I'm a 53 year old woman, I'm someone who doesn't need a lot of jewelry, bling, never painted my toenails (they look like grapes with big glossy circle on them-to me)only painted my fingernails a few times and found it strangling, annoying and couldn't wait to get it off.

I went through a period during menapause when I realized i was losing my 'looks', I was very pretty as a young teenager through my 40's, but once the old menapause hit, thinning hair and lips, thick ankles, wrinkles and love handles all hit within 3 years.

I tried tanning (ruined my skin worse)
I tried jewelry (found it annoying and not helpful)
I tried painting toes and nails, all kinds of makeup, hair do's, hair spray, shampoos, waxing, excercising diets
etc etc etc

Nothing works, I maintained my oldness.
I knelt in prayer and asked God to help me see myself through my husband and kids eyes instead of through the eyes of what I THOUGHT I should look like, you know, those magazines, that tv, the movies....
my boobs were small and hung a bit
my waist thickened
arthritis was making it tough to be as active as I liked
makeup made me break out

I was a mess

But slowly, as i vented my frustration, my husband said,you know I like you without anything on, naked, no makeup, no clothes, wrinkles and budge belly and all
He actually hated the makeup I wore (and I didn't wear much), he said I didnt need mascara, I didnt need pink cheeks, he like me just the way I was....

he was fine with my looks, my kids were fine with my looks, I just need to be fine with them

I stopped wearing all jewelry, makeup, fancy dancy clothes, I kept my hair short and clean, I wore nice clothes but didn't need those 140 dollar suits and 60 dollar blouses, I didnt need gold and silver jewelry, matter of fact i started making jewelry as a hobby and just give it away to those who love it and seem to need it.

God helped me see that I didn't need these 'things' to cover myself so people would look at those things, and not see me. I was worthy of people looking at me and not that stuff.

I see women in church who were like me, COVERED in more makeup it has to be 1/2 inch thick, fake eyelashes, tanned to a burnt brown, clothes that must cost hundreds, jewelry, tattoes, peircings, hair doo's that I know cost hundreds to maintain every week....

I no longer need it.
God loves me the way I am,
my husband loves me just the way God made me
my kids love me

I don't need that stuff anymore, and let me tell you
I was a stuff wearing caring whore.....