mature skin

When these arrived on my desk (complete with coffee cup holder) I was instantly smitten. "A drink for your skin," Mask in a Cup ($7.99 each) are five treatment face masks made from Argiletz active clays which are extracted under the strictest conditions to ensure they remain rich in trace elements. Each cup features pure powder, which you then add water to and mix with the spatula provided. The green cup is suited to oily and combination skin, as well as those who suffer from acne; the yellow mask will revitalise tired skin; the grey/white cup is targeted towards more mature skin; the pink one works wonders on dehydrated skin; and finally the red mask is great for sensitive and couperose skin. What do you think? Love?

You lapped up my advice about how to look good in your 40s last week (yes, Cougar Town has had an effect on us all) so now I thought I'd share some makeup tips for mature skin. Because, let's face it, even if you're in your 20s, you'll be displaying several signs of premature ageing thanks to some slightly aggressive wine inhalation on the weekend. Will we never learn.

Forgo the frosting: You can still have it on cupcakes, just not in your compact. Frosting and shimmer work their way into any and all minor creases that your skin has. Moral of the story: after your 20s, frosty makeup is not your friend.

Make the move to matte: It's not like you can't still enjoy yourself, there are heaps of matte shadows and lipsticks on the market. Try Revlon Matte Eyeshadows ($19.95 each) which are really wearable (Rich Sable is my favourite for everyday wear) or Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Stay Matte ($33), both of which do an expert job of erasing lines and wrinkles. I swear by them.

Keep lips nude: A dark lipstick is a no no for lined mouths—it calls for all kinds of bad attention, so keep lips in the neutral colour family.

And you know by now that, when it comes to makeup application, the base is the most important thing. I don't need to remind you (again) that healthy, radiant skin is the key trend to come out of A/W 2010 so stick to your skincare regimen and most importantly, keep the hydration coming through regular moisturising.

Now, you might be nowhere near your 40s just yet, or you might be out the other side and having a whale of a time, either way this post is dedicated to anyone and everyone (pass it onto your mum or file it away for future use) who wants to grow old gracefully and still be able to turn heads. Because that's what beauty's all about. Making you look and feel gorgeous. Inside and out. Beauty knows no age limits.

Sadly, more and more nowadays, if a woman in her 40s looks great, everyone starts to whisper about the surgeon's knife. Not nice. And certainly not necessary, when you live by these tips :

Employ a good skincare routine: As most experts will remind you, your skin is the biggest organ that you have and certainly the most aesthetically-obvious one, which means it's crazy to neglect it. Cleansing, moisturising and protecting are key to good skin. Dipping in and out of a routine won't keep the wrinkles at bay so find a simple skincare routine that you know you'll be able to stick to. And remember that SPF is vital.

Go green: Both in food and activities. Stress is a massive ager. HUGE. Eating good, healthy food (nothing fast foodie, processed or fried) will instantly reflect in your face, as will spending time outdoors. Naturally relieving yourself of stress will take a lot of the hard work out of the war against wrinkles. Keep reading . . .

I am so into product reviews. It's like having someone on hand with the exact same skin type, texture and concerns as you, who was born around the same kind of time (so totally gets your love for Neil Young/George Michael/Tiffany) who has already been out, bought the product, tried it and decided if it's good or not. What's not to love?

In your 40s, your face loses volume around the cheeks and your lips get thinner, so you have the constant appearance of a sad lady even if you've just won $10mill on the lotto. Now, Lancôme has really set itself up as a leader in skincare with heaps of great technology under its belt. The most recent being the GF-Volumetry™ complex which keeps skin cells in constant communication, an absolute must if the skin's structure and shape is to stay the same as when you were in your 20s. It's featured in Lancôme Rénergie Lift Volumetry Volumetric Lifting and Shaping Cream SPF15 ($175) and this is what we thought about it . . .

"Quite simply, you lose face as you age—skin doesn’t bounce back readily. With gravity and time tugging at your complexion, you need some serious fight-back with some serious muscle. Lancôme’s Rénergie Lift Volumetry is a hydrating and firming moisturiser that restores shape to ageing skin. It feels quite lush and restorative on the skin without a trace of greasiness. Keep reading . . .

Environmental Protection Factor (EPF) is a scientific standard of measuring the power of antioxidants and judging a product’s antioxidant performance.

Put simply, it's like an SPF, but instead of accessing how much protection you'll get from the sun, it's talking about how much protection you'll get against environmental aggressors such as stress, pollution and smoking—all of which accelerate the ageing process. A product's EPF accesses how much power you'll get from the antioxidants that work to protect you from these environmental aggressors.

So how does it work? Well it objectively evaluates the power of an antioxidant on a 100-point rating scale. Top anti-ageing antioxidants include vitamin E, vitamin C and standard Co-Enzyme Q10, but it's idebenone that is the most powerful antioxidant with an EPF of 95. You can find idebenone in Priori Even Tones ($220) and the Prevage® product range which is getting a bit of a makeover from March 7, combining idebenone with ester to further improve its effectiveness.

Stockists: Prevage® (1800 015 500), Priori (1800 808 993).