Product Description

Forget getting older gracefully--This is the beauty and style bible every woman has been waiting for!HOW NOT TO LOOK OLD is the first--ever cheat sheet of to-dos and fast fixes that pay-off big time--all from Charla and her friends, the best hair pros, makeup artists, designers, dermatologists, cosmetic dentists and personal shoppers in the biz. Packed with eye-opening details on hair color, brows, lipstick, wrinkle-erasers, jeans, shapewear, jewelry, heels, and more, the book speaks to every woman: from low maintenance types who don't want to spend a fortune or tons of time on her looks to high maintenance women who believe in looking fabulous at any price. There's also too-old vs. just-right before and after photos, celebrity examples of good and bad style, shopping lists of Charla's brilliant buys in fashion and beauty products, coveted addresses of "Where the top beauty pros go," fun sidebars--and more.

Known to national audiences from her ten years on NBC's Today show, style expert Charla Krupp dishes out her secrets in this "ultimate" to-do list for looking hip and fabulous -- no matter what your age.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17563 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 232 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780446581141
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Krupp, style expert for the Today Show and former beauty director for Glamour, offers easy-to-follow, tried-and-true fashion advice for women well beyond their 20s. Presented in eye-catching, highly skimmable, fashion-magazine style, here's how to trade in the things that scream old lady (simply OL in the book) for a look that's younger and hipper (Y&H). Krupp is straightforward about the physical shortcomings of older age. Aptly (and sometimes rather brutally) she steers readers away from these OL pitfalls. She is quick to point out that fashion that works on 20-somethings looks ridiculous on older women (i.e., bare midriffs, go-go boots and tattoos). As much about what to do as what not to do, some of the tips are as easy as wearing pink lipstick, a bra that fits properly and hair with bangs. Others take more thought, time and money—like Botox shots, chemical peels and hair extensions. Whether high or low maintenance about their beauty routine, women of a certain age who want to compete in our youth-obsessed culture will treat this easy read with interest. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"Dashing, fun and informative, the book is an spirit-lifting tonic for any woman with a case of the gravity blahs." (New York Times )

"The book also resonates because, to its credit, much of Krupp's fast fix advice makes common sense. The author's main mantra is a call to simple, unfussy elegance: loose hair, lighter makeup, restraint of embellishment." (Salon.com Mary Elizabeth Williams )

"Charla knows how to inspire people. This book is every girl's new best friend." (Issac Mizrahi )

"It's the little black book for the gray-is-the-new-blond set! At our age we are evolved enough to understand that wrinkles don't matter...But who needs 'em? Buy this book and glow old gracefully!" (Christie Brinkley )

About the Author
Charla Krupp has done more than 100 style segments on The Today Show and she has appeared on Good Morning America, Oprah, The View, Dateline NBC, and has been a regular on The E! Channel and Home Shopping Network. She was beauty director of Glamour, editor of In Style, beauty editor for People's Style Watch and executive editor of Shop Etc. Magazine. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, InStyle, Glamour, Shop Etc., People, Cosmopolitan, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and Time.

Customer Reviews

How To Feel Like You're Slipping
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.

THE fashion and beauty bible for women over 40!
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.)

Fabulous And Completely Useful.
I am very happy with this book. There are so many useful, smart and once you consider it, obvious ways to improve and most importantly, update your look. I'm a 39-year old brunette and as much as I am determined to age gracefully and above all with dignity, I would also like to continue to possess some style and a certain current hipness. I have read the reviews for this book and was a little surprised by some of the comments. Krupps's recommendation to lighten-up your hair shade after a certain ago is actually good advice. I have seen the results on my sister and it was quite dramatic. I believe the choice to lighten your entire hair base shade should be made based on the condition of your skin. My sister has fair skin, blue eyes and far more wrinkles than I so the lighter hair very definitely softened her look. Her dark hair shade looked too harsh next to her aging skin. She didn't go blond mind you, only lightened her base shade 2 shades to a copper brown and had a few highlights added around her face. For me, as a dark brunette with a pale olive complexion and brown eyes, I can wait a few more years. Once I'm ready, I'll try some highlighting around the face for softening. Krupp does not advocate everyone going blond as one reviewer remarked.

Off the top of my head, immediately useful tips: getting rid of frumpy shaped tops and blouses, anything not tailored. Some I merely tossed while others I tailored myself or had tailored like one of my suits (I took up the skirt hem to just above the knee and had the suit jacket fitted. I tossed all my long ankle skirts which, although easy to wear, do look frumpy even though I'm barely 15 pounds overweight. I tossed out all apparel with any shoulder pads. I tossed all my dark and medium lipsticks (best choice ever). Once I was able to look at them (on me) objectively, it was obvious they were unflattering and worse, very dated. Changing to the moisture laden pinks she recommended instantly made my lips look plump and ripe and young. It seems so obvious once you do it. It seems as though I had gotten stuck in a rut of clothing, make-up, hair that was no longer current, fashionable and worst yet, flattering. I knew my style wasn't working but I didn't know how to fix it and since I tend to be pretty conservative, was a bit tentative about making any changes. After a while, when you put on all the old make-up, hair, clothing, et cetera, you look in the mirror and think you look ok but what's really going on is that you've done it the same way so many times, you just look familiar and you are unable to really discern what looks good and and what does not. Krupp really pushed me to make specific changes that had quite a WOW effect. And then I felt silly because I hadn't thought of it myself. Switching from a powder to a creme blush and stopping the overuse of my powder compact made an immediate impact, making my skin look dewey and fresh versus matte.

Another immediate improvement for me was a sideswept bang which not only looked better but made my hair more versatile to style. I also made use of some of her many, many "Brilliant Buys" at the end of every chapter which in and of itself makes this book worth the money at twice the price. One reviewer complained that the book was geared toward rich women in large Metapolitan areas. I would disagree. There are many prices ranges among the products to choose from. Alot of the products can be found at mass retailers and mail order is accessible to all of us presumably. I just recently picked-up two of her "Brilliant Buys" at Long's Drugs: Revlon ColorStay 12-Hour Eye Shadow Quad in Coffee Bean (the perfect neutral browns) and Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner. There were many more, more expensive recommendations as well which I may try in the future but the point is there are choices.

Realizations that struck home while reading this book: flesh toned stockings (pantyhose) are definitely old lady as are outfits that are very matchy-matchy (which I am guilty of often), hair that is too done, too perfect versus movement and flip. The concept is that make-up is softer and hair is looser.

The most amazing chapters are on jeans, make-up and shapewear. Fabulous and immediately useful. I can't afford to make 'all' the changes she advocates in her book but what little I've done so far has made a huge positive impact in my appearance. It has also educated me for all future shopping forays so I don't slip back into purchasing all the same things all over again and getting back into an outdated rut...