I had a chance to wind down over the weekend and catch up on some emails that I’d put aside before the final delete.

One of them was about a major cosmetics company’s “New Face”.  She’s feisty, fashionable and 90 years Old.  I love that about her and I got no problem with that.

The New Face is the result of the Baby Boomer’s refusing to go away.  The Baby Boomer population is actually where the money is for the next 12-15 years and the Beauty Industry wants its share.

But the entire report was showing women of a mature age and not one of them looked like me.

Okay, I’m a bit sensitive when it comes to beauty and fashion, especially when African American women are always left out of the equation when speaking of beauty.

So am I to believe that mature African American women are not beautiful or model worthy?

I hope not!  Yes beauty is in the eye of the beholder but as we live on this planet we still face that second-class status in beauty.  Unless you’re racially ambiguous, your beautiful black skin is still looked down upon.

Who Defines Your Beauty?

I asked this question once before and it seems as though I should ask it again.  Who defines your beauty?  I hope You define your beauty!  Because if you wait for your face to show up on a Magazine cover validating your beautiful black skin or your magnificent sense of style, you’ve got a long wait.

I remember when Essence Magazine used to open every year with the January Issue paying homage to Ageless Beauty in African American Women.  What happened?

Black women haven’t died off or loss their sense of style and grace.  These women were profiled from age 40 to 104.  There are plenty of African American women alive and in this age group.

And Maturing doesn’t mean wearing frumpy clothes or letting yourself go.  Ask Ernestine Sheppard!  She’s in her mid 70’s, she’s a body builder and she doesn’t look like a Dude.  She looks amazing, definitely worthy of a fashion magazine cover!

Expressing Myself!

Why my rant, you ask?  Because every little brown girl in the world gets subliminal to overt messages that she is not pretty or smart.

Will it ever stop? And if it doesn’t, what will you teach the young black girl that crosses your path?  Will you teach her to appreciate her beautiful black skin and her natural hair?

Or will you teach her that it’s alright for her to bleach her skin and add someone else’s hair to her head.

Whether you are a mature black woman or a maturing black woman, you will not always find support from the beauty industry.

If you do as you’ve always done, you will create, invent and support companies that are devoted to you and your beauty.

Annie Malone, Madame C.J. Walker, Johnson Publishing, Dudley and Bronner Bros., just to name a few, have established a foundation for you to follow.

Love your beautiful black skin and hair with boldness!

Dedicated To Your Beauty!

Juliette Samuel

Author/Esthetician/Publisher

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