Every cosmetic company advocates anti-age, anti-wrinkle, anti-us!

Trying to hide our age only makes us look desperate. We have all seen make-up that accentuates wrinkles in an attempt to hide them. Or a woman wearing clothes to try and look younger than she is. They are not fooling anyone.

Let me ask some questions here. Who decided wrinkles were a bad thing anyway? How about celebrating your age and wearing it proudly? How about being an example for younger women and taking on a positive, happy, healthy attitude towards yourself and aging? Would we have benefited witnessing women older than ourselves celebrating themselves? Aren't we over 30 years old a larger percentage of life than we are under 30?

A woman's face tells an individual life story. Our beauty is born out of self knowledge, confidence and wisdom. Let's reveal and celebrate the beauty we have earned! Lets do it for ourselves and the young men and women in our society looking up to us for inspiration. You look fabulous as you are. It's your/our decision. Through example we have the power to change society's points of view about aging. You have vitality, joy and wisdom. Let the beauty you have gained shine through.

I recognize that women of all ages want to be seen, noticed, flirted with and valued.

There is no age limit to those desires. Many women believe we cannot have that kind of attention later in life because of the societal message we've heard since birth. We are led to believe that as we age we lose value. We are told that only youth is attractive.

This insidious message can haunt women at a deep psychological level. For many women, as soon as the first grey hair appears or wrinkle becomes noticeable, the battle against time begins. We use all the cosmetics that claim to wipe away our age. Some women go to the extent of cosmetic surgery. The money spent on Botox, collagen injections, and hair dye keep the beauty product companies thriving. Women go to endless measures in a futile attempt to fool themselves and others. I believe it is a waste of time and money and in many cases, health. Don't get me wrong. I understand why women do this. I have empathy for the desire to look younger. I am a woman living in this society. I am all too familiar with what it feels like. I want attention too. I want to be valued as well. However, I do not believe the way to get that is to try and hide my age, nor do I want attention simply for the way I look. How about taking these points of view into our own hands by firstly, changing our own minds about beauty and age.

Negative concepts of aging are make-believe, man-made and invented. We make them true by believing them. When you change your mind, and start living according to your new points of view, you begin changing truth. I am interested in creating a new truth. I believe all women are attractive. It's our nature. We bring fun, desire, and appetite to everything we do. When we find ourselves perfect, exactly as we are, we change our persona. That changes how others perceive us. Feeling good about who you are is attractive. Enjoying ourselves is attractive. The texture of our skin does not make us attractive. Our hair color does not make us attractive. Our clothes do not make us attractive.

How we feel about ourselves and how much we are enjoying ourselves is what makes us truly attractive. When we embrace ourselves and life with joy, we become beautiful.

"Taking joy in living is a woman's best cosmetic." Rosalind Russell.

I am not interested in looking younger. I want to look healthy and radiant. I want to look like me.

Are you ready to throw away the matte, dull, dry, and old fashioned cosmetics that attempt to wipe away you age and hide who you are? We are free women. Aren't we done with all that nonsense? No more slavery to cosmetics! Beauty is about natural color, glow, moisture and joy! You don't have to 'put on' your face anymore. You already have one. Are you ready to reveal your skin and features and let them radiate the natural beauty you have?

I am open and honest about my age and appearance.

However, that was not always the case. I grew up thinking that the girls and women on the covers of beauty and fashion magazines looked that way naturally. Always comparing myself to those images, I never felt I was pretty enough. I started wearing make-up in high school to try and look as close as possible to those models.

I loved experimenting with make-up, on myself and my friends. Mostly it was just plain fun. However, there were a couple years I was wearing make-up to hide.
I went through a long difficult struggle with my self esteem. Discriminating between surface beauty and beauty of the character was a long philosophical pondering for me.
I took a close look at what women in our society were doing when they were getting their hair done, making themselves up and dressing in the latest fashion.
I read about cultures throughout the world and what the women did to their hair, skin and bodies; make-up, tattoos, piercings, scarring, jewelry, apparel, and wrapping, cutting, dying, twisting their hair. All societies have adorned their bodies in one form or another. My research was proving it was a natural behavior of our species. Most of these practices were inspired by religious ceremony, social status, or celebration. I found this a bit different than what was happening in our society. I found that observing the motivation
made the big difference. If I was making up and dressing for fun, it was a pleasure. If I was doing it out of fear of rejection, not getting the guy or trying to fulfill a desperate emotional need, it was a serious matter to me.

Many girls and women feel they are not enough, not right, just as they are.

In the name of looking younger, women are subjecting themselves to products and surgeries that can have devastating results.

The fashion and beauty industry perpetuates the belief that aging is bad to continue selling products.

In my experience, I have been getting better as I get older. I have more of all things I value. Health, love, tolerance, pleasure, compassion, self-esteem, control, discipline, education, knowledge. In a nutshell, life experience and wisdom.

Having fun with fashion and make-up can be a real pleasure. I think it's a good idea to check in every once in a while on what my motivation is. I make sure it is sourced in fun rather than fear.

I would like to thank you for looking deeper than the facade and seeing more. I have faith that women's perspectives about themselves are changing.

In my 23 year career in the fashion and beauty industry as a make-up artist, I had many opportunities to test the myriad of skin care products on the market. Most products fall into two categories. The first group are highly processed and packed with unsafe chemicals, and the second usually includes many herbs and so-called natural ingredients.

In choosing a product, I apply all the knowledge and experience I have accumulated over my career, deciphering the long list of ingredients and eliminating what is unsafe or not necessary. I have found that the more complex the theory and the higher the price, the less the product does for me.

Less is more. Trusting my body and working in harmony with the natural cycle and process of my body has proven to work best.

You have lived a long and rich life. Your face tells a wonderful story. Why hide it?

Watch This Video For More Of Cindy's Story