Here are my recommendations as far as skin care goes:
1. 'Miracle Worker' Miraculous anti-aging retinoid pads & solution $70
2. 'The Present' clear make-up $25
3. 'Purity Made Simple' One Step Facial Cleanser $32
4. 'Hope in a Tube' high density eye & lip cream $33
5. 'Eye Hope' advanced anti-aging eye cream $48
6. 'Divine Illumination' skin illuminating moisturizer $85
7. 'Miracle Worker' miraculous anti aging moisturizer $55
If you can foot the bill, then I say go for it & get all of the above, if you just want to get a few at a time, then I would say to start out with #3 (best cleanser I have EVER used hands down & I have tried a LOT of them on the market), #4 (so moisturizing & I love how you can use it around the lips as well, I particularly like this one for nighttime & #5 for day, but if you can only choose one, then go for #4), #7 (I have been using this particular one since they launched it about 6 or so months ago & I highly HIGHLY recommend it. And I was checking out some other customer reviews online about this moisturizer & it sounds like a lot of other ladies would also highly recommend it), & then #2. Even though #2 is technically a make-up Primer, I feel like it has skin care benefits as well. If you do your morning cleanse & moisturize routine & then put 'The Present' over it, it just seals in that moisturizer so well that you have just put on & then as the directions say, you let it 'sit' for 2 minutes while it's developing on the skin. Then you are ready to apply your make-up for the day. I think a make-up primer is a must (especially for aging skin) & I don't go a day without using one. Benefits of using a make-up primer:
*You smooth out the surface (your skin) & then foundation/powder, whatever you put on top of it lays on top a perfect surface, therefore making your skin appear smoother.
*Your moisturizers job is to 'sink' into the skin, so if you put make-up right on top of it, it clings to the moisturizer & therefore magnifying the fine lines, wrinkles & pores. Whereas, a make-up primer just lays on top of your moisturizer, helping to temporarily 'fill in' the imperfections. Making your skin look & feel a little more supple.
*As I previously mentioned, it locks in the moisture underneath it, making your moisturizer work better for you. (Especially as we age, we loose some of the natural oils in our skin, so the extra moisture is a must) And if you really want to go crazy, you can also layer this over your moisturizer at night.
*It makes your make-up last a lot longer on the skin & your make-up looks fresher.
If you would like the 'look for less' I have heard/read that 'Olay ProX' Professional Anti Aging Regimen; 3 piece starting kit is awesome as well. It is sold for around $60 for the kit which includes: Wrinkle Smoothing cream, Age repair lotion with SPF 30 & Eye Restoration Complex. You can get the kit at Wal-Mart , Target & drugstore.com
I also highly recommend wearing sunscreen year round with an SPF of at least 30. Nothing ages the skin more quickly than sun damage (well & smoking, but I am just assuming that none of you out there are that foolish to have such an unhealthy habit).
As far as make-up goes, make sure you are using a good concealer to conceal under eye circles & age spots. I like MAC's 'Select Moisturecover', blends in easily & is ultra-moisturizing & has build able coverage, so you can layer it if you need extra concealing in certain areas. And it comes in a lot of great shades, so color matching your skin will be easy. It's $16.50 & is sold at Nordstrom & maccosmetics.com. Also, make sure that you are defining your eyebrows with a good eyebrow powder or pencil. As we get older, our brows start getting a little bit sparse, so you want to maximize what you've got & also, nothing frames out your face more than your eyebrows. I feel like at any age it is appropriate to wear a little shimmer on the face. My tip for that is, the older you get, the finer milled the shimmer needs to be. So if you are say 12, heck you could wear glitter on your face & be fine, but if you are 45+ make sure it's just an iridescent glimmer & limit it just to the eyes & a little shimmery gloss popped in the center of the lips helps them look fuller. What patent leather is to the butt (makes it look bigger), shimmery gloss is to the lips. Just saying. Also line your lips with a neutral lip liner, to help prevent that feathering of the lips effect that seems to come with age.
I hope that some of these tips have helped. Please keep the suggestions a coming!!!
