I’m turning 40 this year and I’m not afraid to admit… I don’t fear ageing anymore. That’s not because I’ve cracked some secret or suddenly feel flawless. It’s more that I’ve stopped seeing ageing as something that’s gone wrong. My face has changed. My body has changed. My energy, my priorities, my tolerance for nonsense. All of it. And actually, to me, this feels like progress. I feel more me than I ever felt in my 20s. For years, the narrative was about prevention. Anti-ageing. Fixing things before they happen. And to be honest, much of the beauty industry and society in general still perpetuates this narrative. But what if we didn’t subscribe to it? What if we instead talked about healthy ageing, ageing how you want, ageing confidently, ageing like a bad ass? Now I’m much more interested in looking like myself, just well rested, well looked after, with the years of laughter, pain, loss, anxiety and joy all written like a story on my face and body, and proudly so? Ageing well, not ageing backwards. I still care about skincare. I still enjoy makeup. I like feeling like I have a pep in my step. But it’s coming from a different place. Less pressure, more choice. Ageing isn’t the problem. The pressure to pretend we’re not, is. If you’re in this stage too, where you’re starting to see things differently, you’re not alone. proageing ageingwell midlifewomen skinover35 realisticbeauty Cover photo: 📸 @halpernlondon_beauty team Cardigan @marksandspencerstyle Jeans @thisiswhistles Shoes @adidasuk Jacket @allsaints Earrings @oliverbonas Ear cuff @goldtriplondon LTKuk LTKjeans LTKpetite