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| Jacqueline Bisset |
of women in their 60s and 70s. And one, well into her 80s.
I see we're on a roll with this one. I'm enjoying the subject as much as you are, which brought me to the decision to plunge in once again and this time add my opinions on the subject.
Obviously there is no reason to point out which women unfortunately fell into the hands of a bad surgeon or a good one on an off day or she insisted on more than she should have. The evidence speaks for itself. In those cases I think it is so very sad to see one's face destroyed.
I have a friend in New York who had a facelift. The surgeon was one of the leaders of the pack in the city. They are/were friends socially. Prior to being wheeled into the operating theater he did the classic "line drawings" on her face to guide the procedure. She later found out it was not he, but one of his acolytes who followed the lines. Since that day she has not been able to completely close her eyes. When the wind blows down the city streets, tears pour down her cheeks.
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| Anouk Amiée |
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| Diahann Carroll |
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| Joanna Lumley |
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| Marisa Berenson |
It's probably next to impossible when one's face is her fortune, her career, her everything, not to try to "save" something from the past. Being beautiful may be a blessing, but it can also be a curse when one has built a life upon its ephemeral benefits. I'm sure we all know beauties who relied solely on that fleeting genetical "leg up" who have spiraled into despair when they see newer models taking their place.
A facade without a foundation is most definitely a slippery slope. I think every mother, father, aunt, grandfather, grandmother should tell little girls that beauty is the luck of the draw and, in their best interest and for all those they will meet and love throughout their lives they must be more than an empty shell. I believe girls should be encouraged to be kind, generous, educated, charming, thoughtful and principled. (I also think it's an excellent idea to have impeccable manners. There's a "leg up" if ever there was one. Boys too.)
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| Dame Maggie Smith |
All of this is to say, I think women should do whatever makes them happy, empowered and confident, assuming they are not taking dangerous risks. But, surgery is always a risk. Personally, I have a neck fund I'm building. I'll leave the rest of my face in peace and see how things work out. I figure as long as they stay below the chin I should be safe. No question about it, Nora Ephron had a point, the black turtleneck solution has its benefits, but one cannot live in a black turtleneck every-single-day-for-the-rest-of-her-life, and at some point it will ultimately have to be unrolled up to the ear lobes. (I'm just being honest.)
Two more points -- and let the criticisms roll on in -- puffy eyes and beige teeth. We must smile to look young, so do what's necessary to keep them as white -- without being ridiculous -- as possible. Let me remind you, I am a reporter and sometime social commentator, in this instance I'm simply repeating something I witnessed. When working with models on photo shoots, a couple of them took diuretics before they came in. They appreciably reduce puffy eyes. (So does watching one's salt intake and at a later date I will delve into natural puffy eye remedies, but I've already written too much today.)
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| Kathleen Turner |
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| Candice Bergen |
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| Cybil Shepard |
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| Barbara Hershey |
A couple of other observations: weight watching, without being obsessive is important; hair color must be kind not harsh. Bottom line, let's once and forever decide we want to look the best we can for our ages in whatever way we define that goal.
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| Betty White. Don't you want to grow up to be like Betty? (Or, maybe a Maggie Smith/Betty White combo?) |
As one esthetician I interviewed pointed out, "You can't stop the train, but you can definitely make the ride as pleasant as possible."
Just keep smiling and smiling and smiling.
