I love the look of most make-up lines, but the frustrating part of aging is, you have to be VERY careful about what you buy.  Look at the ingredients y’all, to make sure they are either suitable, or helpful to aging skin.  The LAST thing you want to do is buy products that tug aggressively at your skin, cake up, or emphasize lines.

More importantly, anything you put on your skin should be non-toxic and nourishing to your skin.  Our bodies are aging daily and if we don’t keep to a really tried and true routine, things can get pretty gnarley.  I have found with my daily skincare routine, for instance, that even a few day break in my routine will leave my skin looking dull and dry.

Similarly, make-up needs to do the job of emphasizing what “ya still got and de-emphasizing what ya don’t.”  For me, that’s why Tarte products are a must-have in my make-up bag!  Tarte truly has a lot to offer older women (and younger women too, of course).   Not only do they look great on, are a pleasure to use, but are good for you too.

Now, on my road to cleaning out the cobwebs of my life, making it more simple/minimalistic, my rediscovery of Tarte this week came at the right time.  On my recent trip to Ulta, I remembered the benefits of Maracuja oil to my skin.  So, of course, when I saw the Maracuja Vegan Juicy Lip Balm, I decided to give it a try.

First of all, don’t you just love the simple, lip balmy packaging.  Who doesn’t have fond memories of being a teenager with a favorite lip balm thrown in a jean’s pocket or backpack, applied throughout the day at school?  So, I bought the very au naturel color of “Rose.”  It left my lips plumped and feeling delicious.  What I especially love about this product is there’s no funny smell or taste.  I hate tasting chemicals all day, just to get a little color on my lips!

More importantly, this beautiful balm has many benefits to aging lips including:

• Cushion Comfort Complex instantly plumps the appearance of lips & smooths the look of lip lines
• All-in-1 vegan balm, gloss, color & hydrating treatment
• Maracuja drenches lips in moisture
• 10+ antioxidant-rich fruits smooth & nourish
• Mirror-shine formula feels comfortable, never sticky
• Apply 1 swipe as a hydrating treatment & layer for coverage
• Click-up packaging keeps formula clean & pristine
• Cushiony formula without petrolatum or lanolin
• Smells like coconut
• Vegan
• Dermatologist tested

What you put in your body and on your body (your skin is your largest organ and absorbs about 60-70% of what you put on it into your bloodstream) really matters.  A quick look at the key ingredients in this product makes a vegan-wannabe like me pretty excited about what the product might do for me:

Key Ingredients

• Maracuja oil: rich in essential fatty acids & vitamin C for firmer, brighter, smoother-looking lips
• Grapeseed oil: known for anti-aging properties
• Goji: promotes collagen production & helps retain skin’s moisture
• Acai: powerful antioxidant packed with vitamins A, B, C & E to help restore moisture
• Acerola: rich in antioxidants to promote elasticity
• Pomegranate: provides maximum hydration
• Watermelon: rich in vitamin C & hydrates
• Strawberry: rich in antioxidants to help protect from free radicals
• Blueberry: packed with vitamin A, C & E
• Peach: helps boost collagen production
• Cranberry: antioxidant-rich & known for anti-aging properties
• Vitamin E: natural preservative that also acts as an emollient & antioxidant

Honestly, something about reading those ingredients makes me wanna go make a smoothie after this post is done!

Here’s the thing sis….when we nourish ourselves and live in alignment with our values, really beautiful things happen for us. Most importantly, a rise in self-esteem and self-love happens.  So, if you are struggling with self-esteem as you age, start focusing on the little things (which are actually pretty big things) like the ingredients in your make-up, especially when they leave your lips feeling great and more youthful in appearance.

May your day be peaceful, wherever you are and that you find time for you.

Much love,

Mrs. Sassy Pants