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We Get Smarter As We Get Older |
| Author: The Short Hair Diva |
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Date: October 2001 |
Introduction
Hello, beautiful women of all
ages—it’s time again for another peptalk from your Diva.
Have you recently had one of those “major
milestone” birthdays and feel that life as you know it is over?
Well, you couldn’t be more wrong. The Diva never reveals her age,
but suffice to say that she has seen many years and many
changes.
Let’s talk about six areas we women tend to
worry about when we get to a certain age:
- Hair
- Makeup
- Health
- Personal
Style
- Men
- Attitude
Of course, there are more. But the Diva has found
that these six keep re-surfacing.
Hair
Keep up with your hair! By that, the Diva means
regular hair appointments for trims, stylings, touch-up color,
conditioning, etc. Nothing makes you look worse than a droopy style
that’s lost it’s shape, shows colors lines, or is generally
uncared for. It drags the rest of you down.
Make sure you are using good products that help
your hair look its absolute best, and experiment with new ones if
you’re not happy with your current products.
And don’t make the mistake of hanging on to one
hairstyle forever. With few exceptions (Queen Elizabeth, Liza Manelli,
Coco Chanel, Edith Head, etc.), most of us can do with an update from
time to time.
Remember that you may be used to your face with
all that hair from the 60s frizzing out around it, but the rest of us
aren’t. All we see is an overage hippie with fading frizzy hair who
looks older than she should. See your haircare professional for tips
for new ‘dos that may work for you.
Makeup
Makeup, like hairdos, REALLY need to be updated
from year to year. Like it or not, our skin and general appearance
changes, and what worked last year may be totally inappropriate this
year.
We’ve all had the experience of seeing some
poor, raddled-looking old dear who relentlessly kept the bright blue
eye shadow of her youth well into advanced age. Remember how you
said you would never let
that happen to you? Well, don’t! Make a date with yourself to see a
makeup professional once a year.
Health
It’s a sad fact that as we age, we become
“gravity victims.” Everything that was once perky and taut
becomes…..less so. Moderate diet and exercise really do help, as
well as making sure you get enough sleep.
Sleep deprivation is rapidly becoming one of
womankind’s worst enemies, so get enough! Be sure that you have
regular physicals, bloodwork, mammograms, and hormone checks.
Many women stay in ‘peri-menopause’ (not
quite menopause yet, just several of the uncomfortable symptoms) for
years; check with your gynecologist for help with the symptoms.
(Personally, the Diva has found that soy, black cohosh, calcium, and
St. John’s Wort have been lifesavers!)
Personal
Style
As with your hairstyle and makeup, be sure you
are not following old fashion dictates. You don’t have to have
up-to-the-minute clothing styles; just notice what’s out there, and
what may or may not work for you.
The idea is to have the clothing skim the
bodylines, not hug it. And if you love jewelry and scarves, wear them!
Love tailored suits? Wear them! Are you only comfortable in jeans and
t-shorts? Age be damned—wear them!
Men
Oh, ladies—you just would not believe how many
men adore older women! That goes for men anywhere from early 30s on
up. The Diva could tell you soooooo many stories…..you mustn’t
ever think that, because you are a certain age, that you are
undesireable. Quite the contrary! The young ones may have smooth skin
and unmarked faces, but our joy of living, our unique experiences, and
the lives we have led make us priceless.
Attitude
You have heard the Diva say numerous times that
‘attitude is everything.’ It’s an eternal truth that, if you see
yourself as forward-looking, gorgeous, desireable, interesting, and
well worth knowing, you will project that image to everyone around
you.
Look at yourself at least once a day and repeat
with the Diva: “Hello, you gorgeous creature!” Trust the
Diva—it works. Stand tall, hold in your stomach, smile, look around
you, and march out into the day. The world is still your oyster,
sweetie!
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