If you want to age like Helen Mirren, here are a few tips you can try at home!!

Sadly today’s post won’t be for the men of the group who read my musings, so I figure it’s only right to give you fair warning to click closed now. I’m super nice like that.

Ladies, many of you have asked about my skincare regime, and I’ve delayed telling you about it because, I’m sad to say, it really isn’t that straightforward, or with products that you can go buy in the corner drug store. Plus there have been years of preventative care via injections, and regular facials, some of those being snake venom facials. Hell I’ll try anything once, maybe go for a second treatment, if the first one doesn’t off me.

Then there is the fact, that my father had, and actually continues to have amazing skin. A very even texture, small pores, and balanced. Meaning not oily, or dry, just right. I was extremely fortunate to get his skin, so I can’t, nor can my face God, Macheal you know how much I LOVE YOU, take all the credit.

The long and short of why my skin is the way it is, on my face, is due to one part good genes, another part consistency of care, and finally an obsession with looking after it. For me, I’m not down for the facelift life, so to avoid that I must put in the work, time and money now. Also, if you take great care of it, you can shave many years off your actual age…although I still haven’t figured out how to really and truly keep neck skin from sagging…none of the lotions and potions I’ve ever used have had the same effect on my neck as my face. And trust me, I’ve tried TONS of supposedly neck tissue, supporting products to no avail. Regardless of the fact that none of them actually work, I still slather it on as if my life depends on it, from the chin line, to behind my ears, (yes lady BEHIND YOUR EARS) that’s one of the first places to wrinkle thanks to sleeping on your side, that nobody seems to consider, all the way down to the top of my breasts. Yannick always says; “I’m going to bed in thirty minutes, if you want to go up and start getting ready…”

Insert eye roll here. Sorry not everybody can just age gracefully, and more handsome than they were when they were young, YB. Some of us are but mere mortals.

Anyway, for me, even when we were hurting for cash, I continued with the basics for my face, and got by because my mother sprung for skincare products when I couldn’t afford to keep taking care. Thanks mom, you’re wonderful!!! Regardless of the size of your bank account, here are things you can do to ensure your face goes boldly with you into the latter years of your life, like Helen Mirren’s face…whom by the way I was standing “this close” to last night while we both waited for our cars at the Valet of our fam’s favourite restaurant… Giorgio Baldi. Swoon. LOVE HER. So talented, so gracious, so bold, SO F’N BEAUTIFUL!!!

Carrying on, with YOU and how you too can age like Helen!!

1. make sure when you rise you use a good quality, meaning no toxins, preferably something natural to gently wipe your night of sleeping from you face. It’s not necessary to wash with a cleanser, unless you’ve sweat during the night. You still have your night time potions in your skin, and it’s ideal to leave those there for twelve hours if you can. If you’ve had some hot flashes/night sweats while sleeping, then use your cleanser to give your face a gentle wash.
2. depending on your age, you should be using a serum, one that either contains vitamin C, retinol, or hyaluronic acid. This goes on next. Be careful of getting sun on your face when using any of these!!
3. this is worth it’s weight in gold…find an under eye serum that you love, and that works. I don’t know where you all live, but again, if you’re in Canada, thankfully Shoppers Drug Marts are carrying a wide array of beauty products in all price ranges. Go in and have a chat with them. Or, head into a major department store, ask for samples for products in your price range, repeat this at Sephora. Try a line for a few days, a week would be awesome, then give your skin a break, using only water, or your newly acquired wipes, you want to do this so that you can be sure which line works best for your face! Then move on to the next product line. Continue to do this until you see which line your face responds to best!
4. let step two soak in, half blow dry your hair during this time, and then apply your day cream. Once that soaks in, finish blow drying your hair, apply your sunscreen. Now this is one that I’m on the fence about. I’ve read too many articles that say the chemicals in sunscreen interact with sun’s rays and actually accelerate, and in some cases cause cancer. So, that being known this is one area where I always splurge and get an organic product. Always. If this is something that you do not want to spend money on, I completely understand. If this is your potion, I suggest you wear a sunhat to block the sun from your face. Trust me, it’s worth it, because the alternative is trying to get rid of the sun damage on your face, and so far, I’ve had temporary “lightening” of said spots, but nothing has eliminated them all together.
5. finally, do yourself this very large favor. If budget is an issue, I totally understand this as a reality!! Cut something out of your life, maybe eating breakfast on the run, or grabbing two cups of coffee from Starbucks every day, and instead put that money into a “facial fund.” Then find a qualified esthetichian, who uses all natural, or organic products, and treat yourself to however many facials a year that the money you’ve saved spending on frivolous items on your face. Trust me, do this, your lifetime face will thank you!

So, if you want your skin to be happier, start with a very simple, easy to manage skin program, and watch your skin glow, and carry you through the rest of your life with people saying; “WHAT??? I WOULD NEVER HAVE GUESSED THAT WAS YOUR AGE!!!” And who doesn’t want to hear that?!?

Xo SB