Arrrrgghhh!!!!

I always reckon I look 45 in the summer after a good holiday and lots of swimming in the sea - and 55 in the winter, esp this year as I've just had flu and antibiotics and feel like I really need to hibernate until at least mid March...

If you feel insecure about people's comments, it may be worth considering changing your look a bit? (If you feel it will make you happier)

Speak to a hairdresser with a good reputation and ask for recommendations of styles/colours that would suit your face shape to look a bit more youthful. Maybe consider investing in a make-up lesson with someone who's work you like (there are so many new products now and it's easy to stick to an old routine which isn't always flattering)

Maybe speak to a colour consultant to see what your most flattering colours are and book a personal shopper (you don't HAVE to buy the outfits) to get a more youthful style.

Just a few suggestions but may help you feel more confident.

I've really enjoyed your thread op... And will also be looking up some of the make up tips you've been given, but you've made me laugh a lot.

P.s my post should have said what rounded shoulders I got from my horrid year in 2022, from which I'm now fully recovered... I had started to get the forward leaning neck/jutting chin thing you see on a lot of older folk... As all the women in my family have that in a rather pronounced way... I'm sorry to say I had started to accept I was aged and This Was It...

But that's totally reversed now, all the right ligaments are lengthened once more, I can whip my head round to glance over my shoulder. My neck looks longer and I move more fluidly. Front/ back crawl is now back to effortless instead of creaky as my arms can rotate in their sockets properly... so that's youthful. It took me a year of yoga practice to make the change, but I'm not a dedicated student and only do it once a week so I'm impressed with how effective even just that level of doing was.

Oh and the yoga teacher loves going out and having a glass of wine/cocktails so it's not all aloe Vera juices! 😁

Reason not treason 🤦🏼‍♀️

Very true @Ilovelisting! Men treat us woefully for whatever treason they can!

I have quite a high pitched voice too - so no chance of me being taken seriously

Haven't read the full thread, so probably been said already, but could it be posture?

I had a tough year bent over my desk and hardly moving it robbed my shoulders and aged me massively!

I switched my desk situation, took up yoga and have dropped a decade with better posture... Meanwhile my yoga teacher who is 60 looks barely 50 because she moves beautifully!

I am 44 and look young for my age - but I have always had a baby face. I am female and work in IT so the men in the team treat me like a child! Annoys me.

I'm also overweight which probably adds to my 'youthful' appearance as I have chubby cheeks.

I don't think there is anything wrong with looking your age - hopefully people treat with respect and as though you are an adult. I am sure you look lovely OP

Agree about Estee Lauder Double Wear it was my go to for years, I thought I'd revisit it recently and it looked truly awful, like a cracked mask!

Yes defo watch it, Demi was amazing in it!

I will check out the book thanks for the recommendation!

Have a google of Helen Mirren, she’s had her eyebrows microbladed/tattooed.

I’m 58, game changer for me feeling better about myself was getting my eyebrows microbladed, not angry bird type, but feather strokes, I’ve also had a lash line enhancement, they tattoo along lash line giving appearance of a fuller lash and next month I’m having a lip blush to redefine my lips, I haven’t resorted to Botox, was considering eyelid surgery but with my new eyebrows and lash line enhancement feel much better about myself so that’s on back burner for now, of course you can pencil these in, but getting up in the morning and that initial look in the mirror makes me feel better about myself, I don’t care what others think, it’s about what I think. Check out PMU artists in your area. Also I have started using facial oils, I was dubious at first, having had greasy combination skin most of my life but feeling dryer in recent years, these have had significant impact I am now confident with my permanent makeup (PMU) to go make up free most days, might slap on some tinted moisturiser. I have a lovely DD who thinks I don’t look my age😀

I worked with a black lady who I thought was in her late 20s, maybe early 30s at most. When she told me she was late 40s I couldn't believe it. I told her she looked so much younger and she pointed at her skin and said ... "black doesn't crack"!

Agree with this. Makes you strong in many ways!

Bastarding machine at my gym tells me I have a bio age of 62 - whatever that means. I'm 56! Fortunately, as above IDGAF.

I'm 55 and up till about 48, everything was looking OK. Then bam, I aged 10 years overnight!

I thought about whether I wanted to make an "effort" and the fact is, it would just be for other people. I genuinely don't care what people think of how I look anymore. I used to care too much and it didn't make my life better in any way, just caused me stress and insecurity. I'm glad to leave all that behind.

I let my hair go grey in lockdown, rarely bother with make up and don't use any lotions, creams etc. I wouldn't really be insulted if someone thought i was in my 60s. So what? It doesn't affect my life in any way. I'm done judging myself or caring if anyone else does!

Hi OP. I work in an 11-18 girls school. A teacher stopped me to say he belatedly realised I was a member of staff but he had thought I was a sixth former.

I'm 47 but often get told I look younger. Not 30s though!

According to an unsolicited comment from a colleague, my skin changed dramatically when I started HRT two years ago.

I still have the wobbly under chin/neck thing going on though. And wrinkles etc.

Possibly something in my favour is I am hypermobile which can given the appearance of fewer wrinkles as my skin is more elastic.

I dress in trainers and wide leg trousers most of the time, usually try to wear a more modern one, so stopped white trainers some time ago.

Oh and DD16 authorises all my clothing choices 😂

Estee Lauder can be a bit flat and settle into fine lines, I think its a bit dated as far as foundations go, especially if we talking Estee Lauder Double Wear. I would try Lancome Teint Idole with white lid, the moisturising one, it has a nice glow. I only do chemical peel once a year because it takes me ages to recover! If you don't know where to start on YouTube try glam girl gabi she is exclusiley talking about how not to age yourself with make up and they are short videos, not obnoxious. Sounds like you have lovely routine. What does your hair look like? Long, short? Do you dye it?