I don't think so. Throughout my life I have met women of all ages who present themselves lovely at various ages.

For example: When I was young, in my young 20s, I had a best friend whose grandmother was in the hospital and not expected to get out. We used to visit Beatrice once a week.
She was beautiful! She used to have her the greatest bed jackets on and her long gray hair would be lying all over the pillow. She wore a mim. of face make up and her lines were the kind that accent beauty. We would love to visit her in her room and help her comb her long gray hair. She had nice things from her home in her room and they were all very sweet like her favorite perfume and a room spray in the most beautiful decanter. She'd ask us to straighten this or straighten that and we loved doing it.

She was always amused by what we were wearing as we were her. She got a great kick out of the younger style of dress that one can only keep up when they are really young.

Have you ever known an older woman of beauty and style? It comes from inside and out. It is not what she looked like on the outside alone, it was the kindness and sheer joy she took in beauty, whether it was the written word in the classics by her bedside, or the lovely bed frock she put on that day instead of a hospital gown. I learned a lot from Beatrice. I learned that beauty never goes away, it changes, but it does not go away.

dancer

You ask: "Are we ever too old to care how we look?"
I think, 'no.'
But, our ideas constituting the 'care how we look' can change with age and/or life circumstances.

Being clean is caring about ourselves.
Being groomed is caring about ourselves.
Now, this is just my opinion, but fashion wear, hairstyles, nailpolish, bling, etc. is add-on, not necessarily necessary.
I know several older women of beauty and style. One of them wears no makeup, doesn't color her hair, wears no jewelry, and has a low budget wardrobe... but, she shines beautifully for everyone that knows her.

I agree, Gimster, for some it's not needed, or something they put any value on after a certain age. Myself, if I do not have my finger nails done, I feel "dirty," and I can say the same for my 70 plus mother! Although my mother may not wear a full face of make up, she will still care that there is some color in her face and that her lips have a dash of light color! She was a "hippie," in her life, but still has those things that she holds dear regarding how she looks that she keeps for herself.
It is the same with clothing. She does not wear the jeans she wore when I was a child but she does care what color her "pajama," type cloting is and takes great care to get colors she feels are "her."
In fact, she told me last that she had to wear a blue top out because that was how "they know me," meaning she always wore SOMETHING blue and many in a city of over 1 million will notice if she is not wearing her blue.

It tells me she cares and it shows me style. I do not think my mother who is larely a thinking person is wrapped up in her "look," but she does care.

dancer

We are never too old to care how we look. I finally got a haircut that was desperately needed for over 1 month. I saw shiny white thingys that needed to be covered, too, so I threw some color on after the cut.

I know I feel better when I think my clothes look good/when I feel good in the clothes I wear . Not sure what others think. I don't care for my work shirts(theirs) so I don't feel the best I can at work. I have to buy some new pants for work, but haven't felt well enough to go shopping. I'll get there.

Dancer, I'm looking for the post you did about skin care and can't find it. Can you help?

Sure, I'll try to find it...
Dancer

Saundra,
These two topics went to skin care after the discussion on the topic. If I can answer a question, just let me know!
Dancer

Dancer I love the new picture. Is that some sort of rose behind you? Outstanding! I have to agree with what has been said. My mon is 87 and wears little or no makep, never did but she will 'not' go a week without her trip to the beauty shop for a pedicure and to have her silver white hair styled. She says manicures hurt so puts clear polish on herself. Even since she retired last April she still goes, says "hey I'm not dead yet, am I?" You gotta love her...

Now she, Chatty, is a woman after my own heart!
Bless her!
Dancer

D, I'm looking for the types of skin care, from most expensive to least expensive. Oh, just tell me the least expenive.

Saundra,
What skin? Your face? Your body?
If it's your face, is it dry? Is your body skin dry?
Which is giving you trouble?
Dancer

Saundra, If you want the least expensive, go to the drugstore and buy the least expensive KNOWN name you find. It does not really matter. You just need to know that you need an SPF of at least 15 and you need to apply it right after you wash your face! Moisture should be applied right after you wash your skin because it is there to keep WATER IN. The only way to moisturize our faces from the outside is to trap water on your skin.

Get a product for FACES. People like Nivia in Europe, it's a best seller and people here like Aveno and both for faces work fine. Those are the best selling drug store brands.

Does that help?

for the body, there are a couple that are good, do you need one there?

dancer

Face moisturizer. I have the dry/oily problem. It's both, then it's one, then the other. 60 is not the new 40.

lolol, okay: You should try Aveno from the drug store. Get the one for faces and get one with an SPF. You want protection. Use it as I posted before and it should be kind to your oily/dry skin. It's about normal to have skin like that if you are 20!
If you want inexpensive, go ahead and get that one because being based on oatmeal is natural and healing for the skin..
Also, if some gets into your mouth, it helps heart disease! (joking!)

I'd try that. If you don't like how light or heavy it is, try another respected brand next time. I think Aveno is a good company for inexpensive. And don't worry about it doing this or that for you. If you don't want to spend a lot of money, and you don't have to for good skin, get it.

You want to make sure you exfoliate your skin every third deay to week. That means getting something with little grains in it to smooth your skin and allow your moisture to get to your skin. If you don't want to buy something to exfoliate your skin, then use a wash cloth and buff your face with that. You can make your own using sugar and oil, or buy an inexpensive one easily. All you want is grains to buff off a layer of skin for you once or twice a week so the moisture gets on your REAL skin and not on the dead top coat. Many woman also rinse with Ice cold water too, that closes pores and takes care of oil for awhile and it also makes the baggy eyes go away. Take Joan Crawford, she dipped her face in ice water every morning to take out the swelling! lol.

Saundra, you make my day! Please try to stay OUT of pain, ok?

Dancer

Thanks, Dancer. Of course I need one for my body. I haven't paid it the attention it deserves.

Body, inexpensive:
You buy what the derms like and that is Lubriderm w/ spf, and Eucerin, the original is fine.

You take your shower or bath and while DAMP, put on the Lubriderm all over. Wherever you have dry skin, put the Eucerin over that. Yes, layer them, they both have qualities you want. Do it when you are damp to keep water in your skin and do it every day.

For your feet, use the Eucerin and if you want, get the THICK stuff, and put it on your feet, socks over that. Sleep that way and do this for a few days so your feet are nice and soft. There is a magic cream for feet if anyone wants to know what it is, ask, ok? It's not super inexpensive but it's gold. It's affordable.

Put the lotion, in that order all over your body and you will be soft in no time

BUT:

Take that loofah, or if you are me, a scrub brush and scrub your body at least once a week in the bath or shower. This removes dead skin that has loosened because you have used great lotion and allows new skin to emerge and soon you will have a cycle of great skin.

You must scrub to take off dead skin, yes you must! Only do it every week or so but do it so your skin stays soft, shiny and smooth! We ALL need to scrub to remove that dead layer of skin or use a product to do it. The only products that do it are perscription so we have to do it ourselves.

If you don't, you are applying lotion to the same old skin and not giving your skin a chance to rejuvenate itself. Yes, if you are 60 your skin still rejuvenates itself! lol.

60 isn't the new 40? I'm bummed!

Let me know questions, sweet Saundra, and stay away from pain!

Warmest regards,
Dancer

LOL, Dancer. I made notes. I have an oatmeal 'n honey facial scrub that I don't use often enough. Thanks for the reminder and the info on feet. Should have bought 2 of them. I'll never find this one again.

Sorry about that 60/40 thing. I'm doing as little as possible to have less pain. Luv & hugs,

We'll have you body inside and outside tuned up before long, Saundra! You certainly deserve it! Feet are important and with your pain, you might budget in a pedicure monthly and take advantage of the new places that are not too expensive. Some are only 30.00 for a pedicure! It lasts up to two months and you will get a massage too!
I'll be having my feet and hands done until I am too old to get out of bed! My nail tech has been doing nails for 16 years and owns two spas! He's great! If you get to like someone who works on you, take their card and make them your friend.

Saundra, with your special pain problems and your back, you truly might find another person doing your feet a real break. The chairs recline. I hate to think of you hurting your back! Also, if you legs or feet go numb, it's a good way to tell that your feet are fine!

I worry about you, gurl!

Talk soon,
dancer,
American Pain Foundation

I care about how I look, but I attach different importance to things than 20 years ago.

When I was 40 I gave up make-up cold turkey. I used to not even go to the mailbox without full make-up. It took me a while to get used to it, but the change was liberating. Now I exfoliate regularly and use sunscreen, which I didn't back then.

I've always had to be very aware of fashion trends for my jewelry business (yes, they're tied in.) I used to shop until I dropped to get the newest styles. Now I shop infrequently, and reject more styles as "not me" and many even as "too young!" That doesn't make me less concerned with my clothes, but on a personal level, I breeze by the trendier parts.

I used to be obsessed with having the perfect body. Full-time exercise fanatic and very strict diet. Almost no body fat and good musculature. Okay, I've DONE that, and now I don't have to prove anything, including to myself. I still take good care of my health, but more for practical reasons than cosmetic.

Yes, I care about my looks -- but I want to look good FOR 57, and not "57 desperately trying to still look 37."

I agree with you on most things here, Meredith. I am a bit different though in a few ways.
I don't wear the things in my shoots on my site. I never wore those clothes, as a matter of fact. I wear European designers who make VERY loose styles but with interesting cuts and in fabrics that are nice and different. I usually wear more fabric than anyone in the room! I don't even wear T shirts! I abhor showing cleavage and since Menopause, I have it! I wear things that are Japanese designed too. Some designers from Japan build the most amazing clothing and it's like building, it's original and unique with pockets in places you would not expect and cuts that you would not expect to see. I love loose, loose, well cut clothing that can move with me and gives me space to fall asleep if I like.

It's a bit expensive to buy the designers I wear but for me it's worth it. I work in a feild that is about art, and we wear nice clothing because we are used to it. I have not seen a dancer in tights in forever and I never see a good dancer in tight clothing! I wore that stuff for shoots and still did some photos recently for a shoot I was asked to do but not for my actual life!

Make up is not something I ever wore in quanity. I do like nice products for my skin because I see the difference and I like a bit of color on my face. I think older women look so cute in a bit of blush! No matter what the age, 40 to 70, a bit of blush looks great on most women!
I wear Bare Minerals because I used to wear just powder to avoid a shiny face. Women of color, even European women of darker hair, should not have shiny faces, we just look stupid! Bare Minerals is even better than the powder I used to dust my face with!

I like a bit of color on lips of a woman of any age as well! I think it looks nice on 40 to over 70 too! Our lips have a tendency to "go away," or loose pigment as we get older so a bit of color, or gloss with color, looks sweet, I think.
I never wore heavy eye make up except for a show or shoot. I don't like that look and as we get older, it accents our age. I don't really like mascara unless it's lightly used and most light colored women need it to have their eyes show!

Eyebrow color is essential to some women of age. Our eyebrows define our eyes so I let my heavy eyebrows grow and only clean them up. I keep them groomed and use a bit of eyebrow color, only a bit, to help them show. I think this is an "any age," look too. We all need our eyebrows! The trick is to get a product that does not look like we drew our eyebrows on! lol.

Yes, I agree, no one looks good trying to be a cover girl and I, personally, never went for clothes that limit my movement and love to have my cloths hanging! I dont' think young girls look good showing to much of themselves as well which is why I did not do it. I never even shot a video in limited clothing! I did an Aerosmith video but that shoot was more artistic than sexual.

I don't think I differ from most women here. I just enjoy the hell out of things like clothing and taking care of myself. I worked my body to death, or like my husband says, "You took everything out of your body it could give, early." I did. So now I want to take care of what's left!

dancer