To wonder where the fuck my face went????

[PeapodBurgundy]

Had the first opportunity/occasion to put on a proper face of make up since I had DS. Had a leisurely shower, a face mask, sat down with a small amount of actual time to myself, excited to feel like Peapod again rather than a washed out Mammy. I applied my usual evening 'face', which used to look nice I think yet I somehow looked like a clown. I've aged soooo badly!! My face has sagged and is certainly not where I left it last time I paid it proper attention. What the hell gravity? I didn't sign up for this shit!

Anyone else care to share the point they realised they were no longer youthful? Or more importantly, tips to give the illusion that my face is still on the front of my head rather than dangling below my jaw?

Forgot to throw in receding hairline!!

I find using a silk pillowcase reduces the 'morning settle' to about 15 minutes

It also prevents the morning pillow crease AND makes for shiny hair.

I love my pillowcase

Gore Vidal is not often quoted on Mumsnet but he should be.

"Never look in an unfamiliar mirror after the age of 30".

I used to get genuine 'No way are you 31' etc, then I hit about 40 and overnight the surprise stopped. Now when I say my age there is no hint of 'Surely not!'.

Neck has started to go.
As has jawline.

I also prefer glasses to my lenses now, and yet for about 25 years I'd never be seen dead in my glasses. Not to mention the dry eyes...

My usual make up looks dreadful on me.

I've worn SPF for decades, what the hell would I look like if I hadn't?!

I suspect that it’s as FeeLock suggested: your skin colour has changed, so you’re paler, and you’re probably knackered too.

We all have to change our look regularly. I’d look weird in the make up I used to wear in my 20s and 30s (I’m 46 and have been extremely lucky so far with wrinkles, but it may be a different story when I’m 56). Get yourself to a Bobbi Brown counter. Their makeovers are the best.

Also, and this might have happened to you, my face became thinner when I passed the age of 30. I was quite pleased because I had (and still have!) quite chubby cheeks, but if you had quite a ‘sculpted’ face to begin with, you’ll notice the difference.

Getting enough sleep makes a real difference to me. My last job was super stressful and I was sleep deprived for 18 months. I could really see it in my face. I chucked it in and had a few months off, and my mush has recovered really well thanks to much better sleep, more exercise, less stress and acid toning. Can you try to get more zzzz s, even though that’s difficult with a baby?

I'm 58 and have a face like a collapsed soufflé. I'm not as bothered by it now as I was in my 40s, when it began to sink - I just try to smile a lot-= have given up on all makeup apart from mascara as hot flushes tend to make it run down my face. Lord Snowdon (yes, really!) once told me that he never arranged portrait sessions with women over 40 before 11am, because it took that long for their faces to fall into place. At the time (I was young!) it seemed funny - now, not so much!

I've never really used much in the way of skin creams - I don't believe any of them make the slightest bit of difference - it's more to do with genetics, lifestyle and diet. Sadly, I seem to have put pleasure before beauty - but I do have some great memories as a result!

All those just had babies or sleep deprived it’s temporsry and you will recover once you sleep again never fear.

I looked hotter at 45 with 5 kids actually sleeping through the fucking night than the hell of the 25 to 35 years.

I am now 52 and the key is for me not looking gransy so keeping slim, good makeup and updating your hair style. It’s an uphill battle though

My df still has flicks circa 1979 and it just ages her.

I'm in the same boat! Just about 40 and my face has suddenly become flat and wider with the promise of jowls to develop soon! I'm actually pretty skinny but I have a square jaw and chubby cheeks which are slipping at an alarming rate.

I know it's shallow to be upset about ageing but for me, my chubby cheeks and square jaw meant my teenage years were an ongoing hell (not helped by a series of the most unflattering haircuts) and I had no clue how to make the best of my looks, so when I grew into my features and actually started looking quite attractive in my late twenties-thirties it was a revelation and a delight.

I have been thinking A LOT about the ultherapy treatment that the actress Sarah Parish had done... if only it wasn't so pricey :(

I keep looking at my DH's beard, and I wonder whether one of those would look better on me than my saggy jaw line.....

I've always had a round face and chubby cheeks but now I've also got a double (or triple) chin that I can't get rid of no matter what. At one time I could kind of move my face slightly so it went, no more. I'm 50 and boy do I look it. Though my mum kindly says I look younger than my siblings (49 and 45). I don't.

Ellie ex has grown a beard lately and I finally figured out some men do it to hide certain signs of aging. Noticing the fluff that's starting to sprout there I could consider it.

For those saying use a lighter make-up, what do you do if you have to wear one with more coverage? I have rosacea and minerals or tinted moisturisers wouldn't cover it.

Tbh I've had an awful two years pain wise and now I'm coming out the other side. Health is everything, looks be damned and we are our own worst critic.

I don't wear foudation (perhaps I should?), only tinted moisturiser, and I already wear the palest one available. I think it's the saggy/puffy eyes that are making the differance. My eyes used to be nice, but they're like piss holes in the snow. DS still feeds several times throught the night. Sleep is becoming slightly more available now he can get up and come through to our bed for a feed when he wakes rather than me having to get up and go to him.
I don't have the time or the funds for new make up, and I refuse to by new clothes while I'm still feeding,most feeding friendly clothes are either ugly, or end up out of shape from being pulled about. I have a wardrobe full of lovely clothes that I can't wait to reclaim when he finally stops feeding. I might make it to the hairdressers at that point too, and begin resembiling a human being again! wishing I could step away frrom the idea of self weaning but I can't

Glad I'm not alone though.

I've always been fat with a double triple, nay quadruple chin.

Ageing and weightloss means my chubby cheeks are sagging to form naso-labial lines that look like grooves running between my nose and the outer edges of my mouth and, I swear, some sort of double and turkey neck.

My neck has a wattle that wobbles like my bingo wings!

This year. Aged 33. I am sure I looked so much younger last year and how did it all go downhill so fast!?!?

Me tooooo! No major wrinkles but my whole face is hanging off and I'm only 38. It's turned me from very pretty, to really quite ugly in the space of 10 years.
I spend quite a bit of time stretching back the skin to see if a mini facelift would help but I think I'd just look ugly and stretched rather than ugly and saggy. .
The only thing that would help is fillers but no way can I afford hundreds of pounds every 6-12months.
CHrist it's unfair.

I’m 40 and after years of wearing make up I just can’t do it anymore! Especially on the eyes.

My advice? Always have groomed brows. This automatically frames the face. Get a fab foundation and concealer.

I also recently had eyelash extensions and I love them!! I do t wear any eye make up now.

To add a bit of pizzazz, get a fab coloured lippy!! Bit of blusher! Done!!

Yes thus has happened to me too. 43 and feeling like I’ve suddenly aged over the last couple of years. Mind you have also put weight on so can’t have helped my face and even the nether regions aren’t tight and feel baggy all over

The middle bit of my face has sagged alarmingly on photos. I must have got used to doing a special face in the mirror to disguise it from myself

Please go on Glasses Direct website and make a Ditto to 'try' on the glasses. Am I really that haggard old woman who looks like Clement Freud? Or does it do that to everyone!

I have a great idea- a thread type face lift, where they tie threads to your jowls and face muscles and connect them under the skin to your earrings. When you feel shit you just give your earrings a half turn, and hey presto- mini facelift. Whenever you like.

Jowls , Norks and eyebags are all going south

I am almost 50 and have to work at my face since I was 40 to not scare the horses.

In terms of make up, I need to seriously moisturise and wear liquid foundation to even out the freckles, age spots and complexion and put some colour. BB cream or powder does not cut it. Instead of going for matt, I go for the 'dewey' texture for a brighter, more awake, less wrinkled look.

I agree with hippychick to draw in the eyebrows. Mine are so faded my face disappears unless I put them back in. That has more impact than any eye makeup.

I noticed at 30. My 11s were so bad I looked like I was angry all the time. So I had botox on those. Yes I'm yoing but I love the stuff and it doesn't make me look younger, just less murderous.

However I have horrifically crepey eyelids ( upper and lower)
My cheeks have a vertical line running from corners of mouth to mid nose at the same time my cheekbones seem to have vanished.
I have those lines around my neck appearing.

Laughter lines I have a few but I actually like those

Oh and a grey, weirdly long hair appears on my left eyebrow. Like an old man one.
I've not got any greys on my head though hurrah.

I am sure I have the beginnings of a beard and being early 30s I still get spots. So I look old AND spotty.
I envy men. I find they get more attractive as they age.

If time and money was no object I would have the lot as and when I needed.
Eye lift
Facelift... call me Joan Rivers.