Two faces-poles apart

As I ponder the greying of my hair and whether I can cope without putting a colour in it . . . I thought about two imagines that appeared in the newspaper last week.

The first imagine below is of Margaret Olley (a painter I profiled last Wednesday) - her face is full of character and life. You can see the wrinkles, the aging skin, the spots - all of which she didn't attempt to remove through surgery or botox or anti aging creams. It really is an extraordinary face. But a face that is no longer consider ok. If you see a wrinkle or crows feet around your eyes you are told "to do something about it". Showing your aging in no longer considered the right thing to do. We (if you believe the media) want to look 20 forever. But what makes Margaret Olley stand out so much is that she looked her age, she was an old woman and didn't want to hide that from anyone (or herself). She has the face that God gave her. She didn't attempt to make it different. It takes a certain amount of courage these days to do this. I wonder in another 20 to 30 years if we will see this type of face walk around?



The second imagine is of Julia Roberts, an American actor who is my age.  Wow, if only I could look this good. I never will.  Nor does Julie Roberts.  This photo has been heavily airbrushed and all her wrinkles (yes, she does have a few) have gone.  This is the type of face that many women want when they reach their 40's— the face that women attempt to recreate by using plastic surgery, botox and spending millions of dollars on anti-aging creams.  And the tragedy is that we are striving for a face that is only fantasy, as a result we will always be disappointed.

What is really interesting about the imagine below, this ad will not be shown in the United Kingdom as the advertising body have decided that it has been "too airbrushed" and gives women the wrong impression of the product.  It will not remove all those wrinkles—don't break the illusion please!
Women are afraid of getting old and “pretending” not to be growing old by keeping their faces as young is possible. You can see this desire to remain young by the clothing that older women now wear, dressing more like their daughters than ever before. Only last night I heard on the news that one of our department stores (I think David Jones) is considering having a Botox store so whilst out shopping, you can stop by and have some wrinkles removed - all part of the shopping experience.

When looking at the two faces, who has the true beauty? God doesn’t want us to focus on outer beauty—outer beauty is only skin deep, it is what is under the skin, in our hearts that is important to God.  I struggle with this every morning when I put on my make-up or when I cover up the greying hair.  I don't want to get old, I like looking young, but at some point I need to decide - do I want an extraordinary like Margaret Olley that shows my life, or do I want a Julia Roberts face.  This is a very difficult question to answer right now.

A lady was once asked the secret of her beautiful complexion. She said, "I use truth for my lips; for my voice, prayer; for my eyes, pity; for my hands, charity; for my figure, uprightness; and for my heart, LOVE." These heavenly cosmetics are worthy of trial, and are supplied free to every applicant at the Throne of Grace. (link)



Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:30

~oOo~


Comments

  1. I might not always be happy with the way God made me, but I am happy to let Him take control of my aging process! If grey hair is a glory (or some such word) to old men, surely it can be for women too? =)
    love,
    Bets

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  2. I think aging in the way God created us to age is very dignified. Yes - to an extent it might make us feel undignified, but if we can just allow ourselves to age naturally, that shows that we are "happier in our own skins" more so than wearing revealing clothing when we're 100kg overweight.
    You are right, beauty is only skin deep, and if we wear a happy attitude or joyfulness and put on the love of God every morning when we wake up, instead of anti-aging creams etc, then I think people will see God in us and hardly noticing the effects of aging. The way we look doesn't matter as much as the way we act and the things we do for God's service.
    I won't be bothering with make up, cosmetics or surgery. I already have white hairs coming in... They can stay as far as I'm concerned. :)
    In Revelations, it says "His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in His strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. (Rev 1:14-18)
    Nothing wrong with white hair, at all! :)

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  3. Hi Jo,

    Interesting and thought provoking post, for this old lady, who does not often go out without the make up in place and who at the moment, cannot wait to get the grey hairs covered again. lol. I love the words shared at the end. Thank you for posting this.

    God Bless - Nita.

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  4. Nita - I also like my make-up and hair colouring and finding it hard not to colour my hair at the moment, I am sure I will weaken as I see more grey and white hairs.

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  5. I have to admit that I just don't feel quite "done" unless I have at least a little makeup on when I leave the house. However, the Botox and surgery are not anything I see in my future. The lines and marks people get tell of their experiences and I always find that so interesting in a person.

    Amy
    makingajoyfulhome.blogspot.com

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  6. Very interesting post. Though I'm only 27, I've thought of this quite a bit. My mother is an all natural girl. She does not wear make-up, does not color her hair, does not try and hide wrinkles, etc. I, on the other hand, wear make-up daily and have taken to highlighting my hair, as I miss the blonde hair I used to have when I was younger. I like to think, though, that I will stop at things like this and never do anything more major - botox, etc.

    Personally, I think that women have to find their own line in the sand. We should want to look our best, for our husbands, for ourselves, and to give glory to God. He gave us our bodies, and we should take care of them. We should not, however, obsess over them and alter them in unhealthy ways.

    That's my two cents, for what it's worth!

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  7. One of my uncles always says "this growing old business is not for sissies". He's referring to health issues, rather than appearance, but looking older is hard too. Thanks for this insightful post.

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  8. I am - what I am! I dont think I will ever have plastic surgery or any enhancement surgeries - thats just not me. I have been dieting (lost 27 pounds :) but I dont see me going beyond that for surgery or anything.

    Bravo for Australia for not publishing those altered images!

    Vicki

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