Have you recently turned 40 years old, or perhaps that milestone birthday is coming up for you? There is something so special, empowering, and impactful about turning 40. There is no longer that stigma attached to it where 40 is considered old or over the hill. Instead, it’s a time where women can feel more confident in themselves and really start to achieve all their dreams and goals.

With that said, as you approach 40 it’s also a good opportunity to take a look at your own personal style and ask yourself if it accurately reflects where you are in life, how you feel, and what you are hoping to accomplish. It can be pretty easy to get stuck in a style rut and suddenly years even full decades can pass where you haven’t updated your look at all. If you have any worries or apprehension about getting older, being stuck in a style rut is certainly going to emphasize your age.

So rather than try to fight the clock, why not embrace 40 and use it as an opportunity to update your own personal style from head to toe. Here are some tips and ways you can do just that.

Time for a New Hairstyle

Turning 40 is a great time to take a look at your hairstyle and ask yourself if you’re ready for some updating. The right hairstyle is one that shows off your facial features, compliments your face shape, and works with the type of hair you have. Rather than just looking at a picture of a celebrity and wanting that same cut and color, it should be about finding someone with similar features and hair type as you and using it as inspiration.

As women turn 40, there are a few things they tend to look for when picking that perfect hairstyle, as discussed on therighthairstyles.com. Typically, they are looking for something sexy and sophisticated, maybe a bit sporty and edgy, low-maintenance, fashionable, professional, and chic.

While there are a number of great styles that fit this bill, some of the more popular ones include a long-layered shag with plenty of softness and movement; a bob haircut to offer maximum volume, movement, and low-maintenance; layers that frame the face to provide more angles, and even help hair to look thicker and fuller; and shoulder length hair again to promote movement and volume.

Be Aware of Your Body Shape

Dressing in a way that is flattering and makes you feel confident is something that can take a lot of work and self-discovery. In order to find styles that truly flatter you, it’s important to determine your body shape. Learning if you have an hourglass shape, a triangle, square, round, etc., will help you to figure out what styles will accentuate your positive features and help camouflage any areas you wish to.

In order to figure out your body shape, you can do a simple search online and look at examples. From there, you will be able to read up on the best styles for that particular shape.

Let Go of Items that Aren’t Doing You Any Favors

As you become more aware of your body shape and what does and doesn’t work for you, it’s time to do a massive closet overhaul and get rid of all those items that aren’t doing you any favors at all. It doesn’t matter if they are old or new; if they don’t flatter you, they aren’t worth keeping around. You can donate or give awayall the clothing that doesn’t work for you, and then make room for the new pieces you will pick up.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed as to where to start, experts recommend you go through your basic pieces first. The basics include things like shirts, jeans, and shoes. Dressing in styles that are flattering to your body type will also make you automatically look more youthful.

Give Your Skin Attention

While there is a lot of attention that is given to your hair and clothing, your skin is another important feature that you want to look after. For many women, their 40s is when they start to see the signs of aging really start to pop up, which is why you want to be sure you’re using a good skincare routine. This means using a cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen that matches your needs. You can also start to use more targeted products like night creams, masks, serums, and facial oils.

Rather than worrying about finding the most expensive skincare items out there, be sure you use ones that match your skin type (as mentioned) and that contain ingredients that are proven to provide results.

Don’t forget a big part of looking after your skin is staying properly hydrated, so turning 40 can act as a reminder to increase your daily water intake.

Learn How to Contour

Not everyone is ready to embrace cosmetic surgery and procedures simply because the shape of their face is changing as they get older. Instead, why not learn how to contour. Contouring can completely change the shape and look of your face and can end up making you look younger and thinner.

It involves using a cream or powder that is two to three shades darkerthan your skin toneand then placing it onyour temples, hairline, jawline, and sides of the nose. What this does is creates shadows and depth and brings emphasis to the other features on your face that are lighter. There are plenty of tutorials online that you can check out for the basic tips.

Scale Back the Makeup

Updating your look can also include updating how you apply makeup and the colors and products you choose. While it’s normal to assume you need to add more makeup to cover-up the signs of aging, in the end,this can end up aging you even further. Makeup can start to sit in fine lines and wrinkles and look as though it’s just sitting on top of the skin making it very noticeable.

If you want to achieve a more youthful and stylish look, scale back the amount of makeup you apply. For many women, this is also a good time to start using cream-based products rather than powder-based. This is especially beneficial for those women who have dry skin. Keeping your skin hydrated and dewy-looking will create that youthful glow.

While there are no rules that say you can and can’t wear certain colors over the age of 40, nudes and natural shades can tend to be more flattering. As well, you can apply less to achieve that more naturally flawless look.

Take Your Whole Look into Account

When updating your own personal style, it’s important you take your full look into account, not just clothing. Sure, you can go out and purchase clothing that is more flattering to you, but if you don’t update the other aspects of your style then you’re just not going to get as big of results. And, of course, the biggest way you’ll be able to update your style is by finding ways to feel confident in yourself.

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