining, but the truth is that our appearances wield power in our work places and relationships.  A more youthful, attractive woman will more likely receive a promotion or interview. A well-groomed gal, regardless of her age and attributes, also appears more confident and attractive to potential suitors.

You’d think this paradigm would be more applicable in the secular world, but can you think of an unattractive Christian artist, speaker or writer? (I could not.) Now try to think of an unattractive secular artist, speaker or writer. (Yikes! I thought of several.) Not fair, just true, right?

As an example, I signed up to tutor with a national online tutoring website. One of the tips for success in tutoring was to upload a picture, because tutors with a profile picture are more likely to be solicited.

Hmmm. When I was a student, some of my best teachers were not the most attractive teachers. But in the current global technology age, without the benefit of first meeting a person face to face, a person’s profile picture is her first introduction.

After much angst, I carefully selected a profile picture for the tutoring sight– a photo in which I looked professional and attractive, while still appearing experienced (i.e. 40-something)  and approachable. Translation:  I didn’t upload a “selfie” taken in white-out lighting.

I don’t think we should be quick to conform to the world’s standards about what makes us beautiful; but there are some simple and effective ways to enhance our beauty at any age without photo-shopping out the essence of who we are.

So, here are some of my secrets for looking more fresh and youthful:

1) Wear your hair parted  or swept to one side.  Side-swept hair softens your over-all look by casting a soft shadow over any harsh features or wrinkles. Consider long face-framing bangs for a new softer look.

2) Don’t use heavy eye-makeup, especially on your lower lids.  Liners and mascara on your bottom lid tend to emphasize any bags or wrinkles. Use plenty of mascara, a little liner,  and minimal eye shadow on your upper lid instead.

3) Use a light to medium-coverage foundation for the same reason:  a cakey foundation, thick concealer or excess powder emphasizes lines and wrinkles.  Opt for a moisture-rich foundation in a shade slightly lighter than your skin tone for subtle illumination with just the right coverage.

4) “Color inside the lines”. As we age, we also tend to lose pigmentation in our lips and cheeks.  A woman with perfect makeup and absolutely no color on her lips and cheeks is like an incomplete portrait. A woman with perfect makeup and absolutely no color on her lips and cheeks is like a beautiful…zombie! Ok, maybe that’s rather extreme, but you get the point:  A little lip and cheek stain go a long  way in helping you look more fresh and polished.  For that youthful rosy-cheeked glow, a great and more natural alternative to blush is a soft gel bronzer.

5) “Fill in the blank”.  As we age our eyebrows and eyelashes thin out (for some of us this has always been the case.) For more lustrous eyelashes and eyebrows, there are lots of great products ranging in price range from the tens to the hundreds of dollars, prescription Latisse  being the most expensive. I have used both Latisse  and a cheaper over-the-counter product called Rapid Lash. Rapid Lash made my lashes longer, while Latisse  made them thicker and darker.

If you don’t want to use these products, you can also fake a long lash look with false lashes—what I call falshies.  For special occasions, I’ve used falshies that come in little segments that I applied at the corners of my eyes. Although falshies can be tricky to apply, as with anything artistic, practice makes perfect.

No woman should walk out the door without at least a little mascara.  I prefer to wear two coats of mascara in lieu of eyeshadow.

One more tip about lashes:  first, curl them; then, apply mascara; lastly, using a small eyelash comb, start at the bottom and sweep lashes up to eliminate mascara clumps. Repeat if necessary.

Now on to a touchy subject:  eyebrows! Oh. My.  Goodness.  Please,  ladies,  stop over-plucking, then drawing on your eyebrows in permanently disgruntled or surprised expressions!

If you sincerely don’t have any eyebrows because of alopecia or chemo, find a pro to help you draw them on, or use a product like Latisse to stimulate new growth.

If you still have much of your natural brow, but it has become thinner or uneven, use a soft eyebrow pencil or powder to lightly fill in the gaps.

A few of my friends have been asking about my makeup routine, especially my eyeliner, so here goes.  Here I am with no makeup (today, I’m feeling brave; tomorrow, I may regret uploading this pic…) and wet hair, eye lashes curled:

First I use a moisture rich foundation, rubbing it in generously as if it were lotion, to create a blank slate. I didn’t take a pic of this, but you’ll look kind of scary!  I use a little moist towelette to wipe foundation off my lips and brows or blot it if I go over-board.

I have fairly thick brows, but they are uneven and have a white gaps, so I fill them in with this: Then I apply a little eye-shadow  in a matte tone, and, because a soft pencil eyeliner tends to rub off and smudge all over, I use a liquid eyeliner, then mascara:

To apply liquid eyeliner, pull your lid taut with the opposite finger, then starting at about the middle of your eye-lid, and using an eye-liner that has a thin flexible brush, drag the brush lightly toward the corner, using more pressure as you reach the corner to create a thicker line. Draw slightly past your lid for a more dramatic winged look.

Next I use a gel bronzer on my cheeks and on the bridge of my nose, my favorite is this Bonne Bell gel bronzer:

Lastly, I apply lip color. Currently, my fave product is  Elf’s chubby stick in Movie Star, which has just enough color and just enough pomade to leave my lips defined, yet soft and shiny:

Voila!

I’d love to see YOUR before and after photos using these products and tips! Come on, be brave! Let’s show the world our true and enhanced beauty.