I spend £500 a month on reversing the ageing process but buy all my clothes in Primark – people think I’m my 20s
BEAUTY product addict Penelope Silver spends £500 a month on anti-ageing products in a bid to look youthful.
But the 48-year-old reiki healer and social media manager argues the purse-punishing investment is worth it – especially after a group of teenagers recently mistook her for a fellow student.
She says: “I was dropping my daughter Charlotte at university when two of her new flatmates asked what course I was doing.
“They were gobsmacked when I said I was a mum, not a student.
“I usually get mistaken for being in my 30s, not my 20s. I was very flattered.”
Penelope, from Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, has spent a fortune on products since her teens, but believes her devotion to skincare is why she looks so fresh.
“It’s not vanity, but a commitment to caring for your body, inside and out,” she says.
“Anti-ageing has become a hot topic and people say you should embrace your natural age, but what’s wrong with finding happiness in looking and feeling young?
“I’m not trying to turn back the years, I’m trying to keep myself looking healthy. It’s my passion and I sacrifice other luxuries to pay for my treatments.
‘Teeth whitened twice a year’
“I do my own gel nails and colour my hair. I even get my daughter to cut it for me. I also shop in places like Primark and Asos.
“I stock up on my favourite skincare ranges, including Transformulas, Obagi and SkinCeutical, when they are on offer. But I’ll happily use Aldi’s make-up and haircare dupes.”
Penelope’s daily routine involves washing with a facial wash, using eye-lifting and lip-plumping creams, and applying serum and moisturiser tailored to the season.
She says: “I’ve used SPF 50 daily for 30 years, on my face and neck. I also use a jade roller to massage my night-time serum into my face.
“It releases toxins and reduces puffiness, but also makes your products go further.”
She credits decades of regular facials for her tight jawline and dewy skin – along with a little Botox a couple of times a year.
She adds: “Injectables and fillers are popular where I live, but I don’t want a face that looks like everyone else’s. I just have a tiny bit to keep things fresh.
“I have my teeth whitened twice a year too, as I think that knocks ten years off, as can fake tan.
“It seems taboo these days to say you want to stay looking young, but what is wrong with making the best of what you have?
“I’m just not ready to embrace every wrinkle and a full head of grey hair.”