Many women look better as they age. It seems as if they come into their own, becoming aware of who they are. They often have more self-confidence about how they look and act.
There are other women who seem to fall into the cracks of time. They manage to stay the same through the years, but not in a way that flatters them. Often they’ll keep the same hairstyle for 30 years, which gives them a dated look.
Sometimes it’s not easy to see ourselves in a new way. We get used to a hairstyle, then as the years pass, we don’t change with the times. Some women don’t like to experiment and they fall into a rut until their hair becomes so outdated that it ages them.
Gray Hair
Gray hair makes you look old. Maybe this is just my opinion, but when I see a woman with gray roots it really bothers me. The minute I see a gray hair I cover it. There is something about gray hair that reminds me that I am not as young as I would like to look. It definitely rattles me.
Of course, there are days when gray hair appears when you least expect it and you have to prolong coloring your hair. Sometimes there just isn’t enough time to get it done at that particular moment.
There are many products on the market that temporarily cover roots. I haven’t found a great one yet, but I am working on it. Some products that are available for touch up include a stick that you use on wet hair, a powder that you use with a brush, and a mascara. All of these products will cover gray roots for a day until you can color it yourself or go to a beauty salon and have it done professionally. I tried a product from one of the name brands that was a root touch up. I left it on for 10 minutes as the instructions said but it turned out a mess for me. It got on the side of my hair and darkened it. There must be a better way and if there is I am going to find it because I love the feeling when my hair is newly colored. It makes me feel young again.
Youthful Trends
Overly teased hair is a look from the past, as is brassy blond hair. Most women should go lighter with their hair color, but bright streaks are for the young. Very long, straight hair on a woman over 60 doesn’t seem to flatter.
We can still have shoulder-length straight hair and look younger than we are, but wearing clothing that our daughters are wearing is not a good way to look young. There are beautiful age appropriate figure enhancing looks that flatter.
There are new trends in nail polish with so many gorgeous shades to choose from, but leave purple and green for the kids. Also, extremely long nails are a thing of the past.
Lipstick and Lip Gloss
As with everything else cosmetic, updating your lipstick to a more medium shade will update your look. Wearing candy pink lipstick with dark heavy lip liner is a no-no. Lip gloss on an older woman accentuates the lines in her lips and calls attention to an ageing area. Using a neutral or mauve lipstick will improve upon this look. Lip liner is a must for some of us who have unevenly shaped lips—it is the application that sets it apart.
No Makeup
When I see a woman without makeup I like to ask why, since I am in the beauty business. Many feel that makeup ages them and they say it feels too heavy. In my opinion, when we age we don’t have the flawless skin that we once had as teenagers. We need all the help we can get. There are so many sophisticated makeup foundations to try.
Makeup has become so sophisticated that it hides a multitude of sins. When I see women without, it leads me to believe that they haven’t experimented with anything new. Makeup, whether it be natural or otherwise, is the best part of grooming, and takes away that aged look.
We can look as good as we want to look. It just takes a little change.
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Sylvia Hamowy is the owner of Reflections Cosmetics. She is a professional makeup artist, beauty editor and former radio show host. She is featured in the Intenational Who’s Who of Entrepreneurs.
