This is the first time in a while that I’ve been brave enough to bare my ankles. Not because I’m a prude from the 19th century or anything, it’s just that I think I’m going to freeze my arse off if my ankles are bare. But on this occasion, the weather was so glorious and I was so hot, I needed to wear something cool. Although, to be honest, I think that might have had something to do with my bloody hormones. Being forty-five is awesome, right? And I have a feeling that this is just the beginning.
A casual outfit for hormonal days
My cool and casual outfit comprised a loose cotton shirt that I’ve had for years (from Primark) that usually only gets worn in the height of the summer months, a pair of ankle-grazing stretchy trousers from C&A and my newest pair of white Ecco leather trainers. It’s incredibly casual and loose-fitting—perfect for days when your temperature is higher than you’d like it to be. Let’s call it a casual outfit for hormonal days!
A slick of red lipstick always makes you feel better, right? Not that I felt bad, not at that point. I felt bloody awful Wednesday, Thursday and Friday though—period pains for three days! Wonderful. But I feel fine today, thankfully. Until next month. Speaking of lipstick, I’ve always been a fan of red lippie, and I can’t believe I’m going to admit it, but I’ve owned this particular Clarins lipstick for about twenty-five years!! It was a gift from Michael in the early days. Goes to show that I don’t wear it that often lol! I do love the shade though, interesting that it still suits me after all these years. Do you wear red lipstick? And do you own any that are as old as mine? lol
I might complain about going through all this hormonal shit at this age, but I honestly believe it’s such a privilege to be able to age, you know? I’ve lost so many loved ones over the years, most of whom were way too young to die, so to be able to go through life and experience everything it has to offer—good or bad—is a gift. That’s another reason why I love my grey hair so much. It’s like my own little beacon of life experience, and I embrace it with everything I’ve got.
This week, a friend commented on how long my hair has got, and it really has, hasn’t it? I’m really loving it, which is a surprise because over the past ten years, whenever it gets to this stage, I usually go and chop it all off. But, not only am I embracing the grey, I’m also embracing the length. I hate it when ‘people’ say that long hair ages you. Who f***ing cares if it ages you or not? It’s your hair and you should do whatever you want to do with it. And if that means long grey hair, crazy short pixie hair, whatever, it’s yours, not anyone else’s. Don’t follow what others tell you, follow your heart <3
When I first decided to stop dyeing my hair, some people told me I was crazy, that it would make me look older than I am. Well, I pretty much gave them the finger (in a nice way lol), and followed my heart anyway. It felt so liberating to do that, you know? And then, after a few months of being dye-free, I then decided to chop it all off. Again, some people were a bit negative, but I didn’t listen. I did what my heart told me to do. And again, I felt liberated.
I get the same feeling from blogging, to be honest. It has freed me, in a sense. I know there are loads of people out there who think this is all just about vanity, playing dress up and posing in front of a camera. But there’s way more to it than that. Since I’ve been doing this, I’ve gained so much more confidence in myself than I’ve ever had before. It’s not just about the clothes and the make-up, it’s goes deeper. It’s difficult to explain, but I feel freer for doing this. It’s given me so much more self-acceptance, and allowed me to love me, simply for me. I accept myself, flaws and all. It’s weird, really, that posing for photos, choosing to dress up more and making more of an effort with how I look has made me more okay with what’s beneath all that. The little things I used to hate about myself, are now just little quirks that make me, me. Crazy, right?
I’m quite happy to dance around in front of the camera and reveal myself for all to see. I don’t have anything to hide, so why try? I know this all sounds so goofy, but it’s just me—a 45-year-old woman with greying hair who is following her heart and doesn’t give a shit whether you like it or not. Isn’t that the way it should be?
Shop the ‘casual outfit for hormonal days’ look!
See where I link up in the list over to your right!
