Charla Krupp has more than 100 books in her study on how to age gracefully. Not one of them satisfied her curiosity about the changes she noticed in her body and skin. So she wrote her own guide, "How Not To Look Old."

"(The book) is the ultimate manifesto for the boomer woman. (All the books I had) said the equivalent of, 'Embrace your wrinkles, take a bath, light a candle, have a mantra.' BS," said Krupp during an interview from her New York City home. "What am I going to do about my face, my boobs -- everything that's happening to me? I wanted a head-to-toe guide -- what should I do?"

Follow the linkfor a photo of Krupp, and you'll be hard-pressed to guess her age. She likes it that way. Her exact year of birth is her secret, though she conceded that she is a baby boomer.

"I really think we should stop asking women their ages. It doesn't do anything for us. We live in a society that judges age. If you can look younger and get away with it -- do," Krupp said.

Not Just For Models

Millions of baby boomer women are looking for the right way to look younger.

"If you have children, you look at their skin, and you look at your skin and think, 'Good God. How did this happen?'" said AARP features editor Gabrielle Redford. "You notice crow's feet and wrinkles, even if you've taken very good care of yourself."

For her book, Krupp gathered up a lifetime of knowledge from her work for NBC, Glamour magazine, People, InStyle and Eve.com. She's appeared on Oprah Winfrey's show seven times to talk about how not to look old.

While her resume smacks of high fashion and exorbitant prices, she said the book is informed by her Midwestern upbringing in a Chicago suburb, and her frequent trips with her husband to see family in Illinois and Missouri.

"A lot of these style books are geared toward people that go to designer fashion shows. I wanted to make this real life. I know people don't shop like that. My book is high-, medium- and low-maintenance," Krupp said.

Lips, Eyes And Face

Many of her top tips can as easily be carried out in the aisles of a Target as they can at Nieman Marcus.

To look younger fast, Krupp said, start in the cosmetics aisle. Coloring out gray hair is quick and easy, she said. Then, tone down thick makeup foundations to lighter formulas and add pink lipstick -- ditch the dark stuff.

"Dark lipstick -- red and burgundy -- are aging," Krupp said. "They make your lips look darker. You want pink with lots of gloss."

Some cosmetics are even meant to change your skin for the better.

Avon said it was first to bring an alpha hydroxyl acid product to market in 1992 with its Anew Perfecting Complex for Face. Since then, interest in all types of anti-age formulas has exploded.

The MatureMarket.com reported that "continued growth of the graying baby boomer generation will lead to even more anti-aging products creeping onto the market, with growth expected to continue well into double figures into the foreseeable future. This means retail shelves will become even more crowded with products catering to graying hair and aging skin."

"Almost everybody over 30 starts concentrating on their eyes," said Avon sales representative Katrina Damico "They're most concerned about crow's feet and saggy lids and puffiness. Puffiness could be due to allergies or lack of sleep, or could come with lost elasticity in aging. I just did a makeover last week and a woman walked out of my home after putting on just the eye cream -- so ecstatic. She had to stop at four houses on the way home."

The eyes do have it when it comes to aging. In fact, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery's 2007 Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank statistics showed that the third most-popular surgical procedure last year was eyelid surgery, with 240,763 procedures performed. Liposuction and breast augmentation led the list.

For eyes, Krupp also recommends a professional brow job and a new, funky pair of eyeglasses.

Shape Your Body

Below the neck, Krupp said she lives in shapewear -- the 21st century's answer to girdles.

"Learn to adopt shapewear. It's the easiest way to lose 10 pounds," Krupp said.

Next, show some leg -- but not too much. Krupp said she doesn't believe in stockings -- bare legs project youth -- so bare, freshly waxed or shaved legs with a little shimmer are the way to go.

Damico said leg-enhancement products are also among her top sellers.

"We have super-shaper for legs. It helps firm and tone when used as directed. It also exfoliates to return that healthful glow. We have a stretch-mark smoother, which helps getting rid of those marks on the hips, abdomens, arms and breasts," Damico said.

What Not To Wear

Krupp's book also includes a list of looks to avoid after age 50.

"You need to dress for your body the way it is now. We're all fatter than we used to be. We have to do compensatory dressing," Krupp said.

Her book lists 25 looks that will immediately age a woman. They include holiday or appliquéd sweaters, dowdy mommy jeans, and thin gold and silver chains when this fall is all about chunky jewelry.

Also, avoid pieces that make you look like you're trying to be 25 again, such as ripped or acid-washed jeans and very short skirts -- even if you still have the legs for them.

"The overall idea is to look current, not like you're a teenager," she said.