AARP Hearing Center
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There's a new elephant in the room, and it's the only one with wrinkles.
I'm talking about "face shaming," or the peer pressure to look perfect.
Think about it: When was the last time you saw a 50+ woman in the public eye with wrinkles? Not recently, I'll bet. Of course talk show hosts, CEOs, actors, supermodels and politicians have been flaunting their suspiciously egg-smooth complexions for years. (HDTV and 40-foot-high movie screens can be scary, after all.) But no longer, it seems, is this synthetic flawlessness limited to celebrity types; now it's afflicting everyday mature babes like us, too!
Having conquered our obsession with weight (more or less) by wearing whatever we like, have we simply replaced it with the fear of looking older? "OMG, that's ridonkulous," as my daughters like to say. Yet as we find ourselves competing not just professionally but socially with peers injected to Photoshop perfection, the temptation looms large to judge others — and even ourselves — for "letting their age show."
The driving force here isn't narcissism, it's obsolescophobia. Here's my three-point plan for facing up to reality:
Wear makeup like you mean it. Have you heard about this "no makeup" trend? It's merely the latest installment of "The Emperor's New Clothes," so don't let it cheat you out of looking your best.
Yes, notables like Alicia Keys and Gwyneth Paltrow are "outing" their bare faces. But at ages 35 and 44, respectively, have they yet earned a single wrinkle, sag or line? Besides, what's wrong with looking like you have makeup on? Like a certain presidential candidate and this country's tax laws, it would be crazy not to take advantage of the benefits.
Strategically, makeup gets us going on a bad day, elevates our mood and restores our confidence. Tactically, it defines facial features and can counteract a host of aging-related concerns, from brown spots, rosacea and saggy lids to skimpy brows or thinning lips. (Sandy Linter and I talk about how to find the right shades and textures in our book, "The Makeup Wakeup.")
Use photo filters on social media. Unless you have a seven-figure cosmetic, film or TV contract, toss that 10-times magnifying mirror and doctor your social media photos. New "beauty filters" are constantly being added to sites such as Instagram, so use them to warm and brighten your selfies before sharing them online.
