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Most women are likely to view their 30th birthdays with some degree of dread. It is a milestone of significance and it is difficult to know just how to view it. Particularly for a member of that tribe ever increasing in number: the 30-year-old unmarried and un-babied woman, who is told at every turn that her clock is ticking.
Obvious questions arise in her mind. Is this the end of youth as she knows it? At precisely 30 years after the moment of her birth, should she expect her skin to start wrinkling and her hair to spontaneously turn an unbecoming shade of grey? Will she feel her eggs shrivel and die in her womb? Will the men, who seemed previously interested, suddenly drop her, the ageing GenX-er, in favour of a nubile number from GenY?
The answer to all of these questions is, of course, no. The 30th birthday need not be treated with trepidation, just with a healthy measure of respect. So the next time you meet a woman set to cross into the fourth decade of life, rather than remind her of the growing rate of premature menopause, choose from amongst these 30 pieces of more cheerful and relevant advice to dispense...
01 That the 30s are the new 30s. They are not the new 20s, or the old 40s.
02 That it’s okay to be scared — and it’s okay to admit it. For instance, if you are not crazy about flying, disguise the fear by chatting with your neighbour. God help him if he is sleepy. But there are more important things in the world than sleep, or ego.
03 That the surest route to an instant pick-me-up is to compliment others, even if they are random strangers. Unexpected wisdom can result from it, too, when the recipient passes on the secret to what earned her the compliment in the first place — such as the true secret to smoky eye, or the location of a tiny boutique in a secret lane.
04 Identify all the people who you would liketo invest in within your group of friends and family. It’s all about the quality, not quantity.It’s better to have two for-sure 2am friends than 20 who will screen your call because they are too tired.
05 A salon blow-dry is not the ultimate path to a great hair day. The right shampoo and conditioner technique equals the power of 1,800 watts of energy. (When you think it’s all rinsed, rinse some more.)
06 Accept the fact that sometimes you are going to feel too fat, too thin, too plain or too gawky. By the time you hit 30, learn the way to beat it. Whatever you do with this invaluable knowledge, be sure to pass it on.
07 That round cotton pads are the best beauty buy. Coupled with any face cleanser, they remove 10 times more grime and grease than cotton wool from the chemist or, for that matter, any self-respecting face wash.
08 Identify your comfort food. It could be khichdi or Maggi. Full marks to those who can get their fix without a day’s supply of refined carbs or fat.
09 Find a sugar cheat that gets you through that craving without hitting your waistline. A piece of sugar-free gum, a bite of tooth-shattering sour churan, a little lick of a fruity lip balm. What works for your BFF (best friend forever) may not work for you, so discover your own.
10 Master your silhouette, and own it. High waisted or drop waisted? Apple or pear? Sieve the trends and know what works. Reject anything that you don’t like, or that doesn’t like you. Trends are not one-size-fits-all.
11 Remember your happiness. Stretch it for use as an antidote for those miserable moments. And there will be many.
12 Stop fighting exercise. Trick your body if you must. Once you wear your tracks and tee, chances are you will end up working out. Provided of course you don’t venture near the telly. Or fridge. Or phone…
13 Which movies work for which mood. This knowledge comes handy during heartbreak — temporary or permanent.
14 Which shows you like apart from Friends because you can’t watch Friends for the next 10 years, too.
15 Your shade of red lipstick. There is one for everyone.
16 How to max a job interview after writing an unputdownable CV. Giggling is so teens. And cocky is so 20s.
17 How to look great in photographs. Become a pro at posing with pout and profile, light and chin in a way that is of service to your face and figure.
18 Your favourite destination for a holiday so you can go there again for your 50th.
19 That it is okay to want everything, and want it now. And to acknowledge that you won’t get most of it. Ever.
20 How to ride out the hangover. Copious amounts of coffee or eye make-up or water… whatever it takes.
21 That it is okay if you are not well-read. It’s never too late to start. Nephews and nieces are more than happy to lend their copy of Charles Dickens and Harry Potter.
22 Tune in to your dance style. It could be cha cha cha or chengra. But you need that signature move for the dance floor or baraat emergency.
23 Your soul music. All the while knowing it’s also okay to like all kinds of music, even if that means you don’t love any.
24 Your aroma oil, the one that makes you feel how you want to feel, when you want to feel it, on command.
25 When to see the doc. And how to respond to the body’s stress signals.
26 How much me-time you need. And what you would like to do with it.
27 Your signature smell. All of us have that one perfect perfume. And don’t tell anyone what it is!
28 That an eye lash curler is precious. And it can’t blind you. (Pssst: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan doesn’t leave the house without one.)
29 How to be the hostess with the mostest — from flowers to food, arranged to perfection, in under 24 hours.
30 Which heels you can dance all night in. Because hopefully your 30s will be one long party!
What piece of advice would you pass on to a woman on her 30th birthday? Tell t2@abpmail.com
