I’ve got a birthday coming up soon. I don’t want to talk numbers or anything, but by now you know that I’m an Xennial and so you can do the math. I was really concerned last year about aging and whether my body and my life was going to fall apart once I reached a certain number. Well…my body has definitely, 100% slowed down over the past few years. I can’t work out the way I used to, I have more grey hair than ever, I browse “age-defying” night creams for fun and sometimes parts of my body will just hurt for no reason. I’ve thrown out my back twice in the past year. So… I’m dealing with it with as much grace and denial as I can manage. But I actually find myself getting angry at women older than me who are like “Fifty feels amazing!” Bitch, you lie. Jennifer Aniston really is that bitch. Jennifer covers InStyle to promote The Morning Show (her Apple+ series) and she talks about aging and turning 50 earlier this year.
Turning 50: “Fifty was the first time I thought, ‘Well, that number.’ I don’t know what it is because I don’t feel any different. Things aren’t shutting down in any way. I feel physically incredible. So it’s weird that it’s all of a sudden getting telegraphed in a way that’s like, ‘You look amazing for your age.’ I think we need to establish some etiquette around that dialogue and verbiage.”
She feels more control over her life now: “Women were never allowed to have power. Power feels sexy to me today, as does women’s intelligence and how capable and creative they are.”
On The Morning Show: “The show gives you a behind-the-curtain peek at a lot of things — what it takes to pull off a morning show, the unique lifestyle of these anchors, the obsession with celebrity culture, and humanity in the midst of corruption. Plus we’re addressing the ugly truths of how men have treated women in our society, particularly in the workplace, for all these years. We’re looking at the ways in which we’ve all normalized this behavior and how we’re all by-products of our environment, having grown up with sexism encoded in our messaging, however extreme or subtle. This show looks at how a culture of silence can slowly evolve and how we sometimes participate without even realizing it.”
On her consistent LBD-style: “Some people would call that playing it safe. But I know when I’m comfortable with something [or someone], and I know when I’m not.”
She refuses to go grey: Aniston confides that she plans to keep her monthly colorist appointments until the bitter end. “I’m not gonna lie — I don’t want gray hair.”
Skincare, etc: Skin care, however, is her real obsession. “I think it’s because my mom told me to start moisturizing when I turned 15. I’ve been using Aveeno since I was a teenager.” Aniston is a facial aficionada and rattles off the names of her go-to pros….She also swears by her daily glass of celery juice and E3Live superfood supplements, as well as a series of complexion-friendly tools, like the vibrating 24-karat-gold sculpting bar from her friend, the makeup artist Jillian Dempsey. “It feels so damn good to put oil on your face and just roll.”
“Things aren’t shutting down in any way. I feel physically incredible.” RLY? No, I’m asking, really? She still feels incredible? Because I’m a decade younger than her and physically I feel like I’m half-dead most of the time. Maybe it’s just different for some women. Also: I have no doubt that Jennifer spends a lot of time and money on skincare, but let’s be real about it – she’s developing one of those “LA faces” from her use of fillers and Botox. It’s nowhere near as bad as many women these days, which is why she gets away with only talking about moisturizing and supplements and not all of the other stuff.
Also: people are talking about how InStyle “darkened” Jennifer’s skin for this photoshoot. InStyle claims that they were trying to do a take on the model Veruschka. It’s not really blackface, but it does seem… like a bad choice.
— InStyle (@InStyle) September 4, 2019
Covers courtesy of InStyle.
Holy photoshop batman
I know, right? Some of the photos look completely computer generated to represent a facsimile of Jennifer Aniston. What a bummer.
Not sure it’s just photoshop- it appears she’s finally and drastically changed her nose. She looks beautiful but has lost facial recognition- I see why she’s waited until later in her career?
That’s every celebrity in a magazine
Holy photoshop hell!
I’m three years younger than her and i FEEL my age. But that’s probably because I’m menopausal and it suuuucks…!
I alao have a birthday next week and I can honestly say my body is starting to creek. I’m a worrier, any kind of ache has me thinking something is up. So no I don’t feel 40 and fabulous. I feel 40 and have my doctor on speed dial.
Lol! Yeah, I’m completely feeling the creaks and cracks of my aging body now more than ever. But my friend who is about a year older has absolutely no pain in her joints and feels no different than when she was 30. I think everyone is different and they age differently.
My face has also fallen overnight. My dermatologist’s nurse had warned me years ago that my face will just fall one day. Its not a gradual decline- its one day I can pass for35- next day I look 55. Horrid.
This made me bust out laughing. I know that feeling. Don’t fret, you’re thinking too much about it. Just exercise and drink lots of water, take some supplements and you will be fine.
“I’m dealing with it with as much grace and denial as I can manage.” I love this line. Cracked me all the way up.
About what she said, everyone is different. People kept predicting my metabolism would slow down in my thirties (I wore size 0 or 2 for most of my adult life); but I had a kid at almost 34 and fit right back into my size 2s a week later. Then at 48, my metabolism just stopped. The bitch didn’t even slow down; she just straight up stopped, looked around and said “what?” LOL I went from a size 2 to size 14 in about 6 months. That’s life. Every one has their own road to travel. I’m happy for her that she still feels great and has (mostly) avoided the cat face syndrome of Hollyweird.
At 48 in one week put on seven pounds the next week five more. I thought my scale was. Broken. It wasn’t.
I’m 43 and my husband 46. He’s really into buying a scale and doesn’t understand why I am hesitant. Last time we went to the chemist together I hopped on one and while I look good and feel great, the scale showed 6 kgs more than what I weighed a few years ago.
No scales for me, thanks.
Oh my gosh, maybe that’s what happened to me!! 45 and I gained 5-10 pounds twice in the past year and a half. And I moved to super-healthy Europe. So I was and still am shocked. I look like a different person. Trying to decide if I want to go all crazy, or just accept this is me now.
This. I don’t have pain in my joints and my face is still okay, like I haven’t dealt too much with wrinkles or greying hair, but holy shit. I gained like 30 pounds in just a few months and had to buy new clothes. This was at 43 (which I still am). It’s so weird for me. People told me it would happen but I didn’t believe them lol
Oh my god the same here. Turned 47 and just started slowing waaay down in January. It’s like the weight just jumped on me. Losing it used to pretty straight forward but now it’s sooooo hard and don’t want to suffer right now. The aches are real and the hair isn’t as lush as in youth, and I’m starting to buy expensive skin products. Not looking forward to 50 at all.
@ByTheSea and @Lesanne, I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear about your weight gain struggles because I seriously thought I was the only woman to gain a pretty impressive amount of weight in a relatively short period of time 🙂 Well, maybe I’m not “happy” about your struggle but about hearing other women talk about it. This is what drives me crazy about Madonna and her rants about ageism, I think if she really wants to highlight ageing in women then she needs to address all these issues from weight gain to a sex drive that’s suddenly disappeared or what I’m dealing with now, painful sex.
Thank you both so much for bringing this issue to the forefront!!
@Harla, @ByTheSea, and @Lesanne – I’m happy you brought this up too. I’m 46 and at about 45 and a half I just started gaining weight – I’m up ten pounds in the past six months and no matter how much I exercise or watch what I eat, I can’t get the scale to budge! I’ve had lower energy, sporadic periods, and bad cramping fora few years but this weight gain has definitely been the most frustrating part of perimenopause. But at least I know I’m not alone!
Right now, I weigh the least I’ve weighed since I was 26 yrs. old (I am now 62). I’ve lost a total of 190 lbs. (yup, I was *that* big). HOWEVER… even with these numbers, due to menopause hitting hard with the metabolism stick, my waistline is 3 inches BIGGER than it was before menopause (and I’ve lost the last 45 lbs. in the last 2 yrs., and it STILL didn’t make a difference in my midsection, other than it flattening!). I feel like a “Rectangular Spongebob” lol. It’s MUCH, MUCH harder (and takes a LOT longer!) to take off weight now, and SOOOOO much easier to gain weight, so I also really have to watch what I eat (though I do “indulge” in my glass of red 3-4 times a week) and weigh myself *every* day w/out fail to make sure if I’ve gained a pound or three it doesn’t creep up higher and get out of control.
While I do feel great (even after a life threatening illness/chemo), I really do feel that MY 60s, compared to my grandparents’ 60s, is apples to oranges. Our lives, for the most part, are SO much easier (physically), and we know how to take care of ourselves (diet-wise, exercise, etc). And while I do have my “laugh-lines”, and some wrinkles and sun spots, I have to say, I feel like I never looked better. I have a face that shows my life, and that isn’t a bad thing.
As for the graying hair, to each her own! I was blonde for 35 yrs. before I got sick, went every month for base, high/low lights and LOVED it. When my hair came back in after chemo, it was MUCH darker than my own orig. med. brown shade, and oh yeah, you can really see the gray streaks. I choose to see them as my silver highlights, and I am loving the hell out of them 😊.
Love this! I’ve been told that post-menopause, you CAN get your body back on track. It seems to be the peri and actual menopause that wreck havoc.
You can, for the most part, but damn, it is HARDER! And in my case, I have to be totally on top of it/myself. Even my sister, who is 8 1/2 years younger, and ALWAYS had an amazing figure, lost her waistline when perimenopause hit. She also seemed to gain 10 lbs almost overnight, and man, she is battling it. She joined a “boot camp” exercise program that lasts 6 wks; she’s taken off about 3 lbs. in 4 wks, and while she’s bitching that it’s not more, considering how hard she’s working out, I have to keep reminding her it is SLOW now, and at least she’s making herself healthier!
My grays frame my face and I kind of feel like Rogue from the X-Men. LOL
” …Because I’m a decade younger than her and physically I feel like I’m half-dead most of the time…”
I’ll sit with you. 😉
I imagine the enormous wealth inequality between Jennifer Aniston and us has something to do with it but same. Do y’all have kids? I am 35 with a 2 year old and another on the way and I feel like I am always two steps behind, out of breath, trying to catch up with my life haha
My son sucked the life out of me. Something about carrying a child and giving birth and then the sleepless nights, etc. does things to one’s body. I’m just saying. Love him to death, would literally give my life for him, but I’ve not been the same since.
To those of you crippled by lack of sleep from children: it does get better. You will catch up on all that lost sleep. I had 3 kids from ages 38 to 43. The youngest is in middle school. Having kids late will keep you feeling young. That is the truth.
@bythesea – thank you for the appropriate use of literally.
Same re kids and my body and the changes post-40.
Good for her that she’s feeling so great but I’m right there with everyone else who has felt this decade hard.
FHMom, thanks for sharing! I’m 38 and ready to start trying for a kid, but verrrrrry worried about being the old lady mom. 3 kids! If you can handle that, I can handle this. 🙂
I felt like hell from 36-41 but have been feeling better (44 now). I did see a naturopath and treated by fatigued adrenal system. I no longer take the supplements but I am not brain-fogged and overwhlemed/exhausted all the time anymore. I also switched to walking from running. That stress was too much for me and I’ve been a competitive runner since age 11.
Basically, I had to be more gentle with myself. Also sober lol
Got sober, feel better than I have in decades (I’m 48)!
Also, it is VERY common for peri-menopausal/menopausal women to have thyroid problems. I’d suggest everyone at that point get their blood levels checked for thyroid, Vitamin D, and B-12. Mine were very low/out of whack, and when they were brought into level, it did make a difference in how I felt (mental “fog”, energy levels, etc). Not going to make you feel like your 20s/30s, but you WILL feel more like “yourself”! 😊
I feel like my adrenal glad is stressed as well 😩
Amen. I felt like hell for about 10+ years as well during which time I was married to my now ex, eating a lot—particularly carbs and sugar—and I put on 30 lbs, had creaky joints, felt sluggish and foggy. I just turned 55 and am mid menopause. In the last six years, I dumped the MF already, cut out junk food and cut way back on carbs, grains, sugar and dairy, lost 30 lbs, ride my bike and take exercise and yoga classes, and feel GREAT! I see a naturopath also and believe what we eat is super key. 😊
Her skin tone is… it’s a choice.
Clearly she puts alot of work into her body and appearance, but feeling incredible is also likely helped by top of the line healthcare and access to all the best medical and health practitioners.
We can’t look at celebrities as normal barometers of what aging will be for us normies.
She and other wealthy celebrities likely don’t have the same daily responsibilities many of us have. Assistants and personal chefs handle a lot of the daily life duties, plus most celebs are not clocking 40 hours a week for 52 week per year. I believe that also makes a huge difference. They are neither cash nor time poor.
30 and 40 didn’t bother me. 50 is starting to seem a little different though, I think it might sting a bit, but it’s a few years off, and I’m grateful for every age I get to. But yeah, the random pains aren’t fun. I’ve had back problems since my 20s though, you’d think I’d be used to it by now.
I’m not surprised if she feels great, her life really allows her to focus on her health and wellness, and she’s not sitting at a desk 8 hours a day. But she’s also an actress, and we know actresses can’t even hint at aging problems.
I’m really looking forward to that show.
Right??? That show looks so good!!
I seem to remember her giving umpteen interviews just like this when she turned 40, though. 🙄 she just never seems like she has much to say.
It’s not you.
I was engrossed in that silly Brad,Jen Angelina triangle many years ago.
None of them has nothing to say.
Same words different year.
Can’t believe I waisted so much time on that team Jenn/team Angie bullsh#t.
My fifties were wonderful. I looked great and felt great. Your best decade is ahead of you.
@Carmen, I co-sign this! I felt better at 50 than I did at 40. I was was also fitter and healthier. All women age differently. Just look at J-Lo, Halle Berry, and Helen Mirren.
Jennifer Aniston always looks great, but I for one have never bought into her ‘all natural beauty’ spiel. She has always spent way too much time at Day Spas and the areas around her mouth have been too tight too many times for me to buy it (at times she could barely move her mouth to pronunciation words).
Well whether she likes it or not, something is getting ready to shut down during her fifties. Menopause is coming and it does involve a “shutting down”. She may (as the saying goes) “breeze through it”, but it does change your body and your skin. Check out the most dedicated health fanatics at 50 and at 60. They still can look good, but they do look quite a bit older. It’s just life!
LOL Yep. Prepare for shutdown. I never thought it would happen to me, either!! And….it did. Happy to still be here; not complaining. Just life.
I can believe that she feels great. By all accounts, she eats really healthy, she works out a lot, I imagine she drinks a ton of water (I know its cheesy but I really feel better the more water I drink), etc. Factor in access to the best skincare products out there, and juuust enough botox to keep her looking fresh, and its no wonder she looks and feels great.
Ding! Ding! Ding! She’s incredibly wealthy so her lifestyle also allows her a lot of downtime to relax & unwind. Factor in the personal trainers, chefs, nutritionists, top-notch dermatologists…I’d look and feel incredible, too! We all would!
@becks1 OT but I saw your comment on the Linda Hamilton thread the other day and your brother & I live in the same town. Small world!
Oh ha! that is a small world. We should get CB tshirts made or something so we can recognize each other “in the wild.”
Lol fantastic idea!
Feeling great at this age is possible, it just takes more effort. Good nutrition and exercise (and sunscreen) really help. Overall, I don’t envy younger women because in your 20s, society still demands that women be all sweet and submissive, and in your 40s and 50s, you’re much freer to be honest and not put up with BS. Younger women should do this too!
Best sleep I ever got was when I was drinking enough water.
I agree. I started feeling a lot better after I changed my diet and started exercising (pretty) regualrly in my 40s after a major health scare.
So I’m not surprised that someone like Aniston, who works out religiously and eats super healthy feels great at her age.
well, a few things.
1. I can sympathize with Kaiser on being a decade younger than JA and NOT feeling ‘physically incredible’. To be quite honest, who among us mere mortals does?
2. I believe her. She probably does feel physically incredible. Good for her. It comes at a price though- a price very few people can afford. I believe it was Chris Rock who talked about his being ‘rich 50’. It would be nice if JA could acknowledge her incredible privilege, for as Kaisers take on it makes clear, it *feels* like she’s saying: I feel incredible at 50, so should you! When really there’s no comparison between her lifestyle and ours. But then, this is a fluff piece in a fashion magazine. We really shouldn’t expect JA to make the whole world a better place for us.
3. If JA would bitch and moan in this interview about being 50 and half-dead, we’d probably be mad at her for confirming the stereotype that women need to be written off after a certain age. So in that sense, I applaud her for saying ‘Things aren’t shutting down in any way’.
Agree with all your points.
To point #3, that’s what I’m thinking, PLUS if she broadcasts that she does feel older, there go a lot of job opportunities, because Hollywood wants women to be young forever.
My mother and I both started feeling miserable in our 40’s. Weight gain, achy, sleeplessness, anxiety, etc. Just for laughs we stopped eating gluten (my early 40’s, her late 60’s) and cut out a lot of sugar and went lower carb and almost all our aches and pains went away. As long as I take my thyroid pills and eat this way I feel like I am in my 20’s. If I fall off the wagon and eat crap I get aches everywhere (hip, feet, shoulder, random places I never hurt!)
So if you do feel horrible in your 40’s+ check your diet (it catches up with you), thyroid, and iron. You might find you have an easily treatable issue. Now I am trying some Keto days with some intermittent fasting and it feels great!
+1 about cutting out sugar. I usually don’t eat a lot of sugar but was so stressed out the last few weeks I ate more sweets and it made me feel worse AND my skin now looks awful. 🙁
I still eat gluten, but I started to cut back on dairy products a few months back and I notice a difference.
Agree, a good diet can make a huge difference. And once you cut out sugar it starts tasting really disgusting, most ice creams for example taste horribly sweet.
Truth. I’m up to 90% and above cocoa content dark chocolate… it almost feels like health food, or at least, guilt-free-ish 😉 i don’t miss the sweetness of any sort of dessert… i like a nice ice cream once in a while but it has to be an insanely natural tangy sorbet or something. try giving up or lessening sugar, guys… it gets easier, and you may feel better.
Doesn’t she talk about anything else ever? How about her production company, her roles etc. It’s always about her looks and she seems to be really vain.
I would love to her more about her new tv show as I think it will be a very good show.
No, she doesn’t. She seems extremely boring and shallow.
THIS is an excellent point. She has managed to sustain a lucratively successful career for decades in a difficult industry. I don’t know if I even realised she has a production company?! How does she choose what to produce?
Sometimes I find it amusing to substitute a male counterpart in the interview. Imagine Matt Damon (or insert whoever is a similar age and longevity in HW) saying the same stuff?: ‘He also swears by his daily glass of celery juice and E3Live superfood supplements, as well as a series of complexion-friendly tools, like the vibrating 24-karat-gold sculpting bar… “It feels so damn good to put oil on your face and just roll.”’
On a shallow note, I do want to hear about the vibrating 24-karat-gold sculpting bar. Is it actually any good? I never spend much money on these sorts of things, but if it works, I’d be willing to splurge. If anyone has firsthand experience, would love to know.
+1.
Do you think it’s a case of ask her more? Or is she not willing to talk about her production company etc.?
YES, all of this!! Isn’t she promoting a new highly-anticipated show with an exciting cast and a great subject? That’s what she should be talking about, especially given that she is an executive producer as well.
If you read the full article, rather than just the small excerpts here, she talks about the new show quite a bit, and about her role as a producer.
What Minx said. She has always impressed me as being a total airhead. It’s a type I’ve never had patience with.
I’m looking forward to her show. And I felt pretty great at 50, or at least not markedly different from my 40s except for some hot flashes and aches. But at 52, I really started to notice a decline in my skin tone, energy level, propensity to put in weight in places I didn’t previously have to worry about. Eating as healthy as possible and working out harder than ever seems to help a bit but it sometimes feels like a chore.
Mostly I’m glad not to have to deal with my period anymore and I finally have more time to myself now that both my kids are away at school. It’s been exciting to do some completely new things, like more volunteer work and new hobbies. I know I’m among the privileged who are able to get through this relatively easily.
In hindsight, 50 was easy. I still worked out 5 to 6 days a week and was at my wedding weight. Now that I’m firmly in my mid 50’s, I’m feeling it; and it isn’t fun. Someone on this site warned me about how everything changes by your late 50’s, and I’m afraid she is correct. My thyroid started failing about 10 months ago, and for the first time in my life, I was put on permant medication. It makes me feel old. Sometimes I just don’t recognize the old lady in the mirror. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fighting it tooth and nail, but there is an acceptance that being old is in my near future.
I am with you on not recognizing the old lady in the mirror sometimes! It’s startling for sure. And I am bracing for the continued decline. Sigh.
I believer her. I just turned 49, and honestly, I feel really good. But obviously every person is different. I don’t notice any major differences in energy levels, sleep patterns, and so far, I don’t have any health issues (knocking on wood!) Sometimes I have to remind myself that I’ll be 50 in a year because I’m not feeling my age at all right now. That said, I also haven’t had any major menopausal symptoms (except for the fact that it’s definitely harder to shed extra pounds …)
I don’t view 50 as “old,” especially not by today’s standards. And I think it’s crazy that people paint it that way. We’re all living a lot longer but are expected to start acting like an old person at 50, when we could still have 30-40+ years ahead of us. While I’m not feeling older yet, it’s the way OTHER people treat me that’s changing. Ageism. It really sucks. I completely feel the comment Emma Thompson (was it her?) made about “becoming invisible” – at work and outside of it.
Botox twice a year, and going vegetarian have helped me since turning 40. I’d been a size six-eight my entire life & at 5’8” I could always put on weight and not even realize it. My thyroid registered as basically non-existent at 38 I blew up and I wouldn’t go out in public. My sister even criticized me for “letting yourself go.” Took two years to get my levels back and after that, I lost 7-15 pounds a month. Two years of thinking this medicine isn’t working, and feeling helpless. Get your thyroid checked if you’re feeling lethargic and gaining weight. Wish I would’ve gone to the doctor sooner.
I turned 50 this year, am perimenopausal, my metabolism is slowing down, and in the last 2 years my body started to randomly ache for no apparent reason. My doctor suggested I take up high impact interval training classes at the gym and amazingly all the aches and pains are gone! I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life and lost 5% of my body weight in 6 months. So, I’m on board with what Aniston’s saying though obviously she has far more time and money to spend on her physical appearance than 99% of us.
My doctor said the aches are hormonal, that with less estrogen our bodies feel pain more acutely. I take a lot more ibuprofen than I used to.
I was on estrogen and thyroid medicine during my ivf round and I’ve never felt better. I’d heard horror stories about the drug cocktail side effects but I felt amazing.
I think we have to put it in perspective. The average 40-50 year old woman doesn’t have access to the same things that someone who is rich and famous like Aniston – or J.Lo who also just turned 50 – does. These women have trainers, chefs, assistants, dermatologists, makeup artists, hair stylists and yes – plastic surgeons. OF COURSE they feel great! They have help to do so.
I know it might sound insensitive (but I guess it’s ok since I’m a woman in my late 40s), but the difference between the appearance of post menopausal woman and premenopausal woman is huge. Like those 2-3 years make a huge difference. I start noticing that in myself and I see it in Jen too. 50 is a milestone because that’s when most women experience depletion in those precious hormones and you can always tell the difference
Oh yeah! I’m post menopausal now and the difference in my skin is amazing and not in a good way 🙁 The creapy skin on my arms and legs that no amount of moisturizer helps, the spots that appear overnight and the wrinkles that appear as if by magic, very dark magic!
It’s the lack of estrogen that brings out pigmentation marks on your skin. I got them literally overnight. Remember the old liver spots? They are real.
I’m 51 and can honestly say that up until only a few months ago, I felt great. I ran 30 miles a week and had all the energy. I got off the pill and BOOM. Alllll downhill. Every joint aches and my feet feel broken. Went to the doc for full workup and, as expected, I’m in menopause.
I look very young for my age and am in good shape visually, but it’s smoke and mirrors. The aches and pains caused by crashing hormones that nobody can see are what make me feel ancient — and it’s depressing af. Goes to show how important it is to actually FEEL good, not just look it. Hopefully, it’s just transitional, and once I level out, I will feel like myself again.
ANYWAY, this is my way of saying that it IS possible to feel great at 50. I know I did. But it can change overnight.
Jennifer has been her own echo chamber of news for the past 20 years.
-babies
-brad
-malibu
-hair
-turning 40 or 50 for the 17th time
-smartwater
I snickered when I read that whole piece, interview, idk what call it. She is the polar opposite of my favorite problematic movie star Angelina Jolie. So this bores the heck out of me. That’s all I got.
I was wondering when AJ would be brought up in a JA post. It never fails.
@Truth hurts
I would have been shocked if you didn’t mention Angelina.
Just for comparison…..I feel and look my BEST when I:
go to the physical therapist once a month for maintenance
get a massage twice a month
visit the chiropractor once a month
get a facial every month
exercise every day
get a mani/pedi every week or two
visit the salon every month
work out with a personal trainer every couple weeks
spend a lot of time with my friends
eat organic food
sleep 7-8 hours a night!
I lived like this for a short period of time! It was great. But who can afford THAT?
HOW MANY of us REGULAR people can afford that on a regular basis? Do this too, and you’ll feel great! (And this doesn’t even include the high end skin care that some folks have access too!)
Thank you.
I feel better in my 50’s than I did in my 40’s. Once menopause hit, my body and skin changed, but I also learned how to treat my new body and skin.
I’m having a tough time figuring out how to treat my new body and skin. I’ll try a new potion that will work great for a month or so then boom, doesn’t work anymore. Foods that I used to love and made me feel great, now upset my digestive system and give me heartburn. The constant chase to find something that works, that makes me feel good and doesn’t upset my digestive system is just exhausting. On the plus side, my spiritual life has grown so much and I find so much fulfillment in that so that’s what I try to focus on.
How did you skim change?
it tends to break out more when I never broke out before. It’s also somehow dry. My skin is now an emigma, wrapped in moisturizer and Differin.
@paranormalgirl, thank you for the ray of hope. Some of these comments are scaring me about aging.
At 36 I actually feel better now than I did in my late 20’s/early 30’s. I’ve lost 50 pounds (and still losing), my energy is up, my hair and skin look amazing and I think a lot of it has to do with my weight loss. For me, the weight loss was needed (and still needed) but as I age I feel SO much better because I’m FINALLY taking care of myself. I don’t drink (at all), I don’t smoke and I don’t have kids LOL Some people are terrified of aging and I like that she isn’t freaking out like some celebrities do.
This reminds me of Jennifer Gardner’s recent interview where she talks about using a neutrogena retinol or something. Obviously these celebrities see dermatologist regularly and have access to the best, most high tech procedures. You can take your Aveeno and stick it you know where, JA!
Three things I’ve added to my life since turning 45: retin-a, melatonin and an anti-depressant. I wouldn’t have even called myself depressed, but life is stressful and meditation alone wasn’t cutting it. So now I go and talk to a counselor once a month and take Cymbalta.
At 45 I am a little late to the skincare game, but after reading all I could and consulting a derm, I started double cleansing and using retin-a at night, and using vit c and a sunscreen in the am religiously.
As for sleep, it’s been hard to come by consistently since my twins were born 10 years ago. It still is, but the melatonin helps make me sleepy.
Good luck in your journey, Kaiser!
I’m a news anchor and… yeah not a single one of us thinks this is “a look into our lives”. Literally laughable.
I must have missed where she said it was a documentary about the lives of news anchors. I understood it to be a work of fiction.
Yeah, most of the shows that feature psychiatrists are not that realistic either, but it doesn’t stop me from enjoying them. *shrugs*
Has anyone see the show yet? It might end up being decent in its portrayal. Or not. Who knows.
My career (architect) is NEVER depicted accurately, it’s always made out to be very glamorous and big money, and it’s really not for like 99% of us.
That’s because this woman has never had to work any sort of job that inflicted wear and tear on her body. Of course she feels like she’s holding up so super awesome for her age. I have a screwed up Achilles tendon, a screwed up tendon in my right arm, a tendency toward lower back pain, a messed up right knee, and hearing damage. And all of it is job related going back to the 90’s. Her main concern is maintaining her looks. Ugh.
Yes, she is extremely privileged and any wear and tear on her body she has the extreme financial resources to address at length and at cost. She lives in a bubble within a massive estate in Bel Air. She has no husband, children, or annoying relatives to deal with and stress her out. She’s apples to oranges with the rest of womankind.
Best comment ever:-)
I mean, you can say this for any other famous actress too though. I think the issue is that super famous, super privileged actresses and singers (i.e. people who have that kind of lifestyle and means) are being held as examples of how to age to women who don’t have that kind of access or lifestyle.
i think she is entitled to how she feels and she is being honest. she works hard at her fitness and that payoff must feel really good…
but its a lot easier to feel great at 50 when you’ve never been overweight for one second in your life, have had a chef for most of your adult life and have the money to have trainers and gyms in your home and unending beauty treatments. maintaining things when they have never, ever gotten out of whack is a lot easier than keeping things for the average person. perhaps that part is mentally exhausting though.
Exactly.
I am 50 this year and I have to say, i too feel great! Finally got the perimenopause under control, lost some weight (FINALLY!), and mentally, after taking care of aging parents and growing kids (12 and 14 now), I can say at 50, that if it’s me or you, it’s gonna be me. Meaning there’s a new space in my head for myself.
This is after 3-4 years of feeling like crap on a stick, so yeah, I gotta agree. Maybe it’s just more a peace of mind thing…..
Random hair question in case someone knows hair!
How would one get her hair colour? Dying/highlights and lowlights? I normally get highlights and my naturally light brown hair is probably 90% blonde now. I’d like to switch it up. Should I be booking my normal foils&cut appointment but be getting lowlights instead? Or dying the colour all over a golden brown? I know I can make an appt to check with a stylist but thought someone here might know!
My naturally brown hair had turned all over blonde after years of highlights. My stylist started highlighting following the same pattern of hair about a year ago and now it looks much more like brown hair with golden highlights instead of a blonde helmet. I like it so much more.
Several years ago, I saw a photo of JA that showed quite a bit of gray at her roots. She may not have even been 40 at the time. I would guess her hair color routine has to be more than just highlights.
My 30-year-old hairdresser tells me that graying hair offers lots of color options – especially dual or multi tones. I am still doing my own medium brown base color with highlights, but the increasing gray is becoming a challenge.
So, can we see a picture of the real Jennifer
She’s borderline black facing and I’m not sure what to think of it. I also want to know what she really looks like.
Hey Kaiser…have your hormone levels checked, you could be tanking into severe peri-menopause. If you don’t want to go the HRT route there are lots of other herbal remedies I’ve found to be really helpful for boosting energy. I’m 66 and was forced off of HRT 4 years ago due to breast cancer and went through hell but managed to find me a good naturopath who got me on the right path.
Sally Quinn’s memoir “We’re Going to Make You a Star” is really funny.
These fashion magazines always photo shop and airbrush their cover stars into oblivion, while the star brags about how young and fresh they feel as they age.
I feel pretty good at 40, though of course, I’ve been tired for over a decade. And my neck. Geez, I turned to give someone the side eye and couldn’t move my neck for 3 days. That’s some serious karma.
Seeing Jennifer in videos recently, like the one she did for Allure, her face still looks good, like it’s not frozen or pumped with fillers. I think they’ve airbrushed her to hell and back in these pictures, because in videos, it looks like good work—like she’s had Botox and fillers but in a pretty subtle way and her face is still expressive and mobile. It must be stressful for celebrity women to age in the public eye.
Jennifer Aniston must have the best publicist in the biz. To me there has never been anything special about her, in fact she seems average in every way. I prefer women with personality not cutesy middle aged women.
Give me Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn any day.
Babe Eternal? Oh God, this is to look like a reference to the movie Eternals, which will star Jolie?
Things do start shutting down. She is a denier. Once the hormones decline, so does your energy, and life changes. Unless she is continuing to use hormones.
The best part about menopause is getting a clue about your place in the scheme of things and finally beginning to not give a damn about it.
Yeah, it’s called being RICH. If I had my own fragrance line and a water deal I would be living my best life as well.
I think that she and Christina Applegate have the same doctor. AND I’m 55 and have a gig in a couple of hours. I play guitar and sing in an acoustic band. Do I feel terrific?!? EFF NO. After three hours of hauling equipment and playing music for hours and then hauling the equipment back into the house, I will be a crippled person tomorrow. And the inevitable pictures and videos that will show up tonight on my social media will be brutal on my psyche and I will wish they all had Photoshop on their phones. But I am still doing it and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. I have zero dollars for botox and fillers and GOOP skincare and Balayage maintenance. I talk a mean game and tell myself that I am going to age like Patti Smith and not Jane Fonda but having a younger husband also makes it tough to believe that this will be the way to go. It’s complicated.
Also FFS, Aveeno facial moisturer didn’t exist when you were 15. I very much doubt drugstore creams have such high end effects. Still love you Jen. Watching cake. Best fucking movie.
This woman is incredibly boring and bland and really no offense but she looks like every other white woman in America. Nothing stands out about her but is that why people like her b/c she represents America which can be boring and bland too? I really want to know. Strange and sad if so. Also, she needs to grow more. She never speaks on anything but her looks, vacations, and clothes and she’s been doing this for the past 15 years. That’s fine I guess but what’s going on in her brain? She caters to the vapiness of society always trying to still give people Rachel on Friends instead of giving us the real her or if this is the real her then I find that awful and sad.
Also, I never hear men talking about this stuff, oh that’s right they don’t get these demeaning questions. Women have to stop and shut this stuff down. Why does it matter how I look at 30, 40, 50? I look the way God intended. Don’t worry so much about your bodies or your looks. Be healthy for sure but more importantly be happy.
Lol I feel so confident in my age yet face is not even recognizable with all the Botox and enhancements to avoid old age. Lol Ok
COME ON NOW, of course it’s easy to feel fit and fab at 50 when you are so rich you could literally hire someone to carry you around all day! She can get the best health care, the best specialists, the best products, sleep late, be in peace, not worry about s**t.
I mean.. COME. ON.
She has the money and time to feel this good.
I’m sure she wouldn’t be feeling like this if she lead a normal everyday life with limited resources like the rest of us. Her lifestyle and bank account is keeping her young and fresh.
And how would she even know? Like, what does she has to compare it to? Maybe she does have some age related issues, she’s just not aware cause she’s not living in the real world. She lives in Hollywood.
Idk, she sounds ignorant.
She’s wealthy, hasn’t had kids, and her entire career hinges on her taking care of her body, so I have no doubt she feels fine. I’m 43, and I don’t feel like I’m 17 but I don’t feel decrepit either, mostly just I have no metabolism anymore lol. No, she’s not a realistic picture of aging for most of us, however I sure prefer this narrative out there. It beats the ‘once women turn 50, they’re on death’s door’ because that narrative hurts us all. Rather than be mad that she might be aging in a way I won’t be able to, I’d rather focus on the positive. When I finish grad school and I’m back in the non-freelance job market, I’d rather a potential employer picture Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lopez when she sees my age.
I really like your point @Shannon. I too am “young” in my career, freelancing, just hit 40… I think it is still an important message, that it IS possible to feel damn good at 50, that we don’t all need to just be turned out to pasture… and yeah, that potential employers see Aniston and Lopez, vitality, energy, etc.! And while yes the majority of us don’t have the resources to have, like, that otherworldly zen glow or whatever, I do think it shows what is possible, given effort… I do find the focus on this disturbing, ie, say we’ve got a Clooney or a Pitt in an interview, and we sit dude down, and it’s like, you’re 50something, how do you look so young and fresh, what brand of products do you use on your face, what are your views on Botox, what is your workout routine? I’d like for female celebrities to be asked the more character-driven, career-related question the dudes at the same age are asked… in the meantime, I will still consider that it’s important to take good care of myself as i get older, that it’s not inevitable that, like, my teeth start falling out and society shuns me, or whatever, and that i shouldn’t just let myself go, in the face of continuing sexism and ageism in our society and all.
Just follow Edtestine Shepard worlds oldest body builder. She is 81.
yikes, the styling for all this is horrible!
I just read an article in The Week magazine that said British scientists have developed a surgical procedure that can delay menopause for up to 20 years, a potentially life-changing breakthrough for millions of women. The procedure offered only to women under 40 starts with a 30 min. operation in which tissue is removed from the patient’s ovaries. The sample is frozen. When the patient begins menopause, the tissue is thawed and grafted back into the body, triggering the release of hormones that put menopause on hold. Ten women in the U.K. have undergone the initial procedure. How long the procedure holds off menopause depends on a patient’s age when the tissue is extracted. Tissue from a 25 year old could postpone menopause by 20 years, while a sample from a 40 year old might delay its onset by five years. I hope they continue to make major strides with this. I would have loved to have been able to have menopause postponed. Once you lose those hormones your entire body sags, it’s not gravity that makes it sag, it’s your hormones. And the fact that your energy level goes way down is brutal.
Hunh. Does this also mean you get to deal with bloody panties, tampons and pads for an extra 20 years? No thanks.
The article said menopause triggers symptoms including anxiety, hot flashes, reduced sex drive, and may also include heart disease and bone-weakening osteoporosis. Personally if i had a choice, i would opt for delayed menopause only because i felt so much better before menopause.
@april: Menopause happens differently in different women. I went through it years ago and had no hot flashes, no anxiety, no heart disease, no osteoporosis, and I sure as hell didn’t have a reduced sex drive, as my boyfriend at the time could testify.
My cousin hated the hot flashes etc so she went on estrogen which stopped her hot flashes but as a side effect, her period came back. She was still menstruating into her early sixties. When she finally stopped taking estrogen on her doctor’s orders, the hot flashes came back. I told her she should have put up with them in her early fifties and gotten it over with.
I’m 66 and in better shape physically, mentally and emotionally than I’ve ever been. I went through a pretty tough few years from 2016 to early 2018 because I had to go off HRT due to a breast cancer diagnosis. Delayed menopause made even worse as I went on HRT when I was 42 due to a hysterectomy including ovaries. So I attacked it with everything I could use – I take several herbal supplements that help with hot flashes/night sweats and insomnia, I exercise rigorously 6 days a week, I eat well, don’t smoke, drink a few glasses of wine a week, don’t suntan and I am not sagging. Nor has my energy level gone down, in fact it’s better than it’s ever been. Some women have a rough time but don’t do anything about it, others breeze through it, others like me fight it head on and win.
I totally disagree that some people have a hard time and “don’t do anyhing about it.” I’ve spent thousands of dollars going to private functional doctors and taking tons of supplements. I’ve had acupuncture, BHRT, and a ton of other things. They work for a brief amount of time and stop working for me. I was diagnosed with acute adrenal dysfunction at menopause. I’ve been to endocrinologists and currently work with a holistic nurse practioner who has a doctorate degree. The people suffering and hurting the most spend the most money and do the most to get well.
@April….lighten up. I’m sorry you’ve gone through a hard time but you’re somewhat unique in developing adrenal dysfunction related to meno. I have several close friends who hardly had a hot flash or uncomfortable moment and others who suffered badly and didn’t do anything about it but complain. We’re all different in the way we go through this life event and I hope you find a way to mitigate your discomfort without sh*tting all over a factual and innocent comment.
Well, I kind of grew up with Aniston, and I’m also a California beach bred gal, so I can identify. I’ve always liked her natural style and now that she is aging, she still looks great. The photoshop is wayyyyy overboard. Who in the hell was the creative director on this? But you just have to remember all her pap shots in NY and LA when she looks like her natural self, because she doesn’t look natural here. That cover shot is AHmazing though, I must say….it really caught my eye. She kind of has it all–money, films, looks, personality, so she’s been very very lucky in life.
No kids and no husband lets to keep the youth.
Yeah, we have to remember work-life balance here too. Aniston made 2 movies in 2018 : “Dumplin'” and “Murder Mystery”. In total, she probably spent 12-14 weeks working full-time. So what does she do for the other 38 weeks of the year? Attends premieres and does interviews, probably films/photographs a commercial or two. Maybe she does something for a charitable organization? I’m not sure, but none of that can take up more than another few weeks, part-time, and much of it involves being pampered, coiffed, dressed-up and driven around. When she’s home, she isn’t cleaning her own bathrooms, she has a personal trainer who comes to her, and may even have a chef.
This is hardly the reality for the average working woman in North America. If she isn’t feeling any “aging” happening, I’m not surprised. 🙂
“”Fifty feels amazing!” Bitch, you l lie…”
Lmao! I’ve been sayin’. Maybe some of these proclamations come from the Mary Poppinses of the world, and everything will be practically perfect in every way until the end of time. 😐
Menopause started early for me but peri did as well so I truly feel like this marathon has been going on a decade. One peculiar thing though. I’ve always had very dark brown hair and started growing grays very early like late 20s early 30s. I would use semi-perm color in various crazy shades of black (yes there really is a difference lol). But in my late 40s, I said f@ckit. This shit is growing out. Mind you, I was mostly gray, I swear. Underneath my hair, I still have dark brown chunks, but what’s growing is the blondest blond without being white or platinum you know? Weird right?
To all of the commenters complaining how JA never has anything interesting to say, always talks about her hair, is super shallow, etc… As a journalist I need to point out that that is on the interviewer, not JA. You don’t want the interview to be about her hair? Don’t effing ask her about her hair. You want to have a more interesting, in-depth conversation? Well, f*cking prepare and show up with the right questions. JA may be guarded about personal and political stuff but I’m pretty damn sure it didn’t go like “Hey Jennifer, so tell me about your thoughts on global warming and Hollywood’s responsibility in taking some steps in the right direction towards educating movie goers” and JA’s reply was “no, let’s talk about my hair instead”. I mean, come on, people. Think whatever you want about JA, but don’t ever blame a bad interview on the interviewee. It’s a job and a profession and if the interviewer is not up to that, then that’s on him/her.
Depending on the interviewer, they may be up to asking the tough questions but in many cases – especially popular a-list celebrities – the pr people probably tell the interviewer not to ask this or that and to stick to hair and make up, etc.
I don’t get the blackface accusations (I’ve seen tanner people in real life than her in those photos; and her being tan has always been part of her identity), but I don’t like Aniston not being honest about her evasive facial work and acting like she doesn’t physically feel any of her years. But, she’s a celebrity, and they are, by and large, dishonest.
I think everyone’s different. I can see that she feels great at 50. She has the resources and healthy lifestyle mindset to do so.
I just turned 40 and while I obviously don’t feel like I did when I was 30, I haven’t had a huge decline. I’ve been more mindful of what I eat, drink and started strength training, which is helped me tremendously. Perhaps it also helps I don’t have a spouse or children. 🙂
The surprise, seemingly random weight gain paired with a suddenly different metabolism shocked me. I am still figuring out what I need to do with this new reality. I am determined not to berate myself for this. It seems as if it happens to most of us, so that makes me believe our bodies need at least some of this extra weight. I decided that if I still have these extra pounds after re-committing to my walking routine then I am just supposed to be this way. I am seeing a bit of improvement just since walking daily for a week and also reducing my carb intake. I have to say that I do not miss being ogled by men in public. Not a bit.
I thought it was me. While I’ve never been athletic I use to be in constant motion at work and home.
Now I have zero energy.
My body aches
I’m getting muscle spasms.
I realize I have to move it or loose it.
I work with senior and I don’t want to end up in a wheel chair having to depend on others to help me.
Now I’m doing senior exercises where you do leg/arm lifts when sitting. I’m also starting to