6 Ways to Feel More Attractive Every Day

Small updates that will put a little extra spring in your step

Lois Joy Johnson,

AARP

Comments

En español

Published March 31, 2022

/ Updated June 22, 2023

A woman wearing dark glasses and a purple shirt smiling for a photo

Patrik Giardino/Stone/Getty Images

You don’t need to drop a dress size, freeze your wrinkles or carry a designer bag to feel beautiful. So how come so many women do? Age sometimes plays tricks on our ego and what we see in the mirror, leaving otherwise self-assured women feeling invisible, out of date and looking for solutions. I’m a beauty and style expert — not a therapist — but I’ve interviewed, photographed, dressed and made-over thousands of women and celebrities who have shared their advice with me. Here are some of their insider tips to reboot your looks and attitude starting right now!

leslie jones vivica a fox tracee ellis ross jennifer coolidge and jane seymour each posing for photos on the red carpet at various celebrity events

(Left to right) Leslie Jones, Vivica A. Fox, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jennifer Coolidge and Jane Seymour

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images; Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images; Michael Kovac/Getty Images for GLAAD; Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

1. Own your size, shape and age.

A body- and age-positive attitude is the real key to loving your looks regardless of what the scale or your driver’s license say. Forget the term “age appropriate” and any what-not-to-wear rules you may have lived by for decades. Toss the rack of “skinny” clothes saved for a “when-I-lose-the-weight” future and zip your shapewear into a baggie marked “for emergencies only.” Your weight will fluctuate thanks to hormonal ups and downs, stress and diet lapses … and that’s normal. Now go full speed ahead and wear the shapely dresses and knits, leather leggings and colors and prints you’ve loved from afar.

Ilia Bright Start Retinol Alternative Eye Cream; Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Blush in Coral Crush; Violette_Fr Bisou Balm Sheer Matte Lipstick in Amour Fou

(Left to right) Ilia Bright Start Retinol Alternative Eye Cream; Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Blush in Coral Crush; Violette_Fr Bisou Balm Sheer Matte Lipstick in Amour Fou

ILIA Beauty; Ulta Beauty; Violette_FR

2. Make your morning routine a snap.

Maintaining a fresh, radiant appearance doesn’t have to be a full-time job. In fact, just a few quick tricks do it. Start by snoozing your way to a better-looking day by sleeping on a silky satin pillowcase. It is gentle on your skin and hair, and makes sleep creases on your cheeks and bedhead history. Add an eye cream with deflating caffeine like Ilia Bright Start Retinol Alternative Eye Cream ($46, iliabeauty.com) and buh-bye to a.m. eye puffiness too! Dot on a creamy blush in a rosy pink like the Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Blush in Coral Crush ($11, ulta.com) and a tinted lip balm in red or berry like Violette_Fr Bisou Balm Sheer Matte Lipstick in Amour Fou or Sucette ($28, violettefr.com) to fake a healthy look, and throw on a white shirt for radiance. That’s 10 minutes tops for an easy good-to-go look.

sharon stone jennifer aniston gwyneth paltrow with a hint of silver gray hair in their hair color while jane fonda and emma thompson with a total silver gray hair color

(Clockwise from top left) Sharon Stone, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jane Fonda and Emma Thompson

Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic (2); Jason Mendez/Getty Images; Mike Marsland/WireImage

3. Light up your locks with silver.

Who says gray is something to hide? More women these days are asking their colorists to make incoming grays part of their multitone blend or growing out processed color to a silver fox finish. And here’s a bonus: Silvery gray hairs are coarser and add texture and body to thin, fine hair! Start thinking of silver as an icy alternative to golden highlights or as a companion to them the way Gwyneth Paltrow, Sharon Stone and Jennifer Aniston do. If you decide to go total silver like Jane Fonda or Emma Thompson, let highlights or a mix of highlights and lowlights ease the grow-in. Heads will turn.

patricia arquette gayle king diane keaton gina gershon meryl streep and brooke shields each wearing glasses with black frames

(Clockwise from top left) Patricia Arquette, Gayle King, Diane Keaton, Gina Gershon, Meryl Streep and Brooke Shields

Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic; John Lamparski/Getty Images; Taylor Hill/WireImage; Roy Rochlin/Getty Images; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; Theo Wargo/Getty Images

4. See the world through cool glasses.

Want to look chic and classy fast? Get a pair of bold black or tortoise glasses. Sitting front and center on your face, they define eyes like instant makeup. Whether you choose clear prescription lenses or tinted sunglasses, select a shape that enhances your looks. Angular glasses with squarish lines and geometric aviators restore structure to softened features and optically counteract loss of firmness at the cheeks and jawline (remember side and front views count too!). Updated cat-eye frames with a tilted top bar are another fashionable choice and give mature eyes, brows and lip corners that droop a counterbalancing lift.

The 7 Virtues Rose Amber Eau de Parfum; Diptyque Tam Dao Eau de Toilette; The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Body Mist; Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Fine Fragrance Mist

(Left to right) The 7 Virtues Rose Amber Eau de Parfum; Diptyque Tam Dao Eau de Toilette; The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Body Mist; Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Fine Fragrance Mist

Sephora; Bluemercury; The Body Shop; Bath & Body Works

5. Wear a mood-improving scent.

Want a shortcut to less stress, more energy and a feel-good day? Fragrance can help connect your sense of smell and your emotions. While most scents are a complex blend, each has one or two outstanding ingredients to look for. Here’s a simple guide: To stay calm and reduce anxiety, turn to lavender, rose or jasmine scents like The 7 Virtues Rose Amber Eau de Parfum ($88, sephora.com). Not a floral fan? Let earthy, woodsy scents like Diptyque Tam Dao Eau de Toilette ($125, bluemercury.com) ground you like a walk in the forest. For a jolt of energy, citrusy scents like The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Body Mist ($16, thebodyshop.com/en-us) erase fatigue and sharpen your thinking the way caffeine or exercise do. For a virtual hug, look to vanilla in fragrances like Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Fine Fragrance Mist ($17, bathandbodyworks.com) to trigger happy memories and an overall sense of well-being.

tracee ellis ross jennifer grey susan sarandon and kate winslet each wearing a jacket as part of their outfit

(Left to right) Tracee Ellis Ross, Jennifer Grey, Susan Sarandon and Kate Winslet

Raymond Hall/GC Images; Michael Kovac/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images; Xavi Torrent/WireImage; Marc Piasecki/GC Images

6. Throw on an empowering jacket.

Nothing beats an assertive shoulder line for adding a gutsy bounce to your stride. Women who make a habit of slinging on a high-visibility bossy blazer or edgy leather jacket are never going to walk on eggshells or fade into the crowd. Just take that jacket and toss it over anything, from a tee and jeans to a midi-skirt or flowy dress, for an unflappable attitude adjustment.

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Lois Joy Johnson is a beauty and style editor who focuses on women 50 and older. She was the beauty and style editor at Ladies’ Home Journal and a founding editor of More magazine. She has written three books: The Makeup Wakeup, The Wardrobe Wakeup and The Woman's Wakeup.