Shine On, Stars

I’ve been writing for a short while now and realizing with every new post that I really don’t think this blog is silly or frivolous.

Here’s my exchange with Anonymous, who is 40-something and edging toward frumpiness by her own admittance:

http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=26108851&postID=114650523129948728&r=ok

You know what it is, my dear and reverend friends?
It’s that men and women of the cloth should be anything but invisible. But for women especially, there’s the temptation to present as the non-threatening, comfy nurturing lady rather than the with-it, spirit-filled, camera-ready religious leader you need to be.

The world needs us. We should be immediately identifiable in a crowd as the people most fully inhabiting our bodies, spiritually realized, passionately present.
I know you can do that without a stitch of make-up and with orthopedic shoes on, but I know you can do it EVEN BETTER if you pencil in your eyebrows and are sporting some really kicking bit of apparel that makes you feel like a put together superstar.

3 Replies to “Shine On, Stars”

  1. Peacebang,

    You are doing a tremendous service to save ministry from frumpiness and drabness. I am now looking at all this in a new light. Thank you!

    As one who is well over 50, I am having to experiment more — I did go out and get some of the CG all-day Blush Pearl. You were right about the color, but it stayed on my lips for over 24 hours I couldn’t wash it off or cream it off and then it chapped my lips. What a mess. And waste of $$.

    But I press on — I’m really not a fan of shopping the cosmetics aisles, but you are right that we need to claim our beauty and step it up in the pizazz department.

    I’ll let you know when I’ve found some over-50 friendly cosmetics that aren’t toxic to our beautiful cells!

    ~ Seeking Sophia

  2. Sophia, oh NO! What a terrible mishap with the lips! Were you using the shiny topcoat to keep your kisser moisturized or was it just a bad formula for you?

    (of course PB loves it when her lipstick never EVER comes off)

    There is no special trick to over-50 make-up except to stay away from Bonne Bell and other brands with sparkles and glitter teen appeal. I think a lovely slate gray smudgy shadow, a nice mascara and pencil eyebrow, and then sheer on the cheeks and lips would be classy and elegant for special occasions. For day, just the mascara and cover up any blotchiness.

    Skin care is where it’s at after 50; you want to investigate ways to bring a freshness to the face that doesn’t involve powdery products that can settle into small wrinkles. I am also not a fan of deep plum lipsticks for the 50+ gal as I think it receeds the lips and brings out the marionnette lines or any jowls making an early appearance.

    White teeth and sheer berry lips along with fresh, dewy skin work wonders. We’ll work on it together.

    Meanwhile, moisturize!!

  3. I was using the lipgloss (and I still use it with other lipsticks. I think that older lips just don’t handle that kind of lipstick well. I tried some long lasting lipstick a couple years ago with similar results, not quite as bad. I was hoping that new formulas would be improved on this score.

    The night after I applied that lipstick, I had one of those insomnia attacks. I finally got up and putzed around a bit. When I turned on a light and looked in the mirror, I scared myself with this pearly glow on my lips — I looked like a ghost.

    So onwards and upwards. I’ll be looking around for other alternatives and will let you know what I find for older lips.

    ~ Seeking Sophia

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