Haut Flashes-
-brought to you by Menopauserus.com
-brought to you by Menopauserus.com
Words of Wisdom from someone who has seen behind the curtain -and KNOWS...
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!
Carrie Dishes Skin Care and Beauty Info-- Listen In Now!
In this one hour radio show, Carrie answers numerous questions about Menopausal skin care and beauty, what works and what doesn't. Don't miss it!
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN NOW!
Self Care- A Non Negotiable on the Road to Recovery
‘Self Care- A Non-Negotiable on the Road to Recovery, Renewal and Restoration’
By: Carrie E. Pierce and Menopauserus.com
Ladies, I’ve an announcement to make:
The truth is: over the course of the last year I’ve struggled to practice what I’ve been preaching…
Pathetic admitting this, it seems the right thing to do.
I’d be lying to you if I led you to believe that I have this Menopause stuff conquered, when I have to wrestle with it every single day just like the rest of you.
Sure, I’ve devoted my life and career to learning everything I can about the process, but that in no way excludes me from having to take each step of the journey myself- right along with you
The past 2 months have been especially trying physically and I’ve reached a place within myself where I realize it’s time for some major changes to take place, way deep in my core.
I’ve been giving it all lip-service, but now the time has come for solid implementation- and I’m finding myself quite frankly TIRED.
Just like the lyrics to that Billy Joel song: ‘We're going wrong, we're gaining weight, We're sleeping long and far too late. And so it's time to change our jaded ways …’
As I go through my daily tasks of home keeping, business dealings, relationship tending and worrying about my aging parents, I’ve been getting little nudges from my Inner Self, and she’s got some serious things to discuss with me. She means for me to shut up, listen and learn.
Menopause is met unfavorably by our youth-driven culture, and is also very often misrepresented.
Magazines, film and television all glorify youth, and women in their prime are viewed in rather unflattering stereotypical ways: as sex starved ‘cougars’ with only have their genitals to offer a relationship, or as hysterical desperate, dried up women sobbing in their kitchens while their husbands frolic with the secretary at the office.
Not terribly flattering. Who in their right mind would ever be able to find good in THAT?
But actually, Menopause truly is the greatest Reset Button life can possibly hurl your way. We just sometimes REALLY have to work to try to see it for what it actually is…
Coming at-what we perceive to be- the worst possible time; Fraught with responsibility, weighed down by cares and burdens, our schedules -like our pantyhose- packed too full and chafing, running like a gerbil on an exercise wheel, all the while longing-longing-longing for some peace… some stillness…a bit of ME Time, Menopause insists that we finally GET IT.
All you have to do is look around to find the Truth of the matter:
Sophia Loren (age 77), Raquel Welch (age 71), Diahann Carroll (age 76), Linda Evans (age 69), Helen Mirren (age 66), Suzanne Somers (age 65), Susan Lucci (age 65), Christie Brinkley (age 57), Iman (age 56), Bo Derek (age 55), Angela Bassett (age 53), Michelle Pfeiffer (age 53), and Jamie Lee Curtis (age 53) are no worse the wear, and these ladies are certainly never perceived as dried up old hags… so why on earth should we see ourselves as any less when we stand alone, naked, dripping and wincing at our reflection in the steamy bathroom mirror?
Granted, you may not have a movie star’s moolah to spend for personal trainers, private chefs, massage therapists, manicurists and facialists- but you don’t really need it. All you need is 10- 15 minutes a day- and the commitment to put YOURSELF on your To Do List, once and for all.
That simple act alone can -and will save your life, yet even I keep forgetting it!
That’s absolutely right. Just 10 minutes a day can change your life, and in profound ways.
This is, quite frankly, a truth I had forgotten in the rush of my days and nights lately, and it is THE message my Inner Gal insists I get clear on ASAP.
Seems strange I would need to be reminded…
Throughout my career I’ve worked closely with burn and scar patients, cancer patients and battered women in DV shelters.
Most of these people have one thing in common: prior to their accident/illness/abusive relationship, they somehow managed to get themselves placed LAST on their list of priorities- if they even made the cut at all.
They allowed the needs and issues of others to knock their own needs and preferences off the list. Most of these folks couldn’t even find 5 minutes to comb their hair, brush their teeth or put face cream on they were so busy doing and being for others… until the big sledge hammer of Life pounded them into the pavement.
Getting these folks to take just 5 minutes per day to put on body lotion began- without fail- a powerful wave of transformation. 5 minutes becomes 10… 10 turns into 20 and before you realize it, you’re getting healthy and becoming free. Self esteem begins to gain a foothold and all of a sudden you’re making healthier choices, placing yourself first and gaining traction in life -and healing.
Are there just a few short tips women can implement in their daily lives to help squeeze in a few minutes of self care each day?
Absolutely! Nothing has to be huge or a big investment in either time or money.
If you watch the news at night or work at a desk during the day, place a small bottle of quality lotion either on the TV table where you keep the remote or in the drawer of your desk and take one to two minutes to stop what you’re doing and apply lotion, mindfully rubbing the lotion into your hands and cuticles while thinking loving thoughts …your hands are important to so many, and deserve to be pampered. Do this daily.
Instead of drinking coffee drinks or sodas all day, carry a small thermos of pure water with you and have some of that on a break instead. The hydration will be great for you.
Buy some facial cleansing cloths, a small jar of moisturizer and a small plastic wash tub. Fill the tub with warm water and a bit of bubble bath or Epsom salt and soak your feet while you cleanse your face and neck with the cloths and then apply your moisturizer. Soak your feet for 5 -10 minutes and gently massage your face and throat while you do so.
After 10 minutes dry off your feet, add a bit of lotion and put on a pair of socks, dump out the water and you’re done!
Even just buying yourself a special bar of soap or a special coffee mug goes a long way toward conveying to yourself ‘Hey- I matter!’
You get the idea: it doesn’t have to be a big deal, but start doing SOMETHING each day to help you feel like you are at least getting placed somewhere back on your List of Priorities!
Once your inner self knows you are listening and you care, it will start revealing more and more ways to pamper yourself in ways that really matter- and you will find your frustration and stress levels declining. This can’t help but be a good thing.
And lastly, it’s imperative to stop measuring yourself by the yardstick of your Youth. The simple truth is: we grow better with age, not worse.
We must embrace how far we’ve come on this life journey and drop all the pop culture hype. We may not have the prowess we did in our 20s but who would really WANT to?
I have a quote on my desk that I read often, and oddly enough it’s from an old Oil of Olay ad.
I quote:
‘How could you know when you were 20 and impossibly sexy- and unable to imagine yourself otherwise, that time would teach you something. That age is not a loss but an exchange: of wisdom for youth, grace for foolishness, love for lust.’
Realize that you are fabulous right here right now- just as you are. The real beauty of life is it makes us REAL.
I really suggest that every middle aged adult get their hands on the child’s classic fairytale ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ by Margery Williams, sit down with a cup of tea or a glass of wine and read it cover to cover… really focusing on the words and the message.
Another great and important read for women is the classic masterpiece: ‘Gift from the Sea’ by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Both will turn your head around.
These may seem like silly things, but my Inner self has really been hammering them home to me lately, so I thought I’d share.
It’s time to BE Ladies- and there’s no time like the present!
So, take 2 minutes –and call me in the morning…
(for your convenience here are the links to both the Velveteen Rabbit and Gift from the Sea)
Velveteen Rabbit: http://amzn.to/oYUNAh
Gift From the Sea: http://amzn.to/nqGfKA
