Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Barb's Beauty Tips for Babes Over 60

There I was again circling the cosmetic counter of my favorite department store, that familiar charge of hope and "gotta have it" surging. I was in search of the newest fix to camouflage those dark circles beneath my eyes and calm the spikes fanning frantically from the corners. Whether the product would live up to its promise or join its predecessors spilling out of my medicine chest was anyone's guess. Over these past few years I've spent more time than I'd like to admit trying to reconstruct that face I used to see or barring that, trying to make this new one more to my liking.
The smooth skinned young things who man the cosmetic counters are of little help, as are most beauty advice articles. Their focus is mostly on women under fifty. Some one must have spread the erroneous message that the rest of us are beyond caring about such things. True, some cosmetic companies have recently given a nod in our direction with products promising to defy the passage of time but when it comes to beauty advice we are on our own. When on the rare occasion it can be found, one gets the suspicion that it's written by someone who has yet to see her first wrinkle and hasn't a clue as to the depth of our concerns or to what actually works.

I'm more than a bit embarrassed to admit that the topic has become somewhat of an obsession. In stores and on the street, an older woman who has put herself together in an attractive way immediately captures my attention and I take mental notes. I suspect there's a sizable audience out there who's also eager for this kind of information. I would love to share what I've learned through trial, error and the recklessness to ask perfect strangers just what produces their luminous glow.

Some years ago I greeted the publication of MORE magazine (for women over 40) with enthusiasm. However I soon found out that over 40 has a cut off point as you reach 60. My mother, who has since passed away at age 85 and I both were among the first subscribers to Allure but found little there that applied to women our respective ages. The only magazine that recognizes the needs of women over 60 is Harper's Bazaar. They run a regular feature on how the latest fashion trends can be adapted to any age and God bless their astute hearts, they start at age 20 and go up to 70! Here is a magazine that is fearless as well as having foresight!!! It's about time that it was recognized that a woman who wants to look well at 30 is not about to throw in the towel a few decades later.
Today women are healthier and living longer than ever before. I'll continue trying some of the new products that are flooding the beauty market and I'll be sharing my opinions. Hopefully you will find them helpful and it will keep me from feeling overly frivolous about my late life pursuit. We're breaking new ground as we seek to redefine what 60, 70, or even 80 looks like. So sign in or log on, whatever, but stay with me. There's never been a better time to be a babe.
cheers,
Barb












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