Do You Want To Look Old? No!

I was lucky enough to win this book, along with a couple of others that I will probably be reviewing later.

The title of this book, How Not To Look Old, says it all. Do you want to look old? Probably not, unless you're in high school and you look like a 12 year old (I've been there).

Well, if you're a guy, you're out of luck, because this book doesn't have much for you. I suppose that you might be able to get something out of the chapters on wrinkles and tooth whitening, but most of the chapters are written for the ladies.

This book is actually geared towards people that are slightly older than me. I have a 3 in front of my age, but this book is written primarily for people in their 40s and beyond. But even the 3 concerns me, and I like to say that I'm 29 and holding, and most of the advice in this book can work for anyone that is concerned about not looking old.

The book is broken up into 19 different chapters, each covering a different area that if done wrong, could make you look older than you actually should. It gives different ways that you can fix the problems, although some of the ideas are quite expensive. There are also many cheap or free ideas as well. None of the ideas involve plastic surgery.

The introduction talks about why someone would not want to look old. There is still age discrimination out there, and if you look older than you should, you might have trouble getting the job that you want, getting respect, etc. Besides, if you look better you will feel better.

Here are the chapters and what they discuss:

1) Are you High, Medium, or Low Maintenance? - this book offers three different levels as to how much time and money you may want to invest in looking better and younger. This chapter helps you figure out where you are. Unless you are on TV or very wealthy, you probably can not afford most of the high maintenance options in this book.

2) Cut Some Bangs - what to do with your hair to keep you looking younger

3) Lighten Your Hair - lighter hair makes you look younger. The author talks about finding someone different to color your hair than cut your hair. It also talks about what you should do if you actually want to have gray hair (maybe when I'm 80!)

4) Tame those brows - how to make your eyebrows look good

5) Chic Up Your Eyewear - If you wear glasses, how to get the best lenses to make you look younger... but if you can, contacts and eye surgery probably do more.

6) Lose the Heavy Eyeliner - how to make your eyes help you look younger

7) Unmask Your Foundation - what to put on your face to make you look younger

8) Manage Your Wrinkles - I don't really have these yet, but neither do I want them

9) Put On Pink Lipstick - lip colors that make you look old

10) Whiten Your Teeth - a white smile makes you look younger

11) Wear Your Own Nails - how to make your nails and hands look younger

12) Unmatch Your Wardrobe - how to pick outfits that look young (get rid of those snowman sweaters for one!)

13) Shorten Your Skirts - what skirt length will make you look younger

14) Slip into the Perfect Pair of Jeans - the type of jeans you choose can make you look younger or older too

15) Follow the Three-Bling Rule When Dressing for Evening - if you're going to a fancy party, stop by here

16) Learn to Love Shapewear - look younger with good underwear

17) Show Some Leg - nude pantyhose is out, and makes you look old

18) Step into Sexy Heels - cute shoes to wear and look more youthful

19) Putting It All Together - a recap

The author has worked for Glamour, InStyle, and People: Style Watch. So she knows a lot of what she talks about. She also probably makes a lot more money than your typical American, and has to go to more black-tie parties. If you're a Hollywood Starlet who has to look good every day and has the time and money to spend on these things, you can probably take all her "high maintenance" suggestions to heart.

She does have suggestions for the rest of us that don't have a lot of time and money to spend on looking good, these are listed as the "low maintenance" options. Such as use Crest Whitestrips Premium to whiten your teeth. At the end of every chapter she also includes "Brilliant Buys," her picks for beauty products that she has found to work the best. Many of these products are affordable, like Garnier Fructis Fortifying Deep Conditioner, $3.99 (I think I've purchased this for $2 when it was on sale with a coupon). Some of them are expensive, like Hairdreams Human Hair Extensions, $800-$3,250.

The advice in this book is pretty good, and she includes pictures of the same model doing something "the OL (old lady) way", and "the Y&H (young and hipper) way". The pictures really show how taking one step or another can make a huge difference in how old a person looks. There are also many pictures of celebrities before and after they have taken certain steps to make themselves look younger. If you've ever wondered why some celebrities and news anchors continue to look really good even though they've been in the public spotlight for decades, it's a good chance they're taking some of the advice in this book... and there are plenty of pictures to show that.

The book also includes warnings about things like "don't overbleach your teeth", foods that can stain your teeth, and other things to watch out for.

The book can be read through in one evening. It's not difficult reading, has lots of pictures, and the text portion is only 183 pages long. There is also a 25 page section in the back recommending where to go in different cities to get work done (although Phoenix is not one of those cities). This book seems to be a book that you can reference over and over again, however, as finances allow or concerns about different body parts change.

If you have concerns about how you look and want to look younger, or don't want to do things that will make you look older, this may be the reference book for you. While this book is aimed towards people who are older than 40, I saw a couple of people at my 10 year high school reunion that looked a little older than they should have and might benefit from this book. I think there are probably a couple of generational differences if you are younger than 40 (I think generation X-ers tend to be a little more casual in general and perhaps a few of the rules may not be as relevant), but other than that you can benefit under 40 as well.