Never Underestimate the Power of Moisturizer.
Whether your skin is dry, normal, or even oily, if you can only afford one skin care product, your dollars will be well spent on a good moisturizer. When skin is dry, says Narins, every wrinkle is accentuated, making you look older. If you're in your 20s or 30s, moisturizers will give you some of the protection you need to keep skin from prematurely aging.
Sunscreen Is Your Best Anti-aging Product.
Before you see the plastic surgeon, before you plunk down half a paycheck on that pricey anti-aging cream, in fact, before you do anything, put on sunscreen. While most of us know it reduces the risk of skin cancer, did you also know it is an amazing beauty secret that can help keep skin looking young? The reason, is that when sunscreen blocks out the sun's damaging rays, it also blocks their aging effects. The sun impacts collagen production in the skin, and without collagen, skin won't naturally maintain that plump, moist, youthful, wrinkle-free look. Without the protection of sunscreen, just a few minutes of daily sun exposure over the years can cause noticeable changes in how skin looks and feels. Sunscreen can protect your skin from these damaging rays, so that even if you do spend time outdoors, your face is less likely to give away your age.
Choose Your Cleanser Wisely.
Dermatologists say that one of the best beauty tips around is to use the gentlest cleanser you can find and use it sparingly. While the temptation may be great to wash your face several times a day (or more if skin is oily), not only will over-cleansing not help you, if you're using a harsh product, such as particularly soap, you could be harming your skin. Wash your face too often, more than twice a day, and you can damage the natural lipid barrier, the protective mantle of lubrication that keeps skin looking and feeling healthy. Once that protection is lost, and the integrity of the skin barrier disrupted, skin becomes dry which means it can crack, peel, itch, burn, sting, or any combination. It also means you can look older than your years. The solution : Wash skin no more than twice a day and choose your cleanser wisely.
Use the Right Tools for the Right Job.
You can have the best eye-shadow money can buy, the world's most luxurious foundation, a bronzer straight from the cosmetic bag of a supermodel. But if you don't have the right tools to apply them, their benefits will be lost.
Using the right brushes, the right application tools – it's key to making the products go on the way they are intended and to give you the look that you want. What constitutes the "right" tools? Brushes should be soft and feel gentle on the skin, but also have substance so the product can be moved to the surface of your skin. If you dip a brush in shadow or blush and the color falls off before you make it to your face, that's a bad brush.
If you don't know what to buy, you can't go wrong if you purchase the tools sold with a high-quality beauty line. Most are created to give your application a professional touch and to work best with each product in the line.
Update Hair and Makeup Every 2 Years.
If you can't even remember the last time you changed your hair and makeup, it's way overdue. Ideally, your image, including hair and makeup, should be updated at least every two years – and sooner if the styles change dramatically. By keeping your look current, you also look younger and more modern. If it's been a while since you've had a change, visit the makeup counters at your favorite department or beauty store, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Most of the better lines are sold by makeup artists who can quickly catch you up on what's new.
Source : WebMD Reference.
