7 Best Makeup Tips To Look Younger After 40

This probably comes as no surprise, but your skin is often an accurate indicator of your age. The sun, gravity and a reduction in the production of skin-plumping collagen sap your skin of its luster. In order to put forth a more youthful appearance, your skin must be your first priority. Hydration, moisture and a light-handed application of foundation that is appropriate for your skin type are essential.

• Drink extra water. The thirst urge declines in later years and many women are habitually dehydrated. Plump cells from the inside by drinking enough water. Beware of hidden diuretics like caffeine in coffee, soda and energy drinks.
• Exfoliate - then moisturize. Using moisturizer on dead skin cells is a waste of expensive product. Remove dead skin cells with a product containing hydroxy acids, then apply a lightweight moisturizer.
• Check out some of the newest BB creams that mingle cosmetics with skin care. These creams provide radiant coverage while repairing and protecting aging skin. Apply with a soft brush for a dewy, rose-petal complexion.

Children, teenagers and the very wealthy all spend lots of time outdoors. Sun-kissed skin radiates youthfulness and vitality. However, after years of actually being in the sun, skin can look worn, weathered and leathery. Bring back that shimmer with a little help from two weapons in your arsenal: a bronzer and a highlighter.

• Choose a golden bronzer that will deflect light. I like one that features a variety of tones and hues for a more natural look.
• Draw three - the number 3, that is. Starting at your outer forehead, lightly dust bronzer down around the eye, angle inwards at the cheek and wrap it under the jawbone, as if drawing a number three on each side of your face. The result will give you a subtle glow without making you look sculpted.
• Dust the top of the cheekbone with a light, luminescent highlighter in soft pink or peach. Lightly blend bronzer and highlighter with a makeup brush to soften any lines.This effect should look seamless.

In my 30's, I never left the house without mascara and I frequently had to pluck to keep my unruly brows in line. Now, I never leave the house, even just to put gas in the car, without filling in my sparse eyebrows, but I'll often skip the mascara if I'm pressed for time. Those comet-shaped arches above the eyes are often overlooked when applying makeup after age 40. After years of plucking and tweezing, brow hairs stop growing. When they don't have to be managed as often, they tend to become forgotten. However, try this: apply a bit of pencil to one brow and leave the other naked. Look at both your eyes. The difference in how old you look is astonishing. The fuller brow creates drama and definition. A well-manicured brow subtly frames your eyes and draws them open. The skimpy brow simply makes you look old and tired. After healthy skin, full eyebrows may be the biggest factor in creating a more youthful appearance.

• Use the right color. Try to match or go one shade lighter than your hair color. Very dark eyebrows tend to look harsh.
• Find the right shape. Eyebrows should start just above the inner corner of your eye and extend to the tip of your outer lashes. Avoid straight lines and sharp arches.
• Use a light, upward stroke to create natural-looking hairs. If brows are especially thin, use a fiber-based eyebrow filler. These products are similar to mascara and can dramatically increase the density of skinny, sparse brows.

Young eyes are wide, open and lifted. Time and gravity pull delicate eye tissues towards your belly button, which is not the effect you are looking for if you want to exude juvenescence. The key here is to apply shadow only to the upper eye and camouflage any discolorations under the eye.

• Use a primer. A shadow primer will create a smooth, even canvas for the subsequent color and prevent colors from seeping or caking.
• Divide your eye into thirds. The inner third should be the lightest color; the middle third wears the medium color and the outer third features the darkest shade.
• Avoid heavy, dark, or shimmery eye shadow. Those tend to crease in wrinkles and make eyes look smaller. Instead, opt for soft, peachy, mauve and taupe tones.
• Use a light concealer or primer under your eye to hide imperfections. Try to match your natural skin tone and stay away from glaring white concealers.

Long, lovely lashes are the envy of every woman. Mascara advertisements invariably feature women with dense, dramatic groves of plumped-up fronds stretching to the sky. Naturally, young women have thicker hair all over, so their lashes seldom require the same kind of reinforcement that older, stubbier lashes need. For those of us glimpsing the golden years, this step in the fountain-of-youth process is crucial.

• Start by lining the upper lid with a dark brown or black liner. Get as close to the natural lash line as possible. If you can, line the lid under the upper lashes, pressing color into the lash line. This creates the basis for a more dense look.
• Apply mascara by placing the brush as the base of the lashes and gently moving it back and forth along the lid before slowly swiping mascara upward. Use long, slow strokes rather than short, fast ones. This will help the fibers in the mascara elongate the lashes and help prevent clumping.
• Stick to just one or two coats. The first coat will lengthen the lash; the second coat helps thicken it. After that, you're just making a mess.
• Skip adding liner or mascara to lower lashes. By only applying to upper lashes, eyes pop open instead of being pulled down. This also helps prevent under eye smudging.

According to a 2012 article printed in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the bones of the face undergo changes as we age. The upper jaw tends to recede, causing the lips to sink in towards the mouth. Additionally, the upper lip elongates and the laugh lines deepen, further thinning your pretty pout. The key to youthful-looking lips is to use lighting to accentuate them and cosmetics to prevent lipstick from bleeding into tiny lines and wrinkles.

• Line lips with a lip liner in a shade as close to your natural lips as possible. This provides a barrier to prevent lipstick from seeping into surrounding skin.
• Opt for lighter peachy, pink or mauve colors and avoid dark reds and oranges. Darker colors make you lips look smaller and are more noticeable if they bleed.
• Highlight the cupid's bow on the upper lip and the center of the lower lip with a shimmering gold or bronze. The light-catching pop in the center gives your lips a more full appearance.
• Use a lip moisturizer on and around your mouth before applying lipstick. Or, better yet, apply a moisturizer with humectants, such as green tea, for younger, plumper lips my morning.

Light rays, light colors, and a light-handed application combine to illuminate your face and restore a look of vitality and life. With all the above tips, apply sparingly and avoid the heavy, rouge-cheeked look of the blue hair set.

• A good set of makeup brushes can help with a softer, more even application of all makeup.
• If using your fingers, avoid rubbing makeup on and opt for lightly patting it in place. Use a brush to subtly blend.
• Avoid harsh lines, such as streaks of cheek tint, dark lip liner or paint-by-numbers eye shadow. Always blend colors to create a seamless portrait.