We Never Have Fun

 
I’ve been a little quiet this week on BeautyPlus but for good reason. I’ve been presenting to brands on how being over 45 isn’t a tragedy – it’s really actually rather fun. We’ve been talking about how older women are targeted by the beauty industry and about how a new approach is needed. I’m sticking to my guns and taking our concerns to the people who can make change.

One of the key questions I asked is why older women are never portrayed as having any fun? And I don’t count the river cruise adverts – never has a comfy cardigan and glass of wine been so misused. When it comes to beauty promotions, women are portrayed either as a little bit vampy (cougar connotations) or with a ‘half-smile’ if we’re lucky. If you look at advertising targeted to younger women, they’re having a lot more fun than we are! Once you start to ask these questions, it becomes glaringly obvious the distinction between how older and younger women are portrayed by the beauty industry. If they continue to portray us as deeply serious (enigmatic, alluring.. call it what you like, but we’re not often laughing) that in itself is sending a message about what it means to be over 45.

One thing I really wanted to share with you though is that I wrote some personal letters to the brands using comments left by BeautyPlus readers. I asked anyone with an envelope to open it and read its contents to the room – in a presentation setting, it was a very powerful way to let them know how you feel.

So, a huge thank you for all the comments you leave on BeautyPlus – please know they are all going towards making changes.