Thanks, Robert. Being a man, I will restrict my comments to beauty in women.
Pre-teen years, teen years, twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties: This is one way to categorize the different ages of beauty. This, of course, is too superficial. No one suddenly changes when she passes from 29 to 30. Some women (and some men) dread 40. [My father told me one time that he dreaded when he turned 70. My mother died when she was 99. I told her sometime that year what my father had said. She indicated that she never knew that he felt that way.]
Dear ladies, think of your life as a pathway without any signs marking off the 20s, 30s, etc. When I speak of distance along this path, I am indicating time without mentioning ages. Some women travel down this path with little apparent physical change from late teens into early forties. Other women travel the same distance, but show more physical changes.
Some women have worn eye glasses almost all of their life (whatever the actual age is). Others fight glasses because they equate wearing glasses with getting older. Finally, they can't stretch their arms any farther when reading, so they surrender to glasses.
Then, there are women, years past 16, who still select clothing and makeup as if they will hold onto the teen years come hell, highwater, and birthdays. This actually calls attention to their older age.
Remember, ladies, each of you has a birthday every year. Your life is a pathway, not an artificial series of decades. There is a special beauty in women at all ages. Hold each time in your life lightly. Each age phase/period/distance/whatever, has its own special beauty. There is a special beauty of youth. There is a special beauty that comes with experience, maturity, or whatever you want to call it. I use maturity here not for age. Some youthful women develop a maturity while young. Other women are older when they reach similar maturity.
For a moment, let's consider women who have some years behind them. And who have been married to the same man for a number of years. If he is a good husband, and you are a good wife, how much does physical appearance of age mean to each of you? You are growing older together. Each of you probably has not noticed the physical signs of getting older in the other person. The beauty he sees in you goes much deeper than crowsfeet and a few extra pounds. You have made many memories together. Each of you may be surprised when you pull out photos of both of you made years ago.
We have heard the saying, act your age. I also would suggest that you be your age and enjoy it.
My best wishes to the beautiful women at Adland (and that is all of you).
Lawton
P.S. I apologize for such a long post.