Friday, April 25, 2008

Earth to Audrey

I saw this article on MSNBC and (since I'm at the age where I think about this a lot) I was intrigued. Am I concerned about growing older? Assuming good health, how bothered am I by wrinkles, gray hair, and saggy skin?

I bought a birthday card once (many years ago now) for my husband's brother-in-law that said, "You're at the age where your knees look up and say... (inside) AVALANCHE!" I thought it was hilariously funny--now I know it's also true. Maybe a little too true to be as funny as I once thought. Hmmm. What to do.

I used to say that when I get to the end of the road I want to look like I've been somewhere. I needn't have worried. My eyelids are sagging. The corners of my mouth are drooping. My face started thinning out about 12 years ago. There's excessive skin under my jaw. My eyes seem to be lighter--that washed out look blue eyes get sometimes. What little eyebrows I ever had are totally out of the picture. And I think my ears are getting bigger. "You look like your mother." has taken on oh so much more meaning... Ah well. (Good thing I have a good-lookin' mother!)

Here's my "beauty" regimen at 49 years and 10 months:
I wash my face with water. Just water. Grammie B. did it and so shall I. :)
I have recently (day before yesterday) started using a toner to "minimize the appearance of pores."
I always use a facial moisturizer in the morning. It's called Myra E and runs about $2.75. I think it's a product of the Philippines, but I haven't noticed that I look any whiter, so I'm not sure.
I pull out the gray hairs that I can see. I try not to look too closely.
I get my hair cut whenever I get to the point that I "can't stand it anymore" and about twice a year I have a hot oil treatment. At the salon. No kidding.
My eyebrows are put on with a brush, I use a little eyeliner and lipstick. On Sundays I go all out and add mascara.

I do drink lots of water--probably 8 to 12 cups a day--and try to remember to smile. Some beauty tips work for everybody. (Thanks for the reminder Audrey.)


I don't think I'd ever try anything along the lines of cosmetic surgery, injections, etc., but you know what they say...never say never. After seeing some of the celebrities in the article referenced above I think I'd break all the mirrors in the house first.

Are you concerned about signs of aging?

1 comment:

andalucy said...

I'd be lying if I said "no." The last time I went to Maine I didn't take sunglasses with me because I couldn't find mine and was too cheap/lazy to buy more. Near the end of the trip I was in the the bathroom washing my face and J said something that made me laugh. I stopped cold when I saw the enormous, wrinkly bunches that formed under my eyes. I ran out and made J look at my eyes while I smiled. "Were these here at the beginning of the summer?" I demanded. "Er... I don't think so," he said. I should have known I was too old to go without sunglasses. Once you're in your thirties, if you squint, the squint stays there.

There is this woman in my ward who turns fifty next year. I don't think she's been especially careful about her appearance. She has wrinkles and has to dye her hair because it's completely grey. However, I think she is one of the most youthful women in the ward, and it's because of her attitude. She has a great sense of humor and you can tell she feels good about herself. She dresses nicely but age-appropriately. When I picture myself in twenty years, I'd much rather be like her than some wrinkle-free anomaly who dresses like a starlet.