In England we would say these women were "mutton dressed as lamb"

  - I like the Polish version better!!!! (not that either of those expressions would ever apply to me of course!!! -   )

I remember two phrases which are kind of old now :

Minare cokmus ama mihrap yerinde

This one is used to describe an elderly woman who was apparently very beautiful when she was young and still carries glimpses of it. It literally translates "The minaret is gone but the altar is still intact." 

Hükümet gibi kadin.

Literally translates, "a woman who is like the government" referring to a woman who is not so young but impressive and dominant.

  What a great way of saying!

they also say the older the fiddle the better the tune

I love being in my 40´s

they say old age doesnt come alone, although i prefer the term middle aged ... well in my eyes it doesnt it bring a real sense of confidence... and there are the other benefits.... you know all there is to know about your job, the morgage is paid and with any luck the kids are getting ready to leave home......ahhhhhhhh well i guess two out of three aint bad

All these phrases about women are quite disgusting. Especially when you consider the fact that half of the time they come from men whose backside possibly looks better then their faces.

 There is a saying here when referring to an ugly person . . . he/she would have "a face like a slapped backside" or he/she looks like "the back end of a bus"

If someone looks unkempt we might say they have been "dragged through a hedge backwards"

I agree the phrases about women are disgusting and there don´t seem to be so many about men.  I can only think of:

anorak

anal

big girl´s blouse

and the collective noun "d**k heads   (excuse the language) which covers a multitude of traits

You seem to be talking about the age of 40 in a specific time, rather than the abstract 40. I think by the time one is 40 they have full responisbility for their actions. The excuse of being a silly wild passionate youth is gone.

I don´t feel a man is a man until he is 40. Dustin Hoffman had an interesting take on it. In an interview I saw of him once, he said that when he was young he couldn´t talk with a woman, any woman,  without thinking about sex. Now that he has gotten older, it was like getting a monkey off his back.

The arrogance of youth should have left by the time one is 40. I think men become more sensitive and vulnerable at that time. Their hair has thinned, they are getting a belly and they are more humble.

For everyone, physical prowess is dimished and death seems more real and nearer and one is more aware of it. By the time one is 40, a few friends or relatives have passed on. The seeming invulnerability of youth has gone, and we all realize we are not invulnerable. 

For women, the childbearing years, and all that entails, are coming to an end. A new meaning of life comes into focus. Many women begin new careers, as their children gain maturity.

It can be tragic to see a (physically) beautiful woman who has not learned to develop other attrubutes, come to terms with seeing her beauty fade. We all see that with the aged beauty queen with too much make up and too youthful cloths. Learning to age with grace is not easy in our youth enthralled society. There are few role models.

Couldn´t agree more with this statement...

 Beautifully put Alameda.

Dustin Hoffman has always been one of my favourites and he just seems to get better with age.  Robert Redford too. 

Personally, I´ve never worried about getting older but I´m thankful I´ve been blessed with good skin.  I´m also thankful that I´m not in the public eye.  I think celebrities are under so much pressure to keep up appearances, especially if they have been lauded for their good looks.