HOW NOT TO LOOK OLD

By Charla Krupp
Price:$17.15 at Amazon.com

Reviewed by Meenu Gupta

 "How Not To Look Old -Fast and Effortless Ways To Look 10 Years Younger, 10 Pounds Lighter, 10 Times Better"- any lady out there would get interested to flip open and skim through the book, once she reads this title of the book. The problem is we don't have the luxury of enough spare time. Considering the time factor, the book makes an excellent effort to shortlist ways to look younger and better. It is divided into chapters addressing each grooming aspect, from head to toe. So you don't have to sit by the fireplace and read it alone for hours like a novel. It is more like a reference book, you can look up an aspect of your personality that you want to work on.  Whether you want a new wardrobe, need tips to apply makeup or choose your new sandals, take my word for it, the book is your best bet to delay and camouflage the natural ageing process. For instance the book advises to avoid a middle partition in your hair, because if there is anything that is off balance about your face, it will surely be highlighted. Changing your hair length a bit, at least seasonally helps. Maybe wear your hair longer in the summer than in the winter. There are pictures of Teri Hatcher in 1996 and 2006, Salma Hayek in 1997, and 2007, Anne Heche in 2003 and later in 2006, showing how they look younger down the years because of the right hairstyle.

The section "Brilliant Buys" at the end of each chapter lists products for hair at affordable prices. To cite an example the section at the end of the chapter about hair, lists products like dandruff shampoos, conditioners, hair extensions, hair tools like Mason Pearson Hair brushes telling you where they are available. Talking about coloring your hair, whatever your current shade, go two shades lighter than your natural base color, the book's suggestions read like your personal hairstylist. Matching color with the face of eyebrows, lifted eyebrows give a facelift. The chapter on eye makeup tells you how to maintain your eyebrows and choose your eyeglasses to bring warmth and softness to your face. "When choosing frames, opt for high-quality European plastic(zyl) in a tortoiseshell, color, or translucent over cold, icy metal," the book suggests. It states Robert's Rules (of Robert Marc Frames fame), like the top of a frame should be at the bottom of the brow. Did you know that losing the heavy eyeliner and wearing soft and natural eyeliner makes you look younger!

Coming to your eyeshadow, your powder shadows should have a little luminosity, they should not be full-on glitter, but a slight sheen.

Wardrobe ideas to look young are also listed in the book. Don't go for matchy-matchy, choose the right accessories from the list published in the book for a chic look.
There is also a list of clothes you should never wear like cargo pants, oversized blazers and overalls, that make you look mature. Choose your price points from high, medium, low, from ageless labels like Prada (which is categorised as High), Banana Republic (as Medium) and Zara (as Low). Choosing the right length of the skirt and correct size for jeans is made easy by a size chart in the wardrobe chapter.  A glossary at the end of the book lists city by city index of stores for products with address and prices.

I loved the book and when I spread the word to my friends, two of them have got a copy from Amazon.com

10 out of 10 binkies from me, I don't think the book misses anything.