Defy age, look young
You need to know how to embrace your age and look youthful, says Banalata Bipani

Many mature women can handle long hair beautifully

Just how do you beat off age in your wardrobe? You may be nearing your golden years, but you sure don’t want to look it! Maybe you need to know a little bit more about how to embrace your age or how to dress younger. Let’s take it from the top.

"Your hair can be the only feature that can add or subtract years from your appearance," says stylist Naina Ghosh. "But it can also be the one feature that can make you look like you’re trying hard!" Naina suggests that mature women have to decide first whether they want long or short hair. "Many women above the age of 40 think that long hair looks too informal and young for their age. So they automatically chop everything off. Many mature women can handle long hair beautifully but it all depends on how comfortable they are with their images and whether they want a high maintenance or a low maintenance style," she says. Mature women who are willing to put a little effort into their hair, rather than just the shampoo-and-rinse routine, might like long or medium cut hair with a few layers styled into it or even a sophisticated long fringe for those who indulge themselves with loose open hair in public. Short hair is often a short-cut for a messy look for many mature women.

Naina suggests a neat boy cut or even chin or shoulder length hair with layers, although this needs regular styling. "I believe that mature women definitely need to invest more time in their appearances and this doesn’t mean a weekly spa treatment," adds Naina, "but a good haircut with regular styling, blow-drying and moisturising keeps a mature women looking perky rather than haggard with age." Many women ignore the basics when they hit their forties. "Always get a trimming even if you don’t
want to splurge on a fancy haircut; allow the professionals to colour your hair and remember that messy hair doesn’t flatter the mature woman – soft and controlled is the way to go!"

Make-up expert Gayatri Hitesh has found that the older a woman gets, the bigger the number of candles on her cake and the bigger her make-up expenditure! "As soon as

women reach their forties, it’s all about concealing and hiding," she scoffs. " They forget that at that age, a woman needs to be graceful and minimal rather than cake it on!" She believes that make-up for mature women revolves around de-emphasising and sophistication. The basics: well-shaped eyebrows, clean upper lip and moisturised skin mean that half the battle is won! A well-matched foundation is optional as many mature women prefer to gently let go of the foundation as their skin gets creased easily with the application, which stretches it and the chemicals, which wrinkle it.

Black eyebrow pencils are to be summarily disposed as jet black eyebrows are too artificial to carry off at 40+. Blush and lipsticks no more range from hot pink to cherry red to tangerine orange. Go for darker shades of brown and pink as these add depth to the face.

Coco Chanel was known for her feisty dress sense even in her old age as nowadays; so is Maharani Gayatri Devi. At the end of the day, being comfortable in your skin is the best way of looking fashionable, advises Marcus Paul-Henri, a French couturier, who has a taste for Indian style and has clothed some of the biggest names in desi tinsel town. Clean lines and the right colours are the mature woman’s passwords to style. For those who prefer ethnic wear, it is time to tone down those flashy colour schemes and tight cuts. "Trendy styles can be designed for the mature woman’s body that has obviously changed," says Marcus. "Go for softer shades with tasteful embroidery and comfortable cuts." A look that many women opt for is the traditional big-bindi-chunky-aged-silver-jewellery-and-only-handloom one. "I like this look because it adds integrity to a woman’s image and because it is so obvious, one is not afraid of sticking out because it is a foregone conclusion that people are going to look twice at the lady wearing that huge bindi and block print sari," says Marcus. — MF