Stranger and Stranger—

By: Carrie E. Pierce and Menopauserus.com


It’s becoming increasingly apparent to me: I’m a stranger in a very strange land.

Passport for my journey: two Aesthetics licenses, certification in Color Analysis-- and 25
years in the film/ TV, fashion and beauty industries.
-And what a trip it’s been too!

From the salons and spas of Texas to Hollywood film and TV studios, from the offices of Beverly Hills plastic surgeons to my travels educating internationally for natural skin care and cosmetics companies-- I’ve just about seen it all in this crazy business.

I’ve eviscerated women (much to my chagrin- but only on film, thank heavens!), severed heads, slashed faces and created award-winning vomit… and then have turned around and worked on real, severely burned and maimed bodies in an attempt to provide reconstructive makeup procedures for very special folks in need.

I’ve experienced the dark and the light- the good and the bad- the ugly and the surreal and I feel qualified to make the following statement.
Simply put, in my humble opinion:

‘There’s very little that is beautiful about the beauty industry…’

I’m deeply entrenched in the beauty ‘business’ and at times, have really had to struggle to find much beautiful, real -or redeeming about it.
It’s been rather a love/hate relationship for me, and I’ve watched as scads of other women have also done battle with it- and the rather devastating effects it can have on self worth and self esteem.

Now don’t get me wrong. There’s very little that compares to the excitement, tension and stress of being on a film set- just as nothing compares with the joy of teaching a woman how to bring out her very best; and how to lovingly and effectively care for herself.
Why, it can be downright thrilling!

--It can also be heart-wrenching and bittersweet.

Mine is the industry that teaches a woman to believe that her skin is just a shell, and that the chemicals applied to it don’t matter.

Mine is the industry that teaches a woman that she can abuse herself through poor diet and bad lifestyle choices, yet find her ‘cure’ in a $150.00 jar of face cream.

Mine is the industry that tells you an acid peel will make you ‘young’ again- or that you aren't beautiful unless you can successfully mimic the ridiculous images spewed by fashion magazines...

Mine is the industry peddling breast implants and Botox, liposuction and eating disorders- all in the name of ‘Beauty’.

Heaven help us if we don’t fit the ‘ideal’.

--Worse yet, Heaven help us if we DO:
Leaking breast implants, anorexia, bulimia, rising skin cancer rates, plummeting self esteem.

Enough is enough already! How much longer will we feed this craziness?

It is time for real, hardcore, honest education and, as consumers, it’s way past time to replace our inner panic and insecurity with self-awareness and self-respect.

It's time we realized that Aging will happen- but only if we’re lucky.

The simple truth is: Aging is not a disease- or a deformity to be hidden at any and all costs.

Beauty is present- on every level and at every stage of Life- PERIOD.

We must look for it, seek it out- and acknowledge it-- when and where we find it.
The roots of grooming and makeup are tightly tangled with those of psychology and self acceptance.

It’s no coincidence that women- and men, who neglect self-care are usually the first to develop illness.
As a society, we've been taught to crave the quick fix: liposuction instead of exercise and detoxification; Dermabrasion instead of smoking cessation; Vitamins in our shampoos- not in our diets.

The only way to lasting, genuine Beauty, is to work from the inside out.

--Surely this isn’t news!
We must surely know this in our innermost hearts and minds!
Why is it such a forgotten Truth?
We need to quit looking to the glossy pages of fashion magazines for our answers.
They’re simply not there!

We need instead, to look inside; inside our refrigerators, our medicine cabinets, our cosmetic bags - ourselves.
We need to quit changing our hair color every month- and delve into what it is we really want to change about ourselves.
Quit starving ourselves- and begin nourishing our bodies, minds and spirits instead, with good food, vitamins/minerals… a healthy serving of self-acceptance…

--After all, true beauty is comfort in one’s own skin- and skin that is comfortable!

This has been the journey that I’ve had to take, both as an industry professional and also as a woman in today's world.
It’s been a tough and scary journey- yet a deeply rewarding one as well… much like a lone hike into the wilderness.

As I see it: It’s way past time to stand up and say “Enough is enough!”
It’s time to be at peace with ourselves.

About Carrie:
Carrie has worked exclusively in the skin care, health and beauty industry for over 25 years.
She’s a licensed Aesthetician, is certified in Color Analysis and has built a solid, international reputation in the field of holistic, menopausal skin care; specializing in harmful cosmetic ingredients and industry practices.
She’s a recognized speaker and published writer- having written numerous articles in women’s health and beauty publications and she is Founder and President of Menopauserus.com- The ultimate Menopause-related skin care and beauty help and support site for women in need of peri menopause and menopause relief.
It’s her mission to help make menopause ‘The Change for the Better’- for women everywhere!