Beauty+ : Who Says 50 Is Old?

As it turns out… just about everyone! I was asked a ridiculous question yesterday during the course of an interview, “what were my plans for the future…” and behind that (in context with the interview theme) there was a sort of silence that all sorts of unsaid words popped into… grandchildren, retirement… that kind of thing. I answered that I thought I was too young for the question. It just honestly seemed so irrelevant to me that I couldn’t even make my brain find an answer.

And here is the problem with the beauty industry and older women. 50+ is one category. If you are 50+ in beauty then their logic follows that you must be old, and therefore in need of looking younger. There’s an upward scale of course, the further past 50 you are the more you must need help! 50 is not 60 is not 70 is not 80. Attitudes are different, style is different, abilities are different – it is as pointless to assume that anyone of 50 has more in common with someone of 70 than it would to be to assume that someone who is 50 has nothing in common with someone of 30. Women can connect on all levels with some being far more relevant than others, but 50 is seen as a bridge of descent into – what? I don’t really know; all I do know is that if the same question had been asked of a 30 year old, the unspoken assumptions about their future would have been entirely different.

I’m away on a shoot all day tomorrow for a campaign that’s talking to older women – there is a good age selection, I’m happy to see, but it was a difficult call on whether to do it or not. Beauty doesn’t have an exact age – it just ‘is’ – so being popped in the older category at this age seems all kinds of odd to me.. making age less relevant to how we regard our beauty is a key point of this blog, but on the other hand, it’s a good opportunity to experience brand perceptions and also get my point over.

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Everything in the beauty industry has to be ‘tidy’ – the thought that any woman of any age could use any products would send beauty brains into a whirlwind of upset; what would they do with all the ‘anti-wrinkle’ labels – I hope one day for a massive bonfire. But, let’s just remember that we did not categorise ourselves in the anti-ageing market – the beauty industry did. Anyone have a match?

The card in the main picture is illustrated by long-time Twitter friend, Miss Magpie Spy and is available HERE.

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Jane Cunningham

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23 responses to “Beauty+ : Who Says 50 Is Old?”

  1. Junie

    We 50+ women need to see cosmetics on 50+ women just because we are older does not mean to say we have no opinion, it is us that have been buying products for years, would like to see a magazine just for us, I would have plenty of questions

    Junie

    Reply
  2. Cathy

    I may be doing it all wrong, but I don’t even think about my age (61) when I’m buying make-up. I’ve tailored my ‘look’ so that it’s appropriate for my age, i.e,, not too heavy eyeliner, the right foundation for lined skin, etc, all that sort of stuff, but I still get my inspiration and ideas from young You Tubers. I’ve found…with one site in particular…that’s geared towards make-up for the ‘older’ woman…every single one of the women they’ve made over look exactly the same…their make-up is identical. It rather contradicts the concept that ‘older’ women are supposed to have their own individual identity. I refuse to be lumped into such a category. I wonder also, who deemed 50 as the benchmark at which point you were suddenly in an alien group?

    Reply
    1. Junie

      Would love to know the foundations you like

      Reply
      1. Anna

        The question was not for me, but my mom has the most gorgeous skin with or without foundation, and with foundation it’s still looking like great skin and not great make-up, if you read me.. Her tip (which I myself use with pleasure) is to mix (any) foundation with a bit of your usual moisturizer (or nutrition – depending on skin type): it makes it look less obvious and wear more comfortable. Also very important with which loose powder you set it. We both swear for La Mer The Powder in #5 Translucent (the one without actual color so it’ll not get in war with blush and stuff) – it’s discontinued *wimp*, but still possible to find here and there, and it is THE.ONLY.NON.DRYING. ONE. EVER – and it gives nice little blur effect without overly matifying.

        Reply
        1. Junie

          Thanks for your reply
          Junie

          Reply
      2. Cathy

        Junie – My top foundations are YSL Fusion/Christian Dior Star Foundation and Clarins Stay Matte. I have tried drugstore foundations, but they just don’t have the edge the high-end ones do. They do seem to last longer. The test for my picks is if they can last through a thirty-mile bike ride on a hot day. The Star foundation was particularly good.

        Reply
  3. Jayne

    I am over 50, my age does not define me, I have a business partner in her early 30’s she’s also my best friend! Since when did I care about my age? I may not like the image in the mirror, but then that isn’t me, it’s just a reflection of how others see me LOL I dress how I want, I act as I see fit and I only buy the products I like. I do not diet to look like a super model (not that I ever could) but I eat to stay healthy. The media is a powerful friend or foe, it depends how you let it govern the way you live, think, feel, dress etc etc… When I am dead I will be ‘old’ news and that’s the ONLY time I will be old!

    Reply
  4. Tracy@Beauty Reflections

    I’m nearing 50 soon, and it’s interesting…al of a sudden we’re supposed to be wrinkled and shrivelled up according to the beauty industry! I’m NOT. I don’t get it. The beauty industry needs to take a look around and SEE what 50 is these days…I’m not a freakin’ grandmother! SHEESH. So tired of what the media sees 50 as.

    Reply
  5. Junie

    Maybe we should have are own forum, it would be good for us all to learn from each other , most of the forums on beauty are USA, UK need a good one

    Reply
    1. Ali

      Have you tried Sali Highes’ one (forum.salihuheseauty.com)? Massive age range there, and the people are very welcoming!

      Reply
      1. Mia

        Great suggestion but people will have trouble finding it if you don’t spell her name right 😉
        It’s Sali Hughes.

        Reply
    2. Jayne

      Junie,

      It’s a good point, but many of us ‘oldies’ wouldn’t join a group that defined us as 50 or over; a cosmetic forum on what works for all is ok, but Jane’s Blog creates an honest and full review of so many products and we get to comment. However, if you were to form one I would support you.

      I think the most important thing is to remember that it is how marketers ‘sell’ products and if we ignore their attempts to ‘keyhole’ us then they would be forced to change.

      I use what suits me, not what suits the cosmetics firms. I only sell what I believe is a good product,

      I provide family and friends with samples (full products because I buy them in) and ‘IF’ I get a good response (and often I don’t & then I don’t sell them on my site), and the thumbs up I buy them in to sell. It is about honesty at the end of the day.

      Personal preference and not trying to put people into boxes based on a number, is what it should be about, because we are all individuals whose skin ages at a different rate depending on how we have treated it and of course our genetic make up. It should not be an ‘age’, or a ‘number’ or any other ill conceived marketing ploy. Advertisers will change, but only if enough people ignore the hype and start living and thinking for themselves.

      But get the forum running and send me an invite!

      Reply
      1. Jane

        Great points – the reason I brought The Beauty+ site over onto BBB is that I feel beauty is one world.. and it doesn’t have an age. I’m using it as a tab more for opinion that’s relevant to the older woman rather than colluding with brands that we all need to be wrinkle free. There are some brilliant products and treatments but its important to ensure we’re taking advantage of what the beauty world has to offer and not let them take advantage of us!

        Reply
        1. Junie

          I agree

          Reply
      2. Junie

        I don’t really look at my self as an oldie, my mirror may disagree with me, but I am who I am, wear what I like. Just thought it would be good to chat with like minded people . I learn more from the users of products than from the sellers.

        Thanks for your reply
        Junie

        Reply
  6. Ali

    Sali Hughes, even. Forum.salihughesbeauty.com. Bloody autocorrect!

    Reply
    1. Mia

      Argh – I fixed your spelling in your first comment. Sorry! 🙂

      Reply
    2. Junie

      Lol, thanks
      Junie

      Reply
  7. Leigh

    I bet they wouldn’t dare ask Mary Greenwell or Linda Mason similar questions.

    Reply
  8. Lynda Glass

    I didn’t give my age a second thought until I started blogging and saw the huge divide, but like internet dating, apparently you have to go to an oldies site if you are over 50 !! oldgitsrus xx

    Reply
  9. Nataile Brown

    I know, when I was younger, I thought 50 was super old. lol I’m 52 and don’t feel “old” at all really. I think people in their fifties look differently than they have in the past. We’ve taken care of our skin and eaten healthier. Because of this, we look and feel younger. I recently signed up for the Wal-Mart beauty box ($5 – 4 times a year) and reduced my age by 20 years because they send two different boxes. The younger ages get make-up along with skincare, hair care, and perfume but the “old” people get only skincare. I guess, after a certain age, we don’t use make-up anymore. lol I wear any type of make-up that appeals to me including color and shimmer. For me, the only make-up rules are to use the products that make me feel pretty and beautiful. Thank-you for addressing this frustrating topic. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Cathy

      I product test for a large drugstore chain and, appropriate (so they think) to my age group, they always send me pots of anti-ageing products: creams, cleansers, toners, etc. I’d much, much rather test make-up. At the end of the day, creams do nothing to erase wrinkles, but make-up can disguise them. They have it all wrong!

      Reply
  10. Elise Chapman

    I really, really don’t feel 50 & I don’t see old & wrinkly in the mirror either. I don’t care what age range make up is aimed at; if it’s pretty & I like it, then I’m buying it!
    I do use skincare for me age, but my God is it expensive! I’m looking at you Clarins Super Restorative range 😉
    I’m still considering re-starting my blog but I don’t want to limit my target audience, so will not go down the route of a 50+blog 🙂

    Reply

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