Have just read your advice to 50 year old's looking to update their looks. Started off well till you go to hair and makeup. Hair if done by an expert length colour style should look good, they have no need to just cover over the grey in a what I read as a boring bob style. As for makeup there are lots of great foundations on the market now, so your advice of a light foundation with brown eyecolour and a light touch of lipstick (less is more as you called it) is right out the window. Go the the makeup counters in the department stores (Boots included) and let them show what new great products are available. I should know I am a nifty 52 year old and no way am about done for. You two go for it girls !!!!!!

"Brown" eyeshadow needn't be; there are quite a number of peachy, or plum, or even dark orange(!) shades which can work well to contour the eye area!

I think by 50 most of us have realised that flowing hair and shoulder-strap bags do not work together and hair should be either up or shorter. Because it is often thinner, short cuts can work well for straighter-haired women, but wavy, curly hair needs to be tied down (up).

I only wish that fashion designers realised we exist and want smart clothing that fits - we are not generally as tall as the younger women who grew up on burgers, and some of us are actually shrinking. I get tired of wearing M&S schoolwear jeans and blazers (or even the New Look range for younger girls)!

I don't bother with foundation, just use a little powder to blur any redness - Benefit do a really good one.

I'd love to see the abolition of "one-size" garments which fit no-one! I'd like hats which don't come down to eye-level, shoes that are comfortable as well as smart, warm clothes which aren't bulky. I'd like a new word for slim petites - petite only means "short" to most designers.

50 is not elderly, just determined!