Thoughts of the Week - Aging Gracefully

While searching for the secret to younger looking skin, I came across this article recently of Iris Apfel in In the Gloss. Admittedly I didn't know much about Iris, only seeing her and those iconic glasses making brief appearances in issues of Vogue and Bazaar every now and then. But the opening line of the article intrigued me and so I had to read on. Here are a few of Iris' brilliant little quips on aging, beauty routines, and what it was like to be asked by the makeup giant MAC to help create a new line of intensely colored lipsticks.  The last one has got to be my favorite.

(you can read a little more about Iris and her amazing life here and see her crazy busy apartment here)

"Getting older ain’t for sissies, I’ll tell you...You have to push yourself when you’re older, because it’s very easy to fall into the trap. You start to fall apart—you just have to do your best to paste yourself together. I think doing things and being active is very important. When your mind is busy, you don’t hurt so much."

"I don’t do very much for beauty. I use very simple things on my skin. I haven’t got time. I would always get facials, and then come home laden with product, and pay a lot of money and never use it." 

"I’m not good at putting on makeup, but you have to be a moron not to be able to put on lipstick. Now since I’m older, I don’t do my eyes anymore because when you’re older, your eyelids wrinkle. If you use blue or green, and you’re not really expert, you end up looking like a turtle."

"When MAC asked me to do a collection, I was thrilled and flattered. I never thought I’d be doing this; it’s like some sort of an insane, psychedelic dream.  I worked with them and we picked colors, and I told them the kind of colors I liked—I like bright, intense colors...If you have a little rosebud mouth, maybe for young girls it’s nice—but older women need some color. I think those whitish lips on older women look insane."

"I’m very opposed to plastic surgery...I think it’s very painful, very expensive, and having been in hospitals as much as I have, subjecting yourself to surgery when you don’t need it is not a smart thing to do. But what do I know? I mean, almost everybody does it. I think if women put some more of the time and money they put on their heads in their heads, they’d be better off. I mean, nobody’s going to think you’re thirty-two, so what’s the point?" 

I think about aging a lot.  Not so much in a beauty age-defying way (despite my post earlier in the week), but more in a mathematical, calculating sort of way.  For instance I calculate how many years we have to save before retirement sets in, and what will that retirement look like?  If Art's 65 when he retires, how many years does that leave us to travel with ease and free of aches and pains?  I look at the people I deliver meals to every week for the last 9 months and I wonder if I'll be more like Lester who, pushing 90 is still spry, at least in mind, or will I be more like Viola, saying a weekly prayer that the Lord will take her to heaven?  I wonder when my own walk will no longer be my own, replaced with the old people shuffle, the point where your heels no longer lift up so care-free, and are instead glued to the ground so that they simply just shuffle you around from place to place.  And even going beyond thinking just about "old age", I also do calculations of what the likelihood of entering the workforce again in 5, 6 years if I were to have another child.  Do companies still hire 40 year olds? 

Of course I know that with aging comes wisdom and knowledge and life-experience that can really only be acquired by age, but admittedly my view on aging at this point in my life is somewhat distorted.  Reading about women like Iris though is quite inspiring.  Maybe Carmen is right, it really is all about a positive attitude.  All this reminds me of an episode of Oprah's Life Class I watched a while back on aging.  The whole episode was brilliant, but it was her closing statement that inevitably brought me to tears for some reason.  At 57 I hope to remember this.  And as positive as Carmen is, I will say that the only thing she inevitably always complains about every single week, without fail, is that the older she gets, the less her kids and grandkids call.  May I always remember to call and please God let them call me!  Anyhow, here's the clip.  What is it about Oprah that makes you just say "Yes!  Exactly!"?  Happy weekend friends.     

Why Oprah Says Aging Is a Blessing

Oprah doesn't dread birthdays—she sees them as a blessing. Watch to find out how owning your age can help you step into the fullness of your life.

Beauty Forever

We celebrated my mother in law's 70th birthday last week and as I sat there on Friday night, admiring her almost flawless skin with nary a wrinkle, I thought to myself "damn, I need to step up my game."  And so I did what any modern woman in her mid 30's does, I created a Pinterest board dedicated solely to skincare.

(from In the Gloss - disclaimer, while extremely knowledgeable you may want to reach through your computer screen and punch the writer in the face when she says "I'm in my mid twenties now and my skin just isn't what it used to be."  Wait another ten years sister)

My skin has always been on the drier side, which usually means less blemishes in those awkward teen years, it also usually leads to more wrinkles.  The crows feet I've pretty much had since high school are getting more pronounced and are appearing in every picture now, not just the bad ones.  I'm not planning anything expensive or dramatic, but after some reading, it appears that my routine may be lacking some oil.  I dug around in my skincare samples I recently received and I found this Midnight Recovery Oil from Kiehl's.  I'll let you know in the morning if I look ten years younger. 

If you've got any advice to give, please share because I'm about as stuck in a skincare rut as one can get.  I posed the question on my Facebook wall Saturday and Shelly jokingly suggested botox.  While that seems like an easy immediate fix, I would really like to take better care of my skin.  I use a Clarisonic but that's about as advanced as I get.  I apply Eucerin SPF moisturizer every day but it doesn't really seem to seep in anymore, rather leaves a layer it seems on top of my skin.  Does this mean I need to scrub more?   I don't know, I'm clueless here.

While skincare is on the top of my list of personal goals to work on in 2012, it got me wondering if any of you have created goals that help take care of you?  I never gave it much thought before, but this year especially I'm feeling that aside for the goals I've created for my family and home, its important for me to do something for myself.  Since you know I read a lot of style sites, especially sites dedicated to real women, I thought I'd share some links I've enjoyed reading lately dedicated to refreshing your personal style:

• Angie is writing a whole Style Renewal series and I thought this post was especially true.  Before attempting any style renewal she suggests doing 3 things first: Get a professional bra fitting, assess your hairstyle and assess your eyewear.  I get fitted every year ever since working at Victoria's Secret and I've found that especially after having kids and big changes like starting/stopping nursing, your bra sizes do change and fit differently.  I was shocked when at my last fitting I found I had grown a cup size, even though I felt like I had actually gotten smaller.  Turns out that the other side effect of aging is boob spreadage (yes, that's a technical term).  Even though it appeared I may have gotten "smaller", the ladies had just kind of spread out over a larger surface area.  Awesome.   

I would suggest adding one more thing to that list, and that's assess your makeup situation.  Many of us, myself included get in a makeup rut and wear the same eyeshadow and lipstick day after day, or no makeup at all.  You can have on the most fabulous outfit, but if you're makeup lacks any zeal, you will feel it.  A change in makeup routine, even just a new shade of gloss, is the quickest and most affordable way to update your look.  While digging around my makeup samples last night I found a shade of fuschia pink so vibrant it stopped Art dead in his tracks when he found me trying it on at 10 o'clock last night.  Like Garance, I'm not so sure hot pink lips look as good on brunettes as it does on blondes.  We'll see how adventurous I get.  Oh and since we're talking hair and makeup, may I suggest always wearing makeup when going to get your hair cut?  You'll love your cut so much more when a done up face is staring back at you in the mirror.

• One more thing on the makeup front, again last night as I was digging around old samples I was reminded of this great post Delighted Momma recently wrote When Does Makeup Expire.  It reminded me of a time I visited my Aunt Tula up in Stockton when I was 9 or 10 and snooped around her makeup drawer.   I discovered makeup so old it had to have been from the vaudeville days.  I didn't know much back then but even my stupid nosey self could tell that stuff was toxic.  I never use old mascara but if I come across a lipstick that's a few years old but still has some moisture and color to it, I'll use it.  But seriously ladies, if you've gotta dig in the tube with a Q-tip to get the last little bits of color out, time to say goodbye and get a new tube.  Oh, and Lindsay also just wrote a post on DIY glitter polish.              

Once you've got your hair and makeup situation under control and recharged, and your ladies have been treated right, Hayley wrote an e-book titled The No Brainer Wardrobe.  I got a sneak peek at it and it holds a lot of practical tips to help you get dressed with less fuss.  I really like what Hayley has to say about style: "It really is about realizing that looking perfect everyday isn't the aim. Looking good and put together, feeling proud and confident -- now that is what it's about."  Danielle is giving away a couple copies of Hayley's book today. 

And so that's what I've been reading these past few days.  Oh, I also posted a new series yesterday: 366 Days of Style.  I'd love for you to check it out.  What about you guys?  How was your weekend?  Seen any good TV lately?  Seems there's nothing really on right now except Grey's, which premiered with the most depressing episode I've ever seen, and Parenthood.  I miss Dexter and Walking Dead already.