For those looking for new reading, there is a young woman from Brisbane, Sophee McPhee, who has just launched a magazine called QCG Magazine (Queensland Calander Girls).
The magazine is refreshingly distinctive, geared towards a more mature audience and focused on celebrating real women. Based on the inspirational and moving blockbuster, Calendar Girls (starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters), QCG magazine was developed to connect, inspire and celebrate all women. Her philosophy is “skin, not plastic,” and the pages are filled with true stories from real women.
As I read the magazine, I was constantly reminded that age really is a way of thinking, just like confidence and beauty. Inner beauty and confidence will carry a woman throughout her life. It will allow a woman’s life to unfold continuously in an exciting adventure, fueled by her life experience and wisdom. It is the mindset of a woman that dominates a meaningful life, not her outward beauty.
Our society as a whole tends to be obsessed with all things youthful – this information is not new. However, women bear the brunt of this bias more than men. Does failing to look youthful mean women can’t be beautiful? How sad if this is what we allow ourselves to believe.
Annie Infinite from The Zen Bull recently submitted this article on women and beauty. I am happy to see women like Julie Carrington and Sophee McPhee working hard to change these prejudices.
“As women age, a strange phenomenon happens to them. Julie Carrington of The Jewelery Gallery says it’s like a ‘cloak of invisibility’ is thrown on them. Women start to feel invisible because they no longer receive the look they used to “. she used to when she walked down the street.
“Women lose confidence in their beauty and start to feel less beautiful. As women get older, they look in the mirror and only see the parts of themselves they don’t like.”
Feeling beautiful at any age has become the focus of the new workshops that Julie and her partner Lea Sanson organize periodically. They welcome women who want to recover that lost feeling of beauty.
There are few things more attractive than a sexy, bold and confident woman. She feels good and that confidence shows. Julie says, “Women ARE beautiful at any age and we want them to feel that beauty every day. We want women of any age to walk out of the house every day and strut their stuff.”
Using confidence-building strategies, a mirror, and a beautiful piece of jewelry, Julie and Lea help women transform their perception of their age and, more importantly, their beauty.
“When a woman dresses in something that makes her feel amazing and then we add an embellishment to the outfit, she transforms before her very eyes in the mirror. It’s about seeing the whole woman, the whole image, rather than focus on the parts we don’t like. Suddenly women can come to life. They stand with their heads up and strut a bit in their walk and you can see they feel bolder and more beautiful in just a couple of hours”.
Julie and Lea have some advice for women who want to start feeling beautiful right now:
o Dress the piece. Choose clothes that enhance your figure and make you feel like the bold and beautiful woman you are. Try not to get into clothes that no longer fit or are unflattering, even though they may be in style.
o Go for the glamour. Buy some basics for the season and dress them differently depending on your mood or the occasion.
or adorn yourself Find incredible jewelry to complement the outfit you have chosen. It only takes one amazing piece to draw attention where you want it and you’ll find yourself flattered all day long. What a wonderful way to downplay those places you’re not so proud of.
This is the key to feeling and looking amazing, Julie explains, accentuating the positive and minimizing the negative. “Seeing yourself as a whole image when you look in the mirror is a big part of feeling beautiful. How often do we look in the mirror and only see the parts we don’t like?”
By seeing the whole person, the full effect will allow you to step out and let the world know that you have the leading role in your life.
“Showing off your stuff is really important. When you walk into a room with confidence, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll start to feel more daring and confident than ever.”
Wallflower someone? I do not think…
‘Women Feeling Beautiful at Any Age’ workshops are held regularly in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast at The Jewelery Gallery. For more information on the upcoming workshop, email Julie or Lea at [email protected]