Ever heard that “life is over” once you reach a certain age?
Have you considered that life is, in fact, just starting?
In my twenties I was living in Hollywood and was still at college at the ripe age of 27. So was my best friend.
My best friend kept saying “it’s too late, we’re too old,” to the point where I picked up some book by Marianne Williamson for women over 50 to hand to her to show her that life was, indeed, not over. It was only just beginning—and it would get even better after 50!
Whether you decide to date, set up a company, or travel round the world, chances are you’ll handle it better at 60 than at 20.
Yet, people keep buying into this idea that younger is better and that “certain things are for certain ages.”
That’s not true. Some people live their best years after 50…others after 70!
And thinking being younger is better might even harm your health as you grow older—one study found it shaved years off your life!
I kid you not—people with a bad attitude towards aging appear to live shorter lives! 7.5 years less, to be exact! Plus, their attitude seemed to affect their overall health and capabilities—everything from cardiovascular health to memory got worse if they had a negative attitude towards aging.
So why are beauty companies and many other brands still pushing for anti-aging instead of pro-aging?
It’s time to change that.
Join me in the revolution.
According to AARP, those aged 50+ represent only 15 percent of adults in online media images and are seven times more likely than younger adults to be portrayed negatively.
And yet…people 55+ control 70% of all personal wealth in the US!
The stereotypes for aging range from people wearing distasteful clothes to being “stuffy.” Ever heard stuff like:
“Older women wear frumpy clothes.”
“Older women let themselves go.”
“As we age, our mind deteriorates.”
“Older women look like wrinkled prunes.”
“As we age, our body becomes weaker.”
“We become useless as we grow older.”
“Once you hit retirement, you’ll lose your purpose.”
“Old people are ugly.”
Yes, our bodies change as we age but older people have more wisdom, money, and free time than many in the younger generations.
That’s right—you’re at the top now, not the bottom.
The people who are at the top of their game later in life don’t pretend to be young.
They might very well be youthful and partake in practices that keep them, so to speak, looking and feeling young, but they aren’t aiming to be 20.
After all, it’s their experience that’s taken them to the heights where they are today—all the good and bad stuff has been transformed into life lessons that now help elevate their lives.
Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t feel that way. They are still wanting to be 20 as they fear old age.
Many brands are to blame for the negative ideas we have about aging. Models are young and products are designed for them–ranging from cookware to beauty products and workout machines. So you feel you should be like those models. But no matter what you do, you won’t have the skin, the lashes, or the body of a 20-year-old when you’re 60!
Just like you don’t have the experience and wisdom of a 60-year-old when you’re 20.
It’s unrealistic.
We’re all basically competing against ourselves in a race we cannot win...because we will all age.
Thank goodness. No one wants to repeat the mistakes of their teens!
In an interview with The Drum, Margaux Revol, strategy partner at ad agency AMV BBDO, said, “‘Anti-age’ in itself is evidence enough that aging is considered the number one enemy for women—the double whammy of ageism and sexism.
The other representation we see [apart from younger women acting older women] is a few women in their late 40s or 50s used by beauty brands, but almost to prove that it’s possible to stay that youthful self, keeping up the pressure for all of us to ‘age well.’ What does that even mean? Not age at all?”
Here are some examples:
Lancôme’s Campaign for the Teint Miracle Foundation Cream:
The Campaign: Featured actress Julia Roberts digitally altered to appear younger, sparking debate about unrealistic beauty standards and the pressure to erase signs of aging.
Criticism: They went as far as to ban the ad in the UK as the results were “unrealistic.”
Image source: truthinadvertising.org
Maybelline’s Campaign for the Instant Age Rewind Eraser:
The Campaign: Featured Christy Turlington’s face airbrushed to show the results you could achieve by using the product (various patches of her skin had been altered to show what Maybelline deemed “achievable results”).
Criticism: Deemed unrealistic and there was fear it’d make women feel dissatisfied with their true selves. The ad was banned in the UK.
Image source: static-dailymakeover.stylecaster.com
Look, sometimes the shaming and blaming is taken too far in the other direction—most people want plump, hydrated, and healthy skin, which naturally reduces wrinkles and there’s nothing wrong with that.
However, wanting to stay young and avoid wrinkles altogether is another thing entirely.
There’s nothing wrong about wanting to remain youthful, what’s troubling is when people want to look like they did 20 years ago and feel bad when they can’t achieve it. And showing a photoshopped celebrity when selling a beauty product isn’t realistic—you cannot obtain that look because it’s not real.
If you like cosmetics, chances are you’re into “beautifying yourself” but it’s all about showing off your best self—not becoming someone else or shaving 10 or 20 years off.
This is what one of our Queens has to say about pro-age.
People who think they’re old and buy into the concepts of aging have more age related issues, as mentioned in the introduction. But did you know that it’s possible to change all that?
Ellen Langer famously did an experiment where she took a group of elderly men and put them in an environment that mimicked 1959—a year when they were “young and hearty.” After a few days there, biologically speaking, they were younger.
Simply feeling like they did back in the day made them feel young again, which in turn positively affected their bodily functioning. The results were astounding.
When you start seeing yourself as a person at the height of your life, instead of on a decline, things change. So don’t buy into the whole “aging is bad” propaganda.
That’s not to say some biological processes change with aging—but with self-care and a positive attitude, you can stay on top of those things. The important thing is to not buy into the crap surrounding aging.
In other words, allow yourself to feel valued and precious instead of counting wrinkles. Feel young, but don’t buy into the idea that you must look like you did a decade ago.
Being pro-age means you embrace where you’re at.
Eating well, sleeping well, exercising, staying socially active, and enhancing your beauty where you’re at now, will all make you feel great no matter your age. Stop worrying about the wrinkles and focus on making yourself feel great. Anita Roddick, the founder of Body Shop, said: “If you didn’t want to get wrinkles you should have stopped smiling years ago.”
Look at the show “Emily in Paris.” The lead is young…but her bosses are powerful women who are looking great and having fab lives in their 40s and 50s. I watch that show because it makes me feel good about myself.
Another mature queen, Suzanne, agrees with me. Women who have an appreciation for everything they’ve done and been just want to love themselves as they age.
Who are your friends following on Instagram? What brands do they use?
How do they feel after interacting with those influencers and brands? If you see them feeling good about themselves, great. If they feel bad, ask them why? And talk to them about their views on aging. How do they see themselves? Others? What would it be like if they saw aging in a positive light?
Your intelligence doesn’t disappear with your age, nor does your beauty.
Think about and celebrate what you can do and who you are. Bring your friends into the celebration!
Here are some body and age-positive influencers you can add to your feed:
Kelly Sutton—Age and attitude
Iris Apfel—More is more & less is a bore.
Joan MacDonald—I help people believe in themselves and get fit!
Aging with Ellen—Aging face/Facing age.
Helen van Winkle—Stealing yo man Since 1928 (A woman who likes to dress up in everything from bikinis to clown outfits…as you can tell from the line in her bio, she has a sense of humor!)
Grece Ghanem—All about fashion and confidence as style has no age!
Babs—The internet mom / grandma you didn’t know you needed.
Denise Castro—Just an old lady living the best of lives.
Silver Strands of Glitter—Finding joy, humor, and motivation in growing gray hair.
Anita Cragen—Leading addiction therapist.
You cannot look like you're 20. You should not look like you’re 20.
Who would believe you when you said you’re wise, have life experience, and can do all the things you now can do because you’ve been practicing them for decades, if you looked like 20?
No one.
We are a make-up and skincare brand that helps you embrace your age by using models who are actually as mature as our target market. We’re creating make-up for mature women, so it makes no sense to have young models. Or test the makeup on young women. This is make-up made for you. That’s why it works.
The ingredients we use are especially picked for mature women like you. These ingredients heal instead of harm. We don’t rewind the wheel of time, we enhance the present moment and make you feel fab about being you.
At least that’s our aim. And in turn, all the Queens in our community help us feel good about us. About the products we make. About the difference we create.
It’s a win-win situation.
To help yourself and others feel good, it’s important to look at the messaging brands and influencers (as well as the media and the people around you) are spreading.
Are they helping or hurting? Stay with brands and people who make you feel good.
If brands only show women 20 years younger than you, claim their products will make you younger somehow, show mature women in a negative light (whether being boring, losing their capabilities, or not being as “switched on” as the younger generations), or airbrush all their photos, it might be time to take a step back.
Choose brands and social media feeds that make you feel good about being you.
Choose brands who employ people like you. Choose brands who have a community like you. Choose brands that see the beauty in you. Choose movies and books that make you see the beauty in you.
That’s what I do. And guess what? I wake up smiling. (All right, the smiling might happen after coffee…)
Shop our range of healing make-up and skincare products that tackle the beauty challenges of women over 50 while preserving their unique essence. At every age.
For all general inquiries, please contact us at info@primeprometics.com
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