Mäd Love: Balancing Beauty

Welcome to my blog!!

I am loving reading through all of your comments on my last couple of posts. And thank you SO much for sharing!

This week, I would like to continue FINDING THE BALANCE with the discussion focused on the sometimes uncomfortable conversation about beauty and aging.

I’ve been open and honest with you about my choice to not do any aggressive anti-aging procedures. My over-all attitude has been two things in particular:

LIVING CLEAN - I spend so much time and energy on eating clean. Organic, pesticide-free, non-GMO, non-hormone, etc. We have medial grade air-filters in our house to keep the air we breath as clean as possible. We not only filter our drinking water but also our bathing water. Carefully choose non-toxic and environmentally friendly cleaning products. Use alternative building products for our home, like toxic-free milk paint, wood stains and insulation. And the list goes on… Why in the world would I consciously shoot botulism into my face?! I’m very concerned about the long-term effects of fillers or implants. There have been so many reports of our bodies rejecting these things in different ways. Not to mention my basic fear of the procedure itself. I know that there are qualified doctors out there, but sometimes mistakes happen, and it’s just not worth the risk for me.

EMBRACING MY AGE - I’m very passionate about embracing our different stages of life and loving ourselves along the way. Who decided out there that looking twenty-years-old for the rest of our lives is the “ultimate beauty”? Was this invented by cosmetic companies to convince us of the need to wage a war against our own natural aging? Or is this some kind of a social judgement, that the younger you look, the more desirable you are? And don’t get me started on the messages that advertisers shove in our face every minute of the day. Is this why there is such longing and desperation to not see changes in our face or bodies when we look in the mirror? Our bodies continue to change throughout our lives. Our faces mature. It’s fascinating and a beautiful thing. I really hope to see more beautiful women over 40 (and especially over 60) featured on the covers of magazines and in our commercials. I long for women in film and television to be embraced for their “natural look” as they age.

I’m not in any way judging other people’s choice to get outside help in adjusting their looks. It’s their body and their choice. If it makes them feel good about themselves then I say go for it. But I would like to adjust the conversation. Examine our attitudes and judgements that are unnecessarily put onto women. Believe me, I struggle with the way film makers nowadays spend a lack of time and effort lighting actors. We’ve lost some pride in the “art of the image” due to time and money constraints. I cringe sometimes when I see a shot that makes me look worse than when I’m just simply walking down the street in my personal life. And I understand why actresses feel the pressure to “freeze their face” in order to avoid those unflattering cinematic mistakes. And yes, I hope that all of the DOPs out there hear me! Study Hitchcock please. He was brilliant at filming “edgy, moody” scenes but still lighting his actors beautifully.

Now don’t get me wrong, I haven’t thrown in the towel! I make an effort to stay healthy and strong. I want to give my body the best opportunity to function at it’s highest level. Keep my muscles lean and strong. My bones aligned and dense. My skin and organs working properly. Lots of rest and meditation to repair and replenish. And as a result, it slows my aging process.

I’m always asked about my beauty routine, so I’d like to share it with you here.

As we’ve already covered, my belief that a clean lifestyle is essential to looking and feeling good. As well as my happiness being a HUGE factor in my over-all health and stress reduction.

Beyond that, here are some things I do to stay film ready;

Routine facials, body scrubs and massage. Continuously exfoliating the dead skin cells through fruit acid peels or micro-dermabrasion (administered by my very knowledgable facialist) has kept my acne under control and boosted my collagen production. One of my favorite things to do with my daughter, Mina, is to get a monthly Korean scrub. You soak and steam to purge the toxins from your body. Then you’re scrubbed (within an inch of your life LOL) with silk mittens that roll those layers of dead skin away. You’re then finished with a hot oil massage. This traditional practice is a sure bet to drain your lymphatic system and one of the most relaxing and enjoyable treatments.

I’m also very particular of what products I use on my face. Whether it’s my skin care routine or the make-up used by various film/television/print make-up artists. I’ve been loyal to a skin care line by ‘Jan Marini' for about a decade now. The cleanser and serums have not only controlled my acne but improvement my skin’s texture. The make-up lines called ‘Laura Mercier' and 'Chantecaille' have been staples of mine throughout the years. My skin is very sensitive and I’ve had very bad reactions to products in the past. These lines have a beautiful look with clean ingredients. **Please note, I am in no way endorsed by these lines. I’m just sharing with you because I love them.

I would love to hear what routines you have, and what products you use, to enhance your BALANCED BEAUTY…

Blog here.

XOXO - Mäds