I'm 52 but look DECADES younger – I avoid too much makeup, ‘trashy' ripped jeans & a crucial mistake my mum always made

The Sun

02-07-2025

A WOMAN who regularly gets told she looks 20 years younger has revealed her number one anti-ageing tricks - including keeping her hair long and watching Love Island.
Nerys Middleton, 52, says people often assume she's in her early 30s – and believes it's partly down to her long locks and youthful outlook on life.
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The mum-of-one says she doesn't believe in following old-school rules about what women should look like past a certain age.
'People tell me they think I'm in my 30s because of the way I am,' the fashion influencer, from North Wales, told What's The Jam.
'I hang around with people in their 30s, so they talk about what 30‑year‑olds talk about, like Love Island.
'I say to my older friends, 'Have you watched Love Island?' and they're like, 'God no, I wouldn't watch that.'
'It's just little things like that.
'People also tell me I'm too old to have long hair, but when you look at people like Cindy Crawford, they all still have long hair, haven't they?
'As long as it's healthy and you look after it, there's no reason it can't be longer over 50.
'Cutting it short is an old‑fashioned thing my mum did.'
Nerys says she spends about £400 a month on vitamins, skincare and beauty treatments – and sees it as part of maintaining her health and confidence.
The mum ensures she uses retinol and vitamin C treatments alongside CO2 laser facials and hydrofacials every few months.
I'm 50 next year & don't have a single wrinkle thanks to a product from Boots or TikTok shop - I've never had Botox
She's also been getting Botox in her forehead since she was 29, wears SPF 50 every single day and doesn't drink or smoke.
But Nerys says keeping a younger mindset is the most important part of maintaining her youthful looks.
She said: 'Mostly it's my mindset. I think if you think old, you become old.
'If you start thinking, 'Oh God, my back's aching, my legs are aching,' you start dressing old, you start acting old.
'I think it helps if you have younger friends.
'Most of my friends I met through work are younger than me and we get on because I have a young mindset.
'My older friends are all married and settled – a bit fuddy-duddy.
'I spend a lot of time with young friends. We go on holidays, we go clubbing in Budapest.
'I wouldn't go away with people my own age; they don't like going out and partying.
'I think it's not just about looks, it's how you act. Because I've got younger friends, we talk about younger things and I spend a lot of time with them.
Three hair mistakes that are making you look older
THERE are some hair mistakes to avoid if you don't want to make yourself look older than you actually are:
One dimensional hair colour - it's a good idea to visit a hairdresser to get your colour done. Using a box dye can leave you with one block colour, so steer clear.
Hair that's too dark around the hairline - "Add softer, lighter tones and shades around the sides of the face to bring lift and life to your eyes; too dark a colour will do the opposite and feel very gaunt and dreary," Jack Howard, UK colour spokesperson for L'Oreal, said.
Sticking to the hair colour of your youth - While you might have looked good with jet black hair in your 20s, the same may not be said now you're in your 50s. The general rule is that your hair colour should lighten with age, just as your skin tone does.
'My older friends talk about what they're crocheting.'
Nerys says she also religiously stays out of the sun, doesn't drink alcohol and steers clear of junk food – all in order to feel and look her best.
Style-wise, she avoids florals, ripped jeans or anything that feels like she's 'trying too hard'.
The mum said: 'It stems down to clothes and things like that.
'Try and keep make-up to a minimum and see what trends are out there; see what other women are wearing.
'But don't follow like a sheep – try and think of trends yourself.
'I stay away from anything floral unless you have a really young face.
'Stay away from ripped jeans and ethnic shorts because they make you look like you're trying too hard.
'It's the balance in between. You can either look frumpy or look trashy.
'I'm trying to tell people about this balance that's in the middle that can make you look classy, sophisticated and young.
'It annoys me when people say, 'You don't look 52' and I think, no, I shouldn't – I work hard to look the way I do. You have to.'