What makes someone look 20, 30 or 40? (I always get mistaken for younger.)

[roselune]

I'm 40 and really fed up of getting mistaken for younger, especially in a work context. I recently had someone ask if I was under 30. 🙁 I work in a profession (self-employed) where people are more likely to choose someone around their own age or older (because of life experience as well as work experience) so it's actually affecting me professionally.

I've read all the usual articles with tips from how to do your make up to what to wear but I think in my case it comes down to my facial features and I just can't change that. I already wear glasses, keep my make up quite natural, dress smart-casual as appropriate for my job, wear my hair up (and have an increasing amount of grey hairs that should make it obvious I'm not 25!). Looking at people my age on social media for example I can see how my face looks much younger though. I'm nearly the same age as Kate Middleton for example and even with her generally amazing skin and all the money she can spend on her looks no one would mistake her for being in her 20s because of her features.

What do you think is the difference between how most women look in their 20s, 30s and 40s? What makes you think "she's about 40" compared to thinking "she's in her late 20s". 🤔

I know a 38 year old lady through work. She does look like a teen.
She's shy, small, thin, fresh faced, everything that people mentioned on here.
I thought about 22 (as I knew if she had a degree she would be at least that age) but I would have gone even younger than that if I hadn't of known.
I was in complete shock when I got told she was 38. It's honestly unreal.

They do ! I’ll say how old my eldest is and they’ll look horrified then start saying ‘but how ?’ Or ‘how can you have a dc in their twenties ?! How old are you ?’ It happens so regularly

I'm in my late 50s and am mistaken for a teen on a regular basis. If I go into town shopping in the week I usually get asked why I'm not at school.

I think it's probably because I'm very petite. When women are teeny tiny everybody loses the ability to accurately judge their age.

I looked younger and was often mistaken for much younger - still ID-ed for alcohol into my 30’s. I’m short and petite framed and I have good skin (genetic - my mum’s is amazing on nowt but Nivea Crème and soap and water). But I don’t think I do now I’m menopausal. Your body changes regardless and either get weight gain around the middle or you end up thin and stringy. The muscular scaffolding of your face changes and your skin changes (not wrinkles). I think you eventually “catch up” with your age, unless you spend a lot of time, energy and money on hard anti-ageing treatments and tweakments. You get to a stage where you look good for your age, but not younger IYKWIM.

I've name changed to post about this one. A friend I hadn't seen for years is now around 42 but looks early to mid 30s. She works outdoors, which you'd think would be bad for skin, doesn't wear make up or have any treatments. She has radiant, glowing skin and her hair is very long and naturally curly. She's also very slightly overweight but an active person due to working outdoors.

I think doing nothing like that is luck and genetics. Most people in their 30s and 40s who look younger in the face have had filler and botox and/or have good bone structure to begin with.

Come on OP, we need a picture

I think people have a pre conceived idea in their mind of what a fifty plus year old woman looks like, probably beige elasticated slacks and a grey bubble perm as we are so often depicted in the funeral plan adverts where they lump together 50-80 year olds as the same generation, it’s pretty deeply engrained on our psyche that 50 is old person territory so it’s a shock when 50-55 year olds can look as good as Jennifer Anniston for example, it messes with their heads! However, as much as Jennifer Anniston looks absolutely gorgeous she doesn’t look in her 30’s so if someone like her doesn’t then I’m pretty sure all the civilian’s claiming to look 20 years younger than their age on mumsnet do either. I honestly think the maximum anyone can look is ten years younger.

You win the thread for the most delusional poster, even little petite beautiful Kylie Minogue doesn’t look like a teenager!

Someone will be on next to say they’re 70 but people think they’re 15

I’m intrigued though as people can post anything but pics would be useful

I'm not delusional, I'm petite.

Unfortunately photos don’t tell the truth either these days due to beauty filters, look at Paula Abdul here.

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3133616/Wow-Meet-Mail-readers-look-20-years-younger-wrote-told-week-one-81-year-old-defied-years-never-marrying-secrets-astonishing-looks.html
Seems the secret to eternal youth is a shift dress and court shoes 😜

I regularly get referred to asmum when I'm with DGS 6. I think some of this is because I look about 15 years younger than I am and people not wanting to insult me by calling me granny when I'm his mum .

I have few wrinkles, thanks to both grans and I don't have a lot of grey. I also have a round face .

I thought that!

That’s funny. They look like different people.

She's not short but tall, my youthful example. I think 5ft 8 - 10.

If you want to look older just make sure you get less sleep.

That needs to go on a T-shirt

Do you hand on heart think you look like a teenager when you are nearly 60?

Pics would be useful here. 😀

This ^ 😂

I'm 59 and get carded every time I go to a bar.

I'm only 3ft 6 so it'll be that

But none of those women look 20 years younger. They all look their age. If this article demonstrates what people think a 30something or 40something looks like, then I can understand why everyone on MN thinks they look younger than they do.

I think being petite and slim helps. One of my neighbours thought I was a teenager and was surprised when she saw me close up. I was 35 at the time. She certainly realised I was near my age when she saw me close up though. No one looks much younger than they are. Lots of people think they look young for their age but it's often delusion.

I think a 50-something teen is definitely a new high for this genre of threads.