Beauty Tips for Your 40s And Beyond

BEAUTY

By Kylie Smith | February 2, 2022

As a beauty industry veteran of over 30 years, I’ve collected quite a bit of knowledge along the way. As VP of Global Education for bareMinerals, I train our teams to help you understand how to achieve any look and address any skin concern. But most important for my own education has been spending a great deal of time in our boutiques, speaking one-on-one with our amazing clean beauty community.

Over the years, people of all ages have asked me questions about makeup and skincare, and through these interactions I have found that women over 40 often have misconceptions about things they should and shouldn’t be doing in their beauty routines. For example, face powder is often seen as the enemy as we age, but in actuality, a light dusting of finishing powder in the T-zone can help combat shine, leaving a healthy, dewy look to the cheeks.

So, after decades in the field and thousands of interactions with people from around the world, I put together some of my most trusted beauty tips to help you stay confident in your skin, no matter what kinds of changes it might go through.

Makeup Removal is Everything

One of the most important rules of thumb when it comes to skincare is to remember that your anti-aging and moisturizing products won’t be as effective if you aren’t cleansing your skin properly. Having spent time in Asia, I’ve adopted the double cleansing method favored by customers there. I like to use an oil cleanser, like SMOOTHNESS Hydrating Cleansing Oil, to dissolve makeup, working the cleanser into the skin using sweeping side-to-side movements, continuing down to the neck. Then, I move up to the eyes before using a washcloth soaked in warm water to remove any lingering traces of makeup (here I start with the eyes, then use a clean are of the cloth on the rest of the face). I like to follow with a softening rinse-off cleanser to leave skin fresh and clean. One of my personal favorites is PURENESS Gel Cleanser.

Don’t Skip the Sunscreen

It may sound cliché, but you must always wear sunscreen, both in your makeup and on its own. bareMinerals uses sunscreen with naturally occurring minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide that can help form a protective barrier on your skin’s surface, reflecting harmful UVA and UVB rays — without irritating sensitive skin. Also, pass on the good news and make sure to tell your young daughters, nieces and friends’ daughters the importance of a daily sunscreen application. They will thank you for it when they reach their 40s. Confused about the basics of different sunscreens? We’ve got you covered.

Skincare is the Ultimate Makeup Primer

Use a good serum like AGELESS 10% Phyto-Retinol Night Concentrate or SKINLONGEVITY Long Life Herb Serum to plump your skin and smooth out visible fine lines before applying your foundation or tinted moisturizer. Not only will your complexion enjoy the benefits of your favorite skincare, but your makeup will apply smoother and more evenly. Talk about a win-win!

Try a Dewy Complexion

When picking a foundation, remember that mature skin has unique needs that may not be the same as they were when you were younger. As a rule of thumb, it’s usually best to stay away from anything too matte or heavy — dewiness is flattering! Try our best-selling COMPLEXION RESCUE Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF 30 for a natural glow with the perfect amount of coverage. Need to get matched? Try our shade matching tool here.

Brighten Your Eyes

When I was on TV, I always applied highlighter to the inside corner of my eye. It instantly makes you look rested and bright-eyed. Our WELL RESTED Under Eye Brightener not only illuminates the eyes, but it also protects from sun damage with SPF 20.

Don’t Fear Powder

Powder is often seen as the enemy as we age, however a light dusting of a finishing powder like our cult-favorite MINERAL VEIL Setting Powder (which is now available in a travel-friendly pressed powder) on areas such as the T-zone can do wonders for you, combating shine and leaving a healthy, dewy look. Another amazing powder to try, no matter what your age, is our best-selling ORIGINAL Loose Mineral Foundation. It looks like a powder, but it feels like a cream and buffs on like silk. I have witnessed first-hand many customers of all ages who are amazed by how this miracle formula covers imperfections and evens skin tone without sitting in lines or wrinkles. Even clients with rosacea and skin problems have seen the transformational power of this foundation. The best part of all is that it feels like you’re wearing no makeup at all!

Eyelash Curlers are Your Best Friend

Eyelash curlers can make a huge difference in the look of our lashes, drawing the eye upward and creating length and volume. Pressing and positioning lashes upwards gives the illusion of bigger, brighter eyes. (Curling the lashes also instantly makes it easier to apply mascara.)

Magnify, Magnify, Magnify

Place a magnifying mirror in front of natural light when applying your makeup — sitting facing a window, with the mirror on the sill, is ideal. The extra magnification allows you to apply your makeup with ease — especially eyeliner.

Invest in Makeup Brushes

A solid set of makeup brushes makes application and blending easier, and the end result will be a smoother application and a more professional finish. With quality brushes, you can control the amount you apply. Look for brushes that are clean and vegan, like all bareMinerals brushes.

Choose brushes that are built for the specific formula and application technique that you want. Each bareMinerals brush serves a specific purpose, such as applying loose powder or blending undereye concealer.

Befriend Brow Gel

Full, even brows help your face look healthy. Before you apply any product, brush your brows up to instantly lift the eye. Then, set the hairs in place with a brow gel, like STRENGTH & LENGTH Serum-Infused Brow Gel, which also helps strengthen and fortify brows over time.

Get Cheeky

Never underestimate the power of a flush of color on the cheeks. It adds a healthy look to the skin. In fact, my favorite makeup item is blush, as I have learned that a pink or peach glow makes everyone look more youthful. One good option is GEN NUDE Powder Blush in Pink Me Up, a universally flattering pink shade.

Treat Your Feet

Treat yourself to a pedicure. Give your feet some love and add a pop of color. Don’t be afraid to go a little crazy —you really don’t have to worry about being age-appropriate here.

Restore Radiance

Your hands need as much care as your face. Restore their natural radiance by slathering on a rich hand cream at night. The same goes for your neck. The skin on the neck is thinner, so invest in a neck cream early on (I wish I had practiced this sooner!). I love AGELESS Phyto-Retinol* Neck Cream. The neck is often an area we neglect, and I love the bouncy, springy feel that this cream gives the area.

Enhance with Bronzer

On days when you are feeling “blah,” bronzer can work wonders. Accent the cheeks, chin, and forehead, while keeping your makeup look minimal everywhere else. You can even apply bronzer on the eyelids as eyeshadow. Stick to matte bronzer for the most natural look.

Embrace Body Brushing

As a therapeutic ritual, I love body brushing daily. I like to brush my skin when it’s dry (never damp or wet). I start on the soles of my feet from toes to heels, then move up the body with smooth, long strokes going towards the heart to sweep away flakes and dry patches. While many people believe in the blood circulation benefits of dry brushing, for others it can just be a healing exercise for the mind and body.

Love Lip Color

Need some help finding your most flattering lip color? As a rule of thumb, choosing colors one to two shades darker than your natural lip color can help make the lips looks fuller. Even better? Choose a lip color full of nourishing natural ingredients such as cold-pressed fruit oil, like our MINERALIST Hydra-Smoothing Lipstick. You can even try on lip colors and more digitally on our Virtual Try On page — just upload a photo of yourself and start swatching!

Find Your Fragrance

As much as you love your old favorite fragrance, it might be time to switch it out. As we age, we have less oil in the skin, so the base notes are more apparent, and the top notes evaporate more quickly as there is less oil for the fragrance to grip onto. Fragrance smells very different once it’s dried down and settled on the skin, so don’t rush your decision – leave it on the skin to see if you like how it’s developed.

*Plant-based retinol alternatives.

Meet Lee

Lee Etheridge is a highly experienced educator, facilitator and coach with over 30 years of beauty industry experience. In her role as Vice President Global Education and Consumer Experience for bareMinerals, she is responsible for the education of the International Education Managers throughout Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Lee also represented bareMinerals on the QVC shopping channel in the U.K. for 7 years.

Lee has a reputation for creating effective, productive and motivated teams. She has written training programs covering varied topics, such as the introduction of a new product, evolving education strategy to a digital-first approach and coaching teams for performance. Lee spent the first 8 years of her retail career working in storefronts, which she credits for giving her the invaluable experience of advising customers of all ages.