by Chrysa Smith

Today I just feel ugly.
And I know I’m hardly alone.

The scary part is that it’s been more often these days, and I’m not sure why. Is it age? I don’t know. But what I do know is that I wake up and notice the few zits that I magnify into measles. Really? I’m still getting zits at 52? Can I blame my raging hormones? Well maybe. Then I look at my profile sideways and see the baby bump (without the pregnancy). Can I say that it’s taken 21 years to lose the baby weight? And if this isn’t enough, I looked at my hair. I just cut it off. Well, at least I thought I did. With all good intention, my hairdresser advised me not to go too drastic right away and make it too short. I thanked her for her concern over a hairy melt-down, but I didn’t feel like I had that cute lift that I had intended. In fact, only one person noticed besides my immediate family–and they were a bit less than enthusiastic. So I tried it all again someplace new,  and it made a big difference.

Now, I’ve purchased some hip, youthful makeup. I do Zumba three times a week.  But  there are continuously more things on the ‘to do’ list before I leave the house—and still, I don’t necessarily feel that confidence that I once had when I put together a great outfit and walked down the street knowing that I looked damn good. But, my God, I’m not giving up the ghost.

So, to the point. Hillary Clinton announced that she’s not going to wear makeup anymore. OMG! Is she out of her ever-loving mind? Has she been in one too many time zones? Let’s be honest. Hillary, like many of us, needs a bit of help to look her best. Much of the time, she looks like she needs a long rest and vacation and maybe a spa to help out a bit. And she’s photographed all the time. So, what would make her want to strip the little help she gets to look and feel a bit more attractive?

Has she thrown in the towel? Does she figure she gets criticized no matter what, so what the hell? Or had she joined Jamie Lee Curtis in going au natural? Maybe it’s too much time in a man’s world.

Tell me your thoughts. Does working harder make it better? Is it a hopeless cause? Must we all adjust to new ‘me’s?’ I want to know how other women my age feel—but don’t bother writing if you wake up with perfect hair, great skin, a bounce in your step and a fantastic body that leaves boy toys checking you out—at least until you’ve broken a fingernail, gotten a run in your hose or missed a tiny hair on your upper lip.