How to Look and Feel Younger

Okay, Christie Brinkley is 50 and she looks fabulous. But for those not blessed with her lucky genes or professional lighting consultants, getting older usually means looking older, too. Are crow’s feet, gray hair and the power of gravity inevitable? Probably. Is there anything that we can do to slow the clock and keep us looking as young as we feel? Definitely. While you may not always have a professional to bathe you in the most flattering wattage, there's plenty that you can do to look better and feel great - at any age and in any light.

Feeling younger begins with feeling good and the best way to feel terrific is to take care of your body and your mind. While you might not achieve eternal youth, these simple steps provide some age immunity and can help to keep you feeling and looking forever younger than your years.

1. Eat everything - A varied diet is the key to good nutrition. Fill your plate with a rainbow of color - from leafy greens to red berries and yellow squash. Double your portions of vegetables and cut back on fatty meats and processed foods. Substitute whole grain breads, brown rice and beans for white flour and potatoes. Don't forget to imbibe in an occasional glass of red wine. It's good for you!
    
2. Drink plenty of water - Water replenishes the moisture in your body and your skin. It also fills you up. One glass of water before each meal reduces the amount of food you feel like eating and helps to keep your skin dewy and your vital organs healthy.
    
3. Maintain your body weight - Quickly losing or gaining weight is bad for your metabolism and can reduce the elasticity in your skin. If you need to lose weight, take off no more than two pounds a week. Exercise and eat sensibly to maintain a healthy weight throughout your life.
    
4. Get exercise - Make movement a part of your daily routine. Climb the stairs at work, take the dog for a jog in the morning and ride your bike around town on weekends. Combine weight bearing exercises with stretching and aerobic workouts for the best results. While most people think of weight bearing exercises as lifting barbells at the gym and jogging, gardening or even walking all can help to reduce the risk of fractures and osteoporosis. Stretching exercises, like yoga and pilates help to maintain flexibility, mobility and balance, while aerobic exercise conditions the heart and respiratory system. Exercise provides visible benefits, too. An active lifestyle helps to keep you lean and toned. As you increase your lean muscle mass, you burn more calories even while you are at rest. Regular exercise will even help you get the rest you need by reducing stress and improving your sense of well-being. That means you'll have more energy and you'll feel (and look) younger.
    
5. Keep your hair style current - If you haven't changed your 'do since dudes were flipping over Farrah, it's time to make the cut. Think about updating your style with choppy layers or adding warm highlights. Use technology to find the right look. Many salons will scan your photo into a computer and then you can try on new styles and colors with no risk.
    
6. Update your accessories – Replace your oversized eyeglasses with a pair of funky frames. Toss clothes that are outdated, uncomfortable or matronly. Buy something that it totally different from anything else that's in your closet and introduce some new colors. Invest in a great pair of leather boots and instantly update any outfit.
    
7. Know what the kids are doing - Pay attention to pop culture. Watch the guest artists on Saturday Night Live, tune into your local Top 40-station while you clean up the kitchen, rent the back episodes of Sex in the City and read up of the latest Hollywood gossip while you're waiting in the checkout line. Being conversant in current music and movies keeps you from turning into a Golden Oldie.
    
8. Read the newspaper - Get up a little early and peruse the front page, scan the Business section, and the read the comics. Keeping up on current events keeps you in the loop - in the world and in the office.
    
9. Open your mind - Be willing to embrace new ideas and new concepts. Study Buddhism, travel to a foreign country, and take a poetry course. Do things for the first time and you'll continue to think young.
    
10. Sharpen your sense of humor - Getting old doesn't mean getting grumpy. Find humor in everyday situations, memorize a favorite joke and learn to tell it well, don't be afraid to laugh at yourself and with your family and friends as often as possible.
     
11. Do the crossword puzzle - Working on a word puzzle, playing Scrabble, solving math problems, reading a new piece of sheet music - all of these activities keep our brains flexible and can even help to ward off Alzheimer's disease.
     
12. Find a passion - Each day should hold something that makes it worth waking up- something that gives your life meaning. Family and friends are important. So is a sense of that you are making a valuable contribution to society and to the future. If your job doesn't provide you with a sense of purpose, find it elsewhere. Volunteer to work with children at a hospital, learn to play the electric guitar or train for a triathlon. With a purpose and a passion, you will never grow old.

Make-up Tips

Okay, so your body is toned, your heart is full of passion and your mind is stimulated. Now how can you look as good as you feel? You don't need to go under the knife to take off years and look your best. Here are a few tips from experts.

Eyes

• A stroke of white eye pencil near the lash-line provides a fresh, awake look.
• Curl eyelashes and apply brown or black/brown mascara. Select eye shadow in neutral tones of brown and taupe.
• Eliminate puffy eyes by sleeping on your back. Some models swear that over-the-counter hemorrhoid cream reduces swollen areas.
• Use eye cream at night and in the morning. Take advantage of the new wrinkle products which can actually minimize the appearance of fine lines and help prevent further damage. Look for products that contain Vitamin K and Alpha-Hydroxy and co-enzyme Q.
• Don’t apply powder near your eyes, it will settle in the lines and make them more noticeable.

Lips and Mouth

• Use sheer and glossy lip color. Matte finishes look dry and emphasize lines.
• Bleach your teeth. A dazzling white smile can take years off your looks. For the best results, see your dentist.
• Smile. It takes fewer facial muscles to smile. Turn up the corners of your mouth and it's like getting a mini-face lift.
• Practice good oral hygiene. Healthy gums and teeth promote overall good health and are the best way to prevent bad breath.
   

Hands

• Light or neutral nail polish. Dark colors make hands look older.
• Keep nails fairly short.
• Apply hand cream after washing hands or doing dishes.
• Don't wear rings on more than three fingers.
• Slather your hands with a rich emollient (Doris Day swears by petroleum jelly) and wear cotton gloves to bed. You'll wake up with soft, younger-looking hands.

Skin

• Wash with a gentle exfoliating scrub once a week.
• Moisturize morning and night.
• Spritz mineral water on your face every hour and drink a lot of water whenever you take a flight.
• Mix your foundation with a dab of moisturizer for smooth, sheer coverage.
• Apply cream or gel blush for a more natural look.
• Avoid exposure to sun. Use self-tanners or a bronzer if you need to glow.
   

Hair

• Lighten your hair. When covering grey, opt for lighter, rather than darker shades. Lighter hair is more flattering to mature skin tones. Consider adding highlights to blend in the grey.
• Use a deep conditioner on dry ends once a week.
• Opt out of blow drying, hot rollers, curling irons whenever you can. Give your hair a rest and it will thank you by staying shiny and strong.