To ask if this happens at 40?

Course it's not the norm. Do you not think if there was such a drastic shift in the health of women over 40 there would not be more knowledge about it?

Can she definitely attribute her symptoms to perimenopause?

What are the 'many more'? Is she doing anything to combat her memory changes?

Skin changes as it ages and most people who wear make up change either what they're using or how they're applying it.

Hormonal changes can impact how often we need to wash ourselves and how products we might have been happy using for years, don't seem to do the trick.

I suppose with menopause there is a sharper change in hormones than we have been used to (like puberty and pregnancy) so they might be more noticeable.

Everyone should get their thyroid levels checked in their 40s.

I did as my dad had undiagnosed hypothyroid for years which damaged his heart. Mine was well into the normal range.

I'm 49 and have been through the menopause without experiencing any of the things you mentioned in your OP. The only thing I've noticed about my make-up is I do my upper eyeliner slightly differently - I have to do the cat eye "flick" at a sharper angle (more upwards than before).

I'm over 50 and none of that has happened to me.
I just don't give a stuff about peoples nonsense anymore which has been very liberating actually. 🙌🏻🤣

I hit Peri around 44, at 45 I've started HRT. My biggest issue has been temperature control. My skin is still good, but I take supplement's and look after it. I'm struggling with weight gain, that previously wasn't an issue and my memory at times is poor.

I'm fighting it tooth and nail with HRT.

I didn’t start most of that until 51, the smell thing has just kicked in at 52 but it’s not all the time. I have started getting wrinkles in almost real-time, this month under eye wrinkles have appeared out of nowhere. On the bright side my sex drive has gone through the roof 😁

I'm well past menopause and haven't experienced any of this.

I'm 40
Makeup looks fine, I altered it a bit but only as my skin is more dry
Don't smell at all but I do have a ridiculous shower routine
Memory is same as it was. I did try to put the kettle in the fridge this morning but then I did that when I was 20 so....

Mine started at 50.

Perimenopause is just the menopause symptoms before your periods actually stop. It's down to hormonal changes, not "feels". The effects are both quantifiable and qualitative.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/#:~:text=Perimenopause%20is%20when%20you%20have,hot%20flushes%20and%20irregular%20periods.

I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid in my early 40s so I couldn’t tell if the brain fog and memory symptoms etc were down to that or perimenopause. I’m now 63, 10 years post my last period, no HRT and feel much the same as I did before.

I think some of that does happen with peri menopause, but for most that's a lot later than 40!

For me things didn't start going downhill until I was 53.

To be fair I had brainfog at 41 but that was the result of newborn baby sleep deprivation.

And I did stink but that was breastfeeding sweats related….

I would say some / all the above (and more) can happen but not at '40'

I started getting brain fog around 46. Haven't had the bad smell thing

Obviously not. 40 is still pretty young. Don't listen to all this nonsense about "peri"....it's just a dustbin into which people dump mild inconveniences that they don't like.

Not at 40, started at 45

Yeah that's it. My brain is so busy it just goes "No more!" at times.

I tune into what's going on with me so much better than ten years ago.

I feel much younger at 48 than I did at 38, I have so much more energy and am a lot fitter.

My symptoms all hit at around 45. I felt "young" until then.

I'm 60, I've gone through menopause, and the only thing from that list I had was forgetfulness at times.

I think it was due to having a very full on job in my 40s, where I had to be 'on it' all day. I'd go home and be so worn out I'd forget my children's names! I'm glad to say my memory improved again, and that rarely happens now.

No - I'm 48 and have had brain fog and memory loss recently, but having oestrogen again has helped. I've recently started needing reading glasses. I was having vaginal atrophy symptoms until I started taking oestrogen after several years on the progesterone only pill.

I'm in much better health than when I was 38 and vastly more confident in who I am, and much happier in general. I had menopause symptoms age 38/39 but that was because I had developed endometriosis after five years of no pill and the copper coil. In my case having my own hormones in charge is not a great idea.

I'm 47 and all that pretty accurately describes me at the moment.

Not to me.im 44

The only one I've found is the makeup one, but that's been the case since my late thirties.

It's not a massive issue - I've just had to swap to tinted moisturiser and cream blush.

I can't believe you are 39 and are having to ask if this is the norm once you hit 40. No it absolutely not the norm. Just read any of the many websites/mnet posts/Davina mcall articles etc etc and get yourself educated.all manner of symptoms relating to peri can occur ,or may not and at age will vary from woman to woman. I was pregnant at 40.only just at peri now in early 50s with some symptoms.

I got peri symptoms at about 42 and was done by about 49. I'm now 64 and none of what was in your opening post has happened to me.

I do have to work a bit harder on the maintenance: hair, hands, teeth, feet, skin care, etc.