"A great smile can make you look significantly younger," says New York City dentist Jonathan Levine. If your teeth are yellow or dull, schedule an in-office treatment like Zoom Whitening or try an at-home system like the new Glo Solo, $45. "Remember, there's a close connection between oral health and overall health," says Levine.
Photo 11/12
40s: Love your workout
Remember the days when you could get away with eating chips and pints of ice cream without fear of buttoning your pants? Newsflash: those days are over. So are the fad workouts you tried on like undies in your 30s -- Animal Flow one day, yoga-lates the next, then aqua cycling. Your 40s are the time to find your exercise bliss -- the routine or activity you actually look forward to doing regularly. "You can be in fantastic shape in your 40s," says fitness expert Dan Trink. "But if you let it slip and fall into bad habits, it can get ugly fast."
Photo 12/12
40s: Get an Rx for retinol
"Retinol is the most important anti-aging ingredient you can use," says New York City dermatologist Jeanette Graf, MD. If you've been dabbing on retinol for decades, your skin probably looks fantastic. But if you've held off for whatever reason (like sensitivity or peeling), now's the time. Especially if you're starting to see crow's feet, frown lines, sun damage or any of those other inevitable signs of aging -- get a prescription, and use it regularly.
There are two kinds of bucket lists. One involves smug, self-congratulating posts on Facebook about death-defying, overachieving feats no one really cares about but you. The other is the one we should be plotting out in the hopes that, when we do finally kick the bucket, we look fabulous. Because no one will remember you taught yourself to knit or did a handstand on the Great Wall of China. But they will talk about your 70-year-old skin looking rosy and fresh like a newborn baby's butt.
This is your beauty bucket list -- a guide to the products, treatments and skin care, makeup and hair adventures you simply must try before you die. Yeah, we know. You're welcome.
