Last year I turned 40, and it forced me to face some real truths about my skin. Yes, I had taken very (VERY!) good care of my skin since about age 20…but 40 is the big leagues. Up until 40, your skincare routine is mostly a delightful game of preventative measures and feel good facials. You’re not doing the heavy lifting (pun intended) just yet. But at 40, the stakes somehow rise to epic proportions. Because now is the time when skin starts to *gasp* look its age. So, again, at age 40, I had to face some real truths about my skin. And here’s the thing: nothing groundbreaking happened to my skin on the morning of my 40th birthday. But something did “click†on the inside. It was time for me to stop obsessing over that pesky little smile line beginning its #formation and start embracing all of the things that make my skin great.
I used to love to glam it up on the regular. Heck, a red lip was my signature for years. Meet for coffee? Red lip! Brunch with the girls? Red lip! Quick run to the mall? You guessed it, red lip! And while I still love going hard for special occasions (hello, highlight/contour and a double-stacked lash application!), most days I prefer a look that’s much closer to my natural self: fresh skin, a flushed cheek and a soft lip. But to pull off the unicorn-like task of no-makeup makeup, good skincare is crucial.
For so many reasons, a more natural look just works for me. For starters, as the mom of a 2-year-old, I generally don’t have the time to cake on a lot of things to fake bright, luminous skin. So, once a week, I make sure to give my skin the boost and TLC it needs. AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT ® Brightening Daily Scrub targets all of the things that one might use makeup to cover: uneven tone, rough texture, brown spots, and blotchiness. The oil-free scrub (and, honestly, it’s so gentle it’s hard to even call it a ‘scrub’) lifts surface gunk like dead skin cells, impurities, and pore-clogging pimple starters.
I’m also never ever ever (EVER!) without a daily broad-spectrum moisturizing sunscreen. Truth be told, I firmly believe that I owe my line-free, now 41-year-old face to my daily use of sunscreen. AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT ® SPF 30 makes perfect sense for my lifestyle because it’s lightweight, absorbs fast and doesn’t leave a weird residue. It’s also affordable and widely available.
Great skincare and a positive attitude help me to embrace my natural beauty and not sweat the small stuff like smile lines (hey, I’m happy!!!) and occasional blemishes. When I get a pimple, I try to not freak out. I mean, I freak out a little, but there’s a limit to how much time I’ll dedicate to a pimple. I try not to let a pimple or skin imperfection dominate or lower my feelings about myself. I just remind myself: “It sucks, but you know what, it will heal.†In the meantime, I stay focused on doing my daily skincare routine and divert my attention to something more positive.
How do you embrace your natural beauty?
Share with #PEOPLENaturalBeautyContest for a chance to win a professional photo shoot in New York City and appear in the People World’s Most Beautiful issue.
HERE’S HOW TO ENTER:
SNAP a photo that best represents your naturally beautiful self, whether it’s a makeup-free selfie, a shot flaunting healthy-looking hair or a picture showing off your radiant, glowing skin.
SHARE your photo or video on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook using #PeopleNaturalBeautyContest
For more information visit www.people.com/naturalbeautycontest
GOOD LUCK! I can’t wait to see your entries…in all of your natural glory!
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