You don't have to change everything to feel a little different.
Have you ever had one of those days when you look in your wardrobe and feel as though nothing is quite right?
Your makeup doesn’t seem to look the way it used to. Your skincare routine has become a bit of a chore. The colours you once loved don’t seem to make you feel quite the same way.
Or perhaps nothing is particularly wrong at all. You just feel as though you’d like a little something different.
Not a complete makeover. Not a new wardrobe, a bathroom full of products or a long list of things to tackle.
Just a little change.
If that sounds familiar, here’s something worth remembering: sometimes, a small change is enough to help you see things differently.
And the lovely thing is that many of these changes can begin with things you already own.
Start with what you have
It’s easy to think that feeling different means buying something new.
A new outfit. A different lipstick. Another skincare product promising to solve a problem we hadn’t even thought about until we saw the advert!
But before adding anything to your shopping list, it can be worth taking a fresh look at what’s already around you.
Is there a top you love but haven’t worn for ages?
A lipstick tucked away in a drawer?
A necklace that would make an ordinary outfit feel a little more like you?
Perhaps there’s a skincare product you bought with the best intentions but haven’t quite worked into your routine.
You don’t need to use everything or suddenly develop a complicated routine. Sometimes it’s simply about rediscovering something you already enjoy.
Think of it as shopping in your own wardrobe or makeup bag, without spending a penny.
A little colour can change how an outfit feels
Colour is one of the easiest ways to experiment without changing your entire wardrobe.
Perhaps you tend to reach for black, navy, grey or other familiar neutrals. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Neutrals can be wonderfully versatile.
But what happens when you introduce a little colour?
It might be a scarf, a necklace, a handbag, a top or even a lipstick.
You don’t have to dress head to toe in a bright shade or follow every colour trend. You can simply experiment with one colour that catches your eye.
Try holding it near your face. See how you feel wearing it. Notice whether it makes you smile or whether you find yourself standing a little differently.
There are no rules saying that you must wear a particular colour because you’ve reached a certain age.
And if you try something and decide it’s not for you? That’s useful to know, too.
Style should help you express yourself, not give you another set of rules to follow.
Your makeup doesn’t have to take longer
Our faces change throughout our lives, and sometimes the makeup we’ve used for years no longer gives us quite the same result.
That doesn’t mean we’re doing everything wrong. It may simply mean that our preferences, skin or needs have changed.
Perhaps your old routine feels too heavy. Maybe you don’t have the patience for ten different products first thing in the morning. Or perhaps you’d just like to look a little more awake on a day when you haven’t had the best night’s sleep.
You could try changing just one thing.
Perhaps you apply your favourite lipstick before leaving the house, even when you’re only popping to the shops.
Maybe you experiment with a little blush, try a different mascara or simplify your routine to the products you genuinely enjoy using.
You don’t need a full face of makeup to look like yourself.
And you certainly don’t need to wear makeup at all if it isn’t your thing.
The point isn’t to hide the woman you see in the mirror. It’s to find the little touches that make you feel comfortable and confident in your own skin.
Skincare should fit your life
Skincare can become surprisingly complicated.
One minute, you’re happily washing your face and applying moisturiser. The next, you’re wondering whether you need a cleanser, toner, serum, exfoliant, eye cream, night cream and several other products you’ve never heard of before.
It can feel as though there’s always another step you’re supposed to add.
But a routine doesn’t have to be complicated to be worthwhile.
You might find that returning to the basics feels much better: cleansing gently, moisturising and using appropriate sun protection during the day.
If you already have products you enjoy and tolerate well, consider whether your routine works for your skin and your everyday life.
If it does, there’s no need to change it simply because somebody online has introduced you to a new trend.
If something isn’t working for you, you can explore alternatives at your own pace. And if your skin is particularly sensitive or you have a skin condition, it’s worth seeking suitable professional advice before introducing new products.
The best routine is one that works for you — not one that leaves you feeling you can never quite keep up.
Your wardrobe can work a little harder
Sometimes we don’t need more clothes. We need a fresh way of looking at the clothes we already have.
Try choosing one item you wear regularly and thinking about how else you might style it.
Could you wear that cardigan over a dress rather than with trousers?
Could you tuck in your top, change your shoes or add a necklace?
Could you combine two pieces you’ve never worn together before?
You might discover a combination you love. Or you might decide that some things no longer feel right for you.
Both are useful discoveries.
You don’t have to follow every trend or dress in a way that somebody else thinks is appropriate for your age or shape.
Your wardrobe should support the life you’re living now.
That might mean comfort, practicality, colour, creativity or a mixture of all four.
And it should leave room for you to feel like yourself.
Make room for the little things that lift you
Not every change needs to involve beauty, colour or clothes.
Sometimes feeling a little more like yourself begins with something much simpler.
Taking a few minutes to enjoy your morning coffee rather than drinking it while doing three other jobs.
Putting on your favourite earrings, even if you’re not going anywhere special.
Listening to music you love while getting ready.
Taking a short walk when you have the energy and opportunity.
Making time for a conversation with a friend.
Or allowing yourself to sit down without immediately looking for something else that needs doing.
These aren’t grand gestures, and they won’t magically make life’s difficulties disappear.
But they can create little moments that belong to you.
And when life feels full of responsibilities, those moments can matter.
You can change your mind
Here’s something I think we sometimes forget.
You are allowed to experiment without committing to a whole new version of yourself.
You can try the brighter lipstick and decide it isn’t for you.
You can wear the colourful top, enjoy it for a day and return to your favourite navy tomorrow.
You can simplify your skincare routine and later decide you’d like to add something back.
You can change your style, your preferences and your mind.
Nothing has to become a permanent new routine just because you’ve tried it once.
This isn’t a test, and there isn’t a right answer waiting at the end.
It’s simply an opportunity to discover what works for the woman you are today.
A little something to take away
If you’ve reached this point and are wondering where to begin, you don’t need to make a plan or tackle everything we’ve talked about.
Perhaps just notice one thing.
Something in your wardrobe you haven’t worn for a while.
A colour you’ve been curious about.
A beauty routine that could be simpler.
A little pleasure you’ve been putting off.
You might decide to try it. You might decide you’re perfectly happy as you are.
Either way, the choice is yours.
Because feeling more like yourself doesn’t have to begin with a dramatic transformation.
Sometimes it begins with a small change, a little curiosity and the freedom to do things your way.
You don’t have to become somebody new to enjoy being the woman you are.
And you don’t have to do it all today.
— Cheryl Elliott
The Midlife Makeover