Madonna reveals her taut, smooth facial skin... shame about the Nora Batty legs

But even for Madonna, there are clearly some parts of the body that exercise cannot reach.

Pictured in trainers and a pair of floral below-the-knee cut-offs, the 49-year-old star appeared to have the shins which resembled those of fictional character Nora Batty from TV's Last Of The Summer Wine.

They were pale and puffy, with the merest hint of varicose veins. And beneath her short socks, there was a hint of ankle support.

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Batty fashion: Madonna revealed her rumpled Nora Batty-style legs last night as she left Claridge's Hotel in central London

Rough with the smooth: Madonna's rough-looking stubbly legs are in stark comparison to smooth, wrinkle-free legs

In comparison to her taut facial skin, Madonna's stubbly-looking legs were at odds with the rest of her tight, gym-honed body.

She appeared to have her right ankle in a bandage, which made the skin bulge out in an unsightly manner, which didn't help the overall look.

In the past, close inspection of the singer's hands have also revealed a virtual road-map of veins, seemingly at odds with her youthful, svelte figure.

Madonna, known to her friends as Madge, was pictured late on Tuesday, returning to Claridge's hotel in Mayfair after a night out. Judging by her outfit, it was clearly not a society event.

Despite the lateness of the hour, the singer was wearing sunglasses --presumably to disguise the black eye she was spotted with earlier in the week.

The material girl was out again, without husband Guy Ritchie, at a Radio Times party wearing her trademark large sunglasses.

But they failed to hide the bruise on her eye and cheek, first seen when she left Claridge's Hotel on Monday night

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Smooth operator: A line-free Madonna, seen last night at Claridge's in London, revealed her enviably taut skin, but a cursory glance lower down tells a different story

Madonna appears to be nursing a deep bruise under her left eye, and one running down her cheek.

Her spokesman refused to explain the marks earlier this week, saying she would not comment on her client's private life.

But there was speculation that the star has had more plastic surgery.

This is not the first time such bruises have appeared on her face.

Last month, she was spotted leaving a medical building in New York with heavy marks on both sides of her face. She wore sunglasses on that occasion as well.

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It's not the first time she's been seen with mystery bruising around her eyes. Last December, it was even more pronounced appearing on both eyes

In 2003, she was seen at the Chateau Marmont hotel in Hollywood hiding a bruised eye under a cap. And in 2004, she shocked onlookers with her heavy bruising while visiting a Beverly Hills doctor.

Madonna has never admitted to having plastic surgery and once defiantly stated: "I am not going to have a press conference if I have plastic surgery".

But staying at the top of the pop tree for over two decades requires intense dedication.

One treatment she has admitted to taking advantage of is Intraceutical skin infusions, an oxygen therapy she uses to create a glowing, more youthful appearance.

But experts say that her incredibly youthful looks cannot be due to her strict macrobiotic diet and exercise regime alone.

"It's unusual for a woman of her age to look so young and have the complexion she does without intervention from a surgeon," said Harley Street plastic surgeon Apostolos Gaitanis.

"The bruising is interesting. It's possible she's had an eye-lift or an injection of filler to remove eye bags."

Of course, there could be another explanation - such as Madonna injuring herself doing the yoga she loves so much.

However the marks got there, they came at an inconvenient time. The Mail understands that a Malawian adoption official was due to visit her and husband to finalise their adoption of David Banda.

The trip was apparently cancelled at the last minute.