In the age of Botox, fillers and facelifts, we need to remind ourselves that beauty doesn’t have to equal youth
Ultimately, I decided to go for it, and have had biannual Botox in two areas of my face for the last few years. It wasn’t that different to covering your greys, I figured. Plus, it was my face, and if it was going to make me feel more comfortable in my skin, then why not?
Back then, I believed firmly that that would be as extreme as things would get for me in the face department. I wasn’t into the idea of facial filler. All I really wanted was to maintain the face I had, I thought.
Then, I noticed my lips were shrinking. This is a normal part of ageing, as collagen and elastin naturally decline. A little filler just to bring them back to where they were wouldn’t hurt, would it?
Now, we’re in the era of the ‘forever-35’ facelift. Where once the facelift was a procedure almost exclusively performed on very wealthy women well into their 50s or 60s, these days new procedures are being accessed by much younger women in more average tax brackets.
There’s no doubt that celebrity culture has influenced this rise in popularity. Kris Jenner, the matriarch of the Kardashian family, got enormous attention for her freshly youthful appearance last summer after her second facelift.
“Just because you get older, it doesn’t mean you should give up on yourself,” she told Vogue Arabia. “If you feel comfortable in your skin and you want to age gracefully – meaning you don’t want to do anything – then don’t do anything. But, for me, this is ageing gracefully. It’s my version.”
I get it. She has the money and the access, and it’s her face. She should be able to do whatever she wants to it. However, we can’t pretend that the number of high-profile women transforming themselves into younger versions of themselves doesn’t have an impact on the rest of us.
If I’m honest, I’ve found myself thinking that maybe a facelift wouldn’t be such a big deal.
It’s a long way from considering Botox.
With that in mind, I have one beauty recommendation this week, and it’s absolutely free. This week, I suggest that we do an audit of the faces we’re admiring. It shouldn’t be shocking to see an older woman with a natural face, but if we’re not careful, it will be.
These days, more than ever, we control the content we consume. Julianne Moore, Lisa Kudrow, Andie MacDowell, Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Mirren are just some examples of women who are ageing without significant intervention – and they all look beautiful.
Let’s fill our TV screens and social media feeds with more diverse faces, and remind ourselves that beauty doesn’t have to equal youth.
Buying Irish
La Bougie shampoo
La Bougie has made a real name for itself in Ireland via its home fragrance offerings, especially its Mission Fig collection, which was inspired by the earthy scent of a Tuscan fig tree. Now, the brand has moved into hair and body care, allowing you to bring the scent of Mission Fig and five other signature La Bougie fragrances into the shower with you. Hand and body lotion is priced at €28, body wash is €25, while shampoo and conditioner will set you back €25 each via labougie.com.
Something old…
The Ordinary UV Filters SPF 45 Sunscreen Serum
I’ll admit that this week’s something old isn’t technically very old, but it has become such a staple of my routine that it feels deeply embedded in the beauty world. There are so many SPF options on the market now that it’s not exactly true to say that a good one is hard to find, but when you find one that ticks all your personal boxes, it does feel like you’ve won. The Ordinary UV Filters SPF 45 Sunscreen Serum (€19.90 via boots.ie) does just that for me. Lightweight and cast-free, it sinks beautifully into the skin, leaving it glowy and protected. It sits well under make-up, and doesn’t break the bank. What more could you want?
Something new…
Kiehl’s Better Screen UV Serum
This time of year is always chock-ablock with SPF launches (despite the fact that… yes, you should be using sun protection all year round). Of the recent newbies, Kiehl’s Better Screen UV Serum (€52 via brownthomas.com) is my favourite. As you might expect, a serum which offers sun protection is lighter than many formulas, meaning it’s comfortable to wear and less sticky than other options. This guy also contains collagen peptide, which targets the signs of ageing as well as offering protection. Non-comedogenic, this should work for all skin types, but as with all SPFs, should be reapplied throughout the day. In order to retain proper sun protection, I’m sorry to tell you reapplication should happen every two hours.