How to look less exhausted and brighter

[stoicgirl]

I'm 41 and have dealt with a lot of grief and loss these last few years. I also dealt with sexual harassment which I think definitely took it's toll on me, I really internalised the whole thing and began to loathe the way I look.

Upto a few years ago, I would have said I was reasonably pretty and had nice features, but I just look tired all the time now and stress has taken it's toll on me. I have a very good diet, drink lots of water, don't smoke or drink and have minimal Botox about every 9 months.

I suppose I'm just tired of feeling tired and wonder if anyone has any suggestions for how to brighten myself up a little. I'm a lover of bright colours and always wear them, but I'm thinking more along the lines of skincare. I'm willing to splash out so all suggestions are welcomed.

I know it’s boring but first things first are exercise and sleep. Even just brisk walks in nature or a tree lined street make me look more alive. Or gardening! Is the stress gone or do you have good methods to deal with that? Stress really shows on my face.

The main things in regards to skincare that brightened me up were hydralaunic acid serum and vitamin c serum and being better with sunscreen on the face.

Good luck!

Well … stoicism is all very well but sometimes one just needs a holiday. Or even a brief change of scene. Is that possible for you?

Im not sure about skincare but I've had a similar few years and my word, it shows!
A bit of concealer, loads of blusher and a really bright lipstick can drag me out of the tired dullness.

Following with interest.

A decent Vit C serum will brighten your skin up no end.

This serum from Nip + Fab works really well on my 57 yr old skin. https://www.nipandfab.com/products/dragons-blood-fix-plumping-serum?_pos=2&_psq=dragons&_ss=e&_v=1.0 It plumps out the very fine lines so I look smoother, it doesn't do much for very deep wrinkles but the overall effect is still a definite improvement.

You could also consider trying a retinol serum at night. You would need to always wear sunscreen if you use it as it makes your skin more vulnerable to the sun. Roc do one that is fairly mild as a starter, it does make my skin go red when I first put it on so I put a layer of moisturiser over the top, but my skin look good in the morning. I do that a couple of times a week (when I remember). https://rocskincare.co.uk/products/retinol-correxion-wrinkle-correct-serum?_pos=3&_sid=ecea3b2df&_ss=r

@Beckykl thankfully the stress has lessened, it's really more dealing with the trauma side of things. These are great suggestions, I love gardening and am pretty creative so that's a great stress buster.

@AndYesTheWeeDonkeys I'm hoping to go away for a few days in August. I think it will help no end

@Waveforme sorry to hear you have had a few difficult few years also. I love brighter lipsticks especially plum type shades, haven't worn any in ages so will have to dig them out again.

@howlsmovingbouncycastle I've seen an Olay one that looks fab so I'm going to try that one. Thank you :)

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar the Nip + Fab products are great so I'll see if my local Boots has this one

Quick fix for face in the L'Oréal glotion - it's about £10 a tube and everyone keeps telling me how well/healthy/glowy I look.

Beauty-wise: trip to the hairdresser, professional eyebrow shape, and professional teeth whitening.

Fashion-wise: personal stylist appointment (colour and shape analysis)

Health-wise: daily exercise (walks, yoga etc.)

I joined a yoga studio during a rough patch a few years ago - it did me a world of good. It might be worth checking out home yoga sessions (e.g. a 'Yoga with Adriene' 30 day challenge). I always start these on the first of the month so I don't lose track;

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=adriene+30+day

Good luck!

Seconding many suggestions:

• lipstick in a nice bright ish colour (doesn’t have to be super bright!).
• vitamin c serum during the day and retinol at night. Plenty of spf during the day!
• hair oil for shiny, well-groomed hair. For some reason this always makes me look less tired!
• Subtle fake tan. I use the st tropez light/medium daily one and I think it helps! it is very buildable and subtle.