Episode Transcript
Speaker 0
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Speaker 1
Welcome to this is perimenopause, the podcast where we delve into the transformative journey of perimenopause and beyond. I'm one of your hosts, Michelle.
Speaker 0
And I'm your other host, Michelle. And we know firsthand how confusing, overwhelming, and downright lonely this phase of life can be.
Speaker 1
Join us as we share real life stories and expert advice to help you navigate this journey and advocate for your best health.
Speaker 0
We used to think menopause signaled an end, but really, it's just the beginning. I am so excited for you to hear today's episode. I can't even begin to tell you. Today, we are talking with Andrea Clare, host of the Fuck You Fifties podcast. I mean, come on. The name of her podcast tells you everything you need to know about Andrea's unapologetic, fierce, no bullshit energy. Andrea Claire has spent over three decades as a makeup artist and licensed hairstylist working behind the scenes in an industry that is obsessed with youth. She's done celebrity makeup, red carpet events, and TV makeovers. But somewhere along the line, she got fed up with the double standards, the ageism, and the outright lies being sold to women. Through her podcast, the fuck you fifties, Andrea is leading a full scale rebellion against the ageist beauty standards that profit from our insecurities. She's the beauty insider who's shutting down gray hair shamers, exposing the antiaging makeup scams, and helping us to redefine what it means to age powerfully and beautifully on our own damn turn. This badass rebel is burning down every beauty rule that ever made you feel less than amazing. So put on your bright red lipstick, throw on some leather, and buckle up because today's episode is going to blow your mind. How are you doing?
Speaker 2
I'm great. How are you doing? We're so excited. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited.
Speaker 0
Well, like, when Amy told us about your podcast, I immediately downloaded and listened. It's just so good. And just to hear your guests and talking about beauty, and we wanted to talk about beauty because who in like, every woman wants to talk about this topic, and I just found so many of your conversations with your guests. You just had such a different take on things. And I was like, wow. Like, not what I was expecting a beauty expert to be her position or what you're talking about. So I think this is gonna be a really fun conversation. And we've already had a fun conversation.
Speaker 2
It's true. We have. I'm but I'm I'm curious. What what, what was your expectations, like, knowing that I was a beauty expert when you started listening to my podcast?
Speaker 0
I just thought I was going to learn what I was doing wrong in my fifties and how I could, you know, do better with my skin or my makeup or like, I was really surprised that one that one comment where you talked about the fact that all of this, like, changing your makeup in your forties, fifties, beyond was bullshit. Yeah. And, like, you don't need to not wear sparkles or not wear like, just do you. A hundred percent. And I was like, oh, I I I will have to take it down, but I had written a blog. Like, the mistakes you're making make you look Oh.
Speaker 2
I love that I've inspired you to take that down.
Speaker 0
Yeah. Mikhail, make a mental note.
Speaker 1
Well and and same ditto. Right? I just, I've got I think we all have a lot of assumptions about what should and shouldn't be happening Yeah. Vis a vis how we present ourselves at a certain age and fuck that.
Speaker 2
Yeah. I kinda think I like that. I I honestly, I feel like it's all up to the individual, right? I mean, it doesn't matter how old or young you are. Like, if you're a makeup person, you wanna wear a lot of makeup and do your hair to the nines, you know, like, absolutely do it. And if you're not that person, don't do it. Like, there's kind of like, there's no rule, right. And I feel that our, like, my industry has been like, constantly pushing these, like, rules and follow this follow that. And honestly, I feel like even from the, like, early part of my career, I've been kind of like, fuck this. Like when I've, I've done media interviews where they're talking about like, what's the latest trend? Like, what's the trend for lipstick down? I always kind of followed it a bit of an awkward question to answer because yeah, sure, we see color trends and whatever, of course. But that doesn't necessarily mean that we need to follow them.
Speaker 0
Yeah. Just because aubergine is, like, the lip color, it doesn't mean that I can pull it off.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, I could go on forever.
Speaker 1
We hope you do. So maybe and I was thinking as you were talking, Andrea, for our listeners who don't know who you are and about your podcast, could you give us a little background about how you got started in the business and why you started your podcast?
Speaker 2
Yeah. Absolutely. Okay. So it's a bit of a long story, and I'll try to be succinct. It's hard for me to be succinct. So, so my name is Andrea Claire. I'm a hairstylist and makeup artist, which means I have a licensed, license to do hair. Not everybody that does hair and makeup in my industry has a license.
Speaker 1
Sorry. Can we sidebar? What does that mean, having a license to I had no concept of this.
Speaker 2
Yeah. So, it also is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. I I guess I can't speak for other provinces, but I believe across Canada, you have to have a license to do hair. Right? So Oh. I I did, like, a a government, test in order to get my hairdressing license.
Speaker 1
I did not know that. Interesting. Did not know that either.
Speaker 2
Well, you know, what's interesting is so I lived in Singapore for fifteen years. And in Singapore, you don't need to have a license to do hair. I ended up fixing so much hair. Like, I had I had clients, like, literally, like, new to me just calling me crying. Like, I just had my hair screwed up. Can you fix my hair for me? And and it's it's always a pet peeve. Like, you have to have your license.
Speaker 0
Yeah. Understood. I just didn't now I gotta check up my stylist.
Speaker 2
Well, I'm sure your stylist here does. I mean, they're pretty strict. And I do know some people that have kinda slid through the radar, and they don't get their license. But then the government, at least in Ontario, they will send people around to do license checks. Let me skip back to what what you know, the task at hand. So my name is Andrea Claire. I am a hairstylist and makeup artist. I have been freelancing, for probably close to thirty years now I've been in the industry for over thirty five. I am fifty four years old just turned it this past March. I have worked on like celebrities red carpet, I used to be on makeover shows I was on So Chic with Steven and Chris. I was on the styling gypsies, and I've done, like, a bunch of other, like, kind of TV stuff. The reason why I started doing this podcast recently called the fuck you fifties. Yeah. I was just kind of fed up with the you know, once you once women get to be a certain age, we are kind of, I mean, I hate the cliche saying, but put out to pasture, so to speak, you know, and I think too, because like coming from Gen X, right, we were had a huge voice and whatever, like Gen X is probably one of the last best generations, you know, heiress, I feel
Speaker 1
no bias, but
Speaker 2
not men whatsoever. But I feel that it's, you know, there's a lot going on in advertising and things being sold to us as Gen xers. And I feel like all these advertisers kind of have followed us, and they're they're selling, like, like, creams and, like, vitamins and, you know, just these these concepts that for for the most part, I feel like they're a lot of bullshit. Right? And having to kind of filter through all that to try to figure out what's bullshit and what's not. And that's kind of what I wanted to do with my podcast.
Speaker 0
Which I love. I used to say throw the word antiaging on any product, and I will buy it. Like, for sure. I'm like, oh, wait. What? Yeah. I need that. Yeah. But I don't. And this is happening now with menopause too. It's a thing called meno washing, that, you know, they slap the word menopause solution, fix this, and yeah. So here we are.
Speaker 2
So It it's all frustrating. Yeah.
Speaker 1
Charge fifty percent more, and there you go. It is frustrating. So aging. Can we talk about gray hair? Because this is for a while, I thought I would just let my hair go naturally gray.
Speaker 0
Oh, yeah. You did. We had that gray haircut picked out too in Chicago.
Speaker 1
I know. We had this gray haircut picked out, and then I totally backed away from it. So can you talk a little bit about or what's your take on the the gray hair, you know, natural beauty? Is that is that something you think society is maybe actually embracing, or is that just a trend that's kind of of the moment?
Speaker 2
I definitely think it's a trend of the moment, but I feel like it's gonna I feel like it's gonna stick. Okay. I feel like in general, like, we need to do things that we are more comfortable with, right
Speaker 0
Mhmm.
Speaker 2
Overall. Gray hair, I think that if you look in the mirror and you don't care about your gray hair, but then you go for lunch with a friend and your friend cares about your gray hair, I feel like then the problem's with the friend.
Speaker 0
Not you. Fair.
Speaker 2
Right? And I feel it's really beautiful and it's a pattern that's kind of individualized. You know, it's very unique, almost like a zebra, you know, or your like our fingertips, you know? And again, I think it's a bit something that you that you want to do, then I think that you should just do it. I feel like too many people have an opinion, and that bothers me so much. As a hairstylist, I've had people come to me, and they're like, oh, what do you think? Does my gray hair make me look old? I always throw it back to them, like, how well, how do you feel about your gray hair? Oh, and honestly, most women are like, oh, I'm not bothered by it. I actually are like, I quite like it, or I don't really think about it. But it's like, my mother says I should color my hair. My neighbor says I should color my hair. I went for lunch with a friend. They said I look old with my gray hair. And I will always say the same thing. I mean, I guess you can't get a new parent, whatever. But I when when it comes to friends, I'm all dream. Yeah. Yeah. I I when it comes to friends, I always just say, like, maybe you just need a new friend.
Speaker 0
Mhmm. It's funny though. My neighbor, he he told me this story years ago. His mom went to the hairstylist. She was, like, eighty years old, something, in her eighties. And she's like, I think I'm gonna go gray. And the stylist was like, oh my god. I love it. That's perfect. You'll look ten years older overnight. And I was like and, like, it's really stuck with me. Like, I'm like, I'm full of gray, and I that to me, I'm like, I don't know. I'm, like, I'm I guess my I'm not evolved enough. I'm I'm hold I'm white knuckling my youth as as long as I can.
Speaker 1
You mentioned I was just gonna say you meant so you worked in in Singapore. Having lived in Asia, did you see a difference culturally in the context of aging there versus here in North America?
Speaker 2
I feel there's more respect in Asia that I definitely see. I feel here, you see a lot of people that are impatient with the older older generation. Mhmm. And in Singapore, I didn't really find that.
Speaker 1
And did that translate, do you think, in terms of beauty?
Speaker 2
Like, in the younger generation, they do a lot of, like, treatments, like facials and and, you know, spa treatments and skin care. Of course, we see a lot of, like, Asian beauty for sale here, more as of late. Mhmm. And so I feel like the younger generation is big on skin care. I can I I kind of feel like I can't really speak about the older generation? Oh, interesting.
Speaker 0
And and so so if I had started earlier in my teens or my twenties taking better care of my skin because I was like the put on the makeup, go out, come home, go to bed, maybe wash my face the next day. Maybe. And, like, now I wonder, like, should I have been doing facial? Should I have been taking better care of myself than does that do you think that that makes any difference?
Speaker 2
Definitely. I do think it makes a difference. The other thing is, like, the eastern versus western culture is we like the sun, and we like to go out into the sun. Whereas eastern culture, they like to put on the sun screen. I always kinda joked around saying that you would see more umbrellas in Singapore on sunny days and rainy days.
Speaker 0
Oh, serious? Do you know, Andrea, Michael and I went to Hawaii together years ago back in our twenties. And at the end of the Mikhail does not go in the sun. She sunscreens, big hat, like, all the protection always, and I baked. And at the end of the trip, there's a picture of us, and I look like fifteen years older than her. Like, it's disgusting. And I was like, oh my god. I've gotta stop. This is not not good.
Speaker 2
You're like, ugh. I should have been wearing the sunscreen and the big hat.
Speaker 0
Yeah. Big realization. Andrea, has your relationship with makeup changed?
Speaker 2
You know, it's what I do for a living, so I would say no. I think my relationship with makeup has changed when I was a teenager to now. You know, when I was in high school, it was the eighties, and I wore tons of makeup. And and I was a bit of a punk rocker. And I would, you know, shave part of my head and, you know, whatever. And awesome. And yeah, yeah, it was a lot of fun. I do miss that. But I think I could not pull it off now. I'm I'm always on top of kind of the products that are new and everything. So I would say, yeah, it's like, it's what I do for a living. So I feel like that my relationship hasn't changed with makeup. I still have too much.
Speaker 0
Yeah. What is your like, I guess you've got the makeup case for, like, your clients and you that's that's also your jam. Like, that's what you use for yourself as well.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Exactly. I I sometimes will buy something separately for myself, but it always ends up going in my kit because I won't buy two of one thing. And and I'm also very lucky, like I have some brands that will send me gratis, which I love. And, and, you know, we don't see that as much anymore. Since the whole influencer thing has kind of come out, we don't really see a lot of gratis for pro makeup artists and hairstylists anymore. They tend to really push to the influencers, which again, I understand from a commercialism standpoint, but they don't really have the education that they don't really get to know what the ingredients are. So they don't, they just kind of push it. And it's like every day is different. They're like, this is my favorite mascara. And then the next day, this is my favorite mascara, and it's different than the day before. It's like, there's zero consistency. So I feel like how can how can consumers trust what an influencer is saying when they're just full of shit and selling something?
Speaker 0
It's funny you say that. I'm reading a book. I just started it, and it's about this and it's about an influencer. And her sister goes into her cupboard, and it's, like, all this product that she's been pushing and saying this is her favorite, and it's still packaged. Like, it's not even like, she hasn't even opened it. And I I mean, it's fiction. It's it's just a a novel. But
Speaker 1
But is
Speaker 2
it I don't know.
Speaker 0
Like, I was like, oh, you know? Yeah. Seriously, though. There's a thing. Yeah. Interesting. Is there an do you have any favorite products?
Speaker 2
Yes. I do. And it would probably take me forever to list them all off, but I would say, for skin care, I really love Dermalogica and QMS many cosmetics. Those are my two favorite skin care brands. They are pharmaceutical grade ingredients, which I'm always gonna kinda go towards.
Speaker 0
Yeah. Tell us tell us what that means. What does that mean if it's pharmaceutical grade?
Speaker 2
So pharmaceutical grade just means that the ingredient is a bit more active. So you're gonna see you're gonna see more of a benefit for your skin. Whereas if you just buy something that has, like, you know, just maybe mild hydrating, you know, activity to it, then you'll get, like, a little bit of glow and a little bit of hydration. Whereas the pharmaceutical grade ingredients are actually made to kind of decrease pigmentation, add more, like, in-depth hydration that gets into the, you know, lower layers of your skin, you know, really does truly help to kind of minimize fine lines, like, things like that. Like, things that you really wanna target, pharmaceutical grade ingredients will do that. It's not a Band Aid product. It it does actually have ingredients that work over time to benefit the skin.
Speaker 0
And so, like, worth the extra money?
Speaker 2
It is worth the extra money. And, honestly, even like a concentrated hair product, like, a concentrated hair product, like when you're buying a better skin care product, you need less amount. Mhmm. Because it's just concentrated. Although I tend to slather myself. I've even had brands where it's like, I like, the odd time I do, like, a video and I'm putting products on and then they'll PR personal message me, Andrea, you can use less moisturizer. I'm like, I know, but I just love it.
Speaker 0
I love it. I love it. Oh my god. I love this.
Speaker 2
You know, and on on the subject of moisturizer, I have to say, like, one of the things that women tend to forget, not even just women, I guess, men too, because some men use skincare. But, as you're getting older, we tend to neglect our necks.
Speaker 0
Mhmm. Mhmm.
Speaker 2
So that is something that you need to remember that your face doesn't start at your jaw or stuff doesn't end at your jawline. So your cream if you care about skin care, like, honestly, there's some people that don't really care about it. They're like, I put on my sunscreen and that's all I need, and that's also fine.
Speaker 0
And and you're yeah. I have one more question about this and then I we have to move on. But so do I put on sunscreen then moisturizer? Like, is there like, is do I put like, is there a formula, like,
Speaker 2
that I should be There is. And your sunscreen is your last skin care before makeup.
Speaker 0
Okay. Okay. And do I have to wait a few minutes? Like, do I put my face cream on and then wait a few minutes and put my eye cream on and then wait a few minutes and, like
Speaker 2
So, you know, it it's interesting because there there's two school of thoughts of that, and it even is mixed messaging from brands because some brands will say, yes, wait, but some will say no that it starts absorbing right away. I would say I probably just kinda continually layer the products on. And then before I start makeup, I'll give it a little bit to absorb a bit before I put makeup on.
Speaker 0
Okay. Thank you. Wait till you see me tomorrow, Mikael.
Speaker 1
Can't wait. It's gonna be awesome. It's gonna be awesome. I've gone to have some, like, more heavy duty makeup done in recent years for an event, for an example. And I look amazing in the chair. And then I walk outside, and ten minutes later, like like, there's creases happening, and and and the reality is I'm often, and no offense to this younger generation, but the women doing this makeup were a lot younger than I was. And I I would wonder afterwards, oh, did they not, you know, take into account that I've got more wrinkles, more like, are there are there are there those elements that we should be considering?
Speaker 0
Great question, Rick.
Speaker 2
That is a really great question. So my my opinion is if you're going to have a makeup artist do your makeup for an event, get a makeup artist who actually works on events. People that work at counters sell product, and they're gonna put on so many layers of makeup on your skin
Speaker 1
Right.
Speaker 2
Because they also want to sell, but that's also how they've been trained, right? So no offense to how they've been trained, but that's how they're trained, right?
Speaker 0
Where do we find these women that
Speaker 2
Google. Depending on where you're where you live, there's agents, like, I'm represented by an agency. So just because because I honestly, like, I've even had neighbors where they're like, Oh, I didn't know that I could get you to do my hair and makeup, because I thought you only worked on celebrities and you know, whatever. And it's like, No, I do I, I'll do everything, you know. So so yeah. So Google would be a good thing. Always ask to see somebody's portfolio. Right? You don't you're not always gonna have the time to be able to, go and have a consult with them, but you could also do a consult or I mean, now we have this, right, where you could just jump online and see somebody online, especially if it's a if it's a bigger event. Right? But but, yeah, I would just kinda be mindful of of where you're going. It's interesting because I've had younger makeup artists that have reached out to me saying, oh, like, help I and younger, I mean, like, in their, like, mid to late twenties. And they're like, oh, help. I I have somebody in their early forties, and they want their makeup done, and I don't know what to do. And part of me is like, the bitchy part of me wants to be like, well, then you shouldn't be doing makeup if you don't know what to do. But it's also, I feel I feel like when I was younger, I feel like, and of course, this is me, like, you know, looking back and thinking it was amazing. But but as I was
Speaker 0
As you were.
Speaker 2
But I I feel like I kind of knew, but I also worked on on set and, you know, you're in uncontrolled lighting, generally speaking. Right? So and that's how you want your makeup done. You want it done for uncontrolled lighting because you're gonna be in different lighting situations. And you don't wanna have too many layers on. But that's also sorry. I feel like I'm all over the place with this answer. But that's also I mean, whether you're, like twenty or thirty or forty five thousand and sixty it for anything, you don't want to have too many layers of makeup on when you see people, influencers, sorry, you know, I don't love influencers. Influencers are people that are selling makeup, they they just pack it all on. There's a lot of situations where somebody doesn't even need foundation.
Speaker 0
I want to be that person, but I've got red all over my face.
Speaker 2
So there there's color correctors too that you can use. There's actually one it's hard to tell, to be honest, Michelle, because you're you seem a bit, like, softly filtered.
Speaker 0
It's my it's my light.
Speaker 2
I don't know if your lens is dirty or if that was on purpose.
Speaker 0
A bit of both.
Speaker 2
You're like, there's just a bit of Vaseline on my lens. Oh, my God, I'm gonna
Speaker 0
try that.
Speaker 2
But, there's a product by Doctor. Jart. It's their tie I think it's the Tiger Grass line. There's another word in there. It's, sick a pair. Oh, I'm probably saying it wrong. But it's to cancel out redness. Jones Road Beauty, I love so it's Bobbi Brown's new line, and I I love her, what she call it, the WTF foundation? Or I think it's, like, w t,
Speaker 0
like, the I think it is WTF.
Speaker 1
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2
Yeah. And I noticed I haven't tried it yet, but they've launched a, like, a sheer tint recently, so I have to get that to try.
Speaker 0
All of that I I love everything Jones Beauty, Mikael and I both do.
Speaker 1
Is there one is there one product you'd recommend, you know, women in their forties and fifties try given, you know, their changing skin, I guess. Right? Not to look different to a younger.
Speaker 2
So my my favorite moisturizer that I use on everybody is Dermalogica skin smoothing cream. And that I find is kind of game changing for a moisturizer.
Speaker 1
Yeah. So good investment piece.
Speaker 2
It's a good investment. Yeah. I would say, like, if you're need to invest in, like, one product, that would be that would be a thing for me.
Speaker 1
And is there And I Sorry. Go ahead. Sorry? I cut you off too.
Speaker 2
I was just gonna say the other thing that that I had learned from them, and I believe it's a it's a Japanese kind of tradition. But, anyway, it's like the double cleanse. So when you wash your face, you wash your face twice.
Speaker 1
Okay. We need to know more about this.
Speaker 2
So it's like the double cleanse. So when you when you wash your face, you wanna wash your face two times.
Speaker 1
And why is that?
Speaker 2
The first time kinda loosens up all the all the dirt and grime. I mean, sounds like we're old mud wrestling, but, we're not. And then the second one just kind of helps to kind of push it that extra bit. And the other thing that you wanna watch for is when you wash your face, your cleanser should not feel like, your face should not feel dry and pulling afterwards. And if it is, then your cleanser is too strong for you.
Speaker 0
Interesting. And so we use the same product just twice?
Speaker 2
Yep. Exactly.
Speaker 0
Okay.
Speaker 2
The the other thing that I highly recommend, and I I, I haven't been able to find a good person here as of yet, but peels, facial peels. So go to a dermatologist and get peels done. And there's so many different kinds, because there's, like, the lactic acid, which I think is the best kinda one for me. I have
Speaker 0
a I have a selfish question. I always have a selfish question for my guest, but my brother-in-law is a pilot, and he's now on route to Korea, at least once a month. And so he's like, I can get you I can get you Korean beauty products. What do you want? What do you need? And I'm like, I don't even know. Is there do you is there something?
Speaker 2
You know what? I I wish I knew more about all of the different brands that are there. Like, there's there's the face shop, which is Korean.
Speaker 0
Okay.
Speaker 2
But there's also a brand from Singapore that you could get there called Skin Inc. Oh, you know what?
Speaker 0
When I was researching that, I found that one. Is it amazing?
Speaker 2
It's amazing. So they have this, Oxy Recharge bubble mask, and I I love that. So I I would get him to give you that.
Speaker 0
Okay. Well, this is great. Thank you.
Speaker 1
Is there anything you commonly see or you would say that, women buy and they're wasting their money on, especially in our demographic?
Speaker 2
Yes. I would say permanent makeup tattoos, the worst.
Speaker 1
Tell us about that.
Speaker 2
Yes, Michelle. Michelle, I love that you keep raising your hand.
Speaker 0
I know. I have so many questions.
Speaker 2
Okay. So there's an there's a number of reasons why I'm I'm not a fan at all of the permanent makeup tattoos. First of all, I just think why commit to something on your face, Right? Secondly, it is tattooing. So you don't know if you're gonna keloid. So and you know, the keloid is that bumpy scar, like a three-dimensional scar. Right? So there is a possibility that you're gonna risk keloiding on your face. Nobody wants that. The other thing is, as we age, our face changes, so you're gonna get, like, a permanent tattoo that is going to shift. Also, sun's gonna change the color. So I just and I honestly, I feel like it makes people look older. So if you're thinking like, I've had people that have said to me, Oh, well, it's hard for me to see because my eye like, my eyesight's going and and, you know, again, back to my, like, to each their own. But if you're asking my opinion, I would say avoid it.
Speaker 1
What do people get tattooed on their face? I'm not real real versed
Speaker 2
in this. Honestly, they've had lip liners, they do eyeliners.
Speaker 0
How? Can we dive on the eyeliner? Like, is it like like, how are they how are they not piercing your eye?
Speaker 2
So it's usually, like, right at the lash line. Right? So I remember years ago, I had a woman I was doing a shoot for, like, the bay or something. And this woman comes in, and she has eyeliner on, and it's not connected to her eyelashes. It's kind of like this weird floating eyeliner. And I didn't say anything. I just grabbed a Q tip and I grabbed some makeup remover and I'm just chatting with her and I'm trying to remove it and it's not budging. And then she's like, Oh, are you trying to take off my eyeliner? And I said, Oh, yeah. She says, Oh, it's permanent. And I'm like, Oh, wow. I'm so glad that I didn't say to her, well, it's done horribly. And it's not like, it's not even at your lash line. And, anyway, it was just like, oh, okay, so I had to kind of try to hide it and, you know, fill it in. So that's the other thing too. You could get somebody that does it, that doesn't do a great job. I've had women that have told me like, Oh, I'm just lazy. I just rather, but I'm like, you look like you have Sharpies drawn on your eyes.
Speaker 0
Try not to be that lazy, ladies. Wow.
Speaker 2
I have to be very careful though too because so many people get it done. And then and then I've I've done talks where I'm speaking to a roomful of people, and so I I end up looking up at the because I I'm afraid to make eye contact with anyone. So I look at the ceiling.
Speaker 0
Yeah. I feel like
Speaker 2
I wanna find anyone out, man.
Speaker 0
Wow. Interesting. I don't think it works for me. Andrea, what is the one mistake or maybe there's more than one mistake, but what's a mistake that women are making when they're trying to look younger?
Speaker 2
Eyelash extensions.
Speaker 0
Oh, fair. Tell us more.
Speaker 2
Oh my god. They're so bad. So I shouldn't say that. I've had them done, and I've liked them. But sometimes people get them done where they're looking like they're being attacked by killer spiders. So let's try and avoid
Speaker 0
that. The big caterpillars.
Speaker 2
Again, I'm like, some people just don't own a mirror at home. You know, like, sorry, now I sound like a total bitch. But No. It's true. Yeah, I mean, they can be really beautiful. You know, when you get if you get eyelash extensions, you want to get them where they're done in layers, right? So some people get them done where they're kind of like, like a few different clusters. But then if you drop a cluster, then you have a big space. You know, and so you want to get them individually. I mean, in Singapore, they called it the Japanese method. I don't know if that's the Japanese method, really, but but, so you want to get them like individual, so they put them in layers, and you want it to go from inside out shorter to longer. And you don't want it to be dramatic. Like, sometimes it's hard for me not to stare like I'll be in like, I don't know, winners or something. And someone's in line. And I just wanna say like, my just my please. Although, to be honest, when I'm out in public, you know, it's like just running errands. I'm in yoga pants, no makeup, and my hair is in a messy topknot. So sometimes I'll make a joke, and I go go in the supply store to get some hair color. I'm like, here I am. You're the expert. Like, looks like a bag of shit, but it's fine. I'm sure not.
Speaker 0
Thank you. Thank you for that.
Speaker 1
On that bag of shit comment, I think it ties into, you know, as we age, I think we start to feel invisible or, you know, we're you notice that and and this is changing certainly in in Hollywood and and in that industry where women over the age of forty are actually getting prominent roles and winning awards, and and that's all wonderful. But I think that concept of women feeling like I'm done, I'm over, is something everybody understands at least in in this age. Has that been your experience in the beauty industry? And how have you how do you how do you help women push back on that or or not feel that way?
Speaker 2
Great question. I do feel that it that's huge in the beauty industry. I honestly I don't know if it's my age or if it's because I'm very outspoken, but I don't get invited to many beauty events anymore. And I my workload for shoots have dropped a bit. Now the industry itself is suffering here because of politics and whatnot, but I have been told to stop telling people my age. I was told told that about a year or two ago. Really? And I feel like then it's made me kinda do the opposite, and I've kinda ramped up, like, sharing how old I am.
Speaker 0
Fuck you.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Fuck you. It's interesting. And so I'm I'm hoping with what little voice I have to kind of try to empower people, like other women. I mean, I feel like I've got, like, maybe a small little kind of corner pocket where it can kind of influence. Hopefully, my podcast gets bigger and brighter.
Speaker 0
And I also feel like you had a conversation with one of your guests about the fact that in the model it was it I might I think it was you. In the modeling, like, their their agent only had, like, one model over the age of forty in their portfolio or something crazy.
Speaker 2
Yes. So I I was talking to a photographer that wants to do a project that he he was inspired from my podcast. And so he wanted to do a podcast or sorry, a a project where we did a shoot with with, like, a woman, like, over a certain age. Right? So I contacted a bunch of the agencies here in Toronto. And they all had one person over forty five. One one agency had two, but they were one was based here one was based in Montreal. So just depend on that Montreal person was available here. And then and then the model that I was interviewing, she's originally from here, but lives, lives overseas. And, she felt that things were changing. And I don't disagree with her. But if things are really changing, we would have more than one model over the age of forty five. You know, I had my friend Karen, on my second episode, and she's a TV or x TV host. She I can't speak for her, but I believe she had said that she noticed, like, when she was turning thirty eight, that she was aging out of television. And that's why she started doing the blog, right. And she was saying that, because we were talking a bit about that, too. You know, like, there was that headline with Allure magazine is old lady energy flexes well toned muscles at the Golden Globes. The fucked up thing about this is the the author. I mean, there's so many fucked up things about this. But the author of this article is a woman over seventy. Right? So when I posted about it, because I was a pissed me off so much. Somebody somebody else in our industry, she messaged me and she was like, Hey, just to let you know, it's a woman over seventy that wrote it. And I'm like, I don't care who the fuck it was.
Speaker 0
I don't give a shit. Yeah.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Like, that's like, you know, and and it's, it's still kind of drags out this, this ageism, you know, it's it's, it's completely unnecessary. And then as, as Karen had pointed out, it's like, it's okay for women to get older, as long as they continue to look younger, you know, like, that's it. And I feel it's, it's an unfair comparison to I mean, these are women who are on camera. Their full time job is to look good. And I think what's hard is for it to translate for people where our full time job is not to be on camera. You know? And I feel that there's some people, like, I don't know about you guys, but I get people that say to me when I tell them I'm fifty four. Oh, wow. You don't look fifty four. It's okay. Well, what does fifty four look like? And, yes, I'm a beauty expert, and I have been getting, like, skincare, like, to the nines all the time. And I I when I was in Asia, even before, but in, like, in Asia, fifteen years, I'm getting a facial probably once every six weeks. I'm getting, like, peels done, like, but it's my industry and it's, you know but not everybody is like that, you know, but I feel like it's this weird it's it's like when you see people that are super fit working out, but that's their job. Their job is to look like that. So when people are like, well, while you're you're that age, why isn't your body like that? It's like, well, we're all first of all, we're all fucking different. And if my full time job was to look good and work out and and have my hair and makeup done all the time, if that was my job, of course, I would look like that. Of course, I would. But it's not my fucking job. Sorry. No. I love it.
Speaker 0
It's it's it's funny too. I we had this conversation, with a bunch of friends once, and we were like, we don't look our age. Like, we look so and then we're like, well, wait. If we all look the same age and we all look the same, maybe this is what this age looks like. You know? Like, like, I don't know. It was such a you know, there might be some wine involved, but it was one of those, like, oh, moment.
Speaker 2
Well, you look at the Golden Girls. Right? That's a great reference point. So the woman that played, was it Blanche? Right? Yes. She she was fifty four years old. I mean, I'm sure it was on for a few years, but at one point one point in real life, she was fifty four years old. But I don't and I don't know what age they they build her as as being, like, on like, her character was on TV.
Speaker 0
I don't know. I always thought they were, like, oh, Like right? Yeah. And then the Sex and the City Girls
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Speaker 0
That was
Speaker 2
my god.
Speaker 0
That when they've started that whole, I don't know, meme or whatever that that post, what it was like.
Speaker 1
They were the same age. Yeah.
Speaker 0
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That blew my mind.
Speaker 2
Let's talk about that dumb show for a second. Not Sex and the City, but the The reveal? But the oh, my god. I could not get past the first season. In fact, I don't even know if I watched the first season. But I'll tell you one of the one of the storylines that really angered me, which kind of, like, the nine like, I'm tapping out was, Carrie, where she's having a problem with her hip. And so I've had both of my hips replaced. Okay.
Speaker 1
I've had one of mine replaced.
Speaker 2
Have you? Yeah. So, so when she was complaining about her hip, and whatever was leading up to it, and she was wearing those, like, six inch stilettos going up the fucking stairs using an umbrella. Right? So fine. I have to say, before I had my hip replaced, I did use an umbrella as you know, a little crutch. But I did not wear six inch stilettos. And going up the stairs like that. That was just like somebody did not do their research. Then then fast forward to she had her did she have her hip, which I think in her character had a hip replacement, didn't she? Or she had hip surgery. And then she's at home. And, and then I can't which character it was that was supposed to be there helping her. But she's apparently started calling out. Not apparently, I watched the episode, was calling out because she needed help to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. And then she peed the bed because she couldn't I made me so angry just because I've had both of my hips replaced and I can say that I did not pee the bed. Like, you know, like, I I had to have a walker. That was not fun.
Speaker 0
But in fact, you had to be able to get out of bed and get to the bathroom before they released you from the hospital. Am I right? Am I wrong?
Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a missed opportunity if we're gonna do this story line.
Speaker 0
Yeah. No. It's it's a fair it's it's a good rant. I feel like they they did have the opportunity,
Speaker 2
To use it for good and not for evil.
Speaker 0
I agree, Andrea. That was definitely a missed opportunity for sure.
Speaker 1
Andrea, what is there if you could, is there anything you would tell your thirty, thirty five year old self?
Speaker 2
Yeah. I would say trust your instincts, and you're on the right path.
Speaker 1
Love that. Love that. I don't know
Speaker 0
if that was true for me, but I love that that was true for you.
Speaker 2
You know, I think that you should do some strong reflection because I I feel I feel that when we get asked this question, because it's a I mean, it's a valid common question to ask a lot of people, and I think that we always try to think of what could we have done better. Is that, like, hindsight thing. Right? But I do believe that, you know, like, when I reflect upon that for myself, I just think, yeah, I mean, I had so many things I was going through, I was going through a divorce at that time and, and, you know, some self doubt and whatever, but I definitely always have the instincts of where I was going. And, I mean, part of struggling in life is to also, you know, learn from it and move forward. And so if I didn't have some of the struggles that I went through I mean, I've been through a lot of my life, but so I should be like a fucking Marvel superhero by now. But, but, yeah, I think in my instincts were good.
Speaker 1
That's fantastic. I love that.
Speaker 0
Beauty isn't the the beauty is in the journey. Right?
Speaker 1
Yes. Maybe that's a great place to end. The beauty is in the journey. Thank you, Andrea.
Speaker 2
Thank you. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 0
Thanks so much for listening to the show. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate and subscribe to our podcast. When you do this, it helps to raise our podcast profile so more women can find us and get a little better understanding of what to expect in perimenopause.
Speaker 1
We also read all the reviews, the good, the bad, and the ugly to help us continuously improve our show. We would love to hear from you. You can connect with us through the podcast, on social media, or through our website. Our information as well as links and details from our conversation today can be found in the show notes. This podcast is for general information only. It's designed to educate, inspire, and support you on your personal journey through perimenopause. The information and opinions on this podcast are not intended to be a substitution for primary care, diagnosis, or treatment. The information on this podcast does not replace professional health care advice. The use of the information discussed is at the sole discretion of the listener. If you are suffering from symptoms or have questions, please consult a qualified health care practitioner.
