How not to look old

If you're female and more than 40 (and haven't had work), chances are you've felt invisible. Young men have looked straight past you like nobody was there; teenage shop assistants have addressed you as "Madam"; and seemingly the only attention on offer (albeit, unwelcome) has come from vastly older men with back hair.

Veteran American beauty magazine editor Charla Krupp has declared war on ageing. Of the opinion that "ageing sucks" she refuses to wear a muu-muu or stockings with reinforced toes. Instead, her wardrobe is dictated by vanity, but also, she says, driven by personal and financial survival - that as women work longer, they need to look young to keep their jobs.

Krupp's 216-page boomer manifesto against ageing, How Not To Look Old, aims to make women look 10 years younger. It's not about extreme makeovers as she says plastic surgery doesn't guarantee youthful looks.Rather, her advice entails wide-ranging adjustments to skin, hair and wardrobe so that the more-than-40 woman can look young without looking ridiculous.

To begin, Krupp establishes whether you are high, medium or low maintenance, so you can follow her corresponding chapter tips. She then scrutinises hair, warning that nothing ages like a too-short fringe, long hair parted down the middle, helmet head, high hair, an updo and visibly thinning hair.

As we age, she advises, our hairstyles should evolve; the best overall option is a fringe. Thinning hair is also discussed and forbidden accessories include a high ponytail, thick, structured hair bands, ribbons and scrunchies. A before-and-after photograph of Teri Hatcher seals the case for long, sleek, sexy hair.

Too-dark hair, a solid block of colour, dull, grey roots and ashy blonde streaks are deemed old lady (OL), while highlights around the face are younger and hipper (Y&H). She also recommends steps to going grey and how to find a good colourist.

Shifting down the face, bushy, unkempt, shapeless, tweezed too-thin eyebrows, drawn-on and grey or brown hairs are banned. Tweezer etiquette is outlined, as well as a course of action such as extensions, prosthetics and tattooing for those who have lost brows due to illness.

While you might think eyewear is a straightforward business, apparently three pairs of glasses are in order: a stylish, professional pair for the office, a wilder pair for the weekend and a glamour pair for stylish occasions, resplendent with jewels, crystals or pearls. Krupp also matches frames to hair colour and suggests redundant glasses be donated to the Lions Club.

When it comes to cosmetics, off limits are heavy eyeliner, dark lip pencil and a single row of false eyelashes. Primer is recommended under light foundation, light diffusing powder a winner, and pink lipstick the only shade worth wearing.

But it's when writing about wrinkles that Krupp wields the big guns. A fan of injectables, she advocates "refreshing" treatments from a dermatologist such as microdermabrasion and fillers such as Botox.

If you can afford it, she says cosmetic dentistry is crucial for teeth-whitening but also discusses lower maintenance options such as whitening strips. The bad news is that a 2006 US survey tested 41 whitening toothpastes and found no evidence of lightening the base colour of teeth.

She says fake nails are OL, with "squivol", the-not-quite-square-not-quite-oval, shape deemed chic.

If age spots and veiny hands are a problem, book a laser treatment with a dermatologist.

Krupp's clothing chapters are fascinating. Wardrobe essentials such as a fitted trench coat in a "wow" or coloured fabric are listed, while accessories such as multiple ear piercings and Crocs are forbidden.

The optimum skirt length is determined, ideal jeans are explained, shoes and accessories dissected, but the gong for ingenuity goes to shapewear.

In Krupp's view, stretchy compression garments that rein in back fat, buddha bellies and saddlebags are the Holy Grail of underwear (even Gwyneth Paltrow has worn them). Her Brilliant Buys listings at the end of each chapter provide great pointers. As most products translate to Australian stores, they prevent wasted money on items that are pricey and don't work.

Based on testing of 1000-plus products, she concludes: "Some of the best cleansers, moisturisers, mascaras, foundations and shampoos can be found at Target."

Much more than obvious and hackneyed beauty suggestions, Krupp's details, tweaks and recommended treatments are innovative and constructive, while at the same time catering for all budgets and levels of commitment.

This is an essential guide for boomers who seek visibility - where else could you learn that a spritz of pink grapefruit will make you appear six years younger to men? Krupp's advice is gold.

How Not To Look OldCharla Krupp(Grand Central Publishing, $45)

(Source: smh.com.au)