By Sharon Sinclair-Williams

I absolutely love reading blogs, probably why I ended up writing my own, but especially beauty blogs and I love that they are so diverse, but there is one problem. Why don’t brands think that us older consumers play a part in  their marketing strategies or that they want to work hard to capture us? If I’m going to buy a new serum or moisturiser then I really want to see how it looks on older skin and by that I don’t mean Helen Mirren!

Don’t get me wrong — I adore Helen Mirren — after all I featured her in one of my very first posts right here in Bbed.

However, she is 71 and I am 53 so there is a vast difference in our age and skin age. It’s a bit like comparing me to a 30 year old and never in a month of Sundays would I do that. So why then do brands think I want to see a photo in a blog or magazine of a 25  year old rubbing de wrinkling serum into their already wrinkle free and youthful skin? It’s crazy.

Back in February (2017) before I launched my blog I tweeted Elizabeth Arden UK to ask if they could point me in the direction of any 50 plus bloggers who had reviewed their Advanced Ceramide Daily Youth Restoring Capsules. I’d seen them in all my magazines that month and I had a renewed interest in  wanting to purchase. These little orbs of goldness don’t come cheap and I would’ve loved to hear what someone my age thought of them before I invested. But no — here’re the tweets from Elizabeth Arden ..

bbed-blog-beauty-products-tried-tested-elizabeth-arden

 Such a shame that the one demographic a youth restoring serum could really be targeted at seemed to be missing a pitch. Well I followed through with my side of the twitter bargain and here’s to me potentially being the first 50 plus blogger to review.

bbed-blog-beauty-tried-tested-elizabeth-arden-ceramide-capsules

From the first capsule this product made my skin feel almost lifted and definitely re-hydrated. I’ve only used 2 weeks worth so far so no-one has asked me have I had any work done. If I was looking 10 years younger then I think someone would be thinking ‘what has she done?’ But no, not so far. When I apply my foundation my base looks better and I feel somehow ‘set’ but soft and a little plumper at the same time. I don’t know if it’s all in my mind but I look brighter when I look at myself in the mirror. Maybe I should stop using them and see if I start shriveling back over, a bit like  Michelle Pfeiffer in the movie, Stardust. Yikes!!


IMAGE CREDIT: HTTP://WWW.THEMAKEUPGALLERY.INFO

Maybe this is what brands think we look  like in real life once we are over 40, eh?

I can tell  you we don’t. We come in all shapes and sizes just like we did in our other decades.  Watch this video from New York talent agency,  Iconic Focus. A Facebook group I’m in shared this recently and I felt really empowered by it.

It’s almost 4 minutes long but if you’re feeling like me then stay with it as there are some amazing women over 40 on it sharing their thoughts about this problem.

I don’t want to look 20 or 30, even 40 for that matter. If I can look 10 years younger than the skin I’m in that would be a bonus, but I just want to be the best version of myself I can be inside and outside and the sooner brands latch on to that then we will all benefit. After all, demographically don’t we have more freed up cash to part with at our age?

[Tweet “”I don’t want to look 20 or 30, even 40 … just the best version of myself” @BBEndDate “]

Please someone start marketing to us wisely.

P.S. I don’t know how this turned into a mini rant about brands waking up to the power of the grey pound or the silver dollar for our US counterparts but I just wanted to add that I think the golden lovelies will become a staple for me.

I’ll update when I’ve used them a while longer ?

IF YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH ME PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS. MAYBE I’M ALONE IN MY RANTINGS BUT SOMEHOW I THINK NOT. XOXO

This post first appeared on Best Before End Date and Sharon has kindly allowed us to republish it here. 

 

 

Pin It!

wrinkles

 

 

 

Sharon Sinclair-Williams is the midlife blogger behind Best Before End Date, Mrs Bbed. She’s 53 and lives in North East England. She started her blog as a space to talk about her views on midlife, what to do when your family is grown up and how you’re going to spend their inheritance. She talks about life as empty-nesters, travelling, eating out, beauty, fashion, issues she feels strongly about, family get-togethers and holidays that are still funded by the bank of mum and dad! She likes gin – a lot.

 

Last Updated on February 1, 2023 by Editorial Staff

If you liked this post, please share it!

Similar Posts