How old do you suppose that model pictured at left might be?

If you replied “Hot years old!” you’re a terrible person, because this model is supposed to appear 10 years old.

The November 2008 issue of Vogue Paris contains a pictorial of the same model styled to look 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 years old. It’s an interesting project, and also ever so slightly terrifying, given the implied perception of what women are like when they reach a particular age.

That perception? That fresh-faced, youthful, happy girls somehow inevitably transform into scowling, leering cougars.

Check out the photos after the jump to see what we mean:

What the photo says: Hi, I’m 20! I’m still kind of trying to figure out who I am and strike some sort of balance between being a girl and a woman. Like the song by that nice old lady! Britney Something! Sometimes I like to wear crazy eyeliner instead of relying on my personality and wit to get people to notice me.

What we say: We were once 20! Sometimes we liked to wear crazy eyeliner instead of relying on our personality and wit to get people to notice us.

What the photo says: Hey, I’m 30. I’m having some sort of adult onset acne or something, which is why my face is so fucking shiny. Or maybe I’m just sweaty from carrying around all these — vintage — chains. These are cool, right? Guys? I’m hip, right? Am I hip? Can someone point me into the direction of the hip?

What we say: We can’t wait to turn 30 if it means dressing like Mad Max after a coke binge.

What the photo says: Dahlings, I am 40. For some reason this means I begin to look like Diane Von Furstenberg and wear the skins of slain animals. I also bathe in their blood and totally lose the ability to wear a shirt. You look my face, poodles? It was on sale.

What we say: If 40 means we have to look like a constipated iguana doing its best impression of an early 70s porn star, we might peace out at 39. And we suspect having to balance work, maybe-kids, friends, bills, chores and that coke addiction we developed at 30 might make wearing reptilian jackets slightly ridiculous.

What the photo says: Hello! I’m 50. And am from 1975. I have developed scoliosis and chronic fatigue.

What we say: Wake up! When we’re 50, we are gonna kick! And stretch! And KICK! When we’re FIFTY!

What the photo says: I am 60. I give up. Beam me up, Scotty, I’ve got my space suit on.

What we say: Oh please. Like we’re going to turn all sweet and docile and head-tilty at 60? Life begins at 60! Hopefully, most men our age will be going after those blasé 30-year-olds back there, leaving us plenty of 23-year-olds. We can finally fully relax and be ourselves without having to worry about trying to be “cute” or “sexy” or “glamorous.” We can wear strange hats! Or… We can start doing all of that now. Perhaps?

A 20-year-old model photographed as if she were 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 years old [Picdit]