There is such a mind-shift in the beauty industry at the moment and for older women it’s a change we’ve waited a long time for. Beauty isn’t all about how young you can look; that’s an old style goal – beauty now is about confidence in yourself and not chasing the unattainable but valuing what you have.
The main focus of the L’Oreal Paris #betterthanever campaign is to embrace exactly that – the feeling of valuing yourself and seeing life experience as positives that have brought you to be the person you are today. I know that I wouldn’t be the person I am now with any kind of rewind and although I have my moments and wobbles like anyone else, I’m pretty happy just as I am. One of the things I rarely do is put myself on my blog but this is such an important turning point in beauty that I have wanted to be as fully involved as possible. When a brand wants to champion authentic beauty rather than manufactured, I’m in. With that in mind, I’ve taken part in a video for #betterthanever. There’s no good talking the talk if you can’t walk the walk!
Of course, I’ve used the products and in particular L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Filler Renew Night Cream (HERE) which has a high level of hyaluronic acid which my skin loves. It’s not rich or sticky or gooey – more of a gel consistency that leaves my skin feeling beautifully silky and indisputably smoother. And, it’s lilac, which seems like a small point but it’s the first thing I noticed for not being like almost every other face cream in the world – generic white.
The focus of the short film is less about the products and more about why it’s important to recognise that we shouldn’t feel diminished by age but empowered, particularly when it comes to our faces. You will see some product chat but it was almost the least of everything we talked about.
One of the questions I was asked in the video was at what age did I finally feel confident with who I am. Of all the questions that was the one that I struggled to answer. I’m like many women – I can be super-confident sometimes but I can also feel completely the opposite. Being older doesn’t eradicate insecurities, but other things start to matter more. Like being happy, being proud of my family, having time with friends, and being able to put myself first more often than in the past. And the one thing that age does bring is the ability to appreciate the good things more. My younger self was too busy, too involved with everything and too worried to sit back and appreciate all that I have.
Ageing is a hugely emotional journey – the brand that shows they understand that you’re good enough, just as you are, for your beauty as it stands today to be treated with respect and admiration is the one that will take our hearts. The message that you’re not quite good enough as you are is old, tired and clichéd – all of the things that older women of today are not. We have all of the choices in skin ageing in a way no generation has previously had – we’re in charge of how we go forward and no longer easily appeased with the notion of youth in a jar.
What I want from my skin and my skincare is not to erase my journey or to put it on hold but to show that skin can look vibrant, glowy and smooth at any age, regardless of where you are in the ageing process. And, I want to enjoy looking after my skin, taking time to treat it well and appreciate routines that make me and my complexion feel happy. Being #betterthanever isn’t about holding back time – it’s about loving the time you’re having right now.
This post is part of a wider paid project (including the video which will be uploaded soon to the L’Oreal Paris website and this site).
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