This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Anna Murphy is the renowned Fashion Director of The Times. For years I have been reading her articles and taking her advice. She has now put all that she has learned throughout her career and her life of getting older (she recently turned 50) into one book – Destination Fabulous.
Anna Murphy is all about being yourself and growing old naturally by letting what is within shine out; thus, your age is irrelevant. It’s not about denying the ageing process or attempting to erase its signs. Nor is it about letting everything go, either. It’s about balance – the possible and the present. And it’s about the future you want.
I loved this book I felt I should be punching the air and shouting ‘yes’ at the end of every chapter. I loved chapter 3, Saying Goodbye, Saying Hello. It fed into my inner Buddhist. I am a true amateur to Buddhism, but I am always aspiring. Anna Murphy is an advocate of saying goodbye to your younger self, younger face, and younger body. This is not a bad thing if you embrace the new one. I agree I have no desire to be young again. I love the age I am now. And this chapter is followed by How (And Why) to Live in Joy.
Anna then moves on to your face in the chapter, Embracing Your Face. She is not a proponent of tweaking your face as she has seen how women eventually end up with a strange face rather than a youthful one. She doesn’t judge anyone who goes down this road. However, she does judge society for making us believe wrinkle-free is more lovable.
On the positive side, she names the products for skin and hair that she thinks really work. Anna is a great advocate of face massage and follows the gua sha method, a plectrum of jade that you gently and firmly stroke the skin with. She recommends the ones from Hay’ou Method. And if you like facial massage, follow Katie Brindle on Instagram as she does daily reels showing how to perfect this method.
Anna Murphy also loves the facial oils from Alexander Soveral and Carole Maggio’s Facercise® routine. There is so much to learn from this book in this chapter alone. She goes on to give actual make-up choices and tips. Of course, she cannot advise you on the colours you choose however, she has spoken and learned from some of the best make-up artists in the world how best to enhance an older face.
The chapter on hair is obviously very close to her heart as Anna has recently allowed her hair to go back to its natural colour, which is a gorgeous silver grey. Again she has products for hair that she can highly recommend. She then moves on to the body and, finally, fashion.
Obviously, in the fashion chapter, you could not ask someone more qualified to give their tips and secrets. She lists the women that inspire her, from Iris Apfel to Claire Hornby (founder of Me+Em – one of our favourite fashion brands).
Finally, she discusses family, friendship and romance.
There is so much to learn and enjoy from this book. It would make a great gift for anyone who is panicking about getting older. But even for those who are enjoying these later decades, there are some fabulous tips. The destination that you will finally reach, having read this book, will set you up for the rest of your life.
To purchase Destination Fabulous from Amazon, click HERE.
If you enjoyed this article, you might like my latest article, We Are Not Old, More Like Ageless.
Remembering Iris Apfel (1921-2024)
American interior designer and fashion influencer Iris Apfel sadly passed away on March 1st, 2024 at the age of 102 years old. At Rest Less, we have regularly featured Iris for her entrepreneurship, sense of style, and emphasis on positive ageing, and we will continue to remember her as an inspiration and example to all.
Our thoughts are with Iris’ friends, family, and anyone who loved her. May she rest in peace.