To ask you to tell me how old I look?

[Cyclelover]

I was insulted today and told I look much older than I am. Could I ask you to tell me how old you think?

Be kind, but honest

[Vilanelle]

You look like awoman in daily mail today for running off with her daughters husband..

[Unusualsuspicion]

Someone once looked at me patronisingly and said 'ahh but you wouldn't remember the 1980s'. It turns out I was actually older than her! I defy anyone to be anything but annoyed by that.

[Unusualsuspicion]

For those saying people never look younger than their actual age. I am 43 and constantly get told I look much younger/don't look old enough to have an 11yo/asked if I'm a student/similar variation. From nurses to hairdressers to random people at parties. I'm not stealth boasting because I find it amazingly annoying - I genuinely have no desire to be taken for a clueless 20-something, especially in a work context when it's pretty insulting to be treated as the work experience person when you are actually fairly senior. Suggesting that really I must secretly like looking young is another facet of misogyny. Why should women want to look young when for men it's experience and seniority that confers status? Bollocks to that. I'll be delighted when I finally start being treated like the age I actually am.

[Runnerduck34]

Haven't read through all the messages , that would take years, but honestly I think people are being unkind, there is no way op looks 60! Filters are awful and not everyone's photogenic - me included but based purely on a couple of not very good photos I would have guessed mid forties to fifty. I'm in my late forties and ( obviously) have a lot of friends same age , not one of us have had any work done so I'm basing my guess on what we look like!

[JaneJeffer]

It's a shame Carol Vorderman got all those puffy fillers because with her bone structure she would have aged beautifully.

[LawsonsSnow]

Oh to be as rich as NL & KM I would look 21

but still be a Camden caner

[LaMarschallin]

I also used to read Nigella's beauty column in the Times.

Every week was the same:

I'm very low maintenance, me. A quick sloosh with Fairy Liquid in the morning, dab of Vaseline on my lips and I'm good to go.
However, one thing I wouldn't compromise on is...
a light fake tan at X salon
manicure by X
pedicure by (another) X
laser hair removal by X place
a cut by "celebrity hair stylist"
colour by "celebrity colourist"
eyebrow threading by Y (for a change)
eyelash dye and lift by another Y

etc

Every week there was "one thing" she couldn't do without as part of her "minimal" beauty routine. They mounted up (and were no doubt free because she generated publicity for the practitioners). And that's without any botox, fillers, peels etc she may or may not have had.

Obsessive, moi?

[TigerOnATrain]

@LaMarschallin

I agree. Grey hair is rather ageing. And Nigella would look more like a woman in her 60s if she didn't dye her hair.

Carol Vorderman is another good example... She looks like early 50s at first glance, (even though she is nearly 60.) But she dyes her hair too, AND has stuff done to her face. If she went 'au naturale' she would look her age too.

[LaMarschallin]

Wow- this does remind me of that 10 years younger programme.

Slightly off-topic (sorry) but I used to watch that too.
They used to get someone's perceived age down by 10 years (I know: "The clue's in the name, LaMar's") but slightly sneakily, imo.

The initial age estimate was done at a distance; the subject (without makeup, bad hair, old clothes) stood in the street and people were asked, out of the subject's earshor, how old they thought they looked.

Then, after the fillers, dental work, hair styling etc, people were brought up to the (nicely made up and fashionably dressed) subject and asked to estimate their age while standing right by them and talking to them.

Yes, they looked better after the procedures, but you could tell the people asked were often knocking off a further 5 years or so in order not to cause hurt feelings.

Just as another by the by, I think that not automatically cutting and perming hair and letting it go grey helps a lot. Imagine the photo of Nigella with a grey perm and she'd easily look 60. Despite the work she's had done.
But she's a very heavy smoker too.

[Dangerfloof]

I think most people look within at least 5 years of their age, either direction
Naw, no way.
I'm in my early 50s, honestly I look around 92 on a great day.

[TigerOnATrain]

@cybergran

LOL!

[GameSetMatch]

58

[cybergran]

it took about 15 minutes to browse through those first 21 pages, which means i look about 15 minutes older than i did 15 minutes ago...

shit

[CassandrasCastle]

@MimiLaRue Yes... I think my point was more the sudden using of her last name only, it just sounded quite funny somehow. Carry on

[azigazigah]

I think you look older, sorry. Are you a smoker?

[JamesBlonde1]

And the botox, filler trend, I could guess their age well, they just sometimes look better (but often worse and false) but don't look younger.

Just keep well groomed and that's the best you can do. You will still look the same age, just some people look like they've had a harder paperound.

[JamesBlonde1]

Yep more in 60s. Smoking and drinking is a dead give away to skin as far as I'm concerned. Can tell straight away. Dry, wrinkly. Bit sunken too.

[Inappropriatefemale]

I always admire people that go cold turkey from cigarettes!

[Verily1]

Wow- this does remind me of that 10 years younger programme.

Too many cigarettes and sun beds!

At first I guessed 56 then 60 with no filter but I find 42 believable with a bad lifestyle.

Bleach is aging over 35.

[Heismyopendoor]

I see you are 42 op, I would have said mid to late 50s and a smoker.

My DH said late 50s to early 60s and you smoke and drink.

I hope you can give up the cigarettes, there is lots of help out there if you do want to give up. DH was a smoker for about ten years and quit when DC1 was a week old and it was the best thing he ever did, he went cold turkey. You can do it :)

[MimiLaRue]

Yeah NL was busted with drugs too.

But KM has talked in interviews about how she existed for years and years as a model on cigs and diet coke (and other things)

[Inappropriatefemale]

[grin]@74NewStreet

[74NewStreet]

Everyone does know this 🤪

[SayitBeit]

Lawson has been a bit partial to a toot or two over her cornflakes as well as KM. They could both probaly say they regret that.

[Inappropriatefemale]

I would love to raid Moss’ wardrobe