In simple terms, men and women do not understand each other too well. It’s a well known fact. Men like cars. Women like make up. Men drink a beer and watch sport, while women can sit and chat about shoes for hours. Generalisation of course. Profound apologies. However there is one area where we men are on solid ground. Men like ‘curvy’ women. When we say men, we mean ALL men. Women think that men like ‘slim’ women, and that ‘curvy’ means fat. Wow. For a man, talking to a woman about her body and it’s shape is like digging your own grave with your tongue. There is no way we can say to our partners ‘you have a great curvy body’, because she will automatically think we mean she is fat! So we will attempt to explain ‘curvy’ to women, and set their minds at rest. Men are completely turned on by a woman’s shape. Her shape. Not her size. Not her weight. It’s all about the ‘hour-glass’ shape.

There are some very, very slim women who have even slimmer waists, and therefore fall into the category where their body has the beginnings of the hour glass shape. There are some women who are naturally curvy, like a Beyonce, Shakira, or J-Lo. And some women need a little dieting, or exercise to find that shape. Men of all ages love to admire an hour glass body. There is something so incredibly sexy about prominent breasts, a slim waist and rounded hips. And usually the side profile is even better, as most curvy women look as if they are trying to arch their backs, and stick their buttocks out. Awesome. That is what men mean by curvy.

As long as breasts, waist, and hips are all in proportion, dress size is irrelevant. The only people who are honestly interested in whether a woman is size 0 or 10, are other women. Men are only interested in the shape of a woman’s body. Because the editors of women’s magazines are so narrow minded that every single picture in their glossy pages has to represent perfection, normal women who religiously read these pages find faults with themselves. They don’t like their hair. Its too dry or too greasy. They don’t like their eyes. They can detect fine lines and wrinkles. They don’t like their skin. Their hands are too veiny. Their shoulders too broad. Stomach too big. Breasts wrong shape. Legs too short. You get the idea. Who caused all this anxiety? Certainly not men! And ladies, if you take a look through the first few pages of your favourite magazine, the editorial staff is almost exclusively female.

So all the women we know are a little obsessed with being slim, or being the correct weight. None seem too concerned about their shape. Men want one thing. Women are trying to achieve something entirely different. Men want that slim waist. The rounded hips and buttocks. The shapely breasts. They want it all in proportion. But most men are prepared to love their woman, no matter what shape she is. If she were curvy as well as everything else, that really would put the icing on the cake. One great study in the USA was eye opening. The average American woman is 5’4″ tall, and size 14. In terms of fashion, modelling, and Hollywood, that is a plus size. Yet, if you ask men “who is the sexiest woman ever?”, Marilyn Monroe, who happened to be size 14, comes second to “my wife”. Men really think that curvy is beautiful.

Beautiful skin, a beautiful body and a beautiful sense of style does not have an end once you hit 50s. There’s very little difference between the recommended diet and exercise habits for a 20-year-old and that of a 50-year-old. In fact, the only difference is that a healthy diet and regular exercise are more important than ever. During the aging process, the key to keeping your body properly functioning and in shape is to eat healthy and stay active.

At 50 and older, most adults are still capable of completing most exercises. Exercising can mean taking daily 40 minutes walk with your partner or alone, enjoying exercise videos at home. Botox injections can ease wrinkles in the upper third of the face. Chemical peels are effective in removing fine lines and smoothing skin, especially around the eyes and mouth. Wrinkle fillers can plump up your skin and erase lines.

Women over 50 usually look better with a cream lipsticks rather than a matte or gloss and in a pinch your lipsticks can double as a blush. Lips tend to lose definition and color, and become thinner with age. One of the great makeup tricks for aging skin is using a neutral lip liner to add plumpness with a sheer lipstick to avoid feathering (we like berries and browns). Use a lip liner to help define lips. Try a lip liner whose color is very close to the natural shade of your lips and both line and fill in the lips with this pencil prior to using your lip color. Carry a stash of different lipsticks in daring shades in your purse for different occasions, outfits, and moods. Use makeup to accentuate your positive qualities and make yourself feel great.

Women Over 50 and Beauty Tips

1. Using heavy makeup and powders does not compliment dryer skin.

2. Heavily powdered skin will make your skin look matte and dry.

3. Just as the pigment in our hair changes and it turns grey, the melanin in our skin changes also.

4. Don’t give into the idea that you have to own every new color that is fashionable for a particular season.

5. Use a humidifier. Use moisturizing soaps and lotions.

6. Good nutrition helps the body repair skin.

7.Drinking lots of water helps hydrate skin from the inside out.

8. Use products with SPF 15 or higher, and both UVB and UVA protection.