Eye Makeup to Flatter the Mature Woman

Perhaps I was naive to think that as I matured I'd be able to use the same makeup that I have always done. How wrong could I be? As I have small lids with larger brows I always used three colours on my eyes, a light one on the brows, a darker one on the lids and a much darker one to define the socket. Sometimes I even used a fourth very light colour on the inner part of the lid to 'open' the eyes wider. Every outfit had matching makeup, yellow, green, blue, gold...but I always avoided pinks and purples as it makes me look like I've been punched in the eye! Remember this?

Happy days! But when the delicate skin around your eye starts to wrinkle and look 'crepey' it's much more difficult to apply eye makeup that doesn't make you look ancient. What's needed is a completely new approach and style/

Things to avoid

• Very dark colours
• Dragging your eye makeup brush across your brows and lids
• Black eye liner - unless you are dark skinned
• Pick a mid brown tone as the main colour, for pale skin caramel colours are good. For my pinky toned skin I find bronze is a great colour. Darker skin can take a darker brown of course.
• Beware of sparkly eye colours, these will emphasise your wrinkles. Look out for colours with fine shimmer particles which are great for more mature skin
• Use black/brown or brown mascara, it's much more flattering unless you have olive to dark skin, or a nice tan! Same applies for eye liner, a softer tone will make you look younger instead of harsh black
• DON'T apply mascara to the lower lashes. It emphasises crows feet
• Avoid eyeliner on the lower lids as this will make your eyes look smaller and draws attention to dark circles

Even Sarah Jessica Parker is not flattered by sparkly eyeshadow and black mascara!

Senior Moments

Is it my age or is it just that modern life is so very busy and stressful that my memory is not what it used to be? With all the pressures of a busy job, large extended family, an army of friends to keep in touch with, etc, etc, it is no wonder that I cannot remember half of what I am supposed to be doing. To try to combat the fading memory I'll be increasing my intake of fish. I'm not a big fish fan and to stop from gagging I have to stick to bland white fish with the occasional more exotic specimen thrown in. Mostly I take cod liver oil capsules as a cop out but tonight we were so late coming home from work that we swung by the chippy to pick up some cod, haddock and chips - with curry sauce of course - I am a northerner.

So why do they call fish 'brain food'? Because of all those omega 3 fatty acids. Don't you love the fact that something fatty can be good for you?! The good news is that cod liver oil is not just good for your joints and help to keep colds off but also protects against dementia. Eat fish and stay alert and be ripe, not rotten.

Hirstilini

Revitalise Your Body

As a young, and not quite so young, woman I ate lots of fatty foods, drank too much wine, gin, rum, tequila, etc, etc, and generally had a good time. I thought those halcyon days would last forever. Unfortunately my body had other ideas and is now having revenge on me for all those late night meals, bucket loads of alcohol and lack of sleep. Left with acid reflux, continual tiredness, puffy eyes, dodgy joints and all round bloating, I ask myself how can I fix it without a) resorting to cosmetic surgery I cannot afford, b) taking loads of prescribed drugs from endless trips to the doctor or c) going on a drastic diet and making myself miserable.

My husband was quick to come up with an answer - eat ourselves better and take health supplements. Sounds good to me. So what foods should we be eating to boost our energy and improve our well being after 50?

Antioxidants

Berries... Mmmmmm... Smoothies!

Flush out those toxins with foods that combat free radicals to fight the ageing process. Foods with bold colours, such as those in season now - tomatoes, berries and beetroot - are good examples. Excellent news for me and hubby as we have beet root growing in the garden and the blackberries in the hedge in the back garden will soon be ready to pick. Lidl had an amazing sale on vine tomatoes a couple of weeks ago and we topped up supples with a massive load of cherry tomatoes from Croydon's wonderful Surrey Street market. So off to a flying start.

Prince Charles visits Croydon... well I never!

Olive Oil

What next for health and beauty? Olive oil. It is pretty amazing stuff. It just so happens that my husband is Greek, so of course we have a constant supply in our house, and not just for cooking. I knew extra virgin was good for clearing out 'bad fat' from arteries but did you know that is has anti-inflammatory properties too? But of course it has loads of other uses. My mum used to warm it up and stick it in our ears bunged up with cotton wool when we had earache, and it really did help. But don't try this at home...! OMG click her for the weirdest use of olive oil! 

That's all I have time for but I really feel that I've made a positive start in getting healthier just by changing my diet a little. Bye for now

That difficult age

It seems to me that I am now at yet another 'difficult age'. Too old to be 'in my prime' but too young to be properly old. Like a cheese I'm now classed as 'mature', even though I don't usually feel it! The problem is that society tries to fit you into a box with everyone else of your age. This may work for some but as a woman in her early 50s who just married for the first time and has never had any children, it just doesn't work. The image of those in their 50s is that they are people with no interests outside their families. This is just not true. I still love rock music and going to live gigs. My husband and I go out and try new pubs or restaurants every week. The sales are still an exciting way to reinvent my image and I'll never let my hair see its natural colour again!

So despite the HRT, the bloating, the mood swings and all the other delights that go with the menopause, life doesn't have to be over. How do you push back the tide of time and let the world know you are ripe but not rotten?