Shall we take it from the French women, who we're told, will always go for a lotion or potion rather than exercise, because they firmly believe that an exfoliating and cellulite cream is the way to stay in shape, adhere to the idea that the way you look is linked to the way you feel and the way you behave? That the lack of care of yourself is a reflection of an unintelligent mind and lack of thought and possibly laziness?

In an interview with Helena Frith Powell, author of “Two Lipsticks and a Lover”, also published in the US as “All You Need to be Impossibly French.”, she explained that to the French, glamour is not only to do with how you look. It’s also to do with how you act, and how you feel, and how well read you are and how interesting you are. Because a woman can be extremely glamorous even if she’s not pretty. It’s not really to do with prettiness at all. It’s to do with a whole kind of style, a feeling of self-worth, and confidence, and all sorts of things that come with knowing how to live, more than anything else. For French women, the basic tenets of being chic from head to toes, from toes to coif, and no matter what situation you’re in, responding with elegance and style, is somehow very deeply ingrained into them at a very early age. But, why do most of us struggle and stress as we age? We will grow old, but how do we make the process more of an adventure, rather than something dreadful?

Plastic or Natural?

Joan Rivers told The New York Times, "I've had so much plastic surgery,", "when I die they will donate my body to Tupperware." Ironically, she's become the industry's worst poster child. Why go to such extreme? Why look 20 when you're 50, when the real smart thing to do is to look beautiful at 50 when you're 50.

The word passe’ is French, and it means, 'past the prime; faded or aged.no longer acceptable, current, or usable'. That's how some of us must have felt before they made 50 the new 30. Study shows the tummy tuck is the most sought after plastic surgery procedure.and 84% of women feel that men have no idea how hard they work to look good. Recent reports say that the number of cosmetic surgeries is declining due to the recession. According to stats from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2008 billions were spent on over 12 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures. Women account for a staggering 91% of these procedures.

The good news is, "beauty" is no longer synonymous with an unattainable ideal. It's about a lifestyle, a dedicated regimen that has increased its focus on long term care of the hair, face and body; preventive therapies; and aesthetic enhancement. Beauty has become a business that has grown to a $32.2 billion industry, according to Kline & Company's 2004 statistics.

What Baby Boomers Think:

The baby boomer women are different from their parents and grandparents. They have seen their elderly parents suffer and lose their independence and want to avoid the same fate. They understand that the model of aging that applied to their parents is not for them.

They have no intention of 'slowing down' or 'taking it easy' and do not tolerate being called 'elderly'. They have every intention of remaining active, involved, vibrant and youthful throughout their entire lifespan. In addition to enhancing their own health and quality of life, baby boomers have the opportunity to help the next generation by leading by example, and by showing a new, active and strong view of growing older. They want be proud to be teaching young people that weakness and frailty is not an inevitable part of getting old.

It's one thing to have natural beauty, or to be a glamor goddess. But, we can't fool a world that's able to discern real from unreal. There are women who stand out because there is something special about them. Some call it the x-factor, but it's not easy to point out a particular quality, feature or style. I've spoken to men who think it's in the eyes, or the smile.

Here's a list of real knock-out ladies, inspirational, and who are aging before their fans, gracefully.

1. Dame Helen Mirren, 64. actress (5'4), has won 29 major awards for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen(2006), including the coveted Best Actress Oscar. She seems equally famous for the bikini shots taken of her on vacation in Italy last year. Tabloids around the world remarked on her natural beauty and gorgeous curves. In a separate interview with The Guardian, Mirren ruminated on life in one's sixties: "It's brilliant, really, the way life organizes itself, because you just slowly get used to what you are, don't you?"

2. Iman, 54.born in Mogadishu, Somalia, this supermodel, cosmetics titan, and wife of David Bowie When launching her eponymous Iman Cosmetics, Iman said: "I just want to open a dialogue where we can talk about these things, where we can define our own beauty and approve of ourselves. We have to approve of ourselves before anyone else will. Women need to celebrate their God-given beauty instead of always trying to be something else."

3. Carmen Dell'Orefice, 78. Dell'Orefice is often referred to as "the world's oldest working model." She made a catwalk appearance in Jean Paul Gaultier's first Hermès show in 2004 and John Galliano's Dior haute couture show in 2000. Totally unabashed about her age, Dell'Orefice recently told The Telegraph, "How many other ladies ... can say that the snapshot on their senior citizen's card was taken by Norman Parkinson?"

4. Anjelica Huston, 58.A Hollywood legend. Due to her height and aquiline nose, Huston's unconventional beautiful is often described as "aristocratic" or "imposing."she once said. "But you grow up and you start to recognize that maybe it wasn't a bad thing that you weren't born Barbie."Huston has commented that aging in America is not exactly an "applauded" process; but, she says, "you have to take it all with a grain of salt."

5. Sophia Loren, 75. Loren has long set beauty standards instead of following them. Appearing in the 2007 edition of the famous Pirelli Calendar at the age of 72, Loren became the oldest model in its history. Loren once said of her famous curves: "Everything you see I owe to spaghetti". She also reportedly said, she hates beauty salons, and does her hair and nails herself.

Aging in Pain

According to television commercials, old age is so dangerous or painful or simply annoying, it may not be worth hanging around for. Mostly, elders appear in commercials for remedies to treat diseases and ailments that range from minor through deadly serious to disgusting. There are so many commercials and public service announcements broadcast so frequently that any young person watching can only assume old age is agony: We don't see old person in a car commercial. Not even detergent ads feature elders, as though we don’t wash clothes or dishes in our dotage. And no one old appears in glossy ads for clothing, expensive watches or fancy electronics – none of the glamour stuff. The health needs of the elderly are among the most complex issues in medicine today. Which is why we owe it to ourselves to defy aging.

Here are steps to stay young

Step 1. Associate yourself with active people. People who are inactive or chronic complainers about pain and work can be contagious. Don't spend a lot of time with these people unless you are providing care.

Step2 Take a college course on campus once a year. This will keep you engaged with the youth movement as well as keep you active.

Step3 Stay active. Go on an outing at least once per week. It could be hiking, a sports game, museum, theater or casual restaurant. If you like to read, don’t just sit at home and grab a book. Go out to a bookstore.

Step 4 Get at least eight hours of sleep and eight glasses of water daily. Don’t smoke. If you drink alcohol, do it in moderation.

Step 5 Have five servings of fruits and vegetables daily because you body needs vitamin C.

Step6 Get a good balance of fiber daily such as pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, broccoli or nuts.

Step7 Exercise regularly. Try to partner with a friend in your activities. This will help to motivate you so you won’t procrastinate.

Step 8 Laugh a lot.