Everyday Essentials for Women Over 40: What I Use and Love

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These everyday essentials for women over 40 are the things I wear, use and come back to: workout clothes, makeup, easy meals and gifts I actually send. I wanted one place to shop my favorites, with the reasons I like them, rather than making you hunt through separate posts.

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission when you shop through them, at no extra cost to you.

Everyday essentials for women over 40: my Bacara Santa Barbara ocean view — Photo credit: Shopping and Info

My ocean photo at Bacara in Santa Barbara belongs with the way I use so many of these pieces: walking, traveling and getting on with the day. The favorites below are from my own routine. For the workout categories, I have linked current shopping options; lengths, colors and versions can differ from the pieces already in my closet.

Everyday essentials for women over 40: New Balance 1080v15 — New Balance 1080v15
cushioned athletic sneakers
**Shop here**
Photo credit: New Balance

Everyday essentials for women over 40: EltaMD UV Daily Tinted SPF 40 — EltaMD UV Daily Tinted SPF 40
tinted facial sunscreen
**Shop here**
Photo credit: EltaMD

Everyday essentials for women over 40: Flamingo Estate olive oil and vinegar set — Flamingo Estate olive oil and vinegar set
olive oil and vinegar gift set
**Shop here**
Photo credit: Flamingo Estate

Everyday essentials for women over 40: workout clothes I wear

Workout clothes make up a lot of my wardrobe. These are the categories I reach for, from leggings and jog bras to the layer I put on afterward.

Ruched long-sleeve crewneck tops

I own eight of these ruched long-sleeve crewneck tops: four black and four white. I usually wear a small, but I bought a medium because the fit is tight, so I would size up. I wear them for workouts, beach walks, travel and as an underpinning on ski trips. They are so flattering, and I get so many compliments on them. This is the top I buy in multiples. Shop here.

Alo leggings

I wear a ton of Alo, especially workout leggings. Leggings are one of the pieces I come back to most, and I also wear shorter, three-quarter lengths. The linked option is a current 7/8 style, rather than a promise of the exact length or color in my closet. Shop here.

Alo biker shorts

I wear Alo shorts as well as leggings. These high-waisted biker shorts are a shorter option in the same workout wardrobe. If you prefer shorts to a longer legging, this is the category to start with. Shop here.

Alo jog bras

I wear Alo jog bras a lot. Along with leggings and shorts, a workout bra is one of the pieces I keep in rotation. I have linked a current Airlift style here, without claiming it is the exact bra already in my drawer. Shop here.

Lululemon cropped leggings

I wear a lot of Lululemon leggings, especially cropped ones. If you also prefer a shorter leg, the cropped workout leggings linked here are a current option in that category. Shop here.

Varley shearling-style half zip

I wear a lot of Varley, and I especially love my light-blue shearling-style half zip. A sherpa half-zip pullover is the layer I like with workout pieces. The current linked half zip is a shopping option, not a claim that the available color is my own blue one. Shop here.

New Balance Fresh Foam sneakers

I own pink and white New Balance 1080 sneakers and replace them when I wear them out. The current linked 1080v15 is shown in bright green, not one of my closet colors. Shop the cushioned athletic sneakers. Shop here.

Makeup essentials I actually use

Charlotte Tilbury is a big part of my makeup routine. These are the products I use and what I like about them. Choose your own shade; the shade on a linked page is not a statement about the one I wear.

Airbrush Flawless Blur concealer

I use the Airbrush Flawless concealer as part of my makeup routine. If you are choosing one of my everyday makeup staples, this is one of them. Shop my full-coverage concealer. Shop here.

Airbrush Flawless Finish pressed powder

The pressed powder is really great because it conceals everything. It is one of the products I like enough to keep using. Shop my pressed finishing powder. Shop here.

Exagger-Eyes mascara

This mascara makes my lashes look really long and thick. That is what I like about it, and why it is in my routine. Shop my volumizing mascara. Shop here.

Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick

The Unreal blush gives me a really nice, natural color. If that is the kind of blush finish you like, this is the one I use. Shop my cream blush stick. Shop here.

Airbrush Flawless matte setting spray

I love the setting spray because my makeup stays set for eight hours. I keep setting spray at home and for travel, so it is one of the products I do not want to be without. Shop my makeup setting spray. Shop here.

Beauty Light Wand highlighter

The Beauty Light Wand is another product I use. It is another favorite in my makeup routine. Shop my liquid highlighter. Shop here.

VIOLETTE_FR Bisou Balm

I own Bisou Balm and highly recommend it for that just-bitten matte lip look. It is one of my must-bring makeup products for a wedding weekend. Choose your own shade; the linked color is not a statement about my personal shade. Shop the matte lip balm. Shop here.

RMS Beauty UnCoverup Concealer

The RMS under-eye concealer I own is the UnCoverup pot, not the liquid wand. I highly recommend it and would bring it for a wedding weekend. Choose the shade that works for you. Shop the cream under-eye concealer. Shop here.

RMS Beauty Straight Up mascara

RMS Straight Up is my favorite mascara. I buy two at a time so I do not run out. It is one of the products I love and actually use. Shop the volumizing peptide mascara. Shop here.

Skincare essentials in my routine

These are products I actually use, rather than a long list of things I have never tried. My routine is personal; the shades on linked pages are shopping options, not a record of my own shade.

EltaMD tinted sunscreen

I use EltaMD tinted sunscreen on my face. It is part of my everyday routine, and a tinted facial sunscreen belongs on this list of products I use myself. Shop here.

DRMTLGY Luminous Eye Corrector

I use the Luminous Eye Corrector daily with the sunscreen I wear over the rest of my face. This under-eye color corrector with SPF is one of the products I actually come back to. Shop here.

ELEMIS Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads

I also use the ELEMIS Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads. I really like them, and these exfoliating facial pads are another part of my own skincare routine. Shop here.

ORPHEUS Resurrection Serum Slip Cleanser

I use ORPHEUS Resurrection Serum Slip Cleanser and really love it. The current linked bottle is the travel size, which is a different size choice from a full-size cleanser. Shop the exfoliating facial cleanser. Shop here.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish

I love ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish. It is one of the skincare products I have told you about because I actually use it. Exfoliants are not all steps to layer together; ask your dermatologist what fits your skin. Shop the exfoliating facial polish. Shop here.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 50

I use CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 50. It is one of the sunscreen moisturizers in my own routine. Follow the label for sunscreen use and reapplication. Shop the facial moisturizer with SPF 50. Shop here.

Skinbetter Alto Advanced serum

Skinbetter Alto Advanced is the antioxidant serum in the morning routine I shared. This is one of my own skincare picks, rather than an extra product I have not tried. Shop the antioxidant facial serum. Shop here.

Skinbetter Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment

Skinbetter Trio is the moisturizer in the morning routine I shared. I wanted it on this list so you can find the actual moisture treatment I use. Shop the facial moisture treatment. Shop here.

Skinbetter AlphaRet Overnight Cream

Skinbetter AlphaRet is another product in the nighttime routine I shared. My routine also includes prescription steps, so I work those out with my clinician rather than treating this as a routine for everyone to copy. Shop the overnight retinoid cream. Shop here.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer spray SPF 70

I keep one of these in my car and one in my beach bag so I do not run out. Follow the label for use, reapplication and storage, including protection from extreme heat. Shop the SPF 70 sunscreen spray. Shop here.

Skinbetter Even Intensive serum

Skinbetter Even Intensive is one of the serums in the nighttime routine I shared. It belongs on my list of products I actually use, rather than a routine everyone needs to copy. Shop the skin tone correcting serum. Shop here.

ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

I use the ELEMIS balm cleanser and really like it. The linked Original version is a cleansing balm. Shop here.

Similar: Round Lab Birch Juice UVLOCK SPF 45

I use Torriden Dive-In Mild Sun Cream SPF 50, but my original sunscreen is unavailable through the earning link. This one is similar, not the sunscreen I have used: a Round Lab SPF 45 face sunscreen. Shop here.

Supplements I use in my routine

These are part of my personal routine, not a recommendation that everyone needs the same supplements. Ask your own clinician about what is right for you.

Pure Encapsulations magnesium glycinate

I take Pure Encapsulations magnesium glycinate. If you are looking for the magnesium glycinate capsules in my own routine, this is the product category I use. Shop here.

Seed PM-02 Sleep + Restore

I also take Seed Sleep as part of my nighttime routine. The nighttime sleep supplement linked here is sold through a subscription page, so this is a recurring-purchase choice rather than an ordinary one-off bottle. Shop here.

Thorne Creatine travel packs

I travel with the individual Thorne creatine packs and do not leave home without them. They are part of my own routine, not a recommendation that everyone needs the same supplement. Ask your clinician what is right for you. Shop the creatine travel packets. Shop here.

ProMix Debloat Prebiotic + Probiotic in Orange

I use the orange ProMix prebiotic and probiotic and love it. It is part of my personal routine, not a promise about what it will do for someone else. Shop the orange prebiotic and probiotic sticks. Shop here.

A small everyday luxury at home

Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash

I love Aesop soap. It is a small way to bring home the feeling of a good hotel stay. The current linked version is Resurrection Aromatique hand wash. Shop here.

Easy meals and a cookbook I use

Sakara ready-to-eat meals

I order Sakara meals and really like them. The ready-to-eat meal program is the option I use when I want meals to be easy and convenient alongside my workout routine. Shop here.

Glucose Goddess Method cookbook

I own the Glucose Goddess Method cookbook, love it and follow the recipes. It is one of the books I actually cook from, which is why it belongs in a list of things I use, not only books that look good on a shelf. Shop here.

A gift I ordered seven times

Flamingo Estate olive oil and vinegar gift sets

I ordered seven olive oil and vinegar gift sets from Flamingo Estate to send to seven different people. Everything is so beautifully wrapped. If you want a gift that feels special before it is opened, this is one I actually chose for my own gifting. Shop here.

A mini tote I own

I own this canvas mini tote bag too. The beige-and-cream canvas and contrasting straps make this a small everyday bag I wanted to include here. Shop here.

Cat-eye sunglasses I own

I own these thick-frame cat-eye sunglasses too. I have bought them twice. The black and red pair gives me two different colors in the same bold shape. Shop here.

Hair care I buy in big bottles

Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo

Moroccanoil is my favorite shampoo and conditioner line, and I buy the big 32 oz bottles for my color-treated hair. The current shampoo link lets you choose the size that works for you. Shop the hydrating shampoo for color-treated hair. Shop here.

Moroccanoil Hydrating Conditioner

I buy the Moroccanoil conditioner with my shampoo in the big bottles. I wanted both links here so you can shop the conditioner separately rather than having to hunt for it. Shop the hydrating conditioner for color-treated hair. Shop here.

Nude nail colors I love

GELLEN illuminating nail concealer

This is another favorite of mine for a nude manicure. It is the nail-concealer option, separate from my traditional nail lacquer. Shop the sheer nude nail concealer. Shop here.

Questions about my everyday essentials

Which workout clothes do I wear most?

I wear a lot of Alo leggings, shorts and jog bras, cropped Lululemon leggings and Varley layers. I also have eight of the ruched long-sleeve tops: four in black and four in white.

What size do I wear in the ruched top?

I usually wear a small, but I bought a medium because this top has a tight fit. Based on my experience, I would size up.

Which makeup products do I use?

My Charlotte Tilbury routine includes concealer, pressed powder, Exagger-Eyes mascara, Unreal blush, setting spray and the Beauty Light Wand. The reasons I like each one are above; choose a shade that works for you.

Are the linked workout styles my exact pieces?

The testimonials describe the categories and pieces I own. Where an exact version or color is not confirmed, I have linked a current shopping option and said so, rather than pretending every detail matches my closet.

What do I buy in multiples?

I have three pairs of New Balance Fresh Foam sneakers and eight ruched tops. For gifting, I ordered seven olive oil and vinegar sets for seven different people.