If your skin care regime has gone on hiatus, it’s time re-instate a daily routine

Former Health and Beauty Editor for Active Life magazine, and Associate Publisher for B magazine, Jayne Hobbs, has maintained a youthful glow as she enters her 70s. While she admits that some of us benefit from a fortunate genetic background, it doesn’t mean that we should ignore proper skin care. Too much sun exposure and dehydration can damage any skin.

Hobbs starts her day by drinking a glass of water, and continues to do so throughout the day. She drinks lots of tea, but no coffee. After showering, she leaves her skin slightly moist before applying moisturizer. She wears less make-up than she used to, but believes that a light foundation helps to further protect her skin. Every evening, she removes any make-up, cleanses her face and moisturizes. 

As we age, we may find that products we once used are no longer suitable. “I developed an allergy to a brand that I used for years,” says Hobbs. “Also, skin becomes thinner with age, therefore a less-intense product may be better.”

Make-up tips

In an attempt to counteract gravity, blend creams and foundations in gentle, sweeping movements from the centre of your face, outward, to minimize the downward pull and to improve circulation.

Apply brow makeup before any other eye make-up. Unless you’re genetically gifted with full, strong brows or have tattooed brows, filling and extending your brow shape provides your eye area with a bigger frame. If you have dark hair, go two shades lighter with your brow make-up. Light hair? Go one or two shades darker with a brow filler.

The skin around our eyes is often deeper set with droopy overhangs. It takes away from the lid space when applying make-up, and diminishes the eye size and shape. Forget about any old rules, and go darker on your lids – a medium shade of brown or grey. Blend it from the lash line straight up, and over, your real crease. Keep the edge of the arc soft. The new fake crease creates an illusion, pushes back the overhang and makes your eyes appear larger.

When using eyeliner, toss the thick black shades of your youth and opt for a dark brown or grey colour. For a natural look, smudge the eyeliner with a Q-tip. For your lower lids, use the same colour, and draw a line along the outer third of your bottom lashes. For a softer look, use eyeshadow instead of liner. 

Choose a lipstick that’s one or two shades darker than your natural lip colour. Dark, matte finishes can age us, so consider selecting one that is a bit brighter and has a shine to it. Add a touch of gloss in the middle of your lower lip for a radiant glow.

“It all comes down to lifestyle,” says Hobbs. “I limit dairy. I try not to eat too many sweets, and I limit my alcohol intake (no hard liquor, just white wine). Plus, I try to balance my diet and keep my weight consistent.”

Catherine Daley has been a professional writer and editor for four decades, contributing to major newspapers and periodicals, as well as editing a series of magazines for a well-known publishing company. With a keen sense of design, Catherine has written about homebuilding, architecture and décor for a good part of her career. Two houses, which were personally designed and decorated, were featured in architectural magazines and voted house-of-the-year after each build. She has now carved out a writer’s lifestyle and is dedicated to her craft every day of the week. Contact her at: catherinedaley10@gmail.com