There’s a fine line between not trying to be trendy and not trying to be current and stylish at all. If you haven’t updated your look in decades and are still wearing the same makeup, using the same skincare, and rocking the same hairstyle, it might be time for an intervention. Here are a few hints that you’re looking old-fashioned, along with a few tips on how to step into the now.
1. Failing to Update an Aging Hairstyle
The right haircut can take years off your appearance, so keeping up with current hair trends and adapting your look is essential. You don’t need to do anything overly dramatic or trendy, but a fresh style can make you look more youthful. Ask your stylist for advice on the best style to suit your face shape and hair color (both of which change as you get older). A few tips: Adding some soft, well-blended layers adds texture and volume and can soften your face and disguise hair loss. It’s better to go slightly shorter as you age so your hair doesn’t drag your face down. Also, avoid harsh, super-short crops, which create a harsh, severe look and draw attention to fine lines and wrinkles.
2. Neglecting to Cover Up
Going gray is part of the genetic aging process, and there’s not much we can do about it. You have two choices: embrace the silver fox look or have your roots touched up regularly. Letting things go can make you look like you don’t care. If you decide to cover up, choose gentle plant-based hair dyes whenever possible, as chemical dyes can impact the condition of your hair and cause loss. Making friends with dry shampoos that have color pigment will also help you stretch out the time between color appointments and are a godsend when you’re heading out but haven’t done your roots.
3. Skipping the Trims
Keep up with your hair maintenance to encourage healthy growth, prevent loss, and keep your locks looking smooth and chic. You need to trim your ends and re-style your hair every 6-8 weeks; otherwise, you’ll look like an overgrown mess, and your hair can break, get split ends, and become frizzy and straw-like.
4. Having Bad Hair Habits
Bad hair and lifestyle habits can accelerate graying and loss, leaving your hair dull, flat, and limp. To maintain your hair’s health, condition, and luster, always use shampoo and conditioner suited to your hair type, choose clean, sulfate-free products, and limit heat styling as it dries out hair. Never rough-dry your hair or brush it when it’s wet (as it’s more fragile), eat a well-balanced diet, get 7-9 hours of sleep, and manage stress.
5. Messing Up Your Foundation
Your skin becomes drier with age, and collagen and elastin—the proteins that give it structure and firmness—begin to break down, leading to a dull complexion, fine lines, wrinkles, and dark age spots. The last thing you want to do is draw attention to any of this, so always use a liquid-hydrating foundation with a satin finish. Heavy matte foundations and concealers settle straight into crevices and wrinkles, highlighting rather than disguising them.
6. Using Heavy Powder
It’s essential to set your foundation once you’ve applied it, but avoid heavy powders. These will migrate straight to your lines and wrinkles, making your skin look matte and flat. The same goes for powder blushes. Use a setting spray or spritz some hydrating mist or rosewater on your face to give it a more dewy glow. Instead of blush, apply an illuminating highlighter or bronzer from the apples of your cheeks along the cheekbone toward your temple to define your bone structure and add a sheen.
7. Letting Your Lipstick Slide
You need to reconsider your lipstick approach as you age. When your skin is dull, dry, and aged, switch out dark shades and heavy matte formulations for hydrating cream lipsticks in soft, neutral shades. As your lipstick is more prone to bleeding and feathering, and lines around the mouth become more prominent, introduce lip liner if you haven’t already. Draw just outside the natural line of your lips in the same shade as your lipstick (or even a shade lighter, but never darker), and then apply your lipstick. Lip glosses with a hint of tint are also a good idea and keep up with the lip balm as your lips need extra hydration with age.
8. Ignoring or Emphasizing Eye Aging
Your eyes can be the first to show signs of aging, so give them extra attention. Use a firming, stimulating eye cream day and night (ingredients like caffeine and hyaluronic acid will help fight aging), and make sure your brows are groomed and well-defined. Use a brow pen with hair fibers to plump them up if you’ve overplucked, and always apply mascara to the top and bottom lashes to open up the eye area and help disguise saggy lids or a droopy brow. It’s also best to avoid heavy eye makeup; leave the dark eyeliner and colored or frosted shadows to the younger gals. A hint of highlighter in a neutral shade is best.
9. Not Having a Proper Skincare Regime
Keep up with your daily skincare routine to make your skin more radiant. The steps should include an AM/PM cleanser, anti-aging serum (look for ingredients like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and retinol), face moisturizer, eye moisturizer, and neck cream. It should go without saying that you need to apply SPF every day to protect against sun damage and environmental damage, both of which speed up aging. Do a twice-weekly moisturizing mask or add a few drops of face oil to your nightly moisturizer for an extra boost. Internal hydration also matters, so drink 2.7 liters of water every day.
10. You Don’t Exfoliate Enough
All that excellent skincare work goes to waste if you aren’t exfoliating your skin regularly. Exfoliation works to slough off the dead skin cells on the surface of your face, revealing a bright new layer. Removing dead skin and debris also allows skin and pores to better absorb skincare products deep into the skin. Exfoliate 2-3 times a week and use a liquid-based product infused with enzymes or alpha hydroxy acids; these remove dead skin cells without subjecting your face to harsh physical scrubs, which can irritate the skin, increase sensitivity, and in worse cases, cause micro-tears. Have a professional microdermabrasion treatment if you want a heavy-duty exfoliation and rejuvenating boost.
11. Forgetting to Upgrade Your Eyewear
Your eyewear is an extension of your face and makeup, and if you’ve been wearing the same dated glasses forever, they are likely making you look old-fashioned. Consider updating your frames to something more modern and flattering to give your overall appearance a fresh boost. Glasses that are massively oversized, too thick, or too thin, in tacky colors, or with retro shapes and embellishments are not a good look. Keep them simple, slimline, and chic.
12. Clinging Onto Old Jewelry
Jewelry speaks volumes about your style and can also date your look. Just because you’ve been wearing certain pieces forever or they have sentimental value doesn’t mean you need to pile it all on. We’re not talking about your wedding ring, but pieces like chunky embellished necklaces, chokers, colored bangles, and old-fashioned watches can make you look out of touch. Right now, it’s all about an elegant gold necklace, a simple stud or small gold hoop earring, and a couple of rings—don’t wear one on every finger.