Q. I have never used much make up but now in my fifties I feel it might help! But going into beauty halls is such a scary business. I would like practical simple advice and not too many products. Does such a thing exist? A. We know many women of a certain age who feel like you. You could (wo)man up and take on the beauty counters: stroll round and look at brands like Bobbi Brown, Trish McEvoy or Chantecaille, which are all good for grown-ups, and even have a make-over (mostly free but do ask first).

Alternatively, you could consider a recently launched online brand, specifically targeted at over 50s. Look Fabulous Forever, www.lookfabulousforever.com, was founded by Tricia Cusden, now in her sixties, after she had numerous disappointments with expensive designer brand make-up. She was a businesswoman with no background in cosmetics (although she has now trained as a make up artist) but a pronounced entrepreneurial bent and a determination to somehow produce beautiful make-up for older women.

The range is small, offering high quality, good value products (including brushes) specifically designed for mature skin, which means for post-menopausal women in their fifties and on. Tricia is clear about what is needed: ‘for example, the best foundation for over 50s is not just a tinted moisturiser. You need a foundation that gives complete coverage, enough to cover things like age spots or [my] acne rosacea without settling in the little creases and making you look even older.’

There are lots of tips for applying the products in the video tutorials and Tricia’s blog, which wonder over lots of topics from cosmetics and weight to style and all have that friendly, definitely non-scary woman-next-door feel.

The only downside, which Tricia totally admits, is that you can only order online. As she says, ‘it shouldn't work but somehow it does’, supported by a no quibble returns policy and great service.

In a short period, Look Fabulous Forever has struck a chord with older women (Tricia’s preferred term) worldwide. The reviews reflect the need for the range, like this one from a woman on the eve of her 71^st birthday who says ‘I feel like the me I hoped I would be; the real me, but the best me I can be’.