How to Look Younger

The same way your figure changes as you age, your skin and hair color change, too. Wearing out-dated colors and clothing can add years to a woman's age.

Finding the right colors is the basis of "Color Me Younger: How to Look Younger and Feel Great!" (Hamlyn, $17.99), by Veronique Henderson and Pat Henshaw with colourmebeautiful, which has 1,000 studios worldwide.

• Find out which colors make you look younger: Your hair, skin and eyes take on a different appearance, depending on the colors you wear near your face. A color that harmonizes with your own coloring, it will reflect similar tones and shades in your face. Choose an inappropriate color, and you run the risk of casting dark shadows across your face, emphasizing lines that age you, and making your skin, hair and eyes look dull.
• Find the most flattering hairstyle: For an oval face, allow cheekbones to be seen. For a square face, feathered or asymmetrical bangs will be youthful. For rectangular ones, keep hair shoulder length. For inverted, try wispy bangs. And for a round face, try tucking hair behind your ears.
• Make your hair color work for your complexion: If you want to change your hair color, go no more than two shades above or below your natural color. If your true hair has natural, warm tones that have faded, consider reintroducing warm tones. If you like your gray hair, you might want to add cool tones to enhance the color.
• Use makeup as your secret weapon: Make sure your face is cleaned, toned and moisturized. Begin with a skin primer/adjuster to help blend uneven pigmentation or discoloration. Foundation should blend in with your natural coloring at the jaw line. Concealer is essential. Loose powder helps set the foundation. A lip base will moisturize, pencils will give depth, and gloss gives the appearance of a fuller mouth. Use concealer or yellow-based skin primer to disguise bags under your eyes.
• Be style-savvy: If you are short, dressing in one color from head to toe will make you look taller. Always wear fine jewelry and keep hairstyles neat to balance your face. If you are tall, break up your height using a different color. Wear larger-sized accessories, and fuller hairstyles balance your scale better. If you are average size, you can do what you want ... within reason.
• Create your perfect wardrobe: Make sure clothes fit. You should be able to easily pinch about 1 inch of fabric at your hip when standing in a skirt. For pants, you should be able to get a couple fingers comfortably under the waistband without having to breathe in. Front buttons should not gape on shirts, and long sleeves should finish just below or on your wrist bone. A coat needs to fasten comfortably and should not pull around the bust, pockets or buttons.