Has anyone had a big Makeover / look very different post 40

[Changeafter40]

I didn’t know if best in S&B but went with chat for traffic.

Want to reinvent myself after really tough fe years - look haggard and old.

Has anyone done this post 40? Any advice?

Following with interest. Any ideas for addressing jowls and very sensitive but stained teeth?

Face masks are a pain in the arse but make me look less shit

I jog /run twice a week and walk half hour every day. Sometimes it's all I can squeeze in what with family and work. I don't watch what I eat but I eat veg and fruit at every opportunity and I only eat until I'm full. I have a pudding every day 😂. I'm mid 40s.

On the running, see if you can find a couch to 5k course. I did one run by a local running club a couple of years ago and now have a group of friends to go out running with and help motivate me along. I wouldn't say I'm glamorous yet but I toned up a little and it gave me a boost to put in more effort into my wardrobe etc. Effort led to confidence led to more effort and the cycle continues.

Teeth straightening and whitening make a big difference. Spf of 40/50 every day on face, although it’s better if you started this in your 20s!

Yoga is brilliant for posture and flexibility. Weights and strength training for toning, I love Jillian Michaels and Caroline Girvan workouts. Invest in a set of dumbbells.

Revlon One Touch turns my hair from a frizzy messy into smooth, shiny and swishy! I’d also recommend a Philips Lumea for removing any unwanted hair - it really is a miracle worker!

Also a nice light fake tan can work wonders. I like Bare by Vogue in medium.

I did one big thing when I was 49 . I went grey which does sound counterproductive but actually has been anything but . I had had almost black hair my whole life and finally decided to stop trying to recreate it . So I went cold turkey. Having lighter ( white) hair has changed everything. I never realised how dark I looked before . My natural colour has made my skin and eyes look so much better and being grey has meant I've been more keen to get my make up right and choose brighter colours to wear , it's amazingly not ageing but has brightened my whole look . I've always been a bit rock chick and I now buy Better quality clothes and I feel way better at 57 than I ever did at 47 . I do realise this will be an unpopular suggestion and I'm not advocating it for everyone but having hair lighter than your childhood colour can be so flattering.

Following

Oh I’m so in!

In need of a total overhaul too.

I got a Nu face roller thing for Xmas but haven’t used it yet @Wond3rment can you give me some tips?

I’ve been to see the dentist and am signing up for Invisalign as my bottom teeth are crowded and seem to have got so much worse.

I also got a Philips lumea for Xmas so need to factor that in.

I’m very tempted to join the local gym to start doing some yoga and more walking, I’ve been ill in the past 2 years and I really need to restart more movement in my life - am tempted to get a dog just so I have to walk!

Food I’ve got better since I ordered an Oddbox as I’m making sure I eat fruit/veg each day so it doesn’t all rot and become a waste of money.

I also really want to get micro blading done. I had a consultation a few years ago but couldn’t do it as I was breastfeeding at the time. I think I’ll reward myself if I can lose half a stone.

Interested in getting the boots retinol I used to love their skincare when I was younger.

The things that I did
Maintained weight with exercise- boxing, light weights and walking
I intermittent fast weekly- this has been a revelation. I wish I had known about this earlier.
Got my teeth done as a 40th birthday present to myself
Got rid of toxic people from my life

@Neurodiversitydoctor

Retinol is your friend (I know others use Botox). Also running and planks (the exercise).

How much/how often? I often see retinol mentioned but have no idea what this actually means!

Following with intent 😃
I'm 50 next year and need some tips.
I did a wardrobe overhaul a couple of years ago and I no longer wear jeans. I hated jeans and could never find the right pair.
I wear dresses now. I only have dresses!
It's easier to get ready and I feel more put together

Ashtanga yoga. Game changer.
16:8 (or even 18:6)
Quit booze it’s AWFUL for skin / weight gain / sleep quality
Go to bed earlier
Eat your greens . Watch out for too much sugar it’s addictive and destroys collagen.
Regular hair appointments, a good colourist.
Lighter makeup. Heavy stuff not great post 40.
Diligent skincare, even if it’s just cleansing, vit C, SPF. Careful with retinol, introduce it slowly and NEVER skip spf. It’s light not sun so even inside you need to wear it daily or will end up with skin damage.

Nah I look the same as a I did ten years ago.. same hair, same types of clothes. Same size more or less. It’s just me. Few more wrinkles around the eyes but I do use skin care (budget end) no Botox etc for me so far. I have thought about my hair needing a change as I wear it long and it’s getting thinner and fluffy as I age. It’s never been Amazing always on the fine and greasier side

I do eat a reasonably good diet nutritionally but don’t cut out food groups big believer in balance. Drink lots of water, less alcohol as I don’t tolerate now and lots of exercise.

Yes, I have, at 50. I lost 25kgs over a year through diet (pretty much zero exercise). I had my grey hair coloured blonde, in a pixie cut. I bought an entirely new wardrobe, which now consists amost entirely of dresses, after not having owned a dress for 20+ years. I honestly look better than I ever have, which is actually probably not so much about how I look on the outside, as it is because I feel so happy, comfortable and proud of who I am.

I have had a professional stylist re-do my wardrobe in the summer. She is a friend so it was free but it has been a total game changer for me.

I had so many misconceptions about what I should and shouldn't wear and she liberated me from a lot of baggage I have been carrying about my body for years.

I never have to think about what to wear now. Everything goes with everything, everything fits comfortably and she deliberately chose items which will still look good if I gain or lose a bit of weight as mine fluctuates.

I have casual, school run outfits but they look well put together and the accessories make things look smart, even when they are effectively yoga pants and tee-shirts.

I think the stylist needs to be awesome but if they are, I would totally recommend it!

This is a great thread - loads of ideas. I’m surprised about the recommendations for running (although I do run 3x a week), I thought it had a bad reputation for ageing your face! Great for your bum and legs though.

I’ve introduced vitamin C to my routine every morning, and retinol at night (building up at the moment from twice a week). These have both plumped up my skin. Are you supposed to use retinol around your eyes though?

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good daily SPF? I just use a moisturiser containing factor 15, but would like to try a better one.

45 here

Diligent skin care regime-
Double cleanse morning and night
Retinol /AHAs/glycolic/ (so a ingredient serum)
Eye cream
Moisturiser
SPF (not at night)

Eyelash extensions and tint. Regular eyebrow threading.

Teeth whitening (at home with crest strips)

Regular exercise and a green smoothie every morning. Low carb

Good bra! And clothes that fit and suit my shape. I look on Pinterest for ideas and essentially copy looks.

I think the people you mentioned have all had serious work done which is perhaps an unattainable ideal for the masses?

I am toying with the idea of some filler for my nasal labial folds….but feel really apprehensive about it. Cost and maintenance wise. Also I have seen great work- gywneth Paltrow and terrible work- Courtney cox. It’s a fine line to tread! (No pun intended)

@Bunce1 how do you find the Crest strips in terms of sensitivity? And where you do get them from? Thanks.

I think if you've been overweight/unkempt in your youth then it's much easier to jooche yourself up post-40 by losing weight and toning up.

If you've always been active and slim, then the only way is down...

@garlictwist

I think if you've been overweight/unkempt in your youth then it's much easier to jooche yourself up post-40 by losing weight and toning up.

If you've always been active and slim, then the only way is down...

Maybe. But the best thing you can do in your 20s / 30s is build strength and mobility. That way you are maintaining into your 40s and beyond, when it gets a lot harder to build muscle.

Good routines in those decades defo helped me as now it’s tweaks rather than overhaul.

I don't use retinol around my eyes. I use an eye cream called IS Clinical which dermatologists recommend. Hideously expensive by I only need half a pump for a bottle to last 4momths and I buy in Black Friday sales etc. A tiny drop goes a long way. Outstanding quality ingredients.

Forgot to mention IS Clinical does contain retinol but the formula is specifically for eyes. From Caroline Hiron website

'....containing proteins, peptides, retinol, hyaluronic acid microspheres and glycosaminoglycans, to support collagen, elastin and ‘bounce’, which in an eye cream basically means it supports the structure around the eye

I buy my strips from a place called Roses Beauty. They buy them wholesale from the states.

They do make my teeth a buy sensitive but I rub sensodyne tooth paste on them a bed time for a couple of nights and that seems to work fine!

Sort of!

I decided to find a look I liked and felt comfortable in and now only buy items that fit my style. I also only buy quality.

I use Environ moisturiser and a 50spf.

I use a foreo bear 3x per week

I eat lots of fruit and veg and exercise regularly.

Hair coloured every 12 weeks.

I am by no means polished but I feel comfortable in myself. I'm 43. Going to get some fillers and Botox when budget allows for it.

44 here. I’ve been active and into the health/wellness lifestyle since my teens, sticking to something for a long time makes a huge difference, am starting to see that now as I get older. Like another poster said, if you’ve been doing it for years, it’s tweaks and not a major lifestyle overhaul.

Intermittent fasting is a game changer, helps keep weight off and blood sugar level stable throughout the day. Other things:

Weights 3x a week
Sweaty exercise every day
A few key supplements (not too many) NMN, CoQ10, vitamin D, collagen, spirulina, MSM, and magnesium.
Tons of vegetables and some protein at every meal, good fats
Low glycemic/carb food
No refined sugar
Very little snacking
Glass of red wine, once a month, if that
Regular skincare, which includes retinol, spf, and little to no makeup
Low stress lifestyle, I have very full days, but don’t fall into thinking I am “so busy and stressed.”
Simple, well made clothes and a pared-back closet.

I'd love to take NMN but it's prohibitively expensive