Truthfully, makeup artist/model-turned-cosmetic entrepreneur Cindy Joseph has already let us in on her biggest beauty secret by inventing BOOMsticks — 3 simple steps to looking glowing and gorgeous, not over made up.
But her Silver Cinderella story is inspiring for every late bloomer out there. She actually had a thriving career as a makeup artist that she was reassessing — what's next?, what's next? — when walking down the street, a scout was struck by her beautiful long silver locks and asked her to model for the new Dolce & Gabana campaign. Hence, her modeling career was born at age 49.
"It was weird," she admits. She had been used to making up famous faces like Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington, so "nothing computed. I was embarrassed." Turns out, she says,
I was more prejudiced about age from being in the business than they were."
Now nearly 60, Cindy has turned her focus to making her generation feel beautiful in their own skin, through makeup and attitude.
Cindy's 10 tips:
- Be Efficient – This is of course part of why she created the BOOM! By Cindy Joseph makeup line. "It's fine to spend all that time in front of the mirror when you're younger. You're getting to know your face and your body. Learn what works and move on. Later you're just wasting valuable time you could be enjoying elsewhere."
- Pare Down – "'Stuff' weighs you down. I say, [regarding clothing] if it won't fit in a hotel closet, get rid of it. I try to get rid of one thing every day, either from my kitchen, bathroom or closet. You'll feel lighter and freer."
- Jump Rope – "It's a great way to quickly clear your head and get the blood flowing. I keep one in the closet next to my desk. And I gave one to everybody for Christmas last year. Jump 100 times — push yourself — to get the endorphins flowing. Then back to the task at hand."
- Get a New Graph! – "Someone pushed this idea of life as a graph that moves up, peaks at about 40, then starts going down. Why? I prefer a graph in the shape of a V, moving upward and outward, like outstretched arms reaching and embracing more and more as your life continues."
- Change Your Vocabulary – "It's a myth, this idea that old means bad, and young means good. 'Young' means you've been here a few years and 'old' means you've been here for more years. What's wrong with that? Aging is just another word for living."
- Don't Be Afraid to Go Silver – Cindy prefers 'silver' to 'gray' (another vocabulary adjustment). She had been coloring her hair for 6 years, all the while, her kids and "younger boyfriend" were encouraging her to go au naturel. "The day I cut off the last of the color was the day I was approached on the street to model," she laughs, adding, "How is anyone going to know that age is happy and exciting and sexy and vital and enthusiastic if you're trying to cover it?"
- Accumulate Friends –This is what you should be gathering: good times and a shared history with people. This is where true riches lie.
- Find a Group Dynamic – "We are the generation of hippies and flower children who experiemented with living in communes and all that. But really, the concept of the 'nuclear family' was created in the post-war 1950s. Before that, all generation lived together. And, by the way, groups work the best when the women are happy."
- Adjust Your Focus – "Growing up in a patriarchal society, I felt pressure to set goals for myself. A big part of my life I've strived to be more success-oriented and productive — but it didn't always suit my nature. I discovered that at my core I lean towards being more pleasure oriented. My suggestion: take the time to find the things that you enjoy and your life will improve."
- Become You – "It takes a lot of years to discover your True Self. I have only been getting happier, healthier, sexier, wiser my whole life. Feel good in your skin. This society often puts a woman's value on her looks; men's are on their accomplishments. That's just make believe. As women age, they start being more authentic about who they are. (When I was younger, I was too insecure to trust myself.) Now I'm happy with, 'This is me now.'"
"Every age, every stage of life is good," she concludes. "As time goes by we learn more, experience more, become more. When we enjoy our whole life, we also set a great example for those younger than ourselves and give them a positive outlook on aging."
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