Can we make aging into the most glorious aspect of our lives? For author and beauty influencer Dominique Sachse, aging gracefully and beautifully is a combination of using the right beauty products, living a healthy lifestyle, and having faith.
With more than 1.7 million followers on her YouTube channel, Sachse is an inspiration and an endless source of beauty and lifestyle tips from her experience working as a news anchor for KPRC in Houston.
In an interview with The Epoch Times, Sachse shared tips to help women in their prime feel confident and comfortable in their own skin, and how to get back that natural glow.
The Epoch Times: What do your morning and evening skincare routines look like?
Ms. Dominique Sachse: A mix of cleansing and exfoliating, using acids and retinols. I don’t wash my face in the morning. Instead, I go straight to Paula’s Choice Niacinamide 20 percent Treatment to help reduce the look of pores and improve skin elasticity. Then, I’ll apply a moisturizer. I like MDSolarSciences’ daily antioxidant moisturizer with SPF 30.
At night, I wash with La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ and afterward apply my dermatologist-prescribed retinoid (tretinoin), along with a face oil like Sunday Riley Luna’s.
Courtesy of Dominique Sachse
The Epoch Times: You’ve mentioned in one of your YouTube videos that, “It is amazing the power of makeup to be able to change shape and to create lift.” What are the most common makeup mistakes that you’ve seen women over 40 doing, and how can they be fixed?
Ms. Sachse: Funny you should ask; I just did a video on the most common makeup mistakes that women make and how to correct them. The biggest are: using a foundation that’s too light and chalky and not the right formulation for your skin’s needs; continuing to use eyeliner on your bottom lashes along with mascara; going too low and dark with blush; and, overdrawing lips with a darker pencil than the lipstick. And, let’s not forget overdrawing the eyebrows and the importance of softening with shade and shape.
The Epoch Times: What would you consider to be the most important components of your style after turning 40?
Ms. Sachse: For me, it’s classic but with an edge. I do like to incorporate trends, but still overall conveying a classy look. I feel there are certain pieces that will never go out of style for me—a great-fitting pantsuit, palazzo pants, chic silk blouses, or a pencil skirt and a pointed-toe pump in nude or black.
However, since I’m no longer in the news business, I find that my overall look is more casual. I’m enjoying different styles of jeans, boots, or booties paired with oversized jackets, and maybe a graphic print T-shirt underneath.
I believe it’s about honoring who you are and where you are in your life. Right now, for me, it’s more fun with the casual. There’s a time and place for all styles, but I always want to convey respect for myself in all fashion choices made.
The Epoch Times: You said that of “what you eat, 90 percent of it affects how you look.” What do you eat to age gracefully?
Ms. Sachse: It’s really a blend of “what” along with “when.” I practice intermittent fasting; so if I have dinner at 7 p.m., I won’t eat the next day until at least after 12 p.m.—so I’m fasting for a good 16 hours. I believe that helps my metabolism and allows my body to burn fat stores.
I also eat smaller portions than I used to, with a balance of lean protein to carbs and healthy fats. I love vegetables, fruit and nuts, and, of course, my glass of wine, but I source organic and try my best to find quality foods where possible.
The Epoch Times: What are things that you do every day to live a more balanced and harmonious life? What are those rituals or habits that you can’t live without?
Ms. Sachse: My daily prayer and conversations with God. Each day begins and ends with gratitude expressed, no matter what life throws my way. There is always something to be grateful for, and I choose to magnify my God instead of my problems.
I also practice yoga, and it has been an exercise form that has literally changed my life. I’ve worked out in the gym since my 30s, but a few years ago, I started developing chronic pain in my neck and shoulders. I decided to take a month off, and a friend suggested that I attend a Vinyasa flow yoga class to see if it helps. Not only did it alleviate that stress and pain in my body, but it also cleared my mind with meditation at the end, so I felt it was the best of both worlds. These two practices give me balance spiritually, physically, and mentally.
The Epoch Times: What role does faith play in your life?
Ms. Sachse: As I wrote in my book “Life Makeover,” I’ve done life with God and without, and I know which I prefer. My pathway to him came later in life, but I discovered that God meets us right where we are, willingly and lovingly. Faith is the ability to trust in the unseen, and by keeping my spiritual eyes open, I’ve been able to see His work show out in my life. That’s not to say that I’m going to sit back and coast, because I believe in the dream and the pursuit thereof, but I do my part, knowing and trusting that He does His.
The Epoch Times: What inspired you to write “Life Makeover,” and how can it help women?
Ms. Sachse: Suggestions from my viewers to write a book. I would often hear after Q&A videos, which would deal with a wide array of topics from beauty to wellness in midlife, hormones, weight management, relationships, parenting, and so on, that I should put these ideas down and expand. It wasn’t until one Sunday in church when a woman from behind leaned forward, tapped my shoulder, and whispered in my ear, “You should write a book,” that I felt maybe God was throwing His hat in the ring too!
Screenshot Amazon
The Epoch Times: What does beauty mean to you?
Ms. Sachse: It means a woman feeling good in her own skin because she values herself and practices self-care that makes her radiate an energy and glow that no amount of makeup can provide—that skillset is just the icing on the cake.
