Gwen Stefani Turns 45: How Women in Their 40s Can Keep Their Skin Looking Youthful & Radiant

Gwen Stefani shows off her famous 

washboard abs at a concert.

Gwen Stefani turns 45 today. That's B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

The rock star and style icon may be "Just A Girl" (certainly not a "Hollaback Girl"), but she looks better than ever. In her new role as a judge on the hit singing competition show The Voice, she goes glam with an old Hollywood look--platinum-blonde hair coiffed in cascading curls, bright red lipstick, long beautiful lashes, arched dark eyebrows and flawless porcelain skin. 

The look: Old Hollywood style.

Stefani seemingly does it all in her career with effortless ease. The songstress became a fashion designer of her own clothing lines L.A.M.B in 2003 and Harajuku Lovers in 2005. She now collaborates with 7 For All Mankind founder Michael Glasser in a recently launched line called DWP (Design With Purpose). Plus, she has two more albums in the works--one as a solo artist and another for No Doubt, the rock band in which she cofounded and serves as the lead vocalist.

The mother of three boys and wife of singer Gavin Rossdale actively works with various philanthropic causes. The do-gooder diva donated $1 million to Save the Children's Japan Earthquake–Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund for the relief and recovery efforts in 2011. She also supports amfAR. 

A balanced lifestyle likely serves to keep Stefani looking a lot younger than her 45 years. Women in their 40s typically begin experiencing fine lines and wrinkles, a dry and lackluster complexion, loosened skin around the neck, and crinkles and furrows around the eyes and mouth. 

To slow down signs of aging, we present the latest treatments, serums and creams for women with maturing skin. They contain anti-aging ingredients such as shea butter, peptides, hyaluronic acid, green tea leaf extract, aloe vera juice, and vitamins A, C and E.

Will these products smooth and soften your skin to help restore radiance and youthfulness? No doubt!

SHINE: Altcheck MD Night Treatment. BEAUTY: Peptides, hyaluronic acid, and vitamins C and E replenish moisture and suppleness to your skin while you sleep. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens.

SHINE: B-Leve B-Youthful Face & Eye Serum. BEAUTY: Leave skin looking luminous and lifted with peptides and grape fruit cell extract. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens.

SHINE: DeVita Natuaral Skin Care Optimal Rejuvenation. BEAUTY: Alpha lipoic acid, aloe vera gel, hyaluronic acid and peptides aid in firming and filling in fine lines and wrinkles. BEACON: Vegan and cruelty free. Contains no FD&C colors, lead, carmine, cochineal, gluten or parabens.

SHINE: Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum, Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil and T.L.C Framboos Glycolic Night Serum. BEAUTY: Even your skin tone and diminish signs of aging with aloe vera leaf juice, green tea leaf extract, hyaluronic acid and marula seed oil. BEACON: No animal testing and vegan. Free of glutens, sulfates, PEGS, SLES, SLS/hydroquinone, dyes, lanolin, alcohol, parabens and phthalates.

SHINE: Fleur's Wrinkle Correction Cream. BEAUTY: Shea butter, passion flower oil and mango fruit extract help nourish your skin and reduce the depth of wrinkles. BEACON: No animal testing. 

SHINE: LATHER Vitamin C Peptide Renewal. BEAUTY: Liven up lackluster skin as hyaluronic acid, peptides and vitamin C aid the skin's natural ability to fight the effects of pollution and sun exposure. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of sulfates and parabens. 

SHINE: Nature Pure Labs Age Antidote Complex. BEAUTY: Hyaluronic acid, olive fruit and argan kernel oils, and green tea leaf extract act to stimulate collagen production in maturing skin. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, and artificial colors and fragrances.

SHINE: Phytomer XMF Pionniere Reset Eye Fluid. BEAUTY: Reduce creasing, dark circles and puffiness around the eyes with Algoreset (marine sugar and blue micro-algae), shea butter and sunflower seed oil. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Refineé Age Recovery Cream. BEAUTY: Peptides, green tea leaf extract and aloe vera leaf gel maximize elasticity, and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Robin McGraw Revelation Awaken Youth Regenerating Overnight Treatment. BEAUTY: Tighten and brighten skin while you sleep with edelweiss extract and vitamin E. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of dyes and parabens. Supports When Georgia Smiled. 

SHINE: Yon-Ka Paris Elastine Jour. BEAUTY: Coconut oil, shea butter, and vitamins A, C and E help repair and restore your skin's suppleness and smoothness. BEACON: No animal testing.

National Magic Week: How to Make Signs of Aging Disappear in the Blink of an Eye

I performed my first magic trick at the age of 8 when I made water disappear from a drinking glass. Truth be told, while my family closed their eyes, I recited an impromptu incantation and then sucked up the water with a straw as quickly as possible. When they reopened their eyes, it appeared as though the liquid had vanished into thin air. And, poof--faster than you can say "the wizarding world of Harry Potter"--I became an aspiring Hermione Granger.

Now, as a beauty blogger, I get to show women how to perform their own vanishing acts. By selecting products with the right ingredients for their skin type, they can make crows feet, wrinkles and expression lines disappear--and that's no hocus pocus. 

In honor of National Magic Week, which began last Friday and ends on Halloween, we've assembled some of the best anti-aging moisturizers, serums and night creams on the market. Their bag of tricks includes healing and hydrating hyaluronic acid, peptides, vitamins and green tea extract, which help transform sagging skin into a silky smooth complexion. 

You'll feel like you're on a magic carpet ride!

SHINE: CellCeuticals CellGenesis. BEAUTY: Peptides and vitamin E will hold you spellbound, as they promote cellular regeneration and renew skin's smoothness. BEACON: No animal testing and vegan. Contains no artificial colorants or fragrances, sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates or parabens.

SHINE: Dionis Goat Milk Skincare Green Conscience Wrinkle Cream. BEAUTY: Create your own disappearing act, as marine extracts, vitamin E, coconut oil and hyaluronic acid help make signs of premature aging vanish. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens.

SHINE: Hydroxatone Anti-Aging BB Cream, AM/PM Anti-Wrinkle Complex and Intensive Overnight Repair. BEAUTY: Vitamins C and E, peptides and hyaluronic acid work their magic to firm and lift the appearance of skin, and improve overall strength, resiliency and volume. BEACON: Contains no parabens.

SHINE: Kate Somerville Deep Tissue Repair. BEAUTY: You don't need any smoke or mirrors with this high-performance hydrator, as it reduces the visible depth and density of fine lines and wrinkles with macadamia and jojoba seed oils, vitamin E, peptides and hyaluronic acid. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Refineé Line Stop. BEAUTY: Abracadabra! Green tea extract and peptides help you dramatically diminish the look of expression lines, crows feet and furrows. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Skin Authority Wrinkle Reversing Serum. BEAUTY: This serum will cast a spell over you, as it maximizes moisture retention, and plumps and fills folds and wrinkles with lactic acid, vitamin C, and orange and lemon peel oils. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, dyes and added fragrances. Supports Look Good...Feel Better.

Peptide Guide: How to Help Aging & Damaged Skin Defy the Odds

Photos by Rhonda J. Wilson

Some things defy explanation. Take the tree that grows sideways in my neighborhood. It springs across the sidewalk and street in a proud but precarious position, committing horizontal hijinks on the hundreds of pedestrians and drivers who journey underneath it on a daily basis. It never ceases to amaze and delight the locals.

The same can be said about peptides--those powerhouse plumping ingredients used in skincare formulations to create Botox-like results. These teeny-tiny molecules, also known as small chains of amino acids, defy the odds and produce big results. They not only signal the skin to create more collagen, but they also significantly soften fine lines and wrinkles with no side effects.

Meet the most powerful anti-aging peptides available:

Palmitoyl pentapeptide: Absorbs deeper into the skin to stimulate collagen production and improve hydration. 

Heptapeptide-7: Strengthens skin's structure and restores firmness. 

Tetrapeptide-2: Improves tone and texture, and helps the skin defend against visible signs of aging.

Hexapeptide-3: Relaxes facial tension and reduces wrinkle depth.

Oligopeptide: Smoothes skin for a more rejuvenated look.

Take a look at the latest serums, moisturizers, and eye and hand creams that contain healing and hydrating peptides. They're designed to repair and renew your skin--as well as amaze and delight.

SHINE: VB Cosmetics Abrioné Face Lifting Serum. BEAUTY: Firm sagging skin and wrinkles with palmitoyl pentapeptide, green tea leaf extract, hyaluronic acid and marine algae extracts. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Apothederm Firming Serum. BEAUTY: Heptapeptide-7 and hexapeptide-14 help tighten and brighten skin to create luminosity and a lifted look. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, phthalates and fragrances.

SHINE: Dionis Green Conscience Wrinkle Cream. BEAUTY: Ease fine lines and wrinkles with oligopeptide, tetrapeptide-7, sunflower and jojoba seed oils, and marine algae extract. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens.

SHINE: Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Hand Cream. BEAUTY: Pentapeptide-4, hexapeptide-3, and the juices of aloe, apple, lemon and white grape help hydrate your hands and mend hyperpigmentation. BEACON: USDA Organic certified. Free of parabens, petroleum, propylene and butylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfates, pesticides, phthalates, artificial dyes and synthetic fragrances.

SHINE: Kate Somerville Deep Tissue Repair. BEAUTY: Maximize elasticity and firmness, and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with macadamia and jojoba seed oils, hyaluronic acid and oligopeptide. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Lily Herbceuticals Reishi Youth Restore Revitalizing Day Cream. BEAUTY: Mushroom and ginkgo biloba leaf extract, tetrapeptide-2 and shea butter help tighten and brighten skin. BEACON: Contains no petrochemicals or parabens.

SHINE: m-61 Hydraboost Eye. BEAUTY: Replenish moisture and reduce the appearance of dark circles/puffiness with tripeptide-38, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, and jojoba seed and avocado oils. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances and dyes.

SHINE: Murad Advanced Active Radiance Serum. BEAUTY: Hexapeptide-2, vitamin E and hyaluronic acid promote collagen production, and help restore radiance and resilience to your skin. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Nature Pure Labs Hippophae Pepto-Ceramide Complex. BEAUTY: Increase moisture retention and prevent premature aging with oligopeptide, and ginkgo biloba leaf and St John's wort extracts. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, and artificial colors and fragrances.