Age makes you sage and brings a lot of experience along with wisdom but that doesn’t mean you should look old too. What about the heart which is forever young? Should the young-at-heart look old or are there ways to thwart the effects of time without spending a bomb? Ask us. There are ten such ‘easy-to-do’ age erasers that will help you look young and glowing. Find more with Archana Jha Darshan
1. Pay attention to your posture. Your mom must have told you a hundred times when you were young that you should sit straight. Follow her advice. Do not slouch on the chair while working on the desktop. Your perennially stiff shoulders will begin to fade and your double chin will make a disappearing act too. Sit straight.
2. Get a haircut. A well done haircut can make a world of difference to your looks. Go for soft layers and bangs that frame your face to look young. Almost all of us colour our grey strands to reverse the clock, you don’t need to pick the jet-black shade that will make you stand out as a ‘dyed’ matron. Go for highlights on your tresses and pick warm shades that complement Indian skin tone. For this season khaki brown highlights are popular, honey caramel shade looks cool too, suggests Shanti from Hair n Shanti.
3. Take care of your teeth. Stained teeth add years to your face. Get your teeth bleached and your pearly whites are going to shine like never before. As an added bonus point you’ll smile with greater confidence.
4. Work out. What separates dainty girls from matronly looking women? A big chunk of the answer is weight. Losing weight will make you look younger. Don’t go on crash diets rather eat balanced meals and work out. Exercise not only releases feel good hormones which will make you relaxed and less cranky but also tones your butt and belly. The moment you begin to shape up your confidence begins to soar.
5. Skin care. Your face reflects the status of your health. Add a gentle exfoliating cleanser to your regular cleanse-tone-moisturise routine. Use hydrating creams generously. Rose water and glycerine put together make a good hydrating cream. Invest in a quality night repair cream and use it before you hit the sack.
6. Tweak your makeup. While mineral makeup is great it’s basically compressed powder. Go for creamy foundation because it will camouflage the fine lines of your face. Similarly prefer creamy lip colours to matte lip stains. Go for earthy tones for your eye makeup and wear lip gloss.
7. Beef up your brows. Our mind tends to associate thick eyebrows with youthful looks. As you age do not go for pencil thin eyebrows because such brows can give you vampish look. Maintain the natural arch of your eyebrows and tweeze out wayward strands. Now is the time that you should stop getting your eyebrows done by a novice in your neighbourhood parlour. Be finicky about who is doing your eyebrows because they define your face. You can use thin, feathery pencil strokes to beef it up too.
8. How about pampering neglected body parts? You don’t need to be surprised at hearing this. In the humdrum of life most of us tend to overlook our hands, feet and neck. Our hands tell a lot about our age. Cracked heels denote the lack of attention and care given to the feet. Book yourself for a session of manicure and pedicure. Stop using your face cream on your hands. Buy products that are especially made to cater to the needs of hands and feet. During winters you can massage your hands and feet with olive oil and wear cotton socks over it. Gently massaging exposed parts of your hands with a lemon peel will help you get rid of the dark blemishes. As for your neck any product that goes on your face must cross the territory of your chin and reach to your neck.
9. Buy a quality bra. You need it. The shape of breasts changes with time. You know why? Motherhood, breastfeeding and gaining weight affect the size of our breasts. Moreover, as we age our chest sags. A quality bra will give the breasts much needed support. Almost all malls retailing lingerie these days have a trial section. Try bras before you buy. Seek the help of a sales assistant. Chances are you must be wearing the wrong size!
10. Smile. That’s the easiest and cheapest makeover available to all. Use it often and its going to change your attitude to life.
Learn to go with the flow because life itself is a beautiful journey and you should enjoy the ride. That’s what matters!
