Dear LPG. 

We oldies are very good at dismissing our concerns about the visual effect our older-looking faces have on the people who see them when we walk around.  Applying a bit of makeup can indeed be a very gradual process. For the busy pensioner, it might well be something they don’t have the time to dwell on. Still, those of us who have more time on our hands will find that even though the average 70-year-old today is likely to look a lot younger than their 20th-century counterpart, if we have the time to take that morning reflective look at the beginning of each day, it can get you down.

I recently saw what PC had to say on the subject of looking better and younger as we age (►►►). . While some will see continuing to make an effort with a bit of powder and paint as either an attempt to fix a facial lost cause or to perpetuate the mutton dressed up as lamb thing, it should be all about the importance you place on the impression you leave yourself with when you take that final morning post-preparation glance at your reflection.

We oldies must remember that we are older versions of our younger selves. The world is becoming more of an ‘anything goes’ version of itself daily. We oldies also have the advantage that, at our age, most of us have given up trying to find a new significant other, so any superficial facial enhancements should please us before they try to impress anyone else. 

Some recent online statistics I found inform that 83% of us women do it, and it can sometimes be an automatic, age-old habit that we need to review. Still, it is also noted that some 20%   of our male counterparts are at it too, although it is thought of as something that the younger man does if you look at the internet.  So, I want to remind the ladies and gentlemen of a certain age that cosmetics are now available, and there are countless instructional videos and written articles on how to apply them subtly.   

Creating an enhanced ‘first-impression’ persona can be beneficial. When you do it right, you could be the one who benefits most from it. It is often said that looking your best is the first step to feeling your best.

These days, the focus is also much more geared to making sure that these products offer nourishment and food for the skin, not to mention the limiting effects that nearly all claim to offer when it comes to their abilities to eliminate those dreaded wrinkles virtually. We should all try a little facial artistry occasionally. Therein lies a new afternoon pastime for those days when you have an afternoon ‘at-home’ gathering with a few friends. You can have a go at creating entirely new looks for each other. 

We should all try a light layer of superficial facial enhancement. After all, if we don’t like it, we can wash it off and start again…    

SM, Croydon

SM offers some tutorials for both men and the ladies.

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