10 Beauty Mistakes That Age You

1. Blusher on the apples of your cheeks

We all love a subtle flush of just-pinched pink on our cheeks to keep us looking fresh, but don’t commit the beauty blunder of applying it to the apples of your cheeks.

As we age, the skin on our cheeks tends to sag, and what worse way to make you look older than to highlight this? Instead, focus on highlighting your cheekbones; sweep your blusher up towards your temples to create the illusion of a thinner face and more defined cheekbones too.

2. Lacking moisture

Nothing screams “older lady” like dry, lack-lustre skin. To save it from looking dry and wrinkly invest in a good moisturiser that is suited to your skin type and use it as part of your morning and evening skincare routine. Healthy, hydrated skin is the most important step to keeping you looking beautiful, youthful and fresh as a daisy.

3. Tanning beds and sunbathing

Yes, you look great with that gleaming tan and yes, it sure does make your teeth look whiter... but is it really worth the risk of skin cancer and ageing skin before your time? We all know the risks associated with sunbeds and sunbathing, but it really is a huge beauty blunder to avoid if you’d like to stay looking youthful. Even if you’re only venturing into the garden to hang your washing out, make sure you apply sun-block to protect your delicate skin and if you’re going for the bronzed goddess look, get it out of a bottle instead.

4. Loose powder

Powder is great for setting our makeup, adding light coverage and for helping out with oily skin.

The problem is though, the dusty quality of loose powder dries out your skin and highlights any fine lines – a recipe for making you look instantly older. Instead of using loose powder, opt for pressed powder instead; this will still blot away any oil and provide light coverage but you’re less likely to apply as much. Gently press it onto your face where required and you’re good to go.

5. Dark lipsticks

Don’t channel your inner goth if you want to look younger. As we age, our lips tend to lose some of that youthful plumpness that we used to brighten with a pop of colour when we were younger to make them stand out. Dark colours accentuate thinner lips and can add years to how old you look. Opt for flattering hues such as pretty pinks and muted berry colours for a flattering pop of colour.

6. Neglecting your brows

If your brows are sparse, it’s a good idea to give them a little TLC to take years off your age. Use a brow pencil, no more than one shade darker than your natural brow colour, to gently fill in any gaps. If you’d prefer a softer look, use a powder and an angled brush to fill in the gaps. This is a fail-proof way to give your brows some oomph and take years off your age.

7. Long, lifeless hair

If your skin looks like it’s heading south, a long hairstyle will only accentuate this – particularly if your hair is limp and lifeless. If this sounds like you, opt for an angled style that creates shape and volume around your face – layers are an excellent way to achieve this look. We aren’t suggesting that you start chopping your hair into a bob if you’d like to keep it long, but make sure you add some definition around the face with some layers if you are keeping it long.

8. Stress

We all know that prolonged periods of stress are bad for our looks, but rarely do we take this on board and do anything about it. Stress prevention is the golden rule for a youthful you and while it’s good to feel the stress under certain situations where you need to take action, too much of it can seriously age you. We’ve never heard of a better excuse to treat ourselves to a massage.

9. Skipping the primer

If you thought primer was only used for those odd DIY jobs around the house, think again. Primer works miracles with older skin, as it helps to smooth out any lines you have on your face. Primer also provides a good surface for makeup application. This means that the makeup you apply to your skin will have something to hold onto and so, by the end of the day, you won’t look as smudged and abstract as a piece of Picasso art.

10. Glitzy eye makeup

Once a woman gets to a certain age glitzy eye makeup becomes a no-no. Anything too glam and shimmery around your eyes will draw attention to those laughter lines and powdered shadows will sit within your crinkles, making you look far older than you actually are. If you’ve managed to reach your 40 th birthday (we hope you partied like a wild thing) you might also find that your eyelids have become slacker. Plain, light coloured, matte shadows will help to create a less droopy look and will help you to make your eyes look larger and more youthful.