Your Best Anti-Ageing Arsenal - CareforKids.com.au®

Your Best Anti-Ageing Arsenal
By Nikki Parkinson

Courtesy of The Hoopla

Feeling ten years older after the Easter school/child care holidays? Fashion and Beauty expert, Nikki Parkinson (from stylingyou.com.au and The Hoopla) lets us into a few of her anti-ageing beauty secrets!

Let's get a few things straight upfront.

1. I'm… well… older than 40.
2. I'm vain.
Pheww, now that I've got that off my chest (or my face), I need to stand up for myself. I'm actually not super high maintenance in the beauty department but I am fond of a bit of "maintaining".

Regular hair salon cut and colours, the odd facial when I can swing it and a mani/pedi every month. And, I've made no secret of the fact that I've had a little Botox around the eye area twice a year since the year I turned 40.

I know this isn't everyone's cup of beauty tea. But I'm ok with it and, yes, I can still move my face.

In my bathroom and my handbag and on my desk you'll find dozens of "products" that either I can't live without or have been sent to me to trial. I'm not trying to wind back the clock to look like I did in my 20s. God forbid. I'm just trying to preserve what I've got while I age gracefully – or disgracefully – depending on what night of the week it is.

Here are the five things you'll always find in my ageing arsenal:

1. When you reach a certain age – sometime in your 30s – your skin does not renew quite as easily as it did in your 20s. To keep you looking some version of fresh you need to exfoliate. Now, while I do love all manner of face scrubs, the one thing that's consistently kept my face well cleansed and vaguely fresh since I started using it, is the Clarisonic (pictured is the limited edition Clarisonic Plus RRP $269 – I own the smaller version, the Mia RRP $149). The vibrating head works with a cream cleanser to leave your skin silky smooth because it's helping to turn over those dead skin cells – gently – every day. Gwyneth Paltrow loves hers, as does Madonna, Kim Kardashian and Hilary Clinton.

2. There's been a lot of hype about rosehip oil of late, which is funny as it's something that's been around a long time in skincare. Rosehip oil helps to prevent skin ageing by helping with that renewal business. It's also super hydrating and easily absorbed into your skin. Antioxidants within the formulation then work as a bonus to fight off the environmental stuff thrown at our skin ever day. I've long been a fan of the original Trilogy 100% pure organic rosehip oil ($21.95, pictured) but you might want to also look at the new super duper Rosehip Oil Antioxidant +. I use mine at night – you can add a moisturiser over the top of rosehip oil but some people are happy with it on its own.

3. I declared Garnier's BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector (RRP $15) my beauty product of the year for 2011. The price is a winner. Even at full price (and it's often on special, some times as low as $8), it's easily smuggled under the sausages while doing the grocery shopping. It's a tinted moisturiser, sunscreen (SPF 15+) and a complexion enhancer. It will make your skin look radiant from the moment it's applied but as you use it more regularly, it will have a longer-term effect of evening out your skin tone. The BB stands for Blemish or Beauty Balm – these creams (in higher concentrations) have a cult following in Asia for their skin lightening abilities.

Hoopla

4. I bet you're wondering about that disgraceful bit, aren't you? See, while I live a relatively healthy existence, I do like the odd wine or three. And I'm quite bad when it comes to switching off the computer and going to bed at a reasonable hour. The area around my eyes is never happy about this behaviour so I always have on hand a roll-on eye treatment – the NIVEA Visage Anti-Wrinkle Q10Plus Refreshing Eye Roll-On ($18.98) is one of my faves. Not least because it's also an easy supermarket trolley add but because the roller ball is instantly soothing – great for keeping on your desk and working on those dark circles and puffiness throughout the day. The formula also works on fine lines and wrinkles.

5. I live at the beach. Well 10 minutes' walk away. And I have pale skin. It's not really a match made in anti-ageing heaven but it's one I'm willing to work on because I like hanging out there. I've tried many, many, many sunscreens in my life (a big reason why my skin has held up ok) but each summer when it's super hot, I keep coming back to Ella Bache Great 30+ Sportsbloc (from $39) for my beach day go-to. My face and chest is quite sensitive to most sunscreens, particularly if I'm packing it on day after day while on holidays. This one doesn't affect me at all. And – as long as I haven't missed a section when applying it – I never get burned. Yes, it's quite thick for a face application but I'm ok with that because it works.

*Nikki Parkinson was never allowed a Barbie doll as a child. Her politically correct mum thought Lego and Tonka trucks were more fitting. Now the Queensland-based blogger advises women what to wear and put on their face for a living.

The former journo and magazine editor manages an award-winning blog Styling You – offering real world fashion and beauty advice for busy women. Don't tell anyone but she's secretly a closet dag who likes nothing more than relaxing at home with her family… but open a champagne bottle and she can have her heels on and hair done in minutes.

You can follow Nikki on Twitter and Facebook.