Denyse Saunders, style guru, has lived a life filled with both the

amazing and the heart breaking, and through it all she has learnt

a lot about what it is to be a woman in the 21st century. Her book,

Positively Fabulous in your 20s, 30s, 40s,50s,60s,70s....sets

out to offer inspiration, insight and practical advice to women of

all ages, and does so with a warmth and inclusiveness that allows

any woman to gain understanding of how she lives her life and

how she can make improvements to both her appearance and her well-being.

A Dr.Cathie Dunsford of Dunsfield Global Publishing,

(Europe, UK & Australiasia)) has noted, "It is a terrific incentive

Running through all aspects of grooming and personal growth, Denyse offers tips on dress, make-up, exercise and looking younger, but she also touches on more internal issues such as love, happiness and projecting your true self to the world.

Denyse looks at every aspect of dressing -from finding the best bra, through to swimsuits, hairstyles and how to look your best, no matter what your age, shape, size or budget might be. She also offers hints on make-up, total body skin care, vitamins and reversing the ageing process.

Jacqui Taylor-Reid

Woman Today

Simply by making some lifestyle changes style guru Denyse Saunders says you can look ten years or more younger.

"I believe it does not need to cost a lot of money to look good, more youthful and attractive", explains Denyse, "for instance many beauty creams will not make much difference to making your skin appear more youthful, no matter how much money you spend on them, but there are creams that do make a visible difference and not only slow down the ageing process but also reverse it, but it is a matter of knowing what creams they are and they are not excessively expensive."

At 53 years of age Denyse is often taken for a woman of 10 to 20 years younger. Even when Denyse attended the Miss World pageants where two of her models that she trained won runner-ups in the Miss Worlds competition in 1990 and 1997, at age 33yrs and then at age 40yrs both times many asked Denyse for her autograph as they thought she was either a current contestant or the years before winner of Miss World.

"There is no one thing that makes you look younger it is a combination of several things, it is a lifestyle choice. It is first having the knowledge of what really works and does make you look younger then secondly having the discipline to incorporate them into your daily lifestyle", says Denyse.

Preferring natural organic products that do not test on animals and that do not hurt the environment but still make a visible difference to the way you look, Denyse says it is not just about using the right cream on your face it is also about eating anti ageing food, doing some very easy anti ageing exercises, having an anti ageing hair style and applying makeup correctly using the right products to make yourself look years younger.

"All these makeover shows on TV advocating radical surgery are not necessary and really quite unrealistic for most women as they cost a fortune," says Denyse,"women don't work to earn money to spend it all on themselves, for the majority of women have many other obligations, while yes they want to look and feel the best they can they want to do this within a budget, and this is absolutely achievable, I am proof along with hundreds of other women who have followed my advice".

Grace Dynes

Lucure

Ever looked at someone and found it hard to guess how old they are? Soft, wrinkle-free skin, perfectly groomed hair and an outfit that just seems to work.

Well, the answers to looking good have finally been revealed by Denyse Saunders whose new book Positvely Fabulous in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s...aims to take years off your appearance.

I am slightly pessimistic when it comes to these look great-type books because a lot of them seem to draw on Hollywood methods, which are fine for celebrities who can afford $2000 day spas and personal stylists.

But for us mere mortals, the reality is we pick our own clothes, do our own hair and try our best to live a healthy and active lifestyle without an over-enthusiastic lycra clad personal trainer pushing us.

Forget neck tucks and eye lifts, Denyse's facelift without surgery will have the 57 muscles in your face fit and fantastic without mention of a scalpel. If you want to tighten the skin on your neck she suggests tilting your head towards the ceiling and beginning a chewing motion.

While the bulk of the advice is delivered with a gentle push, other segments are more forceful."The eyebrows need to be shaped. Please do not allow your eyebrows to meet in the middle. Again, if in doubt run your fingers between your eyebrows, if you feel any hair, it must go!"

Lisa Sandilands

Marlborough Express

She is actually 53 and I make up my mind on the spot that, when I am her age I want to look just as good. Surreptitiously checking her face for signs of a facelift, I summon the courage to ask that dreaded question. "No I have not had a facelift, I practice what I preach," she says.

However she doesn't rub my face in it. On the contrary, Denyse is empathetic and on a mission to empower women so they feel good about themselves.

Fans  travel from as far  to attend her  seminars on anti-ageing naturally and it is no surprise that her books best-sellers.

According to Denyse, women are crying out for such information and I have to agree. At 35. I already find myself feeling disempowered by reality televison programmes such as Extreme Makeover.

"Instead of making women feel better, these programmes are making them feel worse about themselves because they are sending out the message that unless you have surgery, you are not beautiful, or that having a few lines means you are not beautiful. And that is not truthful at all," she says.

She doesn't knock an individual's decision to go under the knife, but encourgaes women to try her methods first.

So what are Denyse's secret?

A picture of health, Denyse is the best advertisment for her book's regime. She meditates daily, walks for half an hour and religously cleanses, tones and moisturises her skin night and day.

Five yoga exercises have been incorporated into her daily routine. She is also a great believer in Spirulina, to which she attributes her high energy levels, and has popped six tablets a day for the past 30 years for extra protien and iron.

Denyse became a vegan at an early age and believes in eating natural foods. Each night she dines on a salad of in-season vegtables sprinkled with organic nuts, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.

Her other anti-ageing tips include getting enough sleep, wearing correct fitting undergarments, knowing how to dress for your body shape and what colours suit best as well as how to wear makeup that brings out your features.

She is a fan of mineral makeup, which is brushed on to the face. Its application takes a bit of getting used but the beauty of this product is that it sits above age lines and reflects light. Shiny, healthy hair is also vital.

Denyse stresses that she has not had the perfect life. There was emergency surgery, when she was rushed to hospital with acute endometriosis and a back operation that "went wrong."

With her health now 100 per cent restored she certainly earned the credibility to talk about ageing well.

Carolyn Enting

Dominion Post

There is a touch of the Absolutely Fabulous star, Joanna Lumley, about style guru, Denyse Saunders. She has the blonde hair, the perfectly put-together appearance and the ex-model elegance.

When Denyse was 17  she studied hairdressing, makeup artistry and latterly for a diploma in journalism and marketing. It was there that her modelling career began after she was spotted by a model agent. Denyse was soon modelling nationally and internationally.

When Denyse placed an advertisement in the paper offering modelling courses and was inundated with inquires. Denyse says she soon realized she enjoyed teaching people more than actually modelling and her first business, Denyse Saunders Modelling & Groming School was born.

Denyse owned Spotlight Model Agency from 1987 - 2000 and in that time grew a successful business that incorporated a busy grooming school, event manangement and agent for over 4000 models and talent, including training and managing and representing three runners-up in Miss World. It was at this stage she initated an annual event showcasing high fashion. When she sold Spotlight she went back to Sydney to live.

Over the years Denyse's mother has watched her daughter organising and running many shows.

"Denyse is very focused, well organsied and professional. Writing for eight magazines and newspapers and being on a weekly radio shows and TV show, along with her seminars and events, she has to be. Denyse is absolutely passionate about helping people of all ages look, feel and be the best that they can be."

Karen Phelps

Cover Story

Woman Today

Denyse Saunders talks to the Nor'West News about her life in the fashion, beauty and modelling industry and reveals the secret to looking and feeling positively fabulous.

The beauty industry was a natural calling from an early age, "I've always been very feminine and my Mother said that I liked the finer things in life."

It is also hard work, "You can't turn somebody into a model overnight. It takes at least one year to build their look, confidence and profile."

Denyse is renowned for her ability to spot potential models. "Like a perfumier has the nose, I have the eye," she says, "I can spot the potential under everything. Others may not see it, but I can. A model has to have the X-factor and that comes from within,"

"You have to be astute in business to survive  - it is a tough industry."explains Denyse, "You can be intelligent in business and still be feminine. You will always be respected and taken seriously if you are good at what you do."

When she was 33 years old and at Miss World many asked her for her autograph thinking she was the previous year Miss World winner, then she was amused to find that when she returned at age 40 that the same thing happened again with several asking for her autograph and to have their photograph taken with her as they thought she was either a former Miss World or one of the current contestants. She smiles at the thought...but says "What you see is real. I have not had any surgery. You have to live the correct lifestyle, look after yourself and care about your mind, body and soul. It's about balance."

True beauty runs deeper than the surface, "The inside is more important to me. True beauty comes from the soul. Some people say it is a contradiction of what I do, but I have seen good looking people who are not truly beautiful and plainer people who radiate inner beauty!"

Beth Newnham

Nor'West News

The long time player in the fashion industry has been involved in every facet of the sector over the last 30 years -and has been successful in them all. .

During this time she was offered many jobs around the country, but it was in 1987 when Denyse bought the business Spotlight Model Agency and built it into, at its peak the largest and arguably most successful agency in the country. The success came at a price.

She returned to Sydney, to take time out and "rediscover" herself, before a back operation that went wrong. Complications from the surgery saw her return to her parents where they cared for her as she regained the ability to walk again.

Front page -The Star

Amanda Breukelaar

From her early childhood years Denyse Saunders recollections have always been preoccupied with Fashion and Style. It's therefore not surprising that we find her gracing the pages of ES the newest and probably most ambitious entrant in the burgeoning magazine market.

The quintessence of style and elegance, you always notice her. But speaking slowly to this blonde is definitely not a prerequisite: she's a sharp business woman and a survivor.

A glance through her impressive curriculum vitae makes you question 'If there are enough hours in a day to accomplish the things she has done'. She has groomed some of New Zealand's finest models including runners up in the prestigious Miss World pageant. Hundreds of winners in national and international modelling competitions owe their success to the image building and mentoring skills of this woman, and their praise reads like a litany of almost "cult like" adulation, such was her commitment to her charges.

So our brief glimpse into Denyse Saunders crystal ball reveals a woman well qualified to talk with authority about Style and Spirituality it's been her 'Raison d'etre for living.'

Her core values and those of her staff recruited from New York and London are clear, "believe passionately in what you do, never compromise your standards and values and always care about your clients. Do these things because they are the ethical things to do".

Michael Williams

ES Magazine

I read a lot of books. My choice of reading material is very diverse. Two recently read-books have made an impact. In the first (a children's story) the less than wholesome thoughts and deeds of two main characters see them morph into considerably older and less attractive versions of their former selves. An interesting but fictional idea? Possibly not. The second book I refer to Age Defying Lifestyle presents this concept as fact.

Outwardly, the book appears like any other of its type. It covers grooming, clothing, nutrition and styling  -in short, everything you need to know to make the most of your God-given assets. It is a fantastic resource of detailed advice. But that is where comparisions with other self-help fashion and beauty books ends. Read past all things "Body", and you will be presented with ideas which literally take you out of yourself. The sections on "Mind" and "Soul" will be an excursion into unchartered waters for many. Take on the challenge and you will be rewarded. The chapters may despatch you on a day trip of a lifetime journey within. Either way you will not read these and remain unchanged.

Age Defying Lifestyle is an amazing book. It will change people's lives. It bravely goes where few (if any) fashion and beauty publications have been before. It presents the fundamental link between physical appearance and inner balance. In an age where millions of hours and dollars are expended in the pursuit of youth and beauty, this is certainly going to make a lot of people stop and think.

Christina Low

Woman Today

It has often been said that your sense of style is imparted to you by your mother. Unfortunately younger generations aren't always that receptive to the style tips and grooming advice given by those who brought them up into the world. If you have teenagers who won't listen to your words of fashion wisdom, then perhaps they will listen to Denyse. Denyse de Berry has tutored and coached scores of young men and women over the past 30 years. Several of her proteges have made it to the top echelons of the modelling and beauty industries (including finalists in Miss World pageants). She certainly knows what she is talking about.

Denyse's book "Being a Teenager" is easy to read and informative on a wide range of subjects. (the book covers ground from exfoliation to meditation and everythng inbetween). Separate sections entitled 'Being a Boy' and 'Being a GIrl' enable the reader to select chapters and topics which are relevant to them. Topics which are equally applicable to both genders are covered in the self-titled section 'Being a Teenager'. However, regardless of the diversity of subject matter, the book is very focused on one goal -to help all teenagers everywhere aspire to, and reach, a greater level of inner and outer wellbeing (and to look absolutely fantastic and stylish along the way).

The book can be read cover to cover or chapters can be selected on specfic areas of interest. Either way teenagers will discover how to determine their own particular physical charateristics (and make the most of them): how to be well groomed, develop their own personal style and to take the very best care of their greatest asset -themselves. The book has an underlying theme of self-acceptance (my personal favourite -'cut the tags out of all clothes immediately you get home -size matters not') and the development of self confidence.

Christina Low

Woman Today

Lord Byron