Old Enough to Know Better

Artist Carol Goldmark has long been fascinated by the subject of beauty and aging. While other artists painted buds, she filled her Buena Park studio with paintings of blooms--some drooping a little.

“I’m trying to show there’s a great deal of beauty in these flowers,” she said.

When Goldmark turned 55 last month, the issue of beauty became personal.

She found herself scrutinizing the palette of her cosmetics. The brighter hues that looked great in her 20s and 30s seem harsh and artificial.

It’s been two decades since she had a professional make-over.

“There have been a lot of changes,” she said. “When women my age look in the mirror, we see new lines, new shapes. We want to take away the sharp edges.”

Like Goldmark, many women in their 50s discover they’re ready to shed long-held assumptions about beauty.

For inspiration, there are great role models: Hillary Rodham Clinton (50); Cher (51); Goldie Hawn (51) , Bette Midler (51), Raquel Welch (57) and Jane Fonda (59).

“I have so many beautiful women in my practice who are in their 50s but look so much younger than their mothers did at that age,” said Tandra Cadigan, a 50-ish obstetrician-gynecologist in Newport Beach who serves on the fashion board of Neiman Marcus.

Fifty is a time when women take stock, said Nancy Casey, co-founder of As We Change, a San Diego-based catalog for women experiencing menopause. “They look at what they’ve been doing and decide, ‘This works, and this doesn’t.’ ”

For many women, changing their style and grooming regimen proves liberating. They’re no longer slaves to fashion. They’re sophisticated.

“Many relax a little bit over the way they think others perceive them,” Casey said. “They loosen up.

“They’re more into comfort. They also wear lighter makeup. They look for cosmetics that don’t sink into the creases. And they tend to take a more natural approach to their hair.”

Some stop coloring their hair and find to their surprise that their natural shade complements their complexion.

Cosmetic artist Jan Thielbar, owner of Make-Up Creations in Irvine, helps women learn new ways to apply cosmetics.

“Women want to know, ‘What can I do about the darkness under my eyes? How can I look fresh? What can I do to my lips so they’re not drawn down?’ ” Thielbar said.

She shows women that a heavy foundation can make them look older by accentuating wrinkles. She suggests a lightweight, water-based foundation, followed by a light dusting of powder, all over the face.

A highlighter works wonders when lightly sponged onto the shadows of the face, not only under the eyes but also at the corners of the eyes and mouth, she said.

To give hair a lift, she applies hair spray to the fingertips and brushes the hair around the face upward.

“Makeup, hair--everything moves up,” she said.

Outdated clothing can also date a person. “Some people are dressing the way they did 10 years ago,” Thielbar said. “Updating your accessories [helps] as well.”

The best gift a woman can give herself is fitness, Cadigan said.

Cadigan works out regularly, including twice-a-week sessions with a personal trainer, and works out with weights at home.

“We can’t accept the notion that if we’re in our 50s, we can’t have a great body. We can--but [like for everyone else] it’s hard work,” Cadigan said. “The number doesn’t mean anything anymore.”