I FELT SO PLAIN UNTIL I DITCHED MY SPECS AT 50

Shayne Brodie, 60, lives in edinburgh and works for a communications company. She is divorced and has two daughters, Jessica, 26, and annabelle, 23. Until i turned 50, i’d always considered myself ugly compared to my pretty, stylish, or fashionable friends. i hid behind large glasses and convinced myself i was chubby, plain and that my arms were too fat to be seen in public.

My confidence began to grow in my 40s; as a mum of two daughters, i wanted to be a positive role model.

But my transformation to a silver swan really began in my early 50s, when my hairdresser told me: ‘You just can’t buy this colour that’s coming through in your hair.’

He gave me the courage to have it chopped into a pixie crop so i could grow out the colour and go grey. now, my hair is now really long and thankfully it’s still soft and luscious. Red clothes and lipsticks that suited me when my hair was dark have been swapped for rich but muted shades of orange and pink.

My hair gets more attention from men than it ever did 20 years ago, and though i’m not in a relationship now, i enjoy going on dates.

Although i wouldn’t try plastic surgery or Botox, i did have laser eye surgery and found it liberating to finally ditch my specs. As for my clothes, i wear classics such as cashmere jumpers and shoes from Harvey nichols, mixed with trousers from Zara or topshop.

A few close friends also feel they have finally bloomed. it’s not about looking younger, i simply want to be 60 and fabulous.