Wrinkles are the New Black

My sister and I were on the phone this morning. She was ranting on and on about Obama’s new stimulus package. She lives in Orange County so her politics, I guess you could say, are regionally influenced. Anyway, she’s not pleased with O’s tax policies because they will directly effect her. I kept trying to remind her that O didn’t get us in this mess in the first place and that the old way of doing things didn’t work…remember, see investment statement for further proof. Anyway, there is no arguing politics with family. But there is a safe place for discussion between the two of us and I always revert to it when things get testy—The Never Ending Quest for Youth and Beauty. I live in a family of four boys so scaring up a discussion about the latest lotions, masks and fillers is pretty much useless in my house. So, when I need a little epidermal talk therapy I plug in my Bluetooth and call my sister—the skincare, plastic surgery, new non-invasive rejuvenation technology expert.

Today, after her angry rant about O in the white house, my sister and I moved onto discussing the overarching theme of recession beauty. I know I covered a bit of this in my earlier piece on recession hair but my sister reminded me that bad hair is just the tip of the iceberg. Beauty maintenance is a slippery slope, just ask any self-respecting woman in her mid-forties. Take me for instance. I have dabbled in Botox, dermabrasion and a little laser here and there, I’m not proud. Over the past three years I have indulged in about ten to twelve $300–$500 pick-me-ups. I never went in for the “no-wrinkle-Nicole Kidman-is-frightened” look but I did like a fairly wrinkle free forehead. But as my sister reminded me today “those days are over, but there are some good deals out there.” Today I looked in the mirror and all I could think was…Shar Pei face. And that’s when it occurred to me…with everyone focused on saving their homes and feeding their families maybe the pressure to look perpetually perky is off. Imagine for a moment a world where women age naturally, a universe where wrinkles, gray hair and age spots are the new black! This recession thing may not be so bad afterall.