To feel a bit of sadness to see looks gradually fading

[Maisyblue]

Just that really, I wonder if we all take it for granted when we have young fresh faces. I can remember when looking in the mirror first thing in the morning before putting makeup on wasn't an unpleasant sight. Now it's a bit of a scary sight. Also it gets longer to get ready now to look half decent. Isn't it a bit sad to see the face that was once young and glowing slowly start to fade.

I still get the odd compliment, the other day the man at the petrol station told my dh I was a very fine looking woman, but he hadn't seen me close up.

ourye, I don't wear make up either (I do on the eyes, but not the skin IYSWIM)

I find a good country walk does more for one's complexion than a myriad of pots and powders!

I am 33 and I feel so depressed at the thought of growing old. Don't get me wrong, I know age is a gift, but I do find the physical decline hard to bear.

People are always surprised when they find out my age and think I am in my 20s (for now!) but I can notice the difference. My face is a a lot thinner and my cheekbones very pronounced (not in a good way!) and I'm getting lines on my forehead.

I wish I could stay 25-28 forever (when I think I looked my best). I know it's vain but I find it so hard to get old. I work in a university and actually feel envy towards all the students who shimmy around with their flawless skin.

I realise this is very superficial, and I wish I could simply not care. But I do.

Thinking about it, I'm a bit selective about which signs of age I dislike. I don't mind the crow's feet or even the forehead 11. I'm learning to live with the descending eyebrows/droopy upper eyelid where the highlighter used to go. I can live with the fuzzy face (for the moment) but I hate hate hate the dark grey vertical lines that run about a cm away from each side of my mouth. They make me look like a sour old cow. There must be a name for them. And how can I get them gone?

Bambabini - that's me as well, hair is still fabulously swishy tumbling brown locks at 47. Face looks about 20 years older.

Having said that, my forehead is as good as it ever has been, I don't need a fringe. It's my crow's feet, sun damage and uneven skin tone on my cheeks where it all goes wrong and there's no hiding those behind hair.

However I am far more confident with make-up, hairstyling, clothes and accessories than I was in my 20s and provided the angle is right can still feel happy in photos. If I could turn back time it would be sunscreen regularly from a much earlier age, it's really a damage limitation exercise now.

Do the posters who feel sad and fading feel the same about others or is only your own looks? For instance do you look at someone like Lorraine Kelly or carol Vordamen and think 'gosh their looks have faded' or do you think they look their age and they look good or do you think they only look good because they have had stuff done or Jammy gits? I'm really curious because from reading some of the posts it's as if only youth can look good and you can't be middle aged or elderly and still look attractive.

Where it caches me is when I see a recent photo of a actor round my age who maybe I liked when I was younger. I look at them and think, my you're middle aged - what happened? Then realise they are the same age as me?

Hate getting my photo taken - I'm always the one taking them!

You may not be giving yourself credit, older women I think can suffer image confidence problems due to having to endure decades of media bombardment on beauty ideals, and don't actually realize that they are actually still quite attractive. i.e laughing off 'silly crushes' from younger men.

Carol Kirkwood, weather presenter, is 53 . She looks fab, I'll be happy to look like her when I get there. She smiles a lot which I think is very important.

I get a daily country walk, whether I like it or not :o

I ended up looking at some pictures of me from a decade ago. I like me a lot better now, lines, furrowed brow, fluffy cheeks and everything!

Quick photo tip that my very attractive MIL told me. Don't look the camera face on. Turn your face slightly but keep your eyes looking forward. It does make you look better.
Selfies: hold the camera up high, literally up in the air. It banishes the dreaded double chin and jowls. In fact, encourage anyone taking a photo of you to hold the camera higher!

I love seeing fabulous looking older women in adverts, on TV etc. Helen Mirren, Alison Steadman, Jamie Lee Curtis, the lady in the Specsavers magazine ads, they almost have me wishing my hair would go grey (not quite though).

Chicken I am totally with you on the fringe! I am 38 in Feb and I returned to a mop fringe for the first time in 10 years, I also went quite dark and I think it adds a bit of the youthfulness back...

It is crap getting old and it does my head in, particularly the laughter lines, my face isn't to bad until I screw it up either frowning or laughing [I am always laughing, mostly at myself] I was never stunning, but was I blossomed at about 25, 25-29 was my era, then I became pregnant with twin girls, I had an 11 year old and everyone said " oooh you don't look old enough" fast forward 3 years with no sleep and lots of tears[and horrific PND] and funnily enough no said it anymore, lol. However, what I may have lost in terms of nice skin and bags under my eyes etc, I have sooooooooo much more confidence, dress well for my age, keep my weight to 10 stone [i am 5ft 9] and smile, smile, smile....somedays that smile is PLASTERED to my face, but smile I do..

I was plagued with insecurity at 18, now I think my god, maybe I wasn't hot but I was pretty good all the same! My mum started with breast cancer at my age, so I am more concerned with my health to be fair, I like to look nice, smartly dressed with a bit of an edge...Oh and I drive a seat Arosa, takes years off, lmao ....:)

BreakingDad77 [best year 77, that's when I was born]

Great post, it is true what you say, somebody 25 had a crush on me and i thought they were taking the mick!
Confidence is key, bit of charm and a good sense of humour I reckon.....

my male friends find not being hung up about age, beauty and looks more of a turn on than dewy skin, etc

Yeh it's all about the fringe, massive sunglasses, the eyebrows, only having side lamps and tea lights on in the house. Oh and digital cameras are great, you can delete the 99 dodgy/fat ones and put the one good photo left on Facebook and get loads of compliments.

I am nearly 60 (but don't feel it). Don't like getting older - who does but can't do anything about it. I just try to look as good as I can for my age - but don't care about pretending to be younger than I am so won't bother with botox etc. Attitude keeps you young I think. Just try and keep trim and keep up with fashion trends. Nothing more ageing that wearing outdated clothes and make up. Unless they are vintage of course!

I went out in my home town and everyone that I recognised had really aged, it feels like yesterday we were just leaving school and doesn't seem real looking at these familiar faces old but we are still here.

I'm 26 but have had grey hairs coming through since sixth form. I've decided that I want to be one of those fabulous French ladies you see with flowing grey hair dressed in black with a Chanel handbag. And I agree with the pp poster who said about country walks and complexion. Confidence, health, family and wisdom. sexy. The times i feel most confident and happy have rarely got anything to do with my looks.

Don't be sad OP. I bet you're gorgeous and cool.

Yeah when I was 26 I talked bollocks about inner beauty!

I am as shallow as a car park puddle and would prefer outer beauty thanks very much.

I don't think I look bad, but I have noticed the decline, and it seems to be speeding up as I pass the 30 mark....I am resigned to the fact that I will fade into a crone, and am trying to enjoy the good times while they last, and do what I can to keep them longer; really get off my arse and exercise, get plenty of sleep and eat well.

thebody

I am apparently improving with age, as my XMIL (whom I love dearly) recently advised that "you were never an oil painting dear, but you do seem to have grown into your face"

I am 44. I have gone through times of feeling down about my looks fading - particularly because I didn't really appreciate what I had when I was young. But, I look a lot hotter now than I did five years ago. I've lost the baby weight, grown my hair long, gotten botox, and I dress like a hottie in an age-appropriate way. So, I mostly feel OK about it.

But I do know the feeling of becoming invisible. If I don't work at it and wear makeup and dress nice with heels, I can become invisible - to the point that men, rather than falling all over themselves to hold doors for me - sometimes let them shut in my face.

Interesting.
Feel a bit sad that when I was a teenager I was unaware how good I could have looked if I had then type of clothes now available in Primarni.
However, still seem to be considered attractive and I do thinks it is about adapting and not being stuck in one style.
And totally agree that aging is better than the alternative