How to Turn back Time

Nicky Hambleton-Jones' NHJ Style Consultancy. Nicky presented 5 series of 10 Years Younger, the UK's leading makeover show, and is the driving force behind the UK's number one style consultancy www.nhjstyle.com with her team of expert stylists. As you've probably seen on TV, there are simple and easy ways to lose years and pounds by making a few simple adjustments to your wardrobe.

With greater self-knowledge, better skincare, regular exercise and a balanced diet; there’s no reason why women shouldn’t remain healthy and look stunning and sexy as they grow older.  Celebrities such as Helen Mirren, Susan Sarandon and Felicity Kendal are just a few famous examples of how to age well. 

A regular overhaul of wardrobe, hairstyle and colour and make-up will make all the difference to how you look and feel. If you look good, you feel good and this gives you confidence and sex appeal – there’s no surer way to shed the years.  As Sophia Loren; the actress; said "Sex appeal is 50 per cent what you’ve got and 50 per cent what people think you’ve got". 

Hair

When it comes to looking and feeling good, few things about your appearance are more important than your hair.  Think how many times a day you check your hair in the mirror, or even in a shop window as you pass by.  The way our hair feels affects our mood and confidence, and every woman knows exactly what it means to have a ‘bad hair day’.

You don’t have to play safe with your haircut and colour just because you are getting older.  Be bold – you might get a pleasant surprise.  On the other hand, subtle changes can be just as effective in updating your look.  The key is to go with what you want, what suits you, and what makes you feel most confident. 

There’s no substitute for finding a good hair stylist and colourist who can advise on style and colour to suit you.  A clever cut will emphasise your best features and draw attention away from the worst, and skillful use of colour can make hair look thicker, glossier and really help you roll back the years to appear younger and sexier.  After all, if the wrong hairstyle can add 10 years to the way you look, the right one can achieve the opposite.

Beauty

In your 50’s and beyond, as well as being more fragile, your skin will also be much more sensitive to pollutants and allergens, but with a little extra care there’s no reason why it shouldn’t remain healthy and glowing.  Choose rich anti-ageing creams to moisturize and restore balance.

Also, if you’ve had the same make-up routine for as long as you can remember, it’s definitely time for a change and a make-up MOT.  It’s not painful and it’s an easy way to lose years and update a frumpy image.

It’s important to learn the tricks of the trade, but as you get older, less is usually more, and every product you use will have a job to do.  The right application makes all the difference – badly applied make-up can end up looking trashy and ageing.

Book an appointment with a good make-up artist for some make-up advice.  She will be able to recommend products and show you how to use them.  It’s worth doing this once every couple of years to find out what’s new, and there’s no better way of ensuring you don’t get stuck in a make-up rut.

Clothes

As we get older, our lifestyles, body shape and priorities change and we need to adapt.  Colour can really lift your mood, and as we get older, wearing colour is even more important.  We lose pigment from our skin as we age, so wearing colour near your face is a great way to subtly put colour back into your complexion without using make-up. 

Fitted is always better.  Anything baggy or square just hangs from the widest point and makes you look big all over.  Don’t be afraid to show your shape.  Fitted clothes take years, and kilos, off the way you look – it may feel off at first, but it works.

Styles and shapes change – fashion constantly revives looks and fabrics, but often with subtle differences.  Reading through fashion magazines will give you a good idea of the trends before you venture out shopping.  Some clothes are frumpy when worn by anyone older than 25, so don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll look young simply because it’s trendy. 

Invest in some youthful wardrobe essentials.  Jeans are a wardrobe staple and probably the most versatile item of clothing.  Depending on what you put with them, they will you take you from day to night time, work to weekend.  Dress them down with trainers and a sweater or glam them up with a jacket and heels. 

The right coat can be thrown on over anything and will instantly make you feel fabulous.  A jacket can pull a whole outfit together, but it can just as easily ruin your look.  Coats and jackets are obviously functional, but that doesn’t mean they can’t also be fun, fashionable and stylish.

Accessories are the best way of introducing individuality into your wardrobe and an easy way to update it - introducing colour and focus - and make you look more youthful. Accessories don’t have to be expensive so you can afford to be adventurous. 

Healthy Eating

One of the most potent weapons to hand to help the fight against that ageing onslaught is what you actually put in your body – the food you eat.  Our diet has a direct impact on how we look and feel.  As we get older, our bodies face different challenges that require a different diet. 

In your 50’s and 60’s you still need a balanced diet with rejuvenating fresh fruit and veg, whole grains and pulses, not only to help protect against cancer and heart disease, but to maintain your muscle mass so you keep the wrinkles at bay and take in the right amount of calories.  Keep red meat, dairy foods and wheat to a minimum to avoid stressing your digestive system, and make sure you’re getting plenty of brain foods – fish, eggs, soys, corn and peanuts – to keep your memory alert, as well as help ease joint problems and keep your skin nourished and moisturised.  Avoid processed, sugary foods and always drink plenty of water.

Style in general

Regularly adapt your style – don’t get stuck in a rut.  Get yourself a top personal stylist from the NHJ Style Team – they are no longer just used by celebrities.

A full wardrobe doesn’t always mean having a vast choice of what to wear. Your wardrobe really should be a case of less is more.  A few well-chosen outfits with accessories to update your look with last you through more than one season.  Clothes should always match you and your lifestyle, including the colours and styles that suit you best.

It’s all about realising what works for you.  There’s not point in buying the latest must-have if you don’t look good in it or, more importantly, feel good in it.  There’s also no point in buying something you love but know you’re never going to wear. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time but the secret is not to hang on to them. Finding out what’s right for you will make you feel more confident, happy and sexy – in fact, everything that goes towards making you look and feel 10 years younger.