OK Gals,  I am very guilty of this.  I just love it when someone says ‘OMG you don’t look your age’   Yep,  it sure is a lovely compliment and I am always pretty quick to give that compliment out myself

BUT the other day I had this burning question in my head. What is so wrong if I do look my age?    What is so bad about being 48 and looking 48.  In fact, what does 48 looks like anyway?   And why is 48,  the new 38 and recently someone said to me ‘Oh, 60 is the new 40’ so it’s getting worse ahh

So,  why are we all striving to look younger all the time?

Bloody hell girls,  SO MUCH EXTRA PRESSURE ON US!… And by the way, who makes up these rules?

Recently a girlfriend of mine who is  in her mid 50's,  said that she could be a cougar... Golly, I don’t know about you girls but at 48 and as healthy as I feel, I am not interested in dating a 25-year-old boy.  Apart from the fact that not only has the cellulite tripled since I was 25, the skin has sagged so much that I wouldn’t want to scare the poor boy off into a lifetime of only dating 30-year old’s or under.

The whole reality of this ‘age thing’ is causing us woman to constantly assess ourselves,  and I for one,  am sick of it.   Whether it’s aspirations of being a cougar or the pressure to look younger in our work environment we are heading off to beauty clinics in droves.  Why is it that woman feel we need to have a facelift so that we will get employed or even just keep out job? . Do we realise that although you may feel more confident and youthful after having a ‘procedure’, ….at the end of the day…shouldn’t you have that job anyway? And why are the men not running off to be botoxed so they can keep their jobs?  ….and why do the people employing you feel more inclined to employ you if you look younger? …so really, it’s not just in our own minds,  but it’s about other people’s perception that needs to change to just accept us all as aging human beings.   Don’t get me wrong.  I don’t have a problem with anyone embarking on anything to look younger or feel more confident BUT it’s the pressure on us  woman,  to do this that I am ranting about

 Are you looking youthful enough?  How young can we look and what can we do to look younger?  I admit I have been trapped into these thoughts and let me tell you of a couple of encounters where I decided to get ‘work’ but left each place feeling a little angry…rahhh.

 A few years ago I read about  ‘thermage’.  Apparently this was a gentle non surgical procedure that would take years off.   So,  off  I went   to a Skin clinic with a great reputation in Sydney to have a consultation.. Hurry make me younger lol.  Once they photographed my skin which goes deep into the darkest layers they showed me all the damage on and under my skin (it was ghastly actually) I do prefer my image to have a little foundation LOL so my freckly skin looks at little more translucent other the a face that looked like it had been stuck in the ground for 2000 years….

So, she explained what Thermage did…Apparently, it gets deep into the layers of the skin and stimulates the collagen and helps you look more youthful once these layers are stimulated.  Wow  Sounds great , so what’s this going to cost and will I have immediate  results?

She’s like ‘oh no there is no guarantee that you will look any different…but you will be satisfied that over the coming months and years that the thermage  will actually be slowing down your aging ‘

Oh and yes it's only  $3000 

SO,  I was like …oh dear, for that kind of money I really wanted to see an instant youthful appearance not a promise of protection…. How would I even know if hthe thermage is working? …

HMMM then I asked the question…WHICH I AM WARNING YOU GIRLS…. never, never ever, ask a person who works in any kind of  beauty clinic. 

WHAT WOULD YOU DO,  IF YOU WERE ME!!!

Holly Mackerel , well it started with taking out my blood, spinning it in machine then injecting it back into my bags under my eyes to start the healing process…then a few laser’s here and there on my face, and  on my chest.  Which apparently will help the skin  look smoother but still not get rid of the crapey skin (accumulated after 48 years of swimming and sunning myself)  and after all that it was a total cost of $10,000 and she advised me never to go out into the sun again…. So, confusing.... My skin would look 10 years younger and  I would have to stay indoors for the rest of my life….

No way José!

 My next encounter was a couple of months ago  when a makeup artistic kindly suggested that  I should get my heavy eye lids lifted …….Great good idea I thought….HA! after going to a very exclusive Sydney Eastern suburbs Doctor where him and all his lovely staff were completely botoxed, filled, implanted somewhere on their bodies I was told,  that not only did I need the top lids done,  but my bags under my eyes were so bad that I should just get the whole lot done…..No smile just business and said and that will be $13000 thank you very much.

OK so I left there feeling very unsettled, it was a lot of money that I really didn’t have to spare and I went home and looked at my face and thought…. It’s not that bad for 48!! And what would I  actually achieve by looking 43? More compliments?  Longer life expectancy.  LOL  …So that’s when I decided to stop looking at the outside and just get on with my life, love my kids more, find new passions  and feed my soul with great experiences that make me happier, healthier, and wiser!! 

I am sure you lovely girls out there have your own opinions on this topic and would love to hear them!!  

CHEERS (champagne in hand) TO GROWING OLD WITH FUN AND LOVE!

Michel xx