Affordable Cosmetics to Protect and Highlight Your Natural Beauty as You Mature
When you have a tried-and-true beauty routine, it’s easy to fall into the habit of relying on your usual methods. As you get older, the cosmetics you use and the routine you follow to take care of yourself and your signature look may no longer serve you. That’s because as you age, your body stops producing the same level of natural oils, and your skin doesn’t hold moisture as well. You might also be noticing more fine lines and wrinkles, less elasticity, and an uneven tone. Your nails and hair may get more brittle and dull in color. This can feel frustrating, tempting you to try to hide these changes to fit into a society that highlights youth as the epitome of beauty.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of spending money on anti-aging products or expensive cosmetics. But more costly doesn’t always equate to more effective. Often, similar products with the same ingredients offer results that are just as good, if not better, for a fraction of the cost. Instead of trying to hide perceived imperfections or imitate youthful trends, try embracing the aging process by using minimal products that highlight your natural beauty. When it comes to cosmetics for mature skin, it’s more about taking care of your skin and body. So keep makeup simple and natural while also having fun and finding what makes you feel good.
Nail Care
1. Essie Treat Love & Color offers a range of colored nail polishes containing collagen and camellia extract to help strengthen nails and reduce breakage. To help balance cool tones in older hands, try bright and light colors with orange or pink undertones. ($10)
2. Barielle Hydrating Ridge Filler is a clear polish that can be used as a base coat or on its own to smooth and fill in dry, weak, or ridged nails. It strengthens the nail with silk protein fibers as your nails grow. ($9.99)
Skin Care
3. Gold Bond Ultimate Strength & Resilience Skin Therapy Lotion is specifically designed to support the needs of mature skin with a blend of vitamins, proteins, lipids, and moisturizers. ($9.34)
4. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream can be used on the face, body, or hands to smooth and moisturize the skin. It rebuilds your skin’s natural barrier with ceramides and hyaluronic acid. ($15.92)
Hair Care
5. Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse gives a thicker, full-bodied appearance to thinning hair with a lighter, more flexible hold. ($29)
6. YANIBEST Silk Pillowcase provides a softer, smoother sleeping experience to prevent hair and skin from losing moisture. It also reduces the friction that increases damage or wrinkling in the skin and hair breakage and tangles. ($23.99)
Makeup
7. NYX Color Correcting Palette has various colored concealers to use when color correcting uneven tones in the skin. The idea is that using opposing shades on the color wheel will cancel out to create an even tone. ($8.99)
8. Boomstick Color is one stick that can be used as lipstick, blush, bronzer, and more. It is made by Boom, a “pro-age” company that embraces the beauty of aging and is a sheer shade that uses your natural coloring. ($28)
9. Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream is an oil-free color correction cream with SPF 30 sunscreen protection to give your skin moisture and coverage with a more lightweight formula. ($39.50)
10. L’Oreal Paris Age Perfect Magnifying Mascara is designed for mature lashes. It creates volume while protecting lashes with a gentle brush and a formula with conditioning serum and jojoba oil. ($7.69)
Kimberly Blaker is a freelance writer. She also owns an online bookshop, Sage Rare & Collectible Books, specializing in out-of-print, scarce, signed, and first editions; fine bindings; ephemera and more at sagerarebooks.com
