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In 2023, four of the five performers Oscar-nominated for best actress were over age 40.
Design by Bella Geraci
Women in their 60s are nearly nonexistent, accounting for just 3% of major roles.
Its true thatmenopausal beauty is predicted to be bigin 2023.
Brands likeWomaness,Stripes,No.
Sonia Valencia
(Stripes Instagram biosums it up bluntly: Perimenopause and menopause solutions from scalp to vag.)
Where are the products that have the same flair as exciting new Gen Z brands?
This has become a personal question for me.
Tennille Jenkins
Still, Ive enjoyed figuring it out.
You look so good for your age!
commenters on TikTok gush, like Im supposed to resemble the Crypt Keeper at this point.
I do not feel old, despite what commenters may say on TikTok.
You look so good for your age!
they gush, like Im supposed to resemble the Crypt Keeper at this point.
Tennille Jenkins
But growing older hasnt eradicated everything that makes meme.
I havent become a drab robot because I now have a Roth IRA and bills to pay.
I still laugh at potty humor.
I still sing songs to my dog.
Britney Spears remains my idol.
My interests have held strong for the past 20 or so years.
Im a Disney Adult, for Gods sake!
So why, when I walk into a retailer, do I feel like Im already aging out?
I love beauty, perhaps even more than most 20-year-olds.
If were being honest, I benefit more from it too.
When women in the latter demographic are featured, it feels tokenized.
And theyre rarely smiling, because God forbid we see laugh lines.
And more often than not, I find that identity to be dull and stuffy.
I think theres a transition you’re supposed to make, right?
Your hair is shorter, [youre] supposed to dress more conservative.
That’s not me at all.
They spent time and money buying into what their favoritecontent creatorpromoted.
We have the money.
They want to look good and they just don’t know what to buy.
In the past few years, this blank space has occasionally been filled, often unintentionally.
Kosas concealer, for example, works well for someone who has lines and creases.
I love Kosas, says Emmy-nominated makeup artistGregory Arlt.
Its like skin care, basically.
Its a maverick brand for this age group.
I typically use foundation, but I’ll use it sparingly, says Arlt.
Because it can tend to look a little heavy on the skin if it’s the wrong texture.
I want you to see my skin from a mile away.
Jart+, andMakeup by Mariowhich incorporate skin-care ingredients in their formulas.
She also prefers products that make her routine easier.
I’m gonna be honest: I got lazier [with age], she says.
So the makeup routine has to be a little easy.
Shes still creating a look, its just not as intricate as it used to be.
Tennille Jenkins
Jenkins says she changed her routine because she became more confident in her skin.
I don’t want to look covered, I still want to see my skin.
I have a lot of moles, I’m going to see my moles.
Loving my skin made me back off of makeup being heavy.
Why Does Makeup Make Me Look Bad?
Brown, 65, has always championed the ethos of enhancing ones natural beauty.
And why did I look better when I [wore] less makeup?
You certainly look better without badly formulated makeup.
I personally don’t like traditional makeup.
She notes thatconcealers, in particular, can expose the things people are trying to hide.
It doesn’t look good.
It doesn’t make me look better.
I think I look worse.
They can add texture that we don’t necessarily want to see on our skin.
Typically, they dont feel seen when shopping for makeup, especially as aging women of color.
I walk in someplace and dont feel inspired by what I’m seeing, says Jenkins.
I don’t care that it’s not made exactly for me or with me in mind.
I want to see diversity of age in your branding.
It needs to be right in my face.
Jenkins wants to feel a connection to the products she uses.
When I go to socials, am I seeing the diversity of age?
That tells me a lot.
I want to see it in your branding.
I want to see salt-and-pepper hair.
And I think other people want to see it too.
The more that we see it, the more we’re going to have that confidence and acceptance.
It needs to be right in my face.
That’s what I want.
Everybody has a grandma, everybody has a mom.
Give people a chance to shine.
They’re going to be more confident within themselves.
A great start would be campaigns that include a variety of 40-plus women.
For now, though, I think Oprah has said it best.
