Tips For the Mature and Sexy

So I thought I would start off with a topic that women like to avoid when it comes to makeup, the topic of aging. Yes I'm going there with this one. It makes sense actually because of the conversation I had with an older woman at Target. She looked about 60 but in better shape than me. Basically she wanted some makeup tips for older women and was overwhelmed by all the products. At first I was taken aback and didn't know how to respond exactly being put on the spot. As she explains what she means I thought to myself, "I wonder how many older women have questions or want tips too". I was in a rush but I made time to help her out. So here are a few tips to help the mature but fab.

Having a skincare regimen and taking care of the skin is most important for everyone regarding makeup. The steps in a regimen can vary from person to person. It's not the number of steps in one it's the product quality that matters, as well as how your skin looks and feels. Basics are: Facial scrub and a moisturizer. Find a facial scrub that is gentle but effective, and then I recommend exfoliating the skin before rinsing. You could make a DIY scrub, I recommend an oatmeal ginger scrub. (Check below to see my recipe). Moisturizers are a bit tricky sometimes. Everyone has different types of skin, the most common are oily, combination and dry. Once you know your type you can pick the proper moisturizer.

(Image from fentybeauty.com)

One of my pet peeves has to be when you don't remove your makeup! Just think about how much your face went through in the day. Why wouldn't you want that old makeup, sweat and dirt off? Don't you come from work and get out of all your clothes etc.? So I think you guys get my point. Using a primer could also help the skin out as far as preparation goes. Now maybe I should describe the benefits of using primers in general. A primer first off is a base for your foundation, so it goes on right before applying it. It works a couple ways. First off most people know that it helps makeup go on smoother and lessons fine lines and wrinkles. Did you know that it also can be used to create a filter? If you know this than you understand the effect primers have on a look. One of my favorite primers is the "Pro Filter" by Fenty cosmetics, it's currently about $35 on the website. If you are looking for a good primer with a lower price point I suggest one of the ELF primers, which are between $6 and $8 depending on where you buy them. Another good thing about ELF is that they have a few different types of primers depending what skin type you are: Dry, Combination, Oily.

My last tip regarding skincare is actually most important, keeping the skin protected from the sun. I hear people commenting on the skin of others. When you see an older woman and her skin is old, dry and wrinkled, most of the time they didn't take care of their skin when they were younger. The sun is like the friend we love but can't stand. Very little time in the sun is best because too much will RUIN your skin. So finding any foundation with SPF 15 already  in it is a great idea. And ladies… keep those lips moist. You never want to put a good lip color over dry lips. They crease and the lipstick rests in the creases, making the lips look dry. That goes for foundations too. Use liquid and creme foundations, powder just rests in the lines and wrinkles. Less powder products the better. That way you don't have a cake face, which ages the skin. Now the amount of the powder applied matters too, so don't be heavy.

Okay now a days everyone contours their faces. There is an art to getting the perfect look, and the key is blending…. And again not being heavy handed. Blush I think is very important, when using the right shades. When choosing a shade I suggest a palette that has light to medium warm pink tones. I don't think that dark shades make you look younger at all. But…again … blending and not being heavy handed. I guess I'll say now that it goes for your highlighting too. Now I use these tips for any face any shade when it comes to highlighters. If you have lighter pigmented skin try pinker brown shades and for darker skin use brown bronze shades.

Last quick Tips: Use lighter shades on the lip to look younger (ex: red, pink, purple etc.) and Line only your top lids when using eye liners. So there you go, hope this post helps anyone

Peace & Love

Nzuri Malkia

P.S. here's the DIY Oatmeal ginger facial scrub:

1/3 cup of sugar - The soft exfoliate 

1 cup of oatmeal - gentle for sensitive skin

1/2 cup of raw honey - raw honey soothes inflammation and irritation

1/3 cup of milk - gives natural moisture and has lactic acid for exfoliation

1 teaspoon of pure coconut oil - for softness and lauric acid

1 Ginger spice or pieces - Has 40+ antioxidants that prevent damage and protect the skin against aging and improves elasticity and evens skin tone.

1. Put the sugar, oatmeal, coconut oil and ginger in a bowl
2. Add the milk and then honey slowly while stirring, it shouldn't be to runny basically. If you need to or want to add more of something go ahead it's your scrub
3. Store in a container to use another time

(Images from fentybeauty.com)