Can we all stop fiddling with our smartphone filters and beautification apps for a minute? It’s time for a healthy heaping of irreverence, gratitude and common sense. First off, thank you to Spanx for creating shapewear arm tights that compress upper-arm dangle (but we’ve got it covered); New York Fashion Week for giving models over age 50 a record 10 runway appearances out of 2,601 (but you can do better); and France for passing a law stating all altered advertising photos must carry a “retouched” warning (but we know a fake when we see it — from a phony Chanel bag to a filler-enhanced face). Instead, here are 10 age-positive ways to start the holiday season.
1. Think of gray and white hairs as glitter. Blend in those sparkly strands with cool silvery or warm golden salon highlights. Ask for balayage — a free-form technique where highlights are painted on with a brush for an irregular root line — that looks natural and won’t leave a ring of regrowth at the scalp. And major bonus: Highlights around the face also brighten tired, ashy or sallow skin tones for a no-makeup-needed radiance.