I have one of those beds...

You know, those beds that when you sit up you can look straight across the room into the mirror of the dresser. Not such a good idea, but the dresser doesn't fit anywhere else in the room but...straight across from the bed.

So when I sat up this morning and glanced at myself, I was quick to respond with a, "Nobody looks good first thing in the morning." But even afer I showered and put on my make-up to go to work I realized...things have changed.

To be perfectly narcisistic. I used to be "pretty." My hair shined, my eyes were alive and my skin perfectly pink...but somewhere along the way I 'lost it.'

I noticed there is NO good foundation for me anymore. Everything resembles paste or worse, plaster.

There is NO good eye shadow. My eyes are brown so I used to wear golden colors or light browns...now nothing works. Everything makes my eyes look hollow and dim. Mascara...don't get me started. I've bought six in the last four weeks of every kind you can imagine yet they flake, smudge and I look the perfect horror at the end of the day.

My skin is fair and I used to have freckles but now I think they're referred to as age spots.

Even lipstick doesn't work. Suddenly my red hair goes with NO color lips. Browns make me look washed out and pinks clash. Reds and berry's forget about it. Nothing seems to be working.

And even worse still, I simply don't feel pretty. I've gained weight. I'm tired all the time. When I'm tired and don't feel well I get dark circles under my eyes. I'm a mess.

Today while at lunch with my husband I saw him staring at this young woman. A bit younger than me in her late 30's and yet she looked stunning. Her hair shined, her face glowed, her body was trim and her clothing nice and neat. I felt like an own rumpled faded out cardigan.

What about you? Do you feel pretty?

You're not alone. I've been thinking some of these thoughts the last few months. My hair is dry and doesn't have that shine. There is no amount of eye makeup that can do magic for me. I don't have a ton of wrinkles, so I'm lucky there. Just today I tried on a hat I finished knitting and the person looking back at me looked older. I don't like it but hey, what can I do?

My DH doesn't seem to mind. He looks like me---older too.

I never did feel like a knockout, but some days were better than others. But I find those days fewer and farther between. The only time I feel like I look OK is right after I've had a shower and gotten dressed. But my hair -- used to be my best feature -- looks and feels like straw now. I'm a brunette and I'm about 1/2 gray now. From a color standpoint I get compliments on it all the time (it's graying in streaks rather than a general dusting). It used to be full and fluffy, with big waves. Now it just hangs there.

I don't have any wrinkles at 48 (runs in the family -- my uncle is 70 and my mom 67 and they have very few themselves), but my skin looks gray and flat, except for the zits that for some inconceivable reason I'm STILL getting after all these years! That's probably why I look good out of the shower -- the hot water warms my face up and gives me some color. I agree about the makeup too. Being a brown-eyed olive-skinned brunette I could wear stronger colors. Now they look TOO strong. What used to look sultry now just makes me look like a raccoon.

The extra weight I'm carrying doesn't help. I've been overweight for several years now, but for some reason it didn't look as bad as it seems to now. And I don't even weigh as much as I did before. I see photos taken of me and I think "who is that old lady?" I feel young (most of the time). Why don't I LOOK young?! I thought a positive attitude about life kept you young?

Glad you posted this topic. I've been wondering about things like this myself. As usual, I'm not alone in the boat. If I figure out any solutions, I'll pass along the tips.

yeah, but it takes a lot more work to look pretty than in my thirties!!! I eradicate one thing from aging and another thing pops up (or sags ). I know it's a futile race against time and I will have to eventually embrace the inevitable.

I experienced one of THOSE days today...

It takes way more energy to look good...(tires me to think on it, for the most part..)

My brows are thinner, it appears I have an ever so slight extra chin surfacing, coloring my gray is chore,my boobs are hanging lower-could be from not wearing a bra the entireeee year... and my eye shadow washes out before I can get to my car...

The good... I've lost 20 pounds (diet, exercise in 08) -my energy is steadier( diet, D3, sleep, stress management) I'm more hopeful (not sweating the small stuff, I'm at peace more often than not)

Still working on (losing 30 more pounds, developing a simpler wardrobe/makeup routine,)

I seriously need to see my acupuncturist more often...so tomorrow I'm booking for the next 8 weeks...

I definitely see the connection between self care and self esteem at this age... its crucial...( If I dont feel good , I dont look good)

I'm shooting for looking my best --

thanks for listening...

LOL...Hmm well I used to be pretty...so I was told but I NEVER really felt it... Now I just feel old lol... If I could lose some weight I'm sure I would feel much better about myself...

Hope you are feeling better today!!

TJ

Okay, cue up the violins....


I've never felt pretty. Now I feel like something the cat dragged in on a frosty morning in January.

My nice thick hair has thinned out and dried up like an old oak leaf. My face has red patches here and there. Don't even ask about the weight I put on. My boobs are several feet lower than they used to be. I have bags under my eyes that no cucumber or used tea bag seems to touch. My "get up and go" got up and went. My hands and the skin on other parts of my body are so dry I'm thinking of having leather purses and shoes made out of my sorry hide. Body parts hurt that never used to hurt before.

And through all this my hubby still loves me. So, maybe I do feel pretty after all--especially with the lights out!!

I can't wear eye makeup any more as my eyes are sensitive even to the hypoalleggic sorts. I look tired too and i have put on a lot of weight. I feel old and unattractive, my hair is starting to go grey, I'm developing lumps & bumps & ailments left right & centre. I have lost my spark, I have lost me.

I do, as arrogant as that sounds Now... I don't feel pretty like I did 20 years ago, but I feel a HUGE amount of spiritual, and emotional growth that I didn't have 20 years ago either. I wouldn't trade it.

There is a lot to be said about inner beauty. I think it seaps from our pours and makes us pretty on the outside.

I met this woman recently who was at least 100lbs overweight. She was smart, well dressed, and had such a confidence about her. She was kind, witty, and so approachable. She was SEXY in her low cut blouse and high heels. I remember thinking as she was in this room with a bunch of twentysomething gorgeous women, that she had them beat hands down!

well said leanne....
I will be vain and say i used to be a HOTTIE .....but i never felt like i was and had low self esteem(i realize now that i was a hottie,i didn't back then).....spiritual and emotional growth does so much more for a person than a ton of makeup or the nicest clothes does to the outside.Inner beauty is much more important than outer and even though i'm no longer a hottie,i feel pretty and that's all that matters.

Not lately.

I've always been considered pretty and attractive, and had a good body. Even in my early 50's (I'm now almost 56) and up until about a year and a half ago I felt I looked good. All my friends were envious. And I was hopeful I would continue to be that lucky to look younger than my age.

But when the periods started getting erratic and the estrogen started plummeting, that's when the changes seemed to happen, and they have been happening pretty darn fast. I think that's what makes it difficult, is how fast it seemed to happen. Had it been more gradual I think I could have adapted better. It's very difficult to know you used to turn heads and look good in clothes and now no one gives you a second look and I get exhausted from sucking in my belly when I'm out in public. I refuse to buy the next larger size in clothes, so I'm cutting back on what I eat and joined Curves.

But this face The jowls and wrinkles and sagging. I can't believe what I am seeing in the mirror. I am now doing facial exercises hoping to build up the muscle underneath to hold up the face better, but time will tell if it's working.

I'm not a fan of plastic surgery, especially the kind done these days where the face isn't just lifted and tightened, it's being altered so much that the person doesn't even look like herself anymore. But I have to say if we had money we could stand to part with, I would have just one lift to get me through this meno thing. I just need a little extra time to adjust to this aging thing.

Hmmm....not sure how to answer that question. Some days I do and some days I don't. My face has gotten rounder, still not that bad, but I don't like it. I have no wrinkles (pretty good for a 52yo , but I'm starting to get that little sag around my mouth. I've never needed a lot of makeup, which I guess is a good thing.

The other day I was walking out the door to run a quick errand. I actually put on lipstick (a rarity these days). My husband told me....."you look so cute." I was like "HUH?" Apparently, lipstick does make a difference.

Beauty is only skin deep, but I still prefer to be pretty inside and OUT, lol.

I will probably never go to great lengths to stay young and pretty looking though - no matter how much money I had. I think Pamela Anderson looks ridiculous. I saw Dr. Phil's wife on TV the other day and you could tell she has had surgery. She had that "pulled" look. Yuk.

I said in my other post that I wouldn't do surgery, BUT, I think I could go for a little eyelift.

LOL, that brought to mind an old saying "Even an old barn looks better painted". I heard that when I was young, but now I realize--I *AM* the 'old barn'!

I've noticed that too. I have some Burt's Bees lipgloss that just has a touch of color in it. Even adding that little bit will get me a couple of compliments about how nice I look. So instead of doing a complete makeup now, I just do the lips, just a touch of eyeliner and some mascara. Makes me feel a little better.

And it's true...inner beauty and a positive attitude are more important and glitz and "bling" (I hate that word, but it fits here). But I've been having severe financial problems that have been draining me. That along with worrying about all this peri stuff has given my inner beauty a punch in the face as well.

I love the Burt's Bees tinted lip gloss.

And, Amen to the stress effect!

Do I feel pretty, was the question....

I am quite the looker... but meno, impending divorce woes, sap a great deal of energy...

And a result I must stay vigilant in keeping stress in check....

all it takes is one wrong turn, a few sleepless nights, an overeating binge, family obligations gone wrong for me to spin into a spiral...

Feeeling beautiful was were I felt my beauty.... So when I feel icky, sadly enough it shows in my mood, attitude, and face...

Yikes...


Loved your reply leanne....


Happy to add, I'm feeling prettier today....

I still feel pretty more often then not, BUT, there is this contradiction. My reflection in the bathroom mirror and my drivers license. I hate my drivers license because it doesn't reflect who I see myself as. The mirror in the bathroom is the only one I ever use and the lighting is good. So which is it, do I look like the mug in my drivers license or the just applied make-up bathroom mirror? I want to believe the bathroom mirror!!
I guess I should have a snapshot picture taken to compare with the drivers license but I'm to chicken to face reality if that is what it is plus the whole process seems so vain.
I do think beauty is about what a person is like on the inside but outside I need time to adjust!
Time to go clean something, weed something or home improve something and get over myself!

Well for God's Sake... (For anyone listening, I meant that in the greatest, most possibe way! )

I'm going to see a Plasic Surgeon, next week. Why? You may ask? Hello?

My jowls are a nightmare and my cheeks...not so rosy. My eyes have skin hanging over them, and after...anyone wanting to see "Man, at their best[i]!" Would be disappointing. Yep, whatever you have to offer would be good!"[/i]

Okay....

Interesting question, but I think a very normal one especially at this stage of our lives.

Do I think I'm pretty?

To some people, yes.

To other people, no.

To myself, it changes on a day to day basis. All depends on the mood I woke up in and what I am scrutinizing that particular day.

And though I would not consider myself pretty, I would say I'm not so scary looking that I don't cause people to cover their eyes and children to scream when they see me.

I'm wearing maturity well and better than my mother did. By the time she was 46, she decided to do her eye lids. A few years later, she had her neck done. She continuously dyed her hair from the age of 21. Heck, my husband is having a worse time accepting the aging process than I am.

I may not be pretty, but I look content.

I've had some work done. My experience with plastic surgery is, for whatever it's worth:

I found a reputable, board certified plastic surgeon with a conservative hand and an honest, realistic approach. For example, I asked for lower face lift last year, for which he firmly replied "absolutely not, you'll look stretched and wind blown". This is my face, so I was careful who I chose to poke and snip my face. Also, conservative work done progessively over time is far more realistic looking than having mutiple procedures done on your face in one big bang. I personally do not want to look tight, waxy and shiney.

Good luck with your PS! Please update us on your experience. You can always PM if you want more details on my experiences.

Dear Ladies
I was a former model for swimming suits and wedding dresses.I was considered very pretty.Did I consider myself pretty?No.Very low self esteem from childhood sexual abuse and raped at gunpoint at 18.

Am now 57 and have really worked on me from the inside and have been pleased that I have lots of compassion.

The outside?Not bad at all.Petite figure,good skin-Thanks Irish Grandmother!
I really believe that all of us have our own special beauty and it is the warmth of the smile and the confidence of the walk that really help.
Of course,I still prefer candle light to harsh overhead lighting!

Warm Wishes
Elizabeth

What a loaded question! I haven't been here since 2007 and posted rarely then - this caught my attention. I also felt I used to be very pretty - though back then didn't think so either.
I had my last period in July 2007 - everything seems to have changed. I am so depressed about what I have become - I am planning to see a doctor and try light hormone therapy and am going to quit smoking!! I am only 49 and this is killing me. I hate myself - totally!!
I cannot have sex with my husband because I feel so crappy. I notice him looking at the pretty anchor women on the news and have pure loathing for him. He, of course, denies it and says he thinks I am the same beautiful woman he married. Nice try. He is 11 younger than me - we have only been together 7 years. First 5 pretty good, now crap.
I don't know where to go from here.
How does anyone feel attractive when all this happens at once? I miss me so much.

It's been a challenge for me to feel pretty sometimes. But, I realized that I have to make the effort and never give up, and love myself the way I am. I wear lipstick when I go out, have my hair highligted for color and to hide the gray. I found great bras at VS, the Ipex wire and wireless, which were both comfortable and support great. I do recommend getting a fitting, as I was buying the wrong size for years. When you make the effort and find something that works, it's great, and then you feel and look good. We're never going to look like we used to, but we can make the best with what we have, and feel good about ourselves. We are all beautiful!!

I DID see a plastic surgeon in Dallas who asked me ONE very important question:

"Do you want to be "prettier" or "be younger?"

I felt that this question was loaded and therefore needed some thought.

He could put my knockers back where they once were and even give me some fullness as breast feeding does tend to make them look like a pair of tube socks!

He could rid me of what small jowls I have and give me an eyelid lift that makes me feel and look "refreshed" and awake.

Until I lose some weight a tummy tuck would be basically stupid.

As would be the arm and leg lipo.

The nose...his response was, "How old are you and why? Why now?"

All-in-all...the price was $140,000.00 for a new ME.

However, I would still be THIS age. I'd still be THIS screwed up in the head and I'd still be "NOT the blonde that hubby looks at every morning at work."

Still...I'm not more afraid of general anesthesia than I am of looking like my mum!

Crap

I dont' feel pretty anymore either

Moozie

Krissy:

Surgeries done in increments over time go a long way. It's too risky to do multiple procedures in one big bang. Try tackling the low hanging fruit. Even an eye job, I guarantee will be a boost to your confidence level. Who knows you may feel so good that you won't need the rest!

PS: Yep, call me Ms. Vain LOL!!!

To answer the question, I think I look like I feel...blah.

I have been post for 2 years now and just the last 7 months or so I notice too that I look tired ALL the time. When I first get up and shower and put on my makeup, I look good and then by noon I look all tired again. My eyes don't look bright anymore and they were always my best feature. Big brown eyes. My skin looks dull and there are more wrinkles and I noticed a couple brown circle patches on my cheek and one on my neck the other day. It seemed to happen so fast. Dang it is depressing. It is depressing enough with the cold below 0 weather we have been having and the snow and the ice. I keep wondering if I will look better once summer is here and I can get out in the sun and get some color. Actually, no kidding, I was beginning to think I was sick and there was something really wrong with me until I read this post and realized you other ladies are seeing the same thing. Has anyone tried the olay regenerist or ROC or anything else that might lessen the old looking skin?

Susie

I dunno...

Seems like everyone looks their age!

I used to smoke but quit 6 years ago. (I was never a 'true' smoker any way!) Then I quit sunbathing for I heard that it too was bad for the skin. (although I think nothing says 'health' like a nice tan.) I quit swimming in chlorine, and then eating red meat. Suddenly, I'm like a mixture of "Don't do this or don't do that." How old do I look? I look 47 (I think) How old do I act? (It really depends on the day but most days...16 )

I've tried Olay "everything" and Aveeno "you name it." Night cream, day creams, sunscreen creams and anything goes creams and so far, I don't look like the chicks on the commercials. My skin is neither supple, blemish free, nor appealing.

I've bought "at home" skin rejuvenators as well as "skin peelers," I dunno...perhaps it just ME?

The plastic surgeon I saw said, "The only thing that will give you fuller lips is having your lips filled." And skin? You have to have a FULL CHEMICAL PEEL. It gets rid of EVERYTHING to include acne scars and brown spots.

I dunno...there's something about having someone put enough acid on your face that it eats the top layer off of the remainder of the skin. Seems extreme to me .

My friend had her knockers done as well as a tummy tuck, leg and arm lippo, butt lift, vaginal rejuvination and full face lift. She looks great but I wonder...where'd she go? Her hands look her age as do other parts yet some parts look like my 23 year-old daughter. I swear this woman has more plastic than tupperware. It's scary.

Yet still there is a part of me that wonders...should I?

Question...."Do you feel pretty"


Yes....I do "feel" pretty. But there is so much that makes one "feel pretty". Health, emotional state, etc.

From a physical point of view. I've never had anything but shock register on the face of the person finding out my age. Alot of that I cannot take credit for. Genes play a huge role in anti-aging. Other than winning the gene pool lottery....I have never smoked, or sun worshipped....(I'm a natural red head with extremely fair skin), rarely drink alcohol and have exercised my entire life. I'm always guessed 20 years younger than my actual age.

So....on a blue day....I kick my own rear and tell myself to count my many blessings!

I can honestly say I USED to feel pretty but I haven't felt pretty for a long, long time now.....I guess when you don't hear it you don't feel it. Even when I get dressed up and put make up, I never get a compliment - I may as well be standing in sweats with no make up on. Oh well, life goes on and so do I no matter what I look like unfortunately!

Only when I'm around old men:)

For the most part I feel like I look pretty good, as I have taken care of myself with diet and fitness, wear some clothes that I like(artistic, in my case, as I'm an artist). Plus I refuse to be put into the "old lady box" that many beauty experts would like to put us in - LOL! You know, the ones where they re-do baby boomer women and they end up looking like, well, like any other generic, well-dressed baby boomer woman, but minus any personal style. I do color my hair, and wear flattering makeup. I have made some makeup adjustments with getting older, for the better. The one thing I don't like is those sunspots, as my skin overall looks pretty good otherwise, still fairly firm for my age(61)and not too many wrinkles. At the same time, at this age if we really were totally wrinkle-free, it would look kind of odd, as features do settle in a different way as we age. I agree with the poster who mentioned inner beauty as being really important too. Bodywise, the one thing I don't like too much that I'm working on is that extra inch or so around the waist, and the fact that breasts tend to sit a little lower than before. With the latter, a good bra REALLY helps - it's like the difference between night and day as far as looking frumpy or not, even with relatively small breasts(in my case, a generous 34B). With the former, balancing out blood sugar and hormones naturally(Chinese medicine in my case), attention to types of carbs in the diet, and plenty of good workouts will help - they already have.
With all that said though, even with those of us who are doing pretty well in the looks department, it's different from being in one's 20s. 30s, or even 40s. But one thing I refuse to do and I don't even have the money for it anyway, is to go the scary, overdone plastic surgery/injectables route - NO thanks! I'd rather look like a healthy attractive 61-year old who takes some pride in her appearance than a scary doll!

Great Post.

Please share more information on balancing out blood sugar /hormones naturally....(If you dont mind)

Diabetes runs in my family, and I am always on the lookout for information that will keep me in the clear... so far, so good...

You sound lovely, by the way...

I could almost see you from the way you described your journey...

Not everyone looks like a "scary doll" My friends mother is 64 and she has had some "work" done - nothing major - and she looks a vibrant 45 - so it all depends on when you do PS and who you go to - she was a beautiful woman who did not want to look "old" and she started "maintaining" herself in her late thirties - so good for her - she will probably look 64 when she is 80 LOL

Lara Falcon

I agree not everyone looks overdone. Back when a 'facelift' was just that--a facelift without any other alterations, those women who did it (mostly actresses) did look beautiful and younger, but they still looked like themselves. I think the clownish look comes when more than one or two are done, and also when the other 'enhancements' are done, such as botox, collagen injections, altering the facial features, etc.

The older actresses that had facelifts prior to all this obsession with looking like a perfect mannequein, aged beautifully and gracefully, still looking like themselves, just without so much sagging and less wrinkles, and without the freakish look that comes from too many alterations and/or facelifts. Their faces looked real and alive, not like they were pulled tight as a drum with puffy lips and other enhancements that just look plain bizarre on an older face. I have yet to see a 60, 70, or 80 year old who has had all that stuff done that it isn't glaringly apparent. I can pick them out a mile away.

"Great Post.

Please share more information on balancing out blood sugar /hormones naturally....(If you dont mind)

Diabetes runs in my family, and I am always on the lookout for information that will keep me in the clear... so far, so good...

You sound lovely, by the way...

I could almost see you from the way you described your journey... " - La La

Thanks!
I've been helped by Chinese herbs for other women's stuff along the way, like anemia, heavy periods, as well as cold and flu things too. Anyhow, the simple, inexpensive formula that I take is called Six Flavor Tea Pills, and is commonly given to diabetics and others with blood sugar issues. I take 8 pills(they're small and round, so it's not like taking horse pills - LOL!)3x a day - diabetics might take up to 16 pills 3x daily. Another way this formula works is in TCM there are the Liver and Kidney(adrenals, to us)meridians, which are implicated in the menopausal transition and post-menopause as well(I'm 11 years post). However, as far as rec for you, it is best to consult with a good acupuncturist herbalist, to tailor a regime to your particular constitution. In Chinese medicine, a half a dozen women can come in with menopausal complaints, and they might be addressed in as many ways. Even though the herbs are not like our Rx drugs, you still want to have the right ones, as the wrong ones for you can worsen your condition. Just sayin'...Now, if I could figure out a way to get rid of those leg spider veins non-invasively and cheaply, I'd be in business, and yes, being up for awhile in the morning and having had a chance to perk up a bit really helps too - LOL!
Here's a link to a few pix that were taken over the last year or so:

http://makeupalley.com/account/picsearch.a.../u=cara4art/p=/

You might have to cut+paste that link to get it to work. I've been helped along the way with a largely raw foods(but not entirely so)diet, and exercise since the age of 26. Gym training is what I have stuck with the longest, but I have had adult ballet training(it's a lot harder than it looks - you really do have to be like a steel spring to dance, and at a low weight to boot!)and active yoga as well. These days I'm loving the combo of raw foods featuring a lot of green smoothies, and the gym. I HAVE to move, as otherwise too much nervous energy builds up and that movement is a terrific outlet. I have a MySpace page too, at:

www.myspace.com/cara_lee

you can see some of my electronic mandalas, etc. there. I have some miscellaneous pix there too. And my husband's and my website where just about all of my art is, is at:

www.richardshuff.com

WOW!!! Cara you look beautiful. I haven't checked out the artwork yet. I'm headin over there now.

I wrote another post that kind of corresponds with this one.

I had dressed up at work the other day but after halfway thru the day the high-heels began to hurt my feet as well as the hose itched my legs, and the foundation made my face breakout, etc.

No, I don't feel pretty and haven't felt pretty in a long time.

I've pasted pictures of the "old me" on the fridge to keep me from snacking but it does no good. When I'm hungry I don't care what I used to look like!!

I've grown desperate and begun chewing Acai berries and drinking green tea.

So far, my heart beats really fast and I can't sleep, but that's about it.

*Sigh*

Like others have said I'm not so worried about what I look like now! I have a husband who thinks I'm beautful Plus a lot of people tell me I look younger then i am(at the moment)!

I was having one of those ugly days yesterday. Nothing fits right. Nothing looks right. It's just not fun anymore!
Ever have one of those "slap in the face" comments that makes you feel even worse than you already do?? I was sitting in a meeting last night with a few 20 and 30- something women and the instructor was a nurse talking about immunizations. She asked if anyone were old enough to remember the small pox vaccine and then looks at me and says...."I'm sure you are." Well I am and I had one but did she need to say it that way?????? I couldnt think of anything else for the rest of the class except how old I must look and that menopause really did a number on me in the last couple of years. I wish I could have had a catchy comeback but I just sat there thinking "thanks lady, you've made my day." Feeling pretty just isn't happening for me anymore.
DLT

I think we are our own worst critics. Beauty is only skin deep as they say. I have always had a bad body image and never considered myself "pretty". Recently I have been corresponding with a very nice gentleman online. Yesterday, he referenced a picture of me that had attracted him to me several months ago. He described me as "lovely", both in reference to my picture and in the way I communicate. Suddenly, I looked twice at that person in the mirror. Now instead of seeing old, fat and ugly, I see a question mark. That is a step in the right direction! When was the last time you pampered yourself? Go get a new hairstyle and new makeup colors, and maybe a new blouse or some jewelry!

I just found this post today.
My sister is 4 years younger than me and I have been mistaken for her mother more times than I can count. I have never been so insulted in all my life. My mother is 17 years older than I and people think we are sisters. Not so much insulted by that but......my mum and my aunt have always looked much younger than their years....they used to say to me that I had good genes and would look young well into my 60's. Well what happened then?
Not to sound vain...not at all....but my best trait was always my eyes and I could play them up beautifully with the dark liners etc. My skin was blemish free and makeup always looked really good on me.
Now.........wow. What a shift within less than one year. I cannot tolerate the eye makeup for longer than one hour. My complexion has gone sallow and no amount of face makeup can rejuvenate it. My cheekbones have gone missing somewhere down around my neck? I am only 44 for crying out loud. I see other women my age who look a damn sight better than this. Angry? Yes if I am honest........I am at times. Resentful of the younger women? No......I look at them and think....yes I was there once....and you poor thing you still have to get to where I am now.
What I want to know is.........what happens in the 20 minutes following my makeup application? After 20 minutes it seems to have been ****** into my skin layers.....like I have not even just spent 30 minutes doing it? What is up with this?

dlt1200, how old was that instructor? Reading that makes me angry-no, ticked. I wish you could've had a come back for her, too. It's rudeness like that that makes me not give a rip how old I do or don't look.
Do I feel pretty? nah. I think I look ok, that's about it.
Sen

Within the last week I've realized that I have NO self esteem. I had an opportunity to have both a nice facial and a relaxing massage and I turned them both down. I didnt want a stranger kneading this body or rubbing this hairy face. My husband couldn't believe it and I caught him looking me 'sideways'. I probably brought things to his attention that he hadn't even noticed.

So now I'm on a mission: I decided to lose wt and exercise to feel good about myself first; the rest will fall into place, hopefully. I'm giving myself what's left of the summer to do it.

On Eminar....you should have gone and had the facial and massage done honey. They treat so many people in a day that trust me.....they have seen everything. The only person who would have felt uncomfortable about it would be you yourself. You deserve some pampering!!

as for the younger woman your hubby was eyeing out, i always think to myself, "she'll get "there" someday also, it's just a matter of time
whoever said the quote about growing old gracefully anyhow......uggggghhhh
boo

Pretty frumpy!! dark circles from NO sleep, 35lb I CANT get rid of, dry and thin hair!!!

So do I feel pretty? YES....pretty ******* old!!