You know 40 is the new 30 when Diane Keaton, Annie Hall herself, is photographed wearing skin tight jeans and a big black leather belt. So the rest of us better be on alert.

That said, I have very mixed feelings about this book. I've read at least a dozen beauty/style books, I'm 38 and I'm no slouch in the maintenance department. I subscribe to More magazine, which is how I learned about the author. After buying this book, I've learned a little more about Mrs. Krupp: namely, she spending thousands and thousands of dollars on her appearance. For example, she's spent $1,200 on a pair of eyeglasses. She considers you "low maintenance" if you do not get Botox. Gee, thanks. I can see how this might make a reader doubt her hard won self esteem.

While she does hit the mark about what potentially looks aging, it's a one size fits all approach. She says dark hair always adds on the years, so lighten your hair two shades. What if we're Asian or simply don't want to be blonde? (Note the author's hair shade.) Some of her suggestions are downright odd: don't wear ballet flats. And contradicted: don't wear Uggs. Okay, so what are her models wearing on the back page? Uggs. And annoying: the goal is to be "Y&H" (Young and Hip). Individuality, anyone?...anyone? Plus, most of the models are barely 21 and perfect. Not helpful.

But I did get some good tips: don't wear red fingernail polish, don't let your skirts get too long or baggy, how to shop for the right pair of dark wash jeans, try bangs and highlights, plastic eyeglass frames are more youthful than wire, etc.

So give this book a try but also give yourself a break.

There are plenty of fashion books and magazines on the market but very few are specifically geared towards the over 40 set. But today's aging baby boomer population is looking better and younger than ever - and authors are beginning to take notice. Books such as Bobbi Brown's "Living Beauty" dispense sage advice on how to age gracefully and still look slick despite a few wrinkles or gray hairs.

Charla Krupp's newest offering "How Not To Look Old" is one of the best (if not the best!) books for women who are aging but don't want to hang up the jeans and become a frump in elastic pants and helmet hairdos. Written in a friendly and conversational tone, Krupp points out all the little things that can make one look old and dated but then kindly shows you how to hide the flaws and look "up to the minute" but not like you are "trying too hard". There are suggestions for hair (grow it out, get some bangs, etc.), teeth (whiten them, veneers, flossing, etc.), makeup (lighten up the foundation, switch to cream blush, etc.), clothing (skirts should hit just below the knee, avoid high rise jeans, etc.) and more! At the end of each chapter, she lists favorite products, designers, and stylists. It's a brilliant book and Krupp sure knows her stuff - she's been in the beauty industry for years and writes an excellent column for "More" magazine, which is written for women who are mature and savvy.

I'm going to put a few of her suggestions to use - specifically cutting my waist length gray hair (parted in the middle!) into something chicer and less "old hippie". This will be a big scary change for me but after reading this book, I realize how passé and aging it really is. I've already ditched the dark lipstick and the powder blush and have to say, she is right. I am recommending this book to all my friends!

(By the way, this is a book on fashion only - there is no exercise routine, vitamin recommendations, etc.)

I got this book on a whim, just to see how it might help my over 35 year old self look better. Not younger, better.

I did not realize so much was wrong with me until I read this book! But the author lists my faults one by one and thank goodness, she's right there with "solutions". I've got uneven skin tone, spider veins on the side of my nose, a thin upper lip. I could go on and on about all the flaws I have now that I am becoming an OL (the author's short hand for old lady). OL is not something anyone wants to be, so it is a good thing the author is here to let me know about the costly array of "solutions", many of which she has availed herself of. Some are risky, like the surgical eyelid lift she had. Some are painful, like the injections of various substances you can get in your face to look younger. Not to mention that such injections are a bad idea for the millions of women with autoimmune conditions, a fact not mentioned in the book.

One thing about being over a certain age is that you do not have as many years to live as you once did. Do you want to spend those years fighting a losing battle? A little self-acceptance, would go a long way and save a ton of money. There is something unsavory and undignified about an older woman throwing every ounce of energy and every last dime she's got in an attempt to look "younger".

The author certainly means well and the tone of the book is not at all unkind. It is kind of like a beauty scientist coldly pointing out flaws and their logical solutions. If you are looking for a few simple tips like "wear pink lipstick" that you can easily do, they are here. But far too much of this book is about how much time and money one can spend on themselves. I don't have a whole lot of either and this book leaves me feeling like I have many "flaws" and not enough cash to fix them. Perhaps I ought to just put a bag over my old head. Or, perhaps I ought to work on accepting my old self just as I am.

This book is fantastic and I loved her first words in the book - Aging sucks. Forget aging gracefully! Let's do what we can to look good. She also explains the importance of maintaining our good looks in the workplace. As a Human Resources professional I couldn't agree with her more. Not looking old shows that we have the energy to keep up in today's crazy/busy work environments. She has great advice on minimizing wrinkles, dressing savvy (without looking too young or too old), hair (although I think she is wrong on having long hair - this can pull your face down which is already going down; my advice get a good hairstylist and don't go too short - like Jaime Lee Curtis - it's TOO harsh; keep it soft looking), hands, and make-up. I would have given it five stars, but I thought she left out two important age reducers - diet and exercise. As someone who works out six days a week, I think this is important. She has a whole section in the book on shapers and to be honest I wouldn't even think of spending my money on this stuff. I would rather look younger by a good weight training workout than buy a shaper any day! An excellent book that I highly recommend!

I'm not quite 40, but I'm pushing it, and the last thing I want to do is look it. After skimming this book in a bookstore, I finally ordered it. The chapters on makeup, hair, and jeans alone made it worth the price.

Sometimes, however, the author forgets that not all of us work in "creative fields" and some of her tips for work dressing could undermine our authority. "Ditch the suits" because "all" offices have gone casual? Um, no they have not ALL gone casual. In fact, if are an attorney and you swap your suit for her skirt and cardigan suggestion, the result will be that senior partners start asking you to fax papers. I want to look young and hip. But I did not waste six figures on law school to be confused with the receptionist or secretary.

It would have been nice for her to make some suggestion for not looking frumpy in a suit. Or recommend some Y&H suits (Nanette Lepore, etc.) Luckily for me, I'm not so old I don't know how to achieve that.

The makeup section was very good, especially her comments about primer and concealer. I never knew that you should pair different shades of concealer depending on the color of the shadows under your eyes. This was really helpful. The pale pink lipstick she recommends however, simply makes me look like a corpse. My lips are too dark to look good in pale lipsticks, so don't just buy what she recommends, make sure you go out and try stuff on to find the perfect shade.

The area about foundations and shapers: now I know a lot of people say you should just eat right and exercise and you won't need shapers. Well, I eat right and exercise obsessively (hence the shadows under my eyes!) and am a size 6. But no one, no matter how in shape, would fail to look better in a pair of Spanx. They smooth you out under clothes like nobody's business. They are heaven-sent and I think all women over the age of 20 should be issued them with their tax returns every year. Her chapter on foundation garments was excellent.

Also, that glasses section!! I can only presume she got a product placement deal for some of these loud, garish frames that we were advised to wear. A pair of white rhinestone studded glasses for a black tie affair? I don't think so. If one must wear glasses to such an event, I would assume ones that do not overwhelm your beautiful evening wear would be preferable to gaudy glasses that draw all attention to them.

All in all, this was a great book and I do recommend it, with the aforementioned caveats.

At long last a user friendly, practical and no-nonsense primer on how to maintain a youthful appearance and ATTITUDE well into a woman's so-called "declining" years. I got this book for Xmas and couldn't put it down! it reads like a novel--a real page turner full of "eureka" moments and epiphanies. Charla Krupp has the insight and GUTS to say what others have not and make you think about sins committed against aging as a matter of course: loosing the nude hose is genius; cutting bangs goes against all previous popular thought on the subject; and using pink and lighter lipstick took years off immediately! This book is one "Hellooooo-why didn't anyone think of this before?" after another!

Charla has obviously done a great deal of research on this topic and has some impressive professionals working in her camp. I think this book will change the paradigm of how women see themselves and how the culture treats older women significantly. IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!

Charla Krupp is the Gloria Steinem of beauty who will fearlessly lead older women into territory where she has never gone before: beautiful and youthful aging!

This book has great information. The format is easy, just check the content page and see whatever chapter you're interested in - clothing, eye makeup, hair color, the perfect jeans and lots more. Simple changes can make a big difference. Fun to read and plenty of easy changes to consider - I probably won't ever wear high heels but keeping the tennis shoes for actual sport activities is probably a good idea. I love that she gives the names of products of what to try like Clinique's Bamboo Pink lipstick. It was an quick and inexpensive change to soften my face!

This book is the perfect kick in the butt I needed to make my downward spiral into Old Ladyhood come to a screeching halt. A daily beauty regimen has been started; new makeup has been bought; new shapewear has been ordered; the hair has been highlighted; and Y&H jeans are here. All of this supports a new attitude which, of course, is the foundation for success in this New Me program.
Each chapter is worth the price of this book.
Highly recommended!

As Ms. Krupp quotes one celebrity, "You can buy pretty," and this book shows you how. With sections on hair, brows, wrinkles, make-up, clothing, jeans, lingere, jewlery, teeth and more Ms. Krupp details the nitty-gritty of what's available to enhance your appearance. This isn't about inner-beauty or eat right, sleep and exercise. It helps you cut though the thousands of beauty and apparel products available and focus on what will actually make you look better.

Pros:
-Offers specific suggestions on actual products and apparel. The suggestions are much better than most magazines where it seems everything is just a paid promotion (though whether or not that is the case here is unknown).
-Offers a high-med-low maintenance solution for each section.
-Empowers women with the tools they need to look as good as they want

Cons:
-The clothing section is the weakest. It seems she could have covered a little more on body-shapes and what cuts of clothing will flatter those shapes.
-Even doing all the low-maintenance suggestions would be time-consuming and a little over the top for most women, who would frankly just rather spend their time doing something else. But you can pick and choose and do what's important for you.

Overall a great book, fun to read and inspiring to create a better looking you. After reading I went out and bought some new make-up (which I'm much happier with) and vowed to never buy any unflattering item of clothing again!

After reading this book, I did learn a lot but I also feel rather overwhelmed. Although the author gives choices for high, medium or low maintenance women, the message is that there is a lot to do if you want to look good these days. I don't remember life being this complicated twenty years ago (and that's not only because I was younger and looking good was easier). I would certainly follow some of the quick and easy recommendations, such as wearing pink lipstick and bangs (which I do anyway) but frankly, if going barelegged and fake tanning my legs is what it costs not to look old, I'm prepared to look old. Life is too short to have blisters on your feet from your shoes rubbing.

I also wouldn't take hair coloring advice from a woman with brassy blonde hair which does not suit her skin tone (see the cover; the background color and her sweater color don't help). The glasses recommendations are also rather bizarre. I showed my husband the white glasses on the back cover and he was as mystified as I was. I don't wear glasses but why wear something so loud and in your face, so you see the glasses first rather than the woman wearing them?

But overall this is a good read and I would recommend it. I just need to read it again more slowly and pick and choose.

I am 50 years old and enjoy reading fashion and beauty magazines. this book is like having a bunch of excellent articles written with me in mind. The info shared is stuff you can use right away. Switch from dark lipstick to pink and then the author goes on to suggest the best pink lipsticks. The section on buying jeans was fantastic. Some of the info you will already be familiar with but there are some real gems in this book.

This book was full of good advice for sure. Some we already knew of course, but thats ok. Its a fun, cute book. IF LOOKS were all that mattered we'd all be fixed by now. Maybe I'm a bit odd, over confident, a bit maybe, but I really don't mind being old, or even for someone to know HOW OLD I am. One cannot hide from the truth forever. Charla Krupp should tell HER age if she wants us to be impressed.I'd recommend this one if you need some good reference to products and or services and don't take the rest too seriously. Otherwise don't be like the author and hide your age, be proud of every second you've lived ..it ain't ALL about looks.