AIBU to think that how old/young/good you look depends largely on genes and lifestyle?

[PacificDogwood]

And not cosmetics?

Good diet and staying off the booze and fagarettes, doing that exercise thing and having Audrey Hepburn for a parent probably does wonders.

The latter is obviously where I've been going wrong all these years.

Of course! Doesn't everyone know that really?

Well yes, genes and lifestyle are the main things that determine how young/good you look of course but properly applied make-up doesn't hurt either.

Yes, one ought to chose ones parents very carefully.

I had a lovely compliment this week and I just felt like a total fraud because I am the most low maintenance person imaginable, but the implication was that I must be doing something very clever and expensive.

We are who we are. l'Oreal and the likes should get lost. Youth Code - pffffft.

I've noticed that fags = lined skin & sunbathing = saggy skin. I'm a freckly type, so I avoid sunbathing. Smoked & did sunbeds when I was younger. Also drank more booze & ate more rubbish. I think if you cut these things out / down before 40, then you'll look better. My mother ditched the cigs, meat & sugar at that age & looks great now she's 60. Also don't wear make-up. It's really aging, I think.

It's interesting that the glamorous French don't 'believe' in cleansing and exfoliating, isn't it?
They smoke, they booze, they use a lot of make-up and look great.

I agree, well-applied make-up can be great, but bad make-up is worse than none IMO. But all the 'anti-ageing' creams etc get my goat.

There's plenty of facial cleansers, moisturizers for sale in France and plenty of glossy adverts

Good Lord please don't tell me that. I think the right kind of make up, hair and clothes can make a huge difference.
Anti aging creams and serums, however are a scam. Except for sunscreen.

Oh, yy to sunscreen.

And of course everything is available in France and heavily marketed. And, I am sure, used. But not as much AFAIK. And no such heavy stress on 'cleanse, tone, moisturise'.

How much care anybody's skin needs depends on skin type more than anything IME.

I'm 36. Smoke, drink, crap diet, almost zero fruit and veg, use moisturiser from the pound shop, stressful job, zero exercise. Regularly told I look 27/28. Definitely not lifestyle for me!.

I'm on medication which means I get at least 8 hrs deep sleep a night which is the only reason I can think of that's helping me look younger because it's definitely not my genes either!.

I'm not advocating my lifestyle by the way, have a feeling I'll hit a certain age and it'll all catch up with me!.

Ah well, MrsBolden, you must have chosen your parents well then

Sleep - yes that's another one.
And enough to drink (of the non-alcohol variety)

the French you refer to are a tiny percentage of the population - lots of women like that in London and New York - with money and time

most French women are like women the world over - varied

Doesn't genes and lifestyle cover everything?! Enhancing what you were given/covering what you don't like is good for the ego. Some people who are ordinary/pretty, but not stunning or beautiful can look amazing with good make up.

My mother is always being told she looks young for her age and this has been the case for 30 years that I can remember. I only hope I have her genes.

I think it's 90% genetics. My mum and grandma both smoked all their lives, yet always looked at least ten younger than their age. This despite the fact that my mum as well as smoking was a total sun worshipper and an alcoholic who abused her body for years - she's 58 now but could pass for mid-40s.

I also look young for my age despite being a former smoker and not having a healthy lifestyle. None of us have much in the way of a "beauty regime" either - we slap a bit of moisturiser on, that's about it!

Nearly forgot - I also think that a lot of people who haven't had children look younger than their contemporaries with children.

Diet has a lot to do with the ageing process.

My DGM is a great example of this. She has eight siblings, five of them are still alive. The ones that are alive have all aged appallingly. They look like shar pei dogs it's so bad. They all smoke and drink heavily and have shit diets with a lot of meat. My GM never touched a cigarette or a drop of alcohol and has a healthy pescetarian diet. In comparison she has aged wonderfully, looks at least ten years younger. She's also never worn make up, I don't know how much that helps.

Stress also ages you.

Gotta agree wowfudge. Alot of my school friends who've got kids, look older than me. I have no children.

love the thing about the French - they age like the rest of us. Look at a recent picture of Brigitte Bardot. She looks in her seventies because she is.

to avoid ageing, die young. Preferably:

• don't smoke
• eat properly, not too much, not too little, and don't diet.
• wear sunscreen

you can also pick the right parents and never smile but that seems a bit extreme.

amused to see an ad for some silly cream in my Times magazine today. The woman's age wasn't given but she had huge wrinkles round her mouth. Being grossly underweight might have had something to do with it. Anyway, just shows that when the photos aren't retouched, all of a sudden the miracle creams don't work any more!

"The French" is of course a stoopid generalisation like "The Childless" - I am well aware of that.

And I can think of many individuals that prove or in fact disprove what I said in my OP which was inspired by advertising. Which I suppose is all part of a wider conspiracy to make people feel inadequate about themselves so they buy this product or yon car or that dress

I love a well lived in face - preferably when most of the wrinkles seem to come from laughing rather than frowning

Some people are naturally good looking (due to good genes!) and don't need to bother with make up but a bad lifestyle usually catches up with people in the end; good looking or not!

For most of us cosmetics can enhance what we have naturally and are not ageing if well applied.

Best lifestyle anti-ageing tips: don't smoke, don't sunbathe / use sunbeds, wear sunscreen in your moisturizer; eat healthily and have a low alcohol intake; also exercise regularly.

So good genes are important but only in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle.. and a touch of make up does help too.

My oldest, closest friend is Caribbean. Well, of Caribbean heritage. Her pa and maternal grandparents all moved here. There's 79 days between us. Mid/late 40's. To be fair I am always told I look young for my age, but she is something else. She was staying with my oldest at uni about 4 years ago. He was asked about his 'girlfriend'. The bag thought it was hilarious!

is there anyone who doesnt think they look young for their age?
much as most of us think we have a good sense of humour
imo how old you look depends mostly on your age

I dunno. I don't drink or smoke or have kids, I eat fairly well and do some exercise, but I think I look at least my age.

Genetics have given me permanently tired-looking eyes and a downturned look to my face like Maggie Gyllenhaal's. Thanks genes!