This is my personal tongue-in-cheek shortlist of the Top 12 things to avoid if you don’t want to look pretty darn ANCIENT:

1. WHITE CIRCLES UNDER THE EYES - If you use a white concealer instead of a flesh color that’s closer to your skin, this shock of white under the eyes that’s supposed to lessen the dark circles and eyebags is very visible, especially under lights, and especially in photos.

2. TOO MUCH EYELINER - Kids who want to seem older use lots of eyeliner. It may look glamorous on adults when applied properly but it does make women look older, especially if they apply enough to make Cleopatra jealous. If you must, use it sparingly, maybe a dark brown instead of black and blend with the eyelashes so instead of ending up looking like an old racoon, you’ll look younger and fresher and still get that glamorous, mysterious aura.

3. OVERLY THIN AND POINTY EYEBROWS - Again we’re back with the villainous makeup. If you really want to look like the evil old stepmother, or the witch under the sea who was jealous of the beautiful young mermaid, then go for it. Otherwise, thin and pointy eyebrows that are very obviously pencilled in, especially in a black, or worse, reddish brown color, are OUT. By all means, use pencil but light, small strokes, resembling brow hair. Then use a brush to blend it in. You’ll knock 10 years off in no time.

4. TOO MUCH BLUSHER - All I can say is apply very little, and blend in a lot. Asian women or women who live in humid environments like ours don’t really blush all that much anyway unless they just got back from the beach, and then the cute sunburn is in entirely a different part of the cheeks.

5. TOO DARK LIPSTICK - It may be just my opinion, but for me, dark red lipstick looks like it suits the more mature and roses and pinks and pretty frosts look younger, more innocent and sweet. And I don’t think that how old you are should decide for you what color to wear. A 60-year old wearing pink lipstick probably looks way more appealing than one who’s wearing maroon. Ugh!

6. DARK NAIL POLISH - Same as above. Another thing is that because of the contrast, the eye is drawn towards the nails and if your hands aren’t as youthful as you’d like them to be, better to have polish that’s attractive but not distracting.

7. TOO MUCH PERFUME - As we get older, it’s only natural that our tastes become more sophisticated, and we want expensive perfumes. But a lot of these perfumes are created especially for that market – the more mature woman with elegant tastes.

8. TOO WHITE POWDER - This for me is one of the worst aging mistakes. Maybe to cover up wrinkles, or to look more refined, or whatEVER, some women choose a foundation or powder that’s whiter than their facial skin and much whiter than their neck and hands. Imagine this look, combined with too much blusher and pointy dark eyebrows and dark lipstick.

9. HAIR TOO AUSTERE - Maybe when people get older, it’s more comfortable to have their hair off their faces, or not cascading down their shoulders. Fine with me. But pulling the hair back off the face into a bun is just a waste of what could be every woman’s crowning glory. If you think that pulling your hair back also pulls back your skin and holds it more taut, remember that it’s better and more feminine to have hair framing your face and covering up any imperfections at the sides of your face.

10. TOO MUCH JEWELRY - Same dilemma. As we get older, we find that we can now afford all those stunning pieces that made the models in Vogue magazine look like, well, models in Vogue magazine. But again, if you’re not attending a big wedding or showing off in front of your husband’s ex, a pretty piece or two is better for looking younger than scads of diamonds or rows of pearls.

11. GRANDMA GLASSES - For obvious reasons, peering through granny glasses poised on the tip of your nose is the ultimate death-to-youth look. For Heaven’s sake, take the trouble to find pretty glasses or get over your qualms and get contacts.

12. BADLY-CHOSEN HAIR COLOR - Hair color that looks fake will not make you look better or more foreign. It will just sit on your head looking fake. Carefully-chosen highlights on the other hand or lighter hair that’s in keeping with your skin and eye color can be gorgeous! By the way, Asian skin has a tendency to be sallow, yellowish. This doesn’t look very good at all with red, bronze, mahogany. You might get away with it if you’re 25. Not older.