<p>My older D is very very pretty - the Barbie doll little turned up nose, blue eyes, great smile, generic Caucasian pretty. She never ever went through an awkward homely stage. I wonder on occasion what it must be like always be very pretty.</p>
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OMG, I have one, too. Whenever I’m plucking I wonder at what age I’ll stop and will someone else help me out.</p>
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<p>Oh momlive, my poor mother is living your worst fear. Her sister is 8 years younger; after the facelift the sister* does *look 10 years younger. So when they are together, people think my mother is her sister’s mom. Makes her crazy!</p>
<p>Yep. That is my worst fear! Fortunately, she lives across the country and I only see her every year or two, usually vacationing with our immediate family who all know what she’s like. Still…I am so not looking forward to this. I’m even contemplating fillers myself (something I wouldn’t have ever considered before). I don’t think of myself as a vain person, truly I’m not but this little situation has really gotten under my skin! I find myself obsessing about it way too much. If it was anyone but my sister, I wouldn’t think twice about it. I keep wondering what I did in my last life to deserve this. :)</p>
<p>Seriously, I know it’s not a big deal. As you said, getting older beats the alternative any day. At least I know my husband will always love me no matter what I look like. He’s definitely not the ‘trade-in your wife’ type.</p>
<p>Thanks for letting me vent. I feel better already!</p>
<p>My little brother is getting bugged that he’s being asked whether he is older than his brother who is 11 years older than he. Older brother dyes his think hair & younger brother’s hair is thinning. It really bugs younger brother.</p>
<p>Among us girls, it doesn’t bug me when folks ask which of us sisters is oldest & youngest. One of my sisters is 8 years younger & sometimes people aren’t sure which of us is older or younger. Don’t know if it bothers any of my sibs, but at least no one thinks we are mother/daughter.</p>
<p>Not over 50. over 60. Many feelings/interests change. Shopping for sure becomes more a chore than pleasant experience as most normal “exciting” events become boring. I believe that after 60 people are looking for some new entertainment as nothing “old” feels the same including looks with the same kind of attitude “who cares”, the important part is to have normal BP, blood sugar, maintain the same height (so no osteoporosis) and have great energy level and stay in the same size so that you do not need to shop for new clothes and can pick up from your D’s pitched clothes pile. If you care about these things, then your appearance does not change drastically anyway. If you realize that the more you exercise the better you feel and the better all these stats will be, then you feel pretty good. After all staring into mirror is also one of these things that are very boring after 60. If one does not forget to comb her hair in a morning it is good enough already, sets up your day in a right direction.</p>
<p>Is THAT why one of the 50 year old employees here always looks like she won a shopping spree at Forever 21?</p>
<p>I admit to have picked out a few pieces from the Ds’ pitched clothes pile, but almost everything has been casual shirts/t-shirts that I wear around the house and to work out. I did rescue a pair of expensive jeans, but I can’t bring myself to wear them (because I am always incredulous when I see ladies my age shopping for myself at that store.)</p>
<p>“Is THAT why one of the 50 year old employees here always looks like she won a shopping spree at Forever 21?”
-over 50 is sooooo long ago for me that I have no idea how I looked and what I feel at that baby age. My D. was so young at that age, she did not shop yet…and I definitely could not wear her kiddy’s clothes back then (it feels like centuries ago)…
I have shoped at Forever 21…exactly once in my entire life…and found exactly 0 pieces to buy, although my shopping probably lasted for about 5 min. D. does not shop there at all though, not for clothes, which are mostly bought on-line for the lack of time.<br>
You could not see me shopping at ANY store, as it is very rare occasion and most of the time it is on request from my D. basically to spend time together, and it is very very rare.<br>
Sorry for all dissapointment and misleading as I really do not belong on this thread, I belong on some dinosour thread…</p>
<p>Of course you belong…wait, this is a losing your looks thread…I’m not commenting on your looks - anyone who chooses to respond belongs. </p>
<p>I guess your D must dress more conservatively than mine…or you are shorter than your D; Ds’ cast off dresses, even if conservatively cut, are WAY too short for me to wear at my age.</p>
<p>No, no Miami, I’m right there with you in the “over 60” category! I have to say I haven’t hit the bored stage yet, though, although my interests certainly have changed over the years, and my daughter usually takes my cast-offs rather than the other way around- especially if it’s something very dressy and sparkly that I don’t wear anymore. I guess that I could say I have a “who cares” attitude about that. Comfort is king, now, although I do try not to look conspicuously matronly. </p>
<p>I also agree about the exercise! It gets the blood and oxygen flowing, and when I feel better I look better. I have found “new entertainment” that I never had time for when my kids were home. I love to walk my dog on the cliffs above the ocean and along the horse trails, meet my friends for drinks and to catch up a couple times a week, shop for interesting ingredients for suppers, tend to my plants and experiment with new ones, try to keep up with the orchestra concerts and plays that come to our city, and plan travel with my Dh. It all seems new and exciting precisely because there are no children to “dictate” the parameters of the day. ;)</p>
<p>^my D. is just much older and is very limited with her time currently, this is my quess. When she is up to shopping at all, her favorite is clearance rack at Banana Republic, I do not know who can afford buying clothes there at the regular price.<br>
In regard to loosing your looks, it is for people who pay more attention to mirror than me. I just do not remember most of the time to check it. Memory is more concern than looks, that is why I said that I belong somewhere else…</p>
<p>moonchild,
You are definitely having excting things in your life.<br>
I want to have “children to “dictate” the parameters of the day”, ones in a great while I am getting my wish and I am very excited to have my day under this “dictatorship”. But soon it will be less and less of it, grandkids will grow out of visiting us very soon and D. will get even more busy than now, and we do not like to travel even now, although when we do, we have great fun with all of them.<br>
OK, going back to a topic, my attitude towards looks is so much behind everybody else here, if my clothes is not covered by dry clay (from my only after work hobby) when I am out, it is a great miracle, changing them is hard to remember any more. Even my exercise clothes is covered by white clay dust as I go from one place to another and never change clothes unless I absolutely have to, like when I go to services.</p>
<p>I love clothes and shoes and still like to shop, but not as much as I used to. I think looking nice is fun. My workplace is business casual so I can wear comfortable, stylish clothes in bright colors. I can wear Tom’s shoes (which I love), JCrew capris and t-shirts with blazers. I also love jewelry and purses.</p>
<p>White clay dust, Miami? That sounds interesting- and even exciting! Please share!
I do agree that having the kids around is the absolute best, and lucky you to have grandchildren, but I have found my friends who are also empty-nesters to be pretty satisfactory substitutes, and they keep me engaged with life. Everything is just more fun with people you care about to share it with.</p>
<p>I am finding that my skin is not as elastic as it used to be, so am now having to use lotion/moisturizer, and am about to treat myself to my first (oops, no, second) facial.</p>
<p>I am diligent to have an annual physical and watch diet, cholesterol, weight, BP and all treatable and preventable causes of health problems. The reality is our bodies were not built to last forever, and things do start to break down with age.</p>
<p>I have to echo what others have said about keeping fit. I have gone up and down in weight over the years and it affects my looks a lot. Diet and exercise can do wonders at any age. I think I looked better at 45 than I did at 35 because I was in great shape. I am now trying to get back in better shape as my discipline has waned the last few years. Taking care of diet and exercise not only improves looks, but makes you feel 100% better. And as someone else also mentioned, I have seen elderly women who were absolutely stunning with beautiful eyes and bone structure!</p>
<p>^Exercise - You forgot the most important, it takes care of BP, blood sugar and height (if you do weights and spend time outside every day), and it also takes care of your mood.<br>
I do not know though if anybody looking good in mid 60s, if they care of course. But as abnormality, I read about female body buider champion who started training at 72 and looked absolutely gorgeous at 84 (swim suit picture). I do not think that everybody can do it, there is something “wrong” with her genetics and who knows what kind of drugs these people take, HGH is a possibility. Exercise is also the way to kill the time, especially if you can do it with your spouse, then it is like hourly mini vacation every evening.
Well diet is all different story, I cannot give up my sweets, especially chocolate and ice cream, do not care too much about other junk food though or any food much outside of fruits as they are also sweet.
Boy if I did not have my sweets, I would definitely be about 20lbs lighter…wow, talking about looks then…</p>
This is not necessarily true at all. There are many who exercise religiously (cardio and/or strength training) yet still have issues with BP, cholesterol, glucose, osteopenia or opsteoparosis, to name a few. Exercise alone does not cure genetic issues or possible side effects of other necessary medications.</p>
<p>Has anyone done anything about the little spider veins on their face? I went to a specialist who removed a basal cell cancer from my face. This Dr aside from specializing in a specific type of skin cancer surgery does mainly cosmetic procedures. She asked me if I was bothered by the veins and also by all the sun damage I have on my face and chest. The sun damage doesn’t bother me as much as the veins. She is going to give me some suggestions when I go in for my post skin cancer surgery appointment.</p>