I spent £4k on a midlife glow-up – but it was a pain-free, £1-a-day gadget that took a DECADE off my face

LAST year I embarked on what I jokingly referred to as a ‘midlife glow-up’ after I realised I had stopped looking in the mirror. I convinced myself this was some sort of heroic acceptance of the ageing process – but it was actually a sign of something darker. Sophie tried an array of treatments, above testing the Ziip Halo which uses microcurrent and nanocurrent to sculpt, lift and rejuvenate Credit: David Cummings It had become an avoidance technique. If I didn’t look, then maybe it wasn’t really happening. But that’s what naughty toddlers do, not 45-year-old women. It is well documented that there are accelerated ageing periods around age 44 and 60. Research suggests skin ageing can accelerate dramatically at this time, due to collagen levels dropping by up to a third, coupled with falling oestrogen levels around menopause. And my face just didn’t look like my face anymore. It was puffier, almost a whole different shape, and I found myself slightly overwhelmed by it all. So after giving myself a bit of a shake, I decided to embark on a midlife makeover. I tried an array of weird and (not so) wonderful treatments – some were expensive, some effective, but some just not worth the money, pain or effort. Here, as a busy mum of two young daughters, I give you my honest verdict… DAILY COLLAGEN IN COFFEE: WORTH IT Sophie has been adding hydrolysed marine collagen to her morning coffee and it has become a daily habit FOR six months, I’ve been adding hydrolysed marine collagen to my morning coffee. It has become a daily habit that makes me feel like I’m stopping myself from deteriorating in real time. I love Vida Glow Pro, which is marine-based (most relevant for skin quality), hydrolised (better absorption) and has hyaluronic acid for hydration. It’s £54 for 30 sachets, which works out as £1.80 a day. It’s not cheap, but it’s half the price of a takeaway coffee. This one doesn’t alter the taste at all, if anything it makes it a little creamier in texture so it’s win win. My hair is noticeably stronger and shinier, my nails grow faster and my skin feels more resilient overall. ZIIP HALO: SO WORTH IT Sophie used her palm-sized Ziip Halo two to three times a week, from between one minute to 12, which has been a game-changer It has helped to redefine my jawline back to how it was in my early thirties, says Sophie, above after using the gadget WITH ageing, it’s not wrinkles that bother me – it’s the ‘midlife puff’ and general gravitational pull-down. The silver, palm-sized Ziip Halo which industry insiders hail as an alternative to injectables, uses microcurrent and nanocurrent to sculpt, lift and rejuvenate. Using it two to three times a week, from between one minute to 12, has been a game-changer. It’s perfectly comfortable to use, just a little pain free zing as the muscles contract. It has helped to redefine my jawline back to how it was in my early thirties. The device costs £379.99, but over a year that’s about £1 a day. It’s an investment, but it’s worth it. (For 10 per cent off add MPROJECT at the checkout on ziipbeauty.co.uk). INVISALIGN: WORTH IT Sophie enjoyed the 11 months using Invisalign thanks to the thrilling weekly progress Her treatment cost £4,000 and she believes it’s money well spent, above after treatment I SPENT years putting this off as I couldn’t face the commitment of wearing plastic aligners over my teeth for around 22 hours a day, and I was worried about not being able to drink coffee and red wine. In reality, I enjoyed the 11 months using Invisalign thanks to the thrilling weekly progress. I used to put my hand in front of my mouth when talking to people, but I now smile with confidence. As I’ve got older, I’ve realised that the best beauty investments are often the ones that remove an insecurity you’ve been carrying – and for me it was my crowded lower jaw. My treatment cost £4,000, but I believe it’s money well spent. BUILDER IN A BOTTLE NAILS WITH TIPS: WORTH IT She spends £35 a month to get nude BIAB with tips and it helps her feel more polished Credit: Getty GETTING nude BIAB with coloured tips has changed my entire personality. Having neat, longish nails makes me feel more polished, even when the rest of me might be a bit disastrous. It’s £35 a month to get mine done in a local nail salon and takes about half an hour max. I think of it as the hand equivalent of having your brows done. You wake up already looking “finished”. And at this stage of my life, when time, energy and motivation are all upended, that matters. It’s also better for your nails than shellac or acrylics, and doesn’t chip. PRESCRIPTION SKINCARE: WORTH IT PEOPLE tend to want a quick fix, but my skin quality has improved massively since using Klira, a bespoke prescription skincare subscription service where you fill in a clinically personalised questionnaire online – it takes 10 minutes – and get a bespoke formula of skincare prescribed by a dermatologist (mine has tretinoin, which is amazing for turning over fresh skin cells and boosting collagen and elastin). It is £59 a month, but I was spending at least that on separate beauty treatments, so why not consolidate your skincare into one product which can make more of a long-term difference? LASER HAIR REMOVAL: NOT WORTH IT Sophie did 12 half hour sessions of laser hair removal at £70 per session, but says it’s not worth it Credit: Getty I WAS sold on the fantasy of becoming one of those women who “just never shaves anymore”. Specifically my bikini line and my full leg, because I want to put on shorts or a swimsuit at the drop of a hat. I did 12 half hour sessions at £70 per session. I was frustrated that I had to shave my legs (still do) over the entire year. It reduced things growth slightly, but I remain extremely shave-adjacent. I understand there are now super lasers that work amazingly, but this was a high street chain and I fear it is in their financial interests to keep loyal customers hairy. Given the cost and time involved, I wouldn’t bother. SOFWAVE: NOT WORTH IT THE Kardashians are fans of this hardcore ultrasound treatment, I hear. It’s meant to stimulate collagen and elastin, tighten the skin and smooth out fine lines, but it costs a fortune – an average of £2,500 per session – and I found it awful. The pain was so intense. A machine beams high-frequency ultrasound to heat the mid-dermal layer of the skin, about 1.5mm deep. I had to have blockers injected into my forehead halfway through (because it gets worse nearer the bone). This then temporarily dropped my brows for about two weeks, which aged me ten years. My pain threshold is high, but this felt like a car cigarette lighter being held to my skin. For 45 minutes. There was mild redness afterwards, but apart from that I didn’t notice any difference. POLYNUCLEOTIDES: NOT WORTH IT* (*for me) She also tried Polynucleotides, injectables that use purified DNA fragment to bio-stimulate cell repair, but says they didn’t do much Credit: Getty THESE are injectables that use purified DNA fragments, usually derived from salmon, to bio-stimulate cell repair. I don’t think they did much for me personally because (dare I say it) I didn’t really need them. Experts have since told me they work best where there is a more significant ‘need’ for the skin to heal, rebuild and improve overall quality – from texture changes, to loss of elasticity or acne scarring. But considering the cost (£500 per session), after my two sessions I noticed a far bigger difference from simply being consistent with my Klira, my Ziip and using collagen regularly. CONCLUSION I WOULD modestly say I look a good few years younger than I did this time last year. And some of the more affordable things, such as my Ziip Halo, have made the biggest difference to my appearance. I get nice compliments from friends and family who tell me I look great today, or ask if I’ve done something different with my makeup. It’s about having a face that still looks like me, just maybe a little less exhausted by daily life. This has been adapted from Sophie’s Substack, The Mother Project