Just because your not a fresh-faced 20 something doesn't mean there isn't a wealth of super stylish ladies snapping their OOTD's for you. Here are some of the ones whose style resonates with me, perfect for some new autumn outfit inspiration. I have a such a few over 40's in too.
My Pick of the Best Bloggers Over 30
Top -Love Maegan - Maegan has such crazily creative ideas and a penchant for cute fancy dress outfits, love her fun blog.
Bottom - Thirty Something Fashion - Carly always looks glamorous without being OTT.
see links below
Top Right & Centre- Chic on the Cheap - Lydia has a great byline, never sacrifice style for savings
Top Left and Bottom Left -Grit and Glamour - A sexy lady with a killer sense of style, probably not for the school run though!
Bottom Centre and Right - Not Dressed as Lamb- over 40 stylish red-head with a fantastic sense of colour.
see links below
Top Left -The Average Girls Guide - Alyson is a Florida based blogger who covers lots of bases, from lifestyle to beauty.
Top Right -Ava Graces Closet - 40 something style with cute fashion pics and she evens includes her kids too.
Bottom Left - Grechens Closet - A women the same shape as everyone else, looking great, love this ladies outfits, she has figured out what works for her and stuck with it, you could actually wear these looks in real life!
Bottom Right - Jacket Society - Super Luxe with amazing accessories, some perfect shoe porn.
I have made a Pinterest board (obviously!) with some of my favourite grown up bloggers best bits on, feel free to follow here.
If you are an over 30's blogger please leave your links below. I love to find some new blogs to read.
Do we need to avoid certain sorts of makeup as we age?
This was the question begging me to click in The Telegraph this morning. My first thoughts on this were, why should we have to alter our makeup just because we are ageing. Then I thought for a second longer and realised how, in so many ways, I had changed my own makeup over the last 10 years to account for my changing needs.
Brow Kohl
Bright Eyeshadow
Powder Foundation
Black Liner
Brown Toned Lipsticks
I obviously have a LOT of opinions on this, as you can imagine. To start with lets tackle the 30's, As a lady who is mid thirties herself. I reckon I know the ground pretty well by now and I agree wholeheartedly with too much face powder being a cardinal sin, I must say that lip gloss has it's place. I agree it needs to be toned down (slightly) but I think it can help add a more youthful fuller looking pout and so in my makeup bag it goes.
In the Over 40's category I have one main point to be made and that is "who the hell is still wearing frosted lipsticks!" I guess darker frosted lipsticks might work (possibly????) but anything pale and frosted is just a crime against makeup and should not be singled out as a faux pas for the over 40's only. I disagree on bronzer being put in the naughty corner too, as most of our skin looses pigment as we age and a carefully applied flush of bronzer can really help. As always, you need to find the right shade for your skin and apply with a delicate hand, but this is a rule across the board. Onto liquid eyeliner, I have to agree here, as I have gotten older I have noticed a slight "crepenening" of my once smooth eyelids which means that liquid pens can drag and leave gaps. So I have already switched out to gel eyeliners or just a dark shadow used with a liner brush and smudged in.
Here is Kate Moss being 40 and breaking all the rules. She's all over the liquid eyeliner, bronzer and shimmer, take that silly Telegraph article.
For the over 50's I have little personal experience but I imagine bright eyeshadow and black liner would only serve to drain colour from an already slightly diminished facial colour palette.
As a reference here is the ever-lovely Carol Vorderman aged 53. She is breaking at least one of the rules with a brown toned lipstick, plus she definitely has bronzer applied and her brows filled in, but she looks AMAZING!
Another of my favourites is the much-maligned Nigella Lawson (54). She has on some serious bad-ass makeup here but she wears it so well. Again her eyebrows have been filled with more than just a brow gel, her contouring/bronzer is in full effect and she has on a fuller than full coverage foundation (just expertly applied.) I found this excellent tutorial for this exact look over at the wonderful Pixiwoo girls, see below.
So to sum it all up, I think some beauty products don't work as well on older skins but application - as always- is key. when you hit 35+ then stepping away from anything that makes your skin look drier is a definitely a good thing, but bronzer and full on eyes never date. I say wear what suits you, and if someone who's taste you trust mentions that your look may becoming a bit stale then go try some new products out, it's just makeup, and can be washed off in seconds.
