After months of struggling to come to terms with the idea, my aunty recently made the big decision to go el naturale with her hair. I’m not talking about growing big bushy underarms, rather the almost as socially shunned choice to put the dye bottle away and accept her hair for what it is - grey.
Don’t get me wrong. I do understand the desire to cover this very visible tell-tale sign of ageing - dyeing hair does seem somewhat easier and less severe than getting Botox or surgery - but why does society feel a constant need to cover up our signs of ageing?
Model Cindy Joseph is asking the same question. Age gets such a bad wrap. Women are smarter, wiser, and more confident as they confront menopause, but we still want to look like we’re in our childbearing years. Why?”
Despite having a full head of silver hair”, 61-year-old Joseph has appeared in ads for Garnier, , and . In fact, she has had grey hair through her entire modelling career that was launched 13 years ago.
I’ve never had Botox, never had plastic surgery. If I was ever tempted, I’d spend the money on a psychiatrist instead,” laughs Joseph.
Joseph isn’t the only older woman getting modelling work. American Apparel has just announced it is hiring seasoned” model Jacky - with frown lines and loose neck skin to boot - as the face of its new ad campaign.
There was something so compelling about Jacky’s look and energy when we spotted her in a New York restaurant this winter that we introduced ourselves and pulled up a chair,” says the clothing brand’s Facebook page.
While we’re constantly hearing about the need for real size” models, it seems there’s now also a call for age appropriate models. Baby boomers are shunning products marketed to 20-somethings and are instead looking for models that portray a more glamourous version of themselves.
Although this sentiment is definitely beginning to be adopted throughout the beauty industry with brands like Olay naming Rebecca Gibney their new face and Jane Fonda’s inclusion on the L'Oréal Paris dream team – there still continues to be a lack of mature faces on the beauty scene.
Do you think there is a need for more mature models fronting beauty campaigns? Would you rather see someone more seasoned” in beauty campaigns for products targeting an older woman?
