I saw this meme right on Instagram and it was like, you know, 30 year old goes into
the Botox doc and is like, you know, am I going to look younger?
And he was like, no, you're going to look like all the other 30 year olds also getting
Botox.
It's a specific look.
It's not a look of youth.
It's a look of freeze.
Yes, it is.
Yeah.
That being said, I am a very proud and ardent Botox user.
So that's great.
You can't tell.
So you don't look like you've got, you know, you've had laser Botox.
That's a big thanks to my husband because he does it.
That's good to know.
I shall back that up.
Yeah, yeah.
After this recording, we'll have a little chat.
Hello and welcome to the 40s Formula, your go to place for insightful discussions on
navigating your 40s and thriving in this transformative decade.
We're your hosts, Amanda and Jasmine, two women that are passionate about exploring
the challenges and adventures that come with turning 40 and what lies ahead.
With two decades of experience in the industry, Kelly Richardson is a multifaceted professional,
a makeup artist, hairstylist and semi-permanent makeup artist.
Her prowess in fashion and photography have landed her editorial features in prestigious
publications such as Vogue, Tatler Asia and various London magazines.
As a key figure at the London School of Makeup and with her background and backstage work
at London Fashion Week, Kelly thrives in high pressure environments and offers personalized
one to one makeup lessons to help women incorporate feeling their best into their everyday lives.
Having called Singapore home for six years, Kelly is also a devoted mother to energetic
tween twins.
When she's not reveling in the joys of motherhood, you can find her immersed in literature, enjoying
leisurely strolls or indulging in the occasional Netflix binge.
So every season here on the 40s Formula, I am a little bit more excited for a few episodes
and others.
And today is that episode for me.
Kelly Richardson is here, a makeup artist and professional.
I cannot wait to hear all the tips that you have for aging and mature skin.
And we get to talk about makeup in general.
So welcome, Kelly.
Thanks for having me.
Thank you.
And you know, makeup in general can be a bit of a divisive topic for women in their 40s.
I do feel like there's the camp of this is a time to embrace our natural beauty.
This is a time that we need to stop wearing makeup and really focus on, you know, other
things.
And then there's women like myself who are like makeup is the backbone of my healthy
aging process because it can, you know, hide and mask some of the imperfections.
What do you think is the role of makeup for women in this decade?
I mean, you know, why can't we have both?
I really, you know, there's days that I love wearing makeup.
There's days where I just can't be bothered.
I don't have the time or the inclination.
But I do find because people are so used to seeing me wearing makeup when I don't, I get
the oh, you look tired.
Are you OK?
Are you stressed?
So what I think, well, for me personally, I like the kind of the no makeup makeup, you
know, a bit of concealer or a bit of blush, a little bit of mascara, you know, use some
like eyelash curlers, make your eyes look bigger and actually more awake.
And then you're you're still looking bare faced.
I do go out bare faced and I really admire women that are completely makeup free.
I still like to have that little bit of armor because I feel like when I have a little bit
of makeup on, I feel like I look better and then I feel more confident and I project more
confidence in as well.
Plus, also, it's my job.
So people see me without makeup on their own.
I'm a bit surprised.
Yeah, for me, it's I feel like I'm a lazy girl.
Like I don't have the time to wear makeup.
But I was just saying to Amanda actually earlier today that when I first got married, I would
always wear eyeliner except for certain days where, you know, I'd forget or I didn't have
time and my mother in law would always bring up, oh, you look tired today.
I'm like, oh, charming.
You know, this is this is my face.
This is how I look.
But now what I find is I've had my eyelashes done.
That's like the one thing.
And I'm like, right now I don't need to do anything.
I'll put on some CC cream.
I actually made an effort for you today, Kelly.
But generally, I just I feel like I don't have the time for it.
So what would you say for someone who doesn't really have the time?
How can you do things quickly?
OK, so yeah, I mean, you said CC cream.
That's my kind of my staple go to.
I love a good CC cream, but a tiny bit.
You don't need to put loads of makeup on, you know, really kind of, you know, moisturize
your skin, stay at the sun.
That's the biggest kind of, you know, aging as well.
You know, is the is the UV damage.
I always walk around with an umbrella, even in the sun.
Yeah, good CC cream, a little bit of it.
Cream blush just gives a little bit of life to your skin, lifts your skin.
It's hydrating.
We don't want loads of powder and stuff on our skin as we get older because it clings
into any fine lines and makes us just look, you know, washed out.
Just comb through your eyebrows, even if you don't put anything on them, even just combing
them through can just make you look a little bit more groomed and a bit of concealer.
Just always.
I didn't even know that was a thing combing your eyebrows.
Exactly.
Jasmin's like, let me just pause this for a second.
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too.
Now back to the chat.
Even if you're combing them through, just like can make you look a little bit more polished.
So you can be as quick as that.
You mentioned, you know, like not putting on so much powder.
Are there other like telltale signs that you're out of touch and old?
Like what are the things that you want to avoid when you have mature skin?
Yeah, I think, you know, too much powder and too much makeup as well.
You know, I encounter so many women that, you know, they're pumping loads of makeup
and putting it all over.
It just looks when it looks heavy, it looks like a mask and it's just not natural.
I think as we get older, less is definitely more.
Just using maybe different products that, you know, we used to use in our 20s or 30s.
I used to use quite a heavy foundation, obviously, you know, before I moved to Singapore as well.
If I put that on here, it would make me look like, you know, like I've been dug up really
thick, not to mention, you know, getting really hot and having like kind of like lines running
down it where I'm constantly mopping my face.
But you can there's so many good products on the market now.
So even like if you do use a little powder just to kind of set your foundation, there's
like hyaluronic powders which are hydrating.
So they don't make you look powdery and give you that kind of mask like finish.
Also cream blushers, cream blushers, cream, everything is just so much softer on the skin
and just makes the skin look plump and hydrated.
You know, we don't want to look we don't want that kind of matte finish, you know, that
we that, you know, looks great when you're younger.
Yeah.
Well, and to that end, right.
So, OK, you don't want to use too many products.
So I'm always interested in the semi permanent makeup, right.
So it's like if I don't want to do my eyebrows every day, for example, should I get the micro
bladed?
I want to have some kind of like contrast for my lips.
Should I get them tattooed?
What's your take on the semi permanent makeup stuff?
So I mean, you know, a lot of us, well, most of us, you know, followed that 90s trend and
completely over plucked eyebrows in the 90s.
And you can I can always, you know, look at somebody and age them by the shape of their
eyebrows in the 60s.
But you know, I mean, it's great as we get older, our eyesight starts to go.
And, you know, we need to be in that, you know, the magnifying mirror.
And I've got these ridiculous glasses that, you know, have one lens and I can flip it
to the other side so that I can try and see one eye.
But then you can't get the brush there.
So then I have to turn them upside down.
And I mean, I'm probably absolutely ridiculous when I'm putting on my makeup.
So it's great if you, you know, if you can't see what you're doing.
Also, yeah, if you can't be bothered, you know, if you don't want to draw them in and
they are too thin or eyebrows can completely transform somebody's face, you know, and I
look back at photos of me when I was, you know, over plucked them to now and they're
so thin and they, you know, I kind of like look really surprised.
Yeah.
But making sure you use the right technique is paramount.
So there's two different techniques.
One is kind of microblading, which mimics the actual hair strokes.
So it looks really, really natural.
The other one is like a powder finish, which here they call embroidery, which is done with
a machine and that just looks like they've been softly filled in with powder.
That's what I have.
But yeah, and they look great and it's getting the color right.
You know, if they go too dark, they look really unnatural.
Powder finish is better on more mature skin and oilier skin because the microblading can
kind of fade in between, you know, if you've got kind of quite lines, a lot of lines or
wrinkles or crepey skin, it can kind of blend in with that.
So it's just making sure that you get the right technique for yourself.
We were watching the Mummy.
Does anybody remember that movie?
The one with Brandon Fraser.
And my husband was like, God, she looks really weird.
And I'm like, it's her eyebrows.
They're like pencil thin.
Rachel Weiss.
Yes, that's it.
And he was like, Oh my God.
I never, hey guys, I couldn't put my finger quite on what was wrong with her.
But yeah, now that you pointed out her eyebrows, I can really see it.
I just watched the Pamela and Tommy.
Hers was like a pinstripe.
That was the trend.
It was like, yeah, really, you know, pluck them all out and then pencil them on really,
really thin.
But also, yeah, again, as we get older, you know, we start losing color from our lips.
So you know, the lip line can kind of disappear a little bit or we can get hyperpigmentation
where it discolors.
So lip blushing is great for that.
You know, I often get people going, but I don't want them to look bright red.
You know, I don't want to wake up looking like I'm wearing red lipstick.
When the procedure is first done, the color is intense.
But then as it fades, like over, you know, the next kind of several weeks, it just fades
to like a really natural lip color.
So it can even out the skin tone.
You can redefine the lip line a little bit.
You never go over the lip line because the skin on your lips is different to the skin
on your face.
So if you go over the lip line, then you're just going to look like you kind of penciled
over it, which is again, really unnatural.
So semi-permanent makeup is just to enhance, again, what you already got.
You know, eyeliner, a really thin line in the lash line makes your eyes look bigger.
I never do a flick unless I'm covering up a flick that somebody's already had done before.
I quite like a flick.
But I'm coming at it forever.
You can add that with a bit of liquid liner for a night out.
Do you want to wake up looking like that every morning?
And always go like a dark brown, brown-black.
Black, the undertone for black is blue.
So this is why so many people's eyeliner goes like that kind of bluey-gray color over time
because that's the undertone of the pigment.
And then also what's popular now is like a kind of a blush, like a fading of like a little
bit of eyeshadow just in the corner.
That's really great for older skin as well because it kind of covers up some of the crepey-ness
on the eyelids.
I've never heard of that technique.
What is that technique called?
It's just part of the embroidery.
So it can be done with a machine or by hand.
And it just gives like where the line is and then just looks like a little bit of a soft
eyeshadow.
I've never even heard of that.
See, I'm out of the loop.
I love the idea of all of this because again it's sort of no fuss makeup, but I'm shit
scared of needles.
So does everything require needles?
Does it hurt?
No, it shouldn't hurt.
So the process is that I would measure, draw, remeasure, make sure everything is as symmetrical
as possible.
No one's face is completely symmetrical, but as symmetrical as it can possibly be.
And then numbing cream is applied.
That's left on for at least half an hour.
And then the skin is tested to see if you can feel it.
Once the skin is fully numb, then the procedure starts.
So you shouldn't feel a thing.
I say to all of my clients, the minute you feel anything, you put your hand up and we'll
stop and we'll reapply numbing cream.
So it shouldn't hurt at any time at all.
Most of my clients fall asleep while they're having it done.
Anything that makes you fall asleep is a thumbs up in my book.
So we got our first tip, which is a little bit of concealer and a little bit of CC cream.
Then our second tip is if you want to go get the semi-permanent, what's your opinion then
on the next tip of Botox fillers, lip fillers?
Where does that play a role?
So I've seen some fabulous results with Botox and fillers on people where you can't see
it and I think it looks great if it's done properly.
I never say never.
I do personally think that people have it done too early and some people go over the
top and it starts to look unnatural.
Ironically, then it makes them look older because you can see that they've had a procedure
done to try and make themselves look younger.
So having too much Botox, the head goes really tight and shiny or having that extra bit of
lip filler, the lips look unnatural and they don't close properly.
So I think in moderation, it's amazing and like I say, I've seen people have fantastic
results and you wouldn't even know.
But when they go a little bit too far, that's when it's working against you.
I was actually having a conversation with my friend yesterday who asked me, oh, would
you get Botox done?
And for me, I know what I'm like, so I said, I will just see more of my flaws.
So I think when someone gets it done first, it looks incredible, like your skin looks
flawless and it's like, oh, that looks so nice.
And then another ring will appear and I'll be like, oh, I think I need to get done here
now or I need to do this.
And I think the more I do it, the more I'm going to feel like I need to do it.
And then I'll just end up looking like Sylvester Stallone's mum.
So that's what I don't want.
No, I agree.
I agree.
And I see, you know, that I think especially when people, you know, have the lips done,
they have a little bit in the kind of the lip line just to kind of smooth out those
fine lines and it looks amazing.
But then you get used to what you look like in the mirror.
So then when you have it done again, you're like, oh, just have a little bit more.
And then it's a little bit more and a bit more and a bit more and a bit more until,
you know, it's really unnatural.
You're no longer you.
No, no.
I mean, I'm like, OK, I never say never.
I haven't done it yet.
But, you know, I do think girls that are having it done in their 20s and 30s, it's like, where
do you go from there?
Yeah.
You know, the next thing you're going to be, you know, in your 40s and looking for a full
facelift.
So I saw this meme right on Instagram and it was like, you know, 30 year old goes into
the Botox doc and is like, you know, am I going to look younger than my am I going to
look younger?
And he was like, no, you're going to look like all the other 30 year olds also getting Botox.
It's a specific look.
It's not a look of youth.
It's a look of freeze.
Yes, it is.
Yeah.
That being said, I am a very proud and ardent Botox user.
So that's great.
You can't tell.
So you don't look you don't look like you've got, you know, you've had laser Botox.
That's a big thanks to my husband because he does it.
That's good to know.
I shall.
Yeah.
After this recording, we'll have a little chat.
So Jasmine, you're all about that low carb life, right?
Yep.
Have been for a while now.
So I assume your groceries look a lot like our groceries.
Lots of fish, tons of meat.
Sounds super similar to our house.
Honestly, we get the best cuts of meat from the Meat Club, the premier online source for
top quality Australian and New Zealand produce right here in Singapore.
Yeah.
We also love the Meat Club because they have a subscription service, which makes sure we
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on Instagram at the Meat Club SG.
And now back to the conversation.
But in so OK, so exactly I think this is kind of in the same vein, right?
So it's like women are wondering, should I do the plunge of Botox or should I do the
plunge of lip fillers on a less permanent scale?
What do you think about like the contouring trends?
You know, should I do this like highlight and contour thing?
Or have I missed the boat now in my 40s?
No.
And I'm glad you asked this because I get asked this all the time.
And I think it's because we are so inundated with all of these reels constantly telling
us how we should be contouring.
You know, and yeah, I mean, they look amazing in the in a room with a ring light on them,
you know, but if you saw them walking down Orchard on a Saturday, they'd look like a
cross between a drag queen and a tiger.
Because it looks face to it.
I mean, all that stripes.
Plus, it's so much makeup.
I watch them and I feel like my face can't breathe when I see them.
I hurt for you.
So I mean, I love contouring, but it needs to be just done in the right place.
So it's just product placement.
You know, highlighting and shading is to create an illusion.
You know, all of the heavy contouring is actually a really is a photographic makeup look, which
looks incredible in a studio with lights or black and white makeup.
But it just doesn't transfer to real life.
So it's just learning where the product goes and how to use it.
Every and you know, that's one of the things I do is I show people how to like how to put
that makeup on, how to where to put the highlighter, where to put the bronzer so that it just lifts
your face and you know, rather than totally change like totally changes your face.
You know, makeup should just enhance what you naturally have, not completely change
your appearance.
And I've seen those people who are like, oh, I'm going to turn into Johnny Depp or, you
know, I'm going to look like so and so.
And you're like, shit, you really do.
And it's crazy what makeup can do.
But what I've seen recently actually on Instagram, and I don't know why it's always popping up
on mine, but it's saying, oh, you know, concealers are out.
When you use concealer, you need to use some kind of color corrector.
Is that the right thing?
Is that something different?
Like, is and what do they mean by concealers are out?
So I think it just depends.
So you know, if you've got color correctors are great to so I'll explain a little bit
about color corrector.
So you've got something that's green and then something that's red that opposite to each
other on the color wheel.
So they'll cancel each other out.
So you know, you always used to see those kind of green makeups and be like, what's
that for?
So if somebody had a little bit of rosacea, so their cheeks are a little bit pink, you
would put a tiny bit of the green on before foundation and the green, you shouldn't see
it.
It would just cancel out the red.
Okay.
Under the eyes, people tend to go with the gray or blue.
So if you're a little bit blue under the eyes, then you would go something more orange toned.
And then if you're more gray, then something more pink toned.
But color corrector should only be used if there is a deep enough color that needs to
be corrected.
If you know, if there's no difference in your skin tone, you just got a little bit of, you
know, we've all got a little bit of shadow under our eyes.
But if you use a color corrector that when you don't need it, that's all you'll see.
So then instead of having like a sharp slight shadow, you'll have orange under your eyes,
you know, or too much pink.
So it just depends on each skin, what you're what you need.
I mean, there's no one size fits all for makeup.
It's very much an individual thing.
You know, we've all got different skin tone, or we've got a different feature that we like
or, you know, or that we don't like something we want to flaunt or something we want to
minimize.
But concealers, you know, go something that's kind of like gives a bit of cover, but it's
light reflecting because that will push away, you know, any signs of like wrinkles or darkness
as well.
Yeah.
And I think that's what's so cool about what you do, Kelly, is I think people think makeup
artists.
So if I'm getting married, I get my makeup done, or if I have a photo shoot, I get my
makeup done.
But you're more of a coach.
You're more of let me put together a process for you that is sustainable for your daily
life.
And I think that's a misconception that a lot of people have about makeup is that it's
only for special occasions or it's only for a look.
Whereas like, I think what you do is so cool, because it's like, let me show you how to
look snatched every day.
You know, just in a very natural way.
Yeah.
So, you know, I mean, I take people through like a lesson where we start off with just
a very natural day look, and then how you can ramp it up, you know, for the evening.
So you can do that 10 minute makeup in the morning.
Or if you've got like, you know, an hour where you want to really kind of go for it for a
night out, then you've got the tools and the techniques to do all of that.
You know, I fill out a little face chart as we're going along, so that you end up with
like a personalized paint by numbers.
So that's your guide and shopping list.
And so you've kind of you've got everything there, you can pin it up onto the mirror,
and you can, you know, OK, that's my next step.
And you know, all it takes is a bit of practice.
The more you do it, the better you become at it.
So and then it just becomes, you know, second nature and you can do it quicker and quicker
and quicker.
I came across this article, which I think was actually more of a research study.
But what they did was they had women either go out with no makeup, doing their own makeup,
or having it professionally done.
And obviously, it was the results were that the people had professionally done appeared
to be more, I guess, prominent and confident.
And and I think that must really sort of help with, I guess, people's confidence as well,
because, you know, you feel better because it's done properly.
But when you do it yourself, I feel like not everyone knows because it's an art, isn't
it?
At the end of the day, it's like not everyone is an artist.
Most of us have been doing the same thing since we've done in our 20s.
You know, and we don't know how to change it or we're scared to change it or, you know,
we know that color suits me or this product suits me.
But actually, as we get older, our skin changes, our eyes get crepey or droopy, our lips change
color, you know, everything, everything changes.
So, you know, you need to find things that, you know, suit your skin now.
Not, you know, I mean, when I was like, you know, in my 20s, it was Rimmel, Heather lipstick.
Oh, yeah, Rimmel.
I mean, oh, if I put that on now.
Blue eyeliner.
Oh, gosh.
I've looked like blue mascara.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
I mean, I would look up if I put that color on now.
I mean, it would be awful.
So you just got to change.
You have to change, you know, and change with your times, you know, not necessarily, you
know, and there are so many amazing products on the market now that weren't around then
as well.
So you really can find something that really suits your skin or, you know, your lifestyle,
things that are quick or things that take time.
So, you know, just whatever suits.
In terms of changing with the times, I know that you also are a hairstylist.
How do you feel about going gray?
How do you feel about, you know, when's the right time?
Is it cool?
Is it uncool?
What's the status?
So I went gray in my 20s.
I did pretend until I was in my early 40s that I wasn't going gray.
And I said to my husband that I was going to do a Helen Mirren when I hit 50, which
is this year.
And he kindly pointed out that that was only seven years away.
And excuse me.
And I was like, yeah, you're right.
And why am I going to color my hair every three weeks for another seven years?
So I had, I mean, my hair's always been short, so it was easy.
But I had it all kind of cut out, walked out the salon with like a grade two and I loved
it.
I felt so liberated, free from the shackles of hair color, not to mention my wallet.
And you know, my hair stylist always tells me like, you know, it's the most sought after
color now, but it's also the most, the hardest to achieve unnaturally.
You know, so I get people asking me like, how did you, you know, how do I go gray?
How do I, what do I do?
You know, do I grow the color out or do I have it, you know, blended out with color
or, you know, if I, you know, I know several people that let their hair grow out during
lockdown and now they've got beautiful long gray hair, several others that did, you know,
I'm going to shave it all off for charity and then just let their actual natural gray
grow through.
And that was a big step, a big step to have it all shaved off, especially if you go from
long hair, you know, but doing it for charity, they were like, okay, this gives it a purpose
and then I can just let my hair grow out.
And I don't know a single one that's regretted it.
So yeah, I love, yeah, I love my gray hair.
That is such a cool idea, by the way.
I had never even thought about that.
It was like, you know, choosing to go gray, but while also doing something charitable.
I like that.
It means, you know, then you don't have like, oh God, my roots.
Cause you know, the minute they get, you know, a bit long, then you start panicking and like,
okay, I need to color it again.
And you just end up like in that cycle.
And you know, especially if you, if your hair's dark, then that, you know, the, the lines
and the hair, you just look at it and you just, and always you just think, is it going
to make me look old?
And you know, but I just think, you know, if your hair is naturally gray, actually is
suits you.
It suits your skin tone.
It's quite, you know, brightening on your skin tone as well.
I went through the phase of doing the, I want to go gray, the gray blending.
I did it for about a year and a half and I love it on other people.
Like I love the long gray hair.
And I was like, so admin, that's it.
I'm 10 40 now.
I'm going to stop dying my hair.
But then like you just mentioned, when the roots come through, you're just like, oh shit.
And then I gained a bit of weight and I'm like, fuck, now I look old and fat.
So I'm going to do my roots until I lose the weight.
And then for now I'll just look fat.
And as a blonde, it's like, I'm not actually sure if I am going gray yet.
You know, it's like, I think it's just going to kind of like transition from yellowish
to grayish and I'll be like, oh, I guess that happened.
But that's quite easy as well.
And that's what I saw some of my friends doing during lockdown.
And I mean, one of them's got her hair's like kind of like, you know, down to her elbows
and it's so thick and it's great.
I mean, it's just gorgeous.
You know, she's fully embracing the gray.
But when your hair goes gray, the texture does also change as well.
So it can become more brittle and dry.
So then you need to start using different conditioners and, you know, using purple shampoos
to take out the brassiness so it doesn't look yellow.
So but yeah, I would definitely fully embrace it.
I've definitely got those curly, whirly gray hairs that tend to like pop up and stick out.
They do go curly.
It's so frustrating.
But yeah, I'm hoping to do that transition again because I love it.
But the problem is, is it is when it's that chunky thing.
I really don't like the roots, but I'm also not brave enough to shave my hair off.
So I don't know.
I feel like I need another lockdown and then I'm definitely going to stress out about society
for a few months.
I know.
Sorry, I take it back.
Or, you know, maybe even just, you know, get it to a certain point and then just have it
have a pixie cut.
Go short.
I don't know.
I don't know if I'm brave enough to do that.
Pixie Jasmine, get an app, test it out.
You can do that now.
Well, my husband always says I look like a little boy.
I'll definitely look like a little boy.
Well, you mentioned dry, brittle, changing texture.
I was like, oh, this sounds like my skin.
So I wanted to ask you while we had you here, what are the skin care changes for women in
their 40s?
So, you know, OK, we got the makeup products kind of unlock, but everything going on underneath,
I would assume also needs to change.
What do you think is a great, you know, a necessary skin skincare regime?
So always take your makeup off.
You know, that's one thing I've always stood by.
You know, my husband even last that, you know, all the years he's known me, I think I've
passed out about 10 times with my makeup on.
And then he knows that it's been a really good night.
But waking up with your eyelashes stuck together in the morning is not a good night or a good
morning.
So always take your makeup off.
Exfoliate.
Use a really gentle exfoliator once or twice a week.
It removes all that dead skin.
It makes your skin look brighter.
It diminishes fine lines.
Gives all those new juicy plump skin cells to the surface, which just look better.
Use a moisturizer.
It doesn't have to be really fancy.
You know, vitamin E, vitamin C. So both those really help protect the skin against free
radicals, which are basically things in our environment that attack our skin.
You know, smoking, drinking, pollution, you know, UV.
Like I say, stay out the sun if you can.
Walk around with an umbrella.
Use a high SPF.
So if you can incorporate your CC cream within a high SPF, then you've killed two birds with
one stone.
You've made your skin look a bit better and you're protecting it at the same time.
And yeah, retinol, you know, that's a good product to use at night.
With a retinol product, you know, research it properly.
Make sure that you, you know, it's not going to be too strong or know how to use it as
well because you need to build up with retinol.
You can't just start using it and, you know, think it's all going to just eradicate every
line and wrinkle on your face.
And hyaluronic acid, I can never say that.
I can never spell it.
So I won't say it.
But that's really moisturizing, really hydrating.
And you know, like I said, so you can even buy powders these days with, you know, the
hyaluronic powders so they don't, you know, give you that slight matte powdery finish
and they actually hydrate at the same time.
I actually drink it in my coffee.
So my collagen has got the hyaluronic acid and the vitamin C. So I'm like, I'm doing
it from inside out.
Yeah, and I literally do it inside out because I inject it in my face.
I'm a big fan of profilo, which is the injectable hyaluronic acid.
Oh, amazing.
And that is a game changer.
I think.
Yeah, you know, we just plumps the skin.
It makes just, you know, and if your skin is nice and plump to moisturize, you know,
always moisturize before you put any makeup on anyway and actually really massage it and
get that, you know, blood pumping to the surface of the skin.
And it just makes your face, you know, it just makes your skin look brighter, even without
makeup.
You know, you'd see a difference.
So when you go and have a facial, you come out and you're glowing because they've been
like massaging and primping you, you know.
So treat yourself to a facial, look after your skin, look after yourself, you know.
Yes.
But as with anything, you know, we talked about semi-permanent makeup and, you know,
retinol, anything, any kind of cosmetic procedure, injectables, just really research first, make
sure that you know any of the risks that are involved, you know, and know that what you're
doing, know what you're getting.
What would you say is the biggest faux pas that women in their 40s should definitely
not be doing?
Oh, okay.
Like really shiny highlighter up here and really shiny eyeshadow underneath their brows.
Yeah, because you just, you know, you catch the light and you've just got two lines under
your eyebrows or you catch the light and you've just got like a line of like really shiny
wrinkles, you know.
So neither of those are a good look.
So yeah, highlighter, less is more.
And you know, if you're going to wear, if you're going to wear, you know, a bold lip,
just make sure it's a good matte one, that it doesn't bleed up to your nose because that's
also not attractive.
Yeah.
And also, yeah, too much blusher.
Like really, you know, we don't want to look like Barbara Cartland.
So I do love like the bright lips on people.
I think it looks amazing.
But when I do it on myself, I feel like I look like a clown.
I feel like my lips are just, I don't know.
But anyway, is there a way of being able to wear these bright colors without feeling weird
or is that just something that's in my head?
I think that's just in your head.
Okay.
You know, I mean, you know, red lips, but wearing a red lipstick, it's a commitment.
You're committing to wearing it, excuse me, and it's a confidence thing as well.
You know, some people put a red lipstick on and they feel powerful and confident and ready
to go and take on a room.
Other people feel that, oh, everyone's looking at me because I've got red lipstick on and
because they feel self-conscious in it.
So, you know, excuse me.
That's why, you know, find the makeup that suits you that you're comfortable with, because
when you're comfortable, you'll feel confident.
If you're feeling, it's like, you know, when you wear your favorite outfit and everyone
tells you how great you look and you're like, oh, and you walk around, you're swallowing
around because you feel great because everyone's telling you how great you look.
You know, it gives you more confidence.
It's the same with a lipstick, definitely.
It's just finding the right tone.
And with a red as well, there's so many different tones of red.
It's just finding the one that suits your skin tone as well.
I have a husband who could not notice less what I do with my physical body, right?
Like, you know, I gained 50 pounds in pregnancy, doesn't even notice.
You know, I'm wearing a burlap sack, I can't see it.
But what I will tell you is that when I wear a red lipstick, my husband thinks it is just,
I am a glamazon.
I am the cool, I am so pretty.
So that was the one thing that I was like, wow, he actually noticed.
So for me, the red lip is exactly what you said.
It makes me feel completely confident because I know it's the one thing that my husband
can actually see.
So for me, I love it.
I can be honest with you, my husband's always like, oh my God, you look weird, go take that
off.
Yeah, and again, you know, it's each their own for the men as well.
Yeah, but also as well, do you think maybe if you felt like I look amazing in this, then
you'd walk out, feel it, and you'd be projecting that confidence and he'd go, wow.
You know, so I think sometimes there's a lot going on in here.
You know, I know, when if I don't wear any makeup, you know, I'm like, oh, okay, you
know, I feel, yeah, I don't feel as confident as opposed to when I do.
So you know, maybe if you found the right color and then came out, he'd just go.
I don't know.
Again, you're going to have to see Kelly after this episode.
Well so we are running out of time, Kelly, and we've had so many gems of wisdom from
you so far, and I really thank you for that, for bringing the heat.
But I would love to know the question that we ask all of our guests here, which is what
is your 40s formula?
What advice do you give to women to really help them thrive and feel their best in this
decade?
So my, I would say self-care, look after yourself.
We spend all of our lives looking after everybody else.
Put yourself first for once.
Go and have that facial.
Go and get that mani pedi.
Go and have a massage.
Go away for a weekend on your own if you can, you know, and your friends.
Spending time with your friends, they big you up.
They empower you.
You know, they make you feel, you know, part of community and, you know, and it's empowering.
You know, we're always with our friends, with our families, but actually spending time on
ourselves, I think that's the 40s formula.
Definitely.
I feel like we need to have a big spa day now.
Yeah, exactly.
I was like, so what I've just heard is that I need to get myself in the spa.
You can do it in a day.
You know, you can do it in a school day here.
Yeah, true.
Yeah, very true.
Drop the kids off, get the boat, come back, pick them up, looking glowing.
Well, Kelly, thank you so much for being here with us today.
We really appreciate all the wisdom that you brought and all of the great body positive
and face positive and age positive talk.
So thanks.
Oh, my pleasure.
Thanks so much for having me.
This is Paul, our editor.
He's a 25 year old unmarried Singaporean guy listening to the ramblings of 12 older women
on everything from menopause to weightlifting to sex.
So Paul, what's your thoughts on today's conversation?
Hey guys, what's up?
Paul here again.
Well, make a bathys.
It's a really cool career, you know, when you sharing and mentioning it.
You know, obviously I can't relate because I'm not in your field of work and I'm still
young in my 20s and I don't wear makeup.
So you know, but even sitting there and listening to it, I think it's a really cool, you know,
perspective of what a makeup artist does.
And you know, a lot of things I've not really heard of or do like microblading or, you know,
or like shading or even different color or, you know, different styles.
It's really interesting to share.
So yeah, thank you for sharing and you know, at least I've learned new things as a guy.
All right, catch you next one.
See ya.
Guys, you know how much we love coffee.
And if you want to show us some love, you know, you can get us one.
Just visit buymeacoffee.com slash the forties formula.
Cheers.
Peter Lowe left us this review after listening to episode six with Tina.
Love that you ladies are keeping it real and sharing personal stories.
Love listening to this podcast on my walks.
Keep up the great work.
Also, I like the little Easter eggs at the end of the podcast.
Very Marvel.
Lol.
Well, we are so glad that you love ponderings with Paul at the end of our podcast.
We're definitely going to keep that coming.
And also we appreciate you walking while you listen.
Guys, get your exercise and listen to the forties formula.
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Bye.
Oh, thank you.
I keep thinking, you know, I can't help but think right when we shot this all up for Instagram
and stuff.
There's so many tips that we could use from you.
So thank you.
Oh, thank you.
Really, really.
Brilliant.
Thank you.
This is something that you know, and it's, you know, so I think the whole thing of, oh,
I need to prepare actually, we can ask you a question that you are able to answer anyway.
And you were able to.
I didn't actually need.
Yeah, I didn't really need to.
Because you know all of this stuff.
Yeah.
But by writing it down, I always think this is my like thing from school too, is like
by writing it down, then you really need it.
Yeah, you reinforce it.
Yeah, you do.
Yeah.
Thank you.