Face It

A fellow I know pointed out a line in a Bruce Springsteen song that he thought captured the issues we discuss in Face It. “You’ll be fine long as your pretty face holds out. Then it’s gonna get pretty cold out.” It was interesting that it was a guy who pointed the lyric out to me. It made me think how often this message is embedded in popular culture –in songs, fiction, media. I’ve copied the lyrics  below and wondered if anyone had noticed those particular lines before. The man who sent it to me reminded me that this is not just an issue for women, but for men as well, especially men in the entertainment business. and that although Springsteen seemed to be writing about a woman in this song, he could have been thinking about himself. “They’ll use you up and spit you out,” another line in “You’ll Be Coming Down” could reflect the sentiment of aging musicians, male or female. Dealing with “coming down,” and an aging appearance strikes us all; celebs, musicians and everyday people.

Continue reading »

10 Tips to change your thoughts on beauty

1. Beauty is beyond physical - Beauty is not just a physical experience, but a psychological one as well. We all tend to think of beauty as a skin-deep issue, all about how we physically look. But research tells us that perception of what is deemed attractive and unattractive is much more complicated. Why do you think some beautiful women say, “I’ve never thought I was pretty”? Yes, even beauties like Uma Thurman and Michelle Pfeiffer have drawn attention to what they consider flaws. Similarly, there are women who may not be your typical image of beauty, yet when you ask them they say they are quite confident in their looks. Serena Williams never tries to cover up her unconventionally muscular physique: in fact, she flaunts it and somehow it makes her more appealing. What makes people feel attractive goes well beyond our physical self. It runs deep, much deeper than the eye can see.

Click here to read all 10 Tips featured in How to truly enjoy your age

Yesterday, Dr. Jill and I did a live radio show for HayHouseRadio.com. Listeners were invited to ask questions about our book, Face It:What Women Really Feel As Their Looks Change. It was a wonderful interactive experience. One listener thought it would be great if she could gather a couple of women together to read the book together and support one another while working on the six steps described in our book. It was not the first time we had heard this idea and we are now thinking that perhaps we could be more active in encouraging groups like this to form around the country. If you are interested in creating a group, let us know. We would like to give you some ideas about how to make that happen and how they can work. These groups can serve to help you feel less alone, to answer questions about what women are really feeling as their looks change and perhaps find more satisfying solutions. How can we take care of our looks and feel good about ourselves as we age? Sharing information, giving advice and beauty tips is one way to encourage women that they can look and feel better at any age. Let’s join together with others to make that happen. –Dr. Vivian

Seventy two year old actress, Jane Fonda, wrote on her blog after her last round of plastic surgery, “I got tired of not looking like how I feel”. She went on to admit, “I wish I’d been brave enough not to do anything.” Just a couple of years ago, Fonda had sworn off doing more plastic surgery after having several rounds earlier in her life. But clearly her resolve wore down and, as she calls it, she reentered the race toward appearing younger than she is, full speed ahead. She called it “Jowels Away!” Continue reading »

1. Show Confidence and Pride Inside and Out

Decide one aspect of yourself that you feel is attractive and project it. Feel it on the inside and then show it on the outside. When we were modeling, we knew that models who walked into auditions with an air of confidence tended to get the jobs! It wasn’t about being the prettiest—everyone was. Or about being perfect—no one was. It was about how you carried yourself into the casting room.  Some models were known for their great legs, thick lashes, or long necks and used these assets to feel beautiful. Sometimes only a model’s hands or feet were considered model material. Instead of focusing on features you don’t like…..

Continue reading »

Today we will be adding a new feature to our blog. It’s called “Tips for the Modern Woman.” These include tips that once were useful to us as models that we have found even more so now as our looks are changing. They were designed to help all women feel more confident that beauty emanates from the inside out and if you work the six steps in our book, Face It, we are certain you will find them useful too. Remember, these are not quick fixes. They require internal change. But, unlike short-term beauty tips that instruct women on how not to look old, these can be applied throughout life and are for all women.  –Dr. Vivian

Continue reading »

Something bothers me about the new craze for ‘thicker’ eyelashes and I’m not sure why. Women are now using a drug allergen, originally intended for glaucoma, to increase the thickness of eyelashes, much the way botox is now used to relax wrinkles when it’s original use was for treatment of various medical disorders. ……. Continue reading »