Can we talk about how exhausting it is that every time a woman over 40 dares to look glowing and rested, it is assumed that she’s had a ton of work done? This week’s case in point: 42-year-old actress Anne Hathaway, who caused a stir at a Ralph Lauren fashion show in New York thanks to what many are calling her 'new face.'
There’s been speculation that The Devil Wears Prada star’s new look could be put down to one of many cosmetic procedures: buccal fat removal, filler, Botox, a facelift… But here’s the thing, I think the biggest change to Anne’s look had nothing to do with her face, but her hair!
As a Beauty Editor who has stared down more before-and-afters than I care to count, I’m calling it: Anne’s not-so-secret weapon could be her ponytail! That sleek high pony makes her jawline snatched, her eyes lifted, and just gives an instant, pulled-together, polished look. And the great thing is, it’s accessible, it’s non-invasive, and it’s free, apart from the hair elastic and hairspray that likely helped her achieve it.
© Getty ImagesAnd I should know about the power that a ponytail like Anne’s can bring at midlife. Since hitting my forties, when hot flashes became my unwanted sidekick, I started to pull my hair back more often. And people started to notice. "You look different… in a good way," one friend commented before realising the reason. She’d never seen my hair in a ponytail before and said it made me look "brighter and just a bit more put together."
To be honest, I’ve always been a 'hair down' kind of girl, as I’d always thought of it as my comfort blanket - wearing it down made me feel protected from the world and gave me something to hide behind. But since hitting 40, pulling my hair off my neck and out of my face hasn’t just relieved the hot flashes, it has actually switched off some of my insecurities too.
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And that’s the irony - pulling your hair back actually exposes more of your face, which means you see more of your wrinkles and all the other beauty trademarks that show you're getting older. It puts everything on display. And yet somehow that can make you feel more powerful, more in control, more confident.
Yes, Anne's skin looked smooth and immaculate at that show, but it always does. It was her hair that made her look 'together' and in control. She was owning the skin she is in, and we all picked up on it.
Wearing my hair in a ponytail works the same way as a slick of red lipstick: it makes me feel seen, more visible. There’s something really energising about it, too. A good ponytail shows off my expressions more. It says: 'This is me, take it or leave it - I am what I am, I know who I am and I’m not hiding behind anything.'
And I love it for that. I believe that wearing my hair in a ponytail radiates a confidence that is far louder than any injectable could ever deliver.
So while the headlines still speculate about what Anne might have had done to her face, I’ll be over here, tying my hair back, showing off my face (wrinkles and all) and smiling about it. Because sometimes, the glow-up isn’t about going under the knife or being injected, it’s about facing the world and owning every inch of you!
How to nail the perfect midlife ponytail
- Start with volume: A spritz of texturising spray - I’m loving Bumble and bumble Thickening Dry Spun Texture Spray. If you spritz it at the roots, it gives lift before you gather your hair. I prefer a softer height, not a severely scraped back look.
- Go for mid-to-high placement: Too low drags your features down. Too high and you’re heading into cheerleader territory. Aim for just above the crown.
- Conceal the band: Wrap a piece of hair around the base and pin it - it’s the trick from my beauty editor book and instantly elevates the pony.
- Add polish, not crunch: A light serum or cream smooths flyways without making hair look stiff. I love using Dr Paw Paw It Does It All 7 in 1 Hair Treatment Styler for this.
