Want to Look Ten Years Younger? Tell Me About It

By Kelly Atterton

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me for a product that will make them look 10 years younger, I would be filthy rich and long retired. As a veteran beauty editor (I’ve been doing this for more years than I can remember!) I’ve seen and heard it all: the launches with fantastic claims, the swear-by-it testimonials, the accolades and awards, and breakthroughs. And though I still get excited when new products debut, I’ve learned to manage my expectations by thinking about skincare in a healthy—and realistic—way.

First of all, nothing, and I mean nothing, will turn back the clock. If there was a miracle potion out there, every person using it would be a walking testament to its claims. When have you looked at your aesthetician or dermatologist and thought, “Wow, I can’t believe you’re old enough to even be doing this!” Probably never. Sure, there are more invasive things you can do like injectables or surgery. They may help out a bit, but they don’t stop time. And that’s not a bad thing! (This is where I give my Audrey Hepburn meets J Lo meets Halle Berry speech, so bear with me.)

There are women who age beautifully and gracefully. Blessed with one of the all-time greatest faces, Hepburn won the genetic lottery with her insane bone structure and gorgeous skin. And you know what she did? Hepburn kept her skin hydrated. She wore minimal makeup and her face always had a dewy sheen. Yes, she died wrinkled, but there was never a day that she wasn’t stunning.

That’s it, that’s the secret, and it’s a super easy one: Keep things simple. Learn to listen to your skin. It will tell you a lot if you pay attention. As for me, I love when brands do clinical testing proving that, over time, their products will deliver on their claims. But that requires consistent use, which is the part I often forget.

I approach my products like a mixologist. I pick and choose, based on what my skin needs on a particular day.  Here are my favorite products for immediate results that keep my skin happy.

 

U Beauty Resurfacing Compound

Apply to a clean face, wait until serum is completely dry before pressing on moisturizer. If you don’t follow these two simple rules you will end up with a mess of piled product. Follow the rules of application, and your face immediately transforms, becoming smoother and firmer – without feeling tight.

 

Soma Ayurvedic Under Eye Gel

This clear gel glides on, instantly cooling the skin as it deeply penetrates. Leaving the eye area hydrated and dewy for the entire day.

 

Serucell KFS Serum

Use this serum regularly and your skin will change on a cellular level, use it daily for the immediate improvements in tone and texture.  

 

Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF

Sunscreen is a must, and this serum provides the SPF you need while evening out your skin color. Goes on with a slight white tinge, but disappears after a few seconds, leaving you color that melts into your skin for a seamless match.

 

Heir Atelier Face Primer

This weightless formula, plumps, hydrates, and blurs fine lines and pores to create a smooth base for foundation.

Clé de Peau Wrinkle Smoothing Serum Supreme

Celebrity makeup artist Monika Blunder told me this was “Spanx for the skin,” she did not lie, and this miracle serum does not disappoint!

 

 

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photo courtesy of Rose Vandekerckhove @roses_cloud

 

Atterton, the beauty director of C Magazine and former west coast editor of Allure Magazine, owns a store in Los Angeles that specializes in small, independent beauty lines.