The truth is that from the day we are born we keep on aging and the older we get the more we need to take care of ourselves.

“How Not to Look Old” is a book focused essentially on maintenance, and the author, Charla Krupp knows what she is talking about. A former beauty director at “Glamour,” she has appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Good Morning America,” and she has been a regular on the “E! Channel.”

Do we have a choice in looking like a fifty-year-old who looks forty or a fifty-year-old who looks sixty? The fact is that a growing number of women believe they do not even have that choice because they simply cannot afford to let themselves go!

“Studies on attractiveness have shown that people who are better-looking, younger, and slimmer are more likely to get a job and keep it, as well as to win friends, influence people and keep their partners interested.”

“How Not to Look Old” is not only about looking good but also about the need to embrace a youthful attitude. One of the greatest advantages we have nowadays is that unlike our mothers, we have so many things we can do to maintain a youthful appearance. Charla Krupp gives us some excellent advice and most of it has nothing to do with cosmetic surgery.

This go-to guide tells you what to do and it’s never been easier. It all starts with the hair. Nothing ages more than long hair parted in the middle or visibly thinning hair. Bangs are a cheap and easy way to change your look.

“This haircut hides a large forehead, a wrinkled forehead, or a receding hairline. At the same time, a soft fringe of hair falling along the side of your face draws attention up to your eyes and deflects scrutiny from your jaw which may be a little slack or saggy.”

However, once you decide to go for a fringe look, you must resist the urge to snip your hair yourself in between visits to the hairdresser; it is best to leave the scissors in the hands of a pro.

Another blunt fact is that “the older you get, the lighter you go.”

This does not mean that we should become a blonde. Blond hair does not suit everyone but almost everyone looks better with lightness around their face. Whatever your current color of hair, all you need to do is to go only two shades lighter than your natural base color. Dark hair ages you by emphasizing the lines on your face. Lightening up the strands that frame your face will create a halo of warmth which illuminates your skin tone, and gives you an all-over glow.

One of the author’s best advice concerns the use of makeup.

"Once you reach a certain age, it’s best to edit your makeup down to a minimalist color palette … If you have bumpy eyelids, crow’s feet, or a hooded overhang, lose the thick eyeliner, the heavily pigmented colors and the multi-tiered shadow effects. Instead, learn to artfully smudge a thin line of eyeliner pencil or apply a thin line of liquid liner, and stick with an understated wash of shadow in a flattering shade of beige, brown, khaki or gray.”

A good tip is to use a silky neutral eye primer. An eye primer does two things: It smoothes the surface enabling the eye shadow to stay put, and it camouflages discoloration, blotchiness, and blue blood vessels, and generally evens out the skin tone with a uniform palette.

Another good tip when you are drawing a line underneath your eye is to stop where your eye color ends; if you go the whole way right in to the corner, your eye will look smaller.

What is valid for the eye is also valid for the face. Before you apply a foundation cream, it is worth using a face primer which makes the skin feel soft and not sticky. It smoothes over wrinkles and pores so that the foundation cream glides on. However some primers can be drying. You should test a primer on the back of your hand and see how it performs. If it gets flaky or settles noticeably into crevasses, it’s not the one for you.

After a certain age, pink is also the only lipstick worth wearing and this is true for women of all skin tones. The right shade of pink lightens up the mouth with a shimmery luminosity that helps compensate for the loss of glow in our complexion. Darker lip colors emphasize dark circles under the eyes. Moreover, the darker the color, the thinner your lips will look. And the same can be said about nails. Nothing ages you like red nail polish and fake nails.”

“The most important factor is making your hands unobtrusive is the look of your nails. Keep them short, neat, clean and painted in a neutral color. That way your hands will look natural and healthy.”

The book ends with a series of chapters on how to dress. Nothing ages you like outfits that are too “matchy-matchy,” dressing head to toe in one designer, looking like you have overdone it or wearing clothes that are too young.

Here are some new rules. Metallic colors can be used during the day; mixed patterns work well when matched according to color tones; jeans can be worn in the evening with heels and a dressy top; well chosen costume jewelry can look fabulous; and you can mix black with brown, navy and even with black whatever the tones.

To be a smart shopper is to buy only the fashionable clothes that suit your body, your personality and your lifestyle.

Finally a very useful tip to avoid making mistakes is to learn to wear classics with a twist. “Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who was the picture of ageless chic throughout her life, seldom strayed from the classics. A simple cashmere turtleneck sweater, a pretty twinset, a black sheath dress, fitted tweed trousers and designer pumps kept her looking effortlessly chic well into her sixties.”

The most important piece of advice is to remember that whatever you are buying whether it is fashionable or classic, the clothes have to suit you. If it does not look good on you, then you must not buy it.

Regarding shoes, it is important to remember that “by the time you are 40, your feet lose that fatty cushion that usually protects the soles of the feet; So with each step you are putting extra pressure on them. To offset this, wear wedges or platform soles.

Incidentally, did you know that a study by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago concluded that in the presence of the smell of pink grapefruit, women appear to be six years younger than their real age. One of the best scents with a grapefruit top note is by Jo Malone.

This book does not only tell you how not to look old but how to keep on looking good. The author shows us what really works. Here is an excellent guide for smart women who feel young and want to keep on looking young forever.

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