Beauty Over 40 | Not Your Mama's Makeup

Hello lovely readers! We're back with another episode of Beauty Over 40, a series I started with the goal of celebrating women over 40 in the realm of beauty. I am happy to bring to you one of the most prominent fixtures in the beauty blogging community, Shelley Plummer from Polarbelle, her tagline Not Your Mama's Makeup resonate in her love for all things bold, bright and fashion-forward beauty choices. Check out her Youtube channel and see for yourself, you're going to love her!

What are your beauty staples? I love to use Vit C serum, Vit E cream, retinol and a good AHA for the skin.  Brighten, hydrate, and exfoliate are the keys to skincare for me. For makeup items, I use concealer and foundation more than anything else, but I truly love to watch the eyelid and lip colors change my look.  I'm all about the color.

At what age you started with makeup and skincare? At 17, I started wearing foundation as a way to make blush last.  I was was in desperate need of blush.  I graduated to a full face when I turned 35.  I figured at the time that if I was ever going to play with makeup, there was no time like the present.  I started using moisturizer and retinol cream in my late 40s, which is way too late to start with skincare.

Any important beauty tips for younger women?  I would tell younger women not to stress about perfection, in all areas, really.  Social media has given us the idea that many people look perfect and can perfectly apply makeup like a supermodel.  It's not a good reflection of real life or the populace as a whole.  There are filters and fixes that give the idea of perfection when they are actually normal people like the rest of us.  You don't have to look perfect to be happy or to enjoy the beauty process.  The pressure for perfection is real and daunting, but try to remember that perfection, in any worldly realm, just doesn't exist.  Relax and have some fun every day.  And always wear sunscreen.  Always.  You'll be so glad when you're older that you wore it.  I wish I'd been that smart to have known what I know now.

Any important beauty tips for women over 40? My beauty tip for over 40 is quite similar...always wear sunscreen and have fun.  Don't worry about having to look perfect like we see on Instagram.  It's an illusion that we have to put in proper perspective.  Have fun with your beauty routine.   Allow yourself to express your inner artist.  If you want to do a makeup look that you're afraid people will tell you that you're too old to wear, do it anyway!!  We only have now to be able to experiment and play, so take advantage of that time.  There are no rules to makeup expression at any age.  Wear that red or blue lipstick and wear some glitter if you want!!  It will always wash off if you don't like it but at least you had the fun of trying it.  Being older doesn't mean you have to conform to anyone's ideal any more than being young does.

If you were to launch your own product, what would it be and why?  If I were to launch my own products or collection - That's an awesome question!!  And something I've never really thought about.  It would probably be the No Rules Collection and feature colorful eyeshadows....anything but more warm browns, except for that one universal crease color, lol.  And the lips would be all rich shades to coordinate.  And more tones of pink blushes!!  Please!!

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Beauty Over 40 series first appeared on this blog. xo