Showing posts with label aging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aging. Show all posts
There's nothing worse than when I get clients that have been given misguided information and it results in their face looking like they let a child colour on their face. We'll call her Jane Q. Citizen. Jane comes to me with her makeup done stating she wants to look "more polished." I often ask clients to bring a photo that captures the look (not the model) they're going for. For instance, is polished, natural as in little make up or clean as is minimal but bold blips? "Like this girl" she says pointing to a well known Instagram makeup poster. "Huh.... so you want to look like you're wearing makeup?" She looks perplexed so she shows the video that she followed to obtain the look she's currently wearing. As we watch, I hand her a makeup wipe to remove the Spackle so we can start fresh faced.
I ask her if she brought her products which she did and we start. What people say isn't always what we hear. Jane didn't realise that many terms aren't synonymous. For instance, if you are concealing something, you never get a shade two lighter than your own complexion. You want your complexion and depending on what you are concealing you will have a peach tint if it's a dark spot. The only time you want to get any foundation that is lighter than your skin tone is to HIGHLIGHT!!!! Most people walking around don't need a highlight. If you want your features to stand out, you can play them up but you don't need a highlight to accent your eyes, lips or any feature. Great brows? Leave them alone a la Cara Delivigne. Nice Lips? Exfoliate and moisturise and experiment with lip colours. Nice eyes? Mascara! Nice eyes, no lashes, demi lashes and a kitten flick!
I understand the trends but they are simply that. Trends! The only time contouring and highlighting makes much difference is in photographs or low lights. Having dinner with someone special? Of course the highlight will look major when it's reflecting from candle or dim lights. Taking a head shot? Highlight will look like the sun just kissed you there, but if you don't know what you're doing, you're going to have a face full of streaks.
Take what they say online like you would a rumour. There may be truth to it, but don't count it as fact or a scholarly source depending on the person. There are a lot of things like, "clean up my brow" or "conceal my eye bags with a concealer two shades lighter than my face" You clean your brows when you pluck the hair that's stray or you conceal your bags by using a salmon based concealer and then applying your regular foundation. When a person says anything and it ends with "like a pro" don't be fooled. All the "pros" do things differently and it's based on skin tone, texture, elasticity and purpose. You can watch "How to get a flawless face" all day every day but no one has a flawless face, so if you want a one dimensional face with no textures or tone, be my guest.
Just because people have a large following, does not mean they have what it takes to make you look your best. They don't know your skin, your undertones, your trouble spots so the most they can do is give general direction.
Jane and I spent a long time working on her look. Not because she was in need, I rarely advocate the need for makeup as opposed to the love for experiment. It's not good or healthy to feel one needs makeup to be attractive. Jane simply needed to learn about her face so she could have more knowledge when selecting products to enhance her natural features. Cool undertones with warm makeup shades can make her look dirty. Her hair is too warm for the pink in her porcelain skin so that's the beauty of makeup. You experiment, and by that you learn. What didn't work today, a few tweaks and tomorrow she can wear that colour but effortless is always the goal.
If you have beauty questions, aren't sure about a product, drop me a line, I love to help!!

xo
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I received something that really struck a nerve pertaining to ageism. I'd like to think of it as a social experiment. I don't look my age at all. It could be that I'm a hermit, the melanin in my skin or, genetics. When I get carded the recipient will stare at the identification, place it under a light, look at it, look at me, then some exclamation like "Wow!" or something occurs. Maybe it's a first world problem, but when my peers thought they had a 25 year old peer and then they learnt different, the interactions change. It gets more personal. There is more cattiness and gossip toward me than previously. I guess it puts me in that "category" of mature career woman. I use the term mature, because as a beauty aficionado, I am very aware of marketing, products, and media presentation.
I don't fault women for being so obsessed with aging as society does nothing to allow women to embrace becoming older. I was working on a client's face, and her concern was looking too old. That would not be so shocking, if it weren't coming from a 22 year old. She said that all the birthdays after 21 are down hill according to her mum. With the images of women on telly, I can't say I blame her. I am pressed to find a reality show that begins with "Real Housewives of ..." that doesn't make me cringe. It is like a menopausal version of Mean Girls. There are more physical altercations with the older women then there are on any of the shows on MTV or other channels. In addition, the main focus of these programmes, looks and money. I would be terrified of aging as well! You see all the backstabbing, cosmetic procedures, and men who would rather be at work than at home with their partner. Sure, some of it is contrived; however, it's not just television.
Whenever an article about a women who is over 40 is published, the title usually has something about age. "Jane Doe: Looking good at 40," or the Jane Doe, 47, has found love with a man three years her junior. When a woman dates a younger man it's news, but men date women who can be their daughters, but they don't have an equivalent of "Cougars," on television because men always date younger women. We females are simply traded in for a younger model.
If I listed all the celebrity males dating younger, and I mean much younger women, I would be writing until the Second Coming. It's not disgusting if a man is 40 and his girlfriend is 23, but the opposite and it's news.
I also feel that we are forced into fearing age due to biological clocks. I've read countless articles about the hazards of childbirth after age 30. At age 35, you are considered high-risk. Halley Berry stated her giving birth at 47 was a "geriatric birth." She spoke of all the risks she took at having a baby. By the time she listed them, I would have been expecting something with three eyes, a hoof and not foot, etc. Way to scare someone for nine months that they are selfish for thinking they could not have any kids, and she and her husband are now expecting.
I believe that's why there are quite a lot of divorces. If you think about it, a woman finishes secondary school age 18, then if she doesn't have a gap year, she may graduate from university at age 23-25. If she chooses to continue her studies, we see her at, for arguments sake, 28. Now she is done with school and looking for a job, friends, travel, but in two years she enters that stage where she should be thinking about child birth. So...she meets someone decides he/she is the one, and the quest to have a child takes precedence over the opportunity to be married. The pressure is insane. Doing bridal work, if I had a dollar for every time I heard, "How soon until I get some grand babies?" I could retire and own an island. At baby showers it's, "Are you planning on more?" I'm impressed that woman have been able to do this with out having a mental breakdown.
I expressed this when the friends at MORE sent me a survey. I don't think I made a difference, but I was happy to speak up and give credit to women since it seems all we are good for is having children, raising them, and staying, young, thin and beautiful and married to a man who's fat, bald and incapable of helping around the house.


xo
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46 never looked better!
I am so frustrated with societal norms which generate the response, "She's too old to..."  It makes me cringe every time I hear that.  Seriously, why does it matter one's age when it comes to style?  When doing hair, it was the norm to tell women over thirty they should not let their hair grow past their shoulders.  It would "date" them and make them appear old.  WHAT?  I bought into it for awhile until I met a woman with long grey hair and she looked better than most women in their teens and twenties.  She was in her late sixties.  She brought a new and improved meaning to the phrase, "Silver Fox."
There are a lot of media forms where people are in the habit of posting people only to criticize them and tear them apart regardless of their age, race, etc.  It's gotten ridiculous how mean women have become to each other for no reason.  We see them on YouTube, television, or in magazines and become judge and jury over their every move.  I get that there are some b*tches and a$shholes out there but documenting one's every move and screen capping them for kicks?  I am reminded of a quote by whoever, "Those who anger you own you."  I'm not about to waste energy being bothered by another person's existence.  I'm selfish and life's too short.

I know, "Black don't crack"

50 & still hot!

I was really angry to read statements by WOMEN along the lines of "(Celebrity) is too old for that look!" or "(Celebrity) needs to wear age appropriate clothes, she looks ridiculous."
Ladies, we have it hard enough as it is.  Men seem to get a pass on their juvenile antics, but when women do something similar (Demi Moore ie Cougar) it becomes a negative. 
Don't get me wrong, a hideous outfit on a woman of ANY age is still hideous.  *marinate in that for a sec*  When you see someone "mature" in a mini skirt, Lucite shoes and a tube top, would it matter her age?  Of course not!
What's more, why the need to impart your belief on another's individuality?  You don't like tricolored hair?  Don't dye it.  Think tattoos are gross and piercings are trash? Yep, same thing.  But why would you want a world where everyone is the same?  I would hate to live with anyone else like me let alone dresses, acts, and thinks like me.  I love to be challenged, I like when people look different, and I'm inspired by many of the things I see other women wear.
Women have it bad enough as it is.  Unlike the majority of men, we are highly critical of ourselves.  We see something completely different in the world than what others see.  We cannot even accept a compliment without feeling arrogant. 
Please don't let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do because you're not 18-21 like many media cutoffs.  That's simply ageism and that's bloody ridiculous!  People who feel they are too old to change their:  occupation, have a child, travel, go back to college etc. have bought that notion and it's time to rethink and refocus on what you want in life. 
No words...
In closing, don't give me the excuse, "If I had that kind of money..."  I've seen women of various income levels preserve their beauty, and I'm not talking about the plastic, duck lips all over the telly.  I really don't see Helen Mirren spending hours on end in a gym or fitness center.  Whilst I do see a lot more fakery in society, *cough, wonder why, cough* not everyone is caving, there are still some of us who are natural but now we have to defend our God given traits because so many people are choosing to get a little bit of "work done."  Stop worrying about how others are living, live your best life!

xoxo





 
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great finish right?

I have been experimenting with some of the products I ordered for my skin.  I have heard about this Sofina Perfect; however, it was "Sofina Lucent" I was searching for and didn't realize there had been a name change.  I wanted a sunscreen that wouldn't add to the oil situation I already endure.  I can't stop my quest for the product that will help mattify my skin.  I had been using Shiseido, but I can't find it and am not sure if it's discontinued.
I ordered online from bobodave because he offered free shipping and since he's in Hong Kong, I thought that was brilliant as international shipping can get quite costly.  To be blunt, shipping can make or break my decision to order online.  I was quite impressed at how fast the shipping was.  It sailed through customs and although I had done research, I envisioned a larger bottle. 
I prefer this packaging over Shiseido's as it has a dropper type tip.  That's a good thing because this stuff is like water.  I applied it directly to my face thinking it would be similar to lotion.  It slid down my face faster than I could retrieve it and didn't stop until it rested on my shirt.  No worries, I get ready in my pyjamas.  It has a ball which helps mix the product when you shake it.  Everything about the product is in Chinese so I didn't read the directions, this was a decision based on reviews of the product on a skin board.  It retails for $17.20, which is much less than MAC SPF 50 Prep and Prime and Shiseido SPF 55.  With the Shiseido, I find when you wash it off, there is this wretched scent that hits you like a baseball bat, but this doesn't which surprises me as they seem to be identical products.  It goes on really well, I put it on after my moisturizer and my skin looks matte, smooth and foundation (for oily skin) didn't skip when I applied it. Many times oil free foundations tend to dry as you're applying it but this went well.  As far as keeping the oil away?  Sorry but while it's better than many, I still had to blot by 9:00 a.m. just 3 hours after applying.  Is it the product or me?  Probably me, but that was sort of a let down since I read about people who are oily as well not needing to blot until after lunch when they touched up their makeup.  Lucky girls, no joy for me. 
Overall, I don't regret the purchase, but I can't say it's going to keep the oils at bay since that wasn't my experience.  Again, the transaction was very smooth, this company has a Facebook, blog, and maybe a twitter, they have other products as well, which confused me as not only is there a name change but there are tons of other which might cause problems so I've included the one you want to pick if you decide to give this a go.  I would recommend this product for girls who aren't very oily, and it can be used as a primer, but don't expect it to act as a virtual sponge in preventing oil production.  Stay gorgeous!




This is the one recommended for oily skin











xoxo

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Black Panther? Are you sure? Yes, I am sure it's 2008. That was the conversation in my head when I was deciding on the name for this blog. Even though there was a foiled assassination attempt on presidential hopeful Barack Obama today.

Well, not that anyone is reading this blog, but I have long thought black panthers are the epitome of sexy. As a black woman, I cannot think of a better mascot to emulate all things sexy, sleek, fierce and beautiful for this blog.

This blog is designed for a target population. I want women in their 30s, 40s and beyond to be represented somewhere regardless of their color. I have been enjoying the blocks, tutorials and assistance of many who have helped me with makeup technique, tricks, applications and the like for years. Kudos to you all and I can only hope to accomplish what many of you ladies and gentleman have done.

The thing which I found to be difficult and often times extremely embarassing is I can be their mother. I love watching tutorials on www.youtube.com of many talented makeup gurus. I wish I had the same opportunity at their age. I can't cange my past so as I embrace middle age, I find I cannot use the same techniques and/or style of makeup. I look absolutely ridiculous trying to duplicate some of the looks that I am inspired by. This blog will hopefully help another woman find a way to balance the needs of maturing sking and look beautiful at any age.
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