Skip to content

Beauty At 35.

2013 August 14
by WWGD

BeautyAt35-WhatWouldGwynethDo

I had my hair blown out for an event the other day.

I asked for it sleek, straight, no flips or flaps, just a good old fashioned pin-straight blow out.

The lovely girl worked on it tirelessly, making every strand look shinier than ever, falling to the ground in a soft whisper, framing my face like an actual frame, all 90 degree angles of brilliant, deep brunette.

I thanked her, paid her, tipped her, and walked out to my car where I promptly took all of her hard work and tossed it up into a low bun.

A lock of hair fell out from the elastic’s grasp on one side, a clump of strands sat haphazardly on top. The strength of the hair tie slowly put a kink right smack in the middle of all her effort.

The sleek, straight look I have spent most of my past 35 years coveting suddenly felt so formal, so forced, so unnatural to me that it had to go. Before I could even put the car in drive.

I have battled my thick, wavy hair forever. And here I was, with the means to finally tame it, and feeling anything but free.

I am 35 now.

I have thick, wavy hair. I have a few sprouting greys around the edges. I have hips that aren’t going anywhere. I have eye brows that do need taming. I have a bump in my nose and a sun spot planted firmly in the center of my left cheek and a set of abs that hasn’t seen the light of day in many days…though we are working on that.

I also have long, elegant fingers. I have whisper thin wrists and ankles that add grace to almost any movement. I have (fairly) clear skin that requires minimal effort to shine. I have a newfound love for red lipstick that I happen to think suits me quite well. I have thick, wavy hair that looks really pretty tied back in a simple, messy, haphazard bun. Framing my face from a variety of angles, smiling at life rather than whispering at it.

I am 35 now.

And it’s never felt more beautiful. In a haphazard way.

15 Responses
  1. stella permalink
    August 14, 2013

    Good for you. It’s so easy to hard on ourselves about our ‘imperfections’ and really those are the things that make us unique and full of character. Looking back on my 30’s, I wish I had been a little more gentle on myself for those things. Turning 40 really changed my perspective..better late than never.

    • WWGD permalink*
      August 15, 2013

      So interesting that you say that because I’ve long wondered how it will all change at 40, too. I am sort of excited for it?! 😉

  2. Erica permalink
    August 14, 2013

    Awesome. Kudos to you for saying this all out loud and in print. I just turned 36 and realized that while this is not the me I thought I would be when I was 18, this is the me that I am and there are some wonderful things about me that I need to appreciate. I need to appreciate them not only for myself but for my family as well. Having a negative body or self image is not what I want to teach my children, therefore, I should practice what I preach. Thank you again for these wonderful words!

    • WWGD permalink*
      August 15, 2013

      Thanks for the thoughtful comment, totally agree. I do also think I have put in a real effort to better the things I CAN better – i.e. getting stronger and more in shape, taking good care of my skin, water, vitamins, etc. etc. It just feels so natural versus all the stuff I was trying to force for years.

  3. August 14, 2013

    Inspiring and beautiful!

    • WWGD permalink*
      August 15, 2013

      Thank you, love! xx

  4. August 14, 2013

    I really loved this post. Embrace your curls! Embrace the true you!

    The Rambling Fangirl

    • WWGD permalink*
      August 15, 2013

      Thank you!!

  5. Bonnie permalink
    August 15, 2013

    I appreciate this post a lot. I’m pregnant with my second child and will be 34 in a few months. Unfortunately I think this is the first time in my life that I’m accepting of my flaws… and even like a few of them, and taking more time to appreciate my positives. I have been too hard on myself and it feels good to be kinder to me. It’s what I want my daughter to see.

  6. Liz Duncan permalink
    August 15, 2013

    You rock! I’m 30 and have a ton of insecurities that I mostly keep to myself, but I have other times of clarity where similar to your post I say, “screw it and learn to be happy with what you have!” I just traveled to Romania for a wedding in a very small village and thought to myself, people can be so happy in such a simple state of life and I’m worried about the extra jiggle in my arm. Reality check.

  7. August 16, 2013

    I absolutely LOVE this post! So authentic & beautiful =) Happy Friday!!!

  8. Robin @momacrosby permalink
    August 18, 2013

    Great post! I am well into my 50s and with such a long journey that has included hubby ( now my ex hubby) children (40 & 24yrs old) grands and one great grand, I have found the idea of beauty in the doing of beautiful things, like travel and volunteering and learning to save some of the best for myself. To not give it all away. Tough lesson for a lot of us ladies. But once you”get it”, it makes perfect sense♡

  9. August 19, 2013

    This is such a great post. I too am 35 and sometimes struggle with where to fall on the fashion spectrum. I’m glad that a more natural look is coming into vogue. Nothing is more beautiful than being comfortable in you own skin!

Trackbacks and Pingbacks

  1. 10 Tips For Loving Life (And Yourself!) in Your 30s | WhatWouldGwynethDo

Comments are closed.