Laugh in the face of lines, like the fabulous Lauren Hutton

With an artillery of Botox, fillers and surgical procedures at their disposal, many women are buckling under the pressure to stay forever young — and their natural beauty suffers as their faces grow ever more puffy, frozen and stretched.

Rather than becoming a beauty-zombie, Caroline Cox suggests an altogether more dignified route in her excellent book Grown-up Glamour (Quadrille Publishing, £12.99).  Inspired by a host of graceful-agers – like Lauren Bacall, Cate Blanchett, Lauren Hutton and Helen Mirren — Cox provides an insightful guide for the woman who wants to age naturally… and in style.

For anyone over 30 that wants to turn heads, without resorting to the scalpel or pleasure-sapping diets, this book is indispensible. Cox is an authority on fashion history and modern hair and beauty trends and her past books include Lingerie, Stiletto and How to be Adored.

It’s not just her advice you can tap into — the book teaches you “How to age fabulously — by the women who got it right” and it’s peppered with wisdoms from lots of glorious older beauty icons, as well as the men that adore them:

I DON’T BELIEVE MAKE-UP AND THE RIGHT HAIRSTYLE ALONE CAN MAKE A WOMAN BEAUTIFUL. THE MOST RADIANT WOMAN IN THE ROOM IS FULL OF LIFE AND EXPERIENCE. (SHARON STONE)

I PREFER OLDER WOMEN – THEY HAVE SEEN MORE, HEARD MORE, AND KNOW MORE THAN A DEMURE YOUNG GIRL. I’LL TAKE AN OLDER WOMAN EVERY TIME. (CLARK GABLE)

Follow Cox’s beauty and make-up tricks to learn miraculous ways to look brighter, more youthful and impeccably groomed. You may well find yourself brimming with Cougar-esque confidence that has a transforming effect on your life.

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Panache Atlantic Solutions wire free bra, £18, Perfectly Petite Lingerie

When Nicola at Perfectly Petite Lingerie first chatted to me about the “new for Autumn 2010″  small cup bras from Panache Atlantis, she described them as fabulous. Available in AA-C cups at Perfectly Petite, the selection includes basics and problem-solving designs, which Nicola thought were spot on for her small-busted customers. Was this enthusiastic sales patter, or a real breakthrough for us little-chested ladies? Nicola challenged me to decide for myself — and promptly despatched the Wire Free Bra for me to road test. Here’s what I thought:

Panache Atlantis Solutions wire free bra, £18, Perfectly Petite Lingerie
Seller's blurb: This wire free bra is part of the "enhanced" range from Panache Atlantis Solutions. Using graduated foam cups, it offers subtle shaping and lift with a smooth finish. Available black, nude and white, in cup sizes AA-C, and from 30 for band width.
LooksOn the peg, this bra looks like a good quality, but very simple, T-shirt bra. The fabric has a satiny sheen and the sweetheart shape of the cups looks cute. On a small-busted woman, the look is more impressive. It gives oomph: not mindblowing cleavage, but a nice roundness that's gratefully received.4/5
FitI tested a 32AA cup size and the fit is immaculate: no straps digging in, perfect cup size and comfortable band. Just like a second skin.5/5
ComfortComfort can't be faulted with this bra. There are no niggles at all -- in fact, I'm finding it hard to part with it on "wash day".5/5
UpliftThe graduated foam cups provide a "shelf", gently lifting the bust to create a natural, but fuller looking chest.5/5
VERDICTOverall, a really great, everyday bra, offering a smooth, gently curvy look underneath clothing, as well as excellent comfort.19/20

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