Taking care of your skin, body and mind makes you feel and look younger.

Drinking plenty of water will detox and hydrate your skin and will help your system feel less bloated and sluggish. Daily exercise – even a 30-minute walk – can make all the difference.

Skipping the chips, chocolate and refined sugar can really make a difference to your cholesterol levels and skin tone, and cutting back on your alcohol intake (particularly as you hit your middle age and menopause) can help weight management and help with hot flushes and mood swings.

Too much booze can give you a bloated face, high colour and fat stores around your middle and can bring on anxiety, so always be drink aware.

Basics

Regardless of age, wearing a bit of makeup can give you confidence, and there is no need to go under the knife to stave off the wrinkles. It’s all about life choices, taking care of yourself and making the best of what you have. With a bit of TLC and makeup you can enhance your natural beauty and look fabulous!

A great start to younger looking skin is to give your face a good cleanse. Get rid of all the makeup and use an exfoliating face scrub to make your skin feel squeaky clean. I would advise you to use an exfoliate weekly. Use a good dollop of your scrub and gently apply it all over your face, neck and the back of your hands. Use circular motions to lightly scrub your skin and get rid of any blocked pores or dryness. Pat your face dry, apply a serum and then your face cream. Your skin will feel smooth and look radiant. I love the La Roche-Posay face scrub (€14.50), Clarins Serum (€92) and Elizabeth Arden’s Visible Difference Firming Moisturiser (€20).

Maximising your features

It may be a cliché, but your eyes are the window to your soul. Using a really good mascara works like magic to open up your eyes. Making your lashes the main attraction of your look makes your eyes appear bigger and more youthful. Our lashes get thinner as we get older so a great tip is to curl your lashes first and then apply two or even three coats of black mascara. L’Oreals Unlimited Mascara (€15) is brilliant.

A cream blush in peaches and pinks is very flattering on the skin and will give you a soft, pretty glow. Be careful of powder blushes, especially those with any kind of shine, because the powder can really emphasise wrinkles. Trinny London has a gorgeous selection of the prettiest cream blushes.

Keep your makeup light. Apply a simple, soft eyeliner in brown or copper just across your eyelid as close to your eyelash line as possible and use a cotton bud to blend the line in. This will make your eyes look bigger and brighter. Wearing liner under the eye can drag the eyes down and make them look droopy, so keep the liner on the top lid. Using a tiny bit of highlighter just under the outer edge of your eyebrow will lift the brows up and a tiny dot of highlighter near your tear duct will brighten up the whites of your eyes. Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Glam blush/highlighter (€35) works a treat.

Dab with your finger a light concealer under your eye area right into the corners to get rid of any dark shadows and also apply around your nose area. You want your complexion to look even and flawless, so dab concealer on any redness or blemishes. I apply my foundation first then my concealer. Mac has a fab range of long-lasting creamy concealers and foundations.

Take time to look after your eyebrows as they frame your face and thicker brows are much more flattering and youthful than skinny, spider-leg ones. It really helps to get your brows professionally coiffured and it’s an inexpensive beauty treat. Use a small amount of brow powder or pencil, simply filling in any tiny gaps and giving your brows depth and shape. I love the Bobby Brown easy-to-use, long-lasting Brow Pen Shaper (€20). Using a clear gel mascara up and over your brows will hold them in place. The Body Shop Clear Mascara (€12) does the trick.

Use a magnifying mirror and keep a close eye on your facial hair. Better to get rid of any upper lip hair or hair in moles, nostrils or on your chin. Facial hair is not a good look and very aging. I use Immac Sensitive Face Removing Cream and it works a treat, or seek advice from your beautician.

Fuller lips will make you look younger. Always apply a lip liner first around the outer edge of your lips then apply your lip colour. A bold statement red can look gorgeous. I personally feel that as we get older keep away from very strong port wine type colours or dark chocolate brown shades, especially if you have thin lips. These colours can be very draining on your skin and make you look washed out. For thin lips use a spice-coloured natural liner and a soft coral or rosebud pink shade. Drawing the lip line across your natural bow of the upper lip will make your top lip appear fuller. Charlotte Tilbury has a beautiful range of long-lasting stunning lipsticks and lipliners.

Nials and skin

Keep your nails all at the same length. My pet hate is long, untidy toenails. Chipped nail polish is definitely a no-no. Applying a lick of pretty nail polish is super flattering, especially on your toes for the summer. Always apply hand cream to your hands and feet every night before bed to keep your skin well nourished.

There is nothing nicer than a warm glow to your skin so a light application of fake tan works a treat. Skinny Tan Fake Tanning Oil (€20) is excellent for your whole body and takes a few hours to develop. It smells of light coconut and does not streak or come off on your clothes or bed sheets.

Good posture and no slouching is key to helping you look great and will give you more confidence. To help this, try walking tall with your shoulders back.