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NIKOL JOHNSON

Beauty Reinvented with Gray Hair

Silver Sister Spotlight with Caroline Labouchere

April 6, 2019 ·

Silver Sister Spotlight with Caroline Labouchere

Ladies, I am back to inspire you with a fierce Silver Sister Spotlight with Caroline Labouchere. I became friends with Caroline through Instagram and my desire to visit Dubai where Caroline lives. I DMed her on social media and told her I wanted to come and run with her and see the country her response “Come, I will take care of you,” She has such a sweet and calming spirit something that reads true on her Instagram Stories. Let’s introduce you to Caroline.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Caroline Labouchere

It’s not every day you see a striking model sporting natural grey hair, owning the runway, gracing magazine covers and standing out from the crowd with a message that simply says aging can be beautiful. Caroline is fifty-four years young and the Region’s (United Arab Emirates) first ‘grey’ model. She grew up in Bedfordshire, UK. Her father was Lord Luke of Pavenham; a hereditary Peer of the Realm. Caroline grew up as a Sloane Ranger and came out as a debutante with a strict mother who dressed her in typical upper-class style. She is a competitive marathon runner, alongside her husband who is a world-class elite endurance triathlete. She has run the Dubai and Paris Marathons and she is currently training to run her first Ultra marathon. She clearly lives an active and healthy lifestyle.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Caroline Labouchere

Q: When did you start to go grey?

A: I was turning quite grey around the year 2000. It was hard covering it up and I went through phases of letting it go (feeling old) and coloring it. Peer pressure definitely has an impact.

Q: Did you feel empowered by your grey hair or defeated?

A: Initially through the perception of everyone around me I felt the need to fit in. I now feel completely content with it and cannot wait to be more grey.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Caroline Labouchere

Q: Tell us about the recent award you received.

A: Oh my, from the first random email invitation to the event I had a week to pull it all together. I didn’t believe the request when the email first appeared in my inbox. The pageant was called Golden Ambassador for Beijing Tourism. I was found through social media. Contacted by a French man, I thought it was a hoax, I got my husband to speak to him on Skype. I finally spoke to another contestant from Paris via Instagram. After our chat, I decided to go for it.  I found the perfect dress, eight inches too long but fabulous, my visa and was on a flight to China. Other than our outing to the Great Wall we cat walked and walked practicing for the big day, the pageant. It was nerve-wracking although the lights were so bright we couldn’t see the judges. It was an incredible experience, it is unlikely that I will enter a beauty pageant again. I am happy I did and honored to have won.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Caroline Labouchere

Silver Sister Spotlight with Caroline Labouchere

Q: How do you view aging?

A: I dislike some bits, the lack of skin elasticity being the main one. I stay very fit and find it frustrating that I cannot naturally do anything about it the inevitable march of time. I will age gracefully with some help I think. Jane Fonda is doing it right in my book.

Q: Do you feel the fashion and beauty industry supports women with grey hair?

A: No, especially makeup. The shops are daunting the lighting is bad and it is too easy to be mis-sold products. I would rather follow someone my age on Instagram and buy with their advice.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Caroline Labouchere

Want to be featured in my Silver Sister Spotlight or know someone that would? Email me [email protected] Can’t wait to feature more women that are aging and embracing it with a bold, fierce attitude.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Caroline Labouchere

Posted by Nikol / Filed In: Silver Sisters
Tagged: aging women, beauty blogger, Beauty Reinvented, Gray Hair, Grey Hair, grey hair don't care, mature women, miami beauty blogger, Nikol Johnson, silver sisters, siverfox, women embracing age

Silver Sister Spotlight with Marilyn Moles Carlisle

October 28, 2018 ·

Silver Sister Spotlight with Marilyn Moles Carlisle

Ladies this Silver Sister Spotlight took me months to put together. It’s fascinating how the world works with pairing you up with incredible people. I was introduced to Marilyn by my photographer Rick Gomez he thought Marilyn would be an incredible woman to feature and guess what SHE IS.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Marilyn Moles Carlisle

Photo Credit: Rick Gomez Photography

 

Marilyn (Moles) Carlisle grew up on the west coast of Florida in Clearwater. Her father, a physician, and her mother’s love for animals inspired her interest in veterinary medicine. She attended college at the University of Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991. She continues to practice medicine part-time in South Florida, and although she loves dogs, her special interest is feline medicine. Although Marilyn continues to practice veterinary medicine part-time, she also has a successful side-career as a classic lifestyle model and actress. She knew that to be a credible (professional) actress she would need to commit to training. She took local classes weekly at night for over a year, attended weekend workshops and recently traveled to Chicago to train at the famous Second City for improv. Her dedication to her work at training has paid off. She has been in numerous commercials (national and local), independent films including a Lifetime movie, appeared in tv shows and can be seen in magazines and on billboards. She enjoys balancing both sides of her careers although admittedly the scheduling can be hectic at times. ! Marilyn and her husband (Stephen) of 23 years have two wonderful sons who will be graduating from college and high school respectively. She has been sporting her platinum white hair for over 20 years. Women and men have commented on her hair for years, but now she is excited not to have her hair described as a “beautiful anomaly.” Women would approach me at the grocery store and say “I wish I had the courage to stop coloring my hair.” Marilyn loves traveling, dancing, sunsets, beach walks, and spending time with family and friends. So also enjoys mentoring young potential veterinarians in their exploration of the profession.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Marilyn Moles Carlisle

Q: When did you first start seeing gray?

At the age of 14, I remember standing in front of my bathroom mirror and finding my first gray hairs. The more I pulled them, the more they seemed to grow.

Q: In your professional world as a veterinarian did you feel pressure to keep your hair dyed?

The only time I have really dyed my hair was during college and my early years of veterinary school. Perms and color were popular during the 1980‘s. When I graduated from the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, I was already transitioning into my natural color by using low lights in my hair to help blend the white and remaining dyed brown. I looked like I had a lot of frosting. Professionally I have been employed at the same animal hospital for the past 25 years. We have all grown up together, so my hair was just part of the package. Stereotypically doctors have that “distinguished” look so maybe that helped me too.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Marilyn Moles Carlisle

Photo Credit: Rick Gomez Photography

Q: Did your white hair come in all at once? Or did it take years to be this beautiful white color?

It seems that it came in all at once. When I decided to stop the low lights, I was 95% solid white. Only one small brown section in the front and at the ends as the low lights grew out. It looked okay, so I was lucky

Silver Sister Spotlight with Marilyn Moles Carlisle

Photo Credit: Rick Gomez Photography

Q: How did you feel when you decided to go gray? Was this a scary time for you?

When I wanted to start my family, I decided to totally give up the chemicals. Pregnancy and added chemicals just did not seem to be a healthy choice. My husband was supportive and loved my uniqueness, so he helped make it easy for me. My mother’s side of the family has a lot of beautiful white hair. My hair and my blue eyes definitely come from mom! Only once do I recall feeling bad about my hair. I took some “me time” and treated myself to a massage. After the massage, the masseuse asked: “Why don’t you color your hair?” “From the back, you look like an old lady, but from the front, you look so young?” That same week I went and added back the low lights. About a week later, a long time client at the animal hospital asked me why I colored my beautiful hair. He was right! That was the last time, and I have never looked back. The low lights just faded away, and thankfully my white hair came right back. To me, it looks glamorous like in the 1960’s just like my namesake Marilyn Monroe.

Q: What advice would you give other professional women when it comes to embracing your gray?

Professional women, and in fact all women should feel confident. Confidence is strong and sexy all at the same time. Choose what makes you feel confident and then just run with it. Embrace your look!

Silver Sister Spotlight with Marilyn Moles Carlisle

Photo Credit: Lynn Parks Photography

Q: How did you get into lifestyle modeling? Are there any jobs that you loved working on as a gray-haired model?

Modeling and acting were never on my radar. However, in a Pilates class, I became friends with a woman who introduced me to an amazing photographer Rick Gomez. Rick took my first headshot. The year was 2009, and really very few people had my look. Rick and my friend Patricia helped connect me with a few talent and modeling agencies. I approached my acting with determination to learn. I took acting classes as well as special workshops. Just as in my veterinary practice, I continue to strive to be my best. I have a type “A” personality and am a perfectionist. Modeling and acting are generally fun for me and refills “my love bank.” It does have a lot of rejection though and honestly; I still struggle with that at times. However, when I am on set, it is fun to step into someone else’s life as a character and the modeling helps me feel pretty. The mid-life career keeps me focused on taking good care of myself by making healthy food choices and exercising, especially loving my dance class. ! I have worked hard and tried to make wise choices. I have great agents who do their best to get me opportunities. A few of my favorite jobs include a Lifetime movie (Girlfriend Killer), and a billboard on I-95 (Seminole Casino). I have had some great commercials such as Prudential Retirement and a Dunkin Donuts where I combined my veterinary and acting worlds. Print jobs for award-winning country clubs (Boca West) are also fun. I also will be on the cover of Jan Rogers second book called “Going Gray Beauty Guide: 40 Gray8 Going Gray Stories” due out 2019 in hardcover and e-book. I am so very thankful and proud to represent our Silver Sisters!

Connect with Marilyn on Instagram: @Marilyn_Carlisle

Silver Sister Spotlight with Marilyn Moles Carlisle

Posted by Nikol / Filed In: Silver Sisters
Tagged: Beauty Reinvented, Gray Hair, gray hair model, Nikol Johnson, silver sisters, White Hair

Silver Sister Spotlight with Pilar

April 13, 2018 ·

Silver Sister Spotlight with Shelly

I am a total stalker when it comes to Instagram and women showcasing their gray hair journey. I love that we can all connect on social media and share our unique stories. I found Pilar somehow through all my late night scrolling and I couldn’t wait to share her journey with you. Show Pilar some love and go visit her on Instagram.

Pilar is native Spaniard and has spent most of her adult years living and working abroad. She has a BA in Film and Media and an MA in Screenwriting, she has worked in the film, TV and theatre industries. In recent years she made a career move exploring some aspects of marketing, and she is currently on sabbatical doing what she enjoys most: helping raise awareness and funds for two charities she has been collaborating with for years, and acting as a consultant for one-off fundraising events. She resides in London with her husband and their two daughters.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Pilar

When did you start going gray?

My last appointment to cover my greys was late June 2017. I had not planned it, it was a simple ‘what if’ scenario. What if I stopped dyeing my hair? What if I liked what I saw? What if it suited me? I talked to my stylist during that last appointment and to my surprise, he was all for it. Next thing I know is that we are exchanging pics of hairstyles for grey-haired ladies. Two months later he dyed my colored hair one last time adding highlights where my natural hair was lighter, and lowlights where it was still dark. I lost a bit of my new growth in the process, which is why I always mention two timelines when I date a picture of my hair, but it was definitely worth going through this five-hour long appointment at the salon.

How did you feel going gray in your forties?

I started seeing greys in my early 20s, and they kept multiplying until I first dyed them in my late 30s. I was familiar with living with a certain amount of greys and I knew I had a lighter streak at the front but I had never imagined that my hair would be so much more salt than pepper now.

I am the only one among my friends who has grey hair and does not color it. I initially thought that this might affect me, that I would feel unattractive and out of place when around them. Then there were the thoughts about work. Since the prospect of applying for jobs that will involve face-to-face meetings with clients is considerably high given my background, I also thought that my hair would be an issue when I start interviewing again after my sabbatical. It turns out that I am delighted with my decision of going grey and I do not feel that I am less just because I do not conform any more to the norm of hiding my silvers if anything this has made me stronger. And if my silvers are an issue to a potential employer, then that company would not be worth working for!

I have gifted myself three hours of my time every three weeks, and I do not have to worry anymore about calculating when to dye my roots so I would look on point for a certain event or holiday. I can’t wait for my hair to be all grey, but in the meantime, there are many ways of looking stylish. What’s not to like about this?!

Silver Sister Spotlight with Pilar

What’s been your hardest challenge going gray?

In all fairness, the process is being a lot less challenging than I had anticipated. The first few weeks were certainly the most difficult. Getting used to the idea that my natural roots were here to stay took me a bit of time and a lot of staring at them in the mirror. I knew there would be no more color appointment so I made the effort of wearing my new growth with pride, and I only used colored hair powder and sprays on two occasions: a gala dinner and a wedding, both at the beginning of my transition. I attended family weddings on the third and fourth month of my transition and on both occasions I asked for a hairstyle that would bring out my silvers rather than hide them.

Also, I noticed early in my gray transition that if I wanted to succeed I could not neglect my hairstyle or my make-up on a daily basis. For someone used to air dry her hair and with zero make-up skills this has probably been the most challenging part, and yet I am enjoying it: it’s never too late to learn new skills!

What advice do you have for the woman that gets negative comments about her gray hair?

I have not received many negative comments so far, and I am certain that my extremely positive attitude about going grey has a lot to do with this. Transitioning to grey is quite a bumpy ride, and the key to success is to own your decision. Feel confident, and people will see beautiful silvers and the prospect of a healthy mane rather than grey roots.

You may get compliments from total strangers and the nastiest of comments from close friends or relatives. Your inner circle will have the greatest impact on how you feel during the transition. Be prepared for insensitive comments, and some funny looks, especially at the beginning of the process. My husband had never wanted me to dye my hair so he was very supportive, even when my roots looked like a hot mess. My children… well, that was a very different story: they almost cried! I was the cool mum all their friends wished they had and all of a sudden they were picturing me as this 100-year-old grey haired witch that children see in animated films… and they reminded me of it on a daily basis! Then there were my friends, most of them encouraging me to do this with just one or two friends telling me how old I would look and asking me to color my hair again, to do it ‘for them’… But the real shock came when my own mother, who has never dyed her hair and has a wonderful healthy silver mane, told me I should not stop coloring my hair because it would age me. Of course, determined as I am when I want to do something, I listened, smiled, and carried on with my business. Eventually, those who openly opposed to my grey journey, in the beginning, have now either come around or given up on me. Remember that there is one certain thing about novelty: it wears out!

Silver Sister Spotlight with Pilar

What made you want to share your gray hair journey on social media?

When I started this journey I found stunning grey-haired ladies who inspired me, ladies whose hair made me dream that one day perhaps mine would be half as beautiful. As a matter of fact, your Instagram account was one of the first relevant accounts I followed, and it’s not just your incredible grey hair that I love.

I am not a model, nor am I a fabulous photographer or even have decent equipment (I mostly post iPhone selfies), and I certainly do not have a glamorous life… at least not always! I am just a girl next door many women could relate to, a practical woman who is consistent with her lifestyle choices, and I created @silverlocksshining with that in mind. Instagram is the ideal platform to quickly share the ups and downs of my everyday going-grey life, and other women who may be considering taking the plunge can see what I am experiencing: the challenges, the changes (some of them deeper than just hair color), the hair growth at every stage… Lots of headshots, which may help others overcome a rough phase or maybe picture themselves with grey hair. Even if every journey is different, seeing that someone has been there too and has managed to go through it can encourage others to stay the course.

Sharing my journey on social media also helps me keep focused and see the evolution myself. We all have days when we think nothing has changed in weeks and this visual record proves me that my hair is indeed growing and that it is now stronger, healthier and much shinier than all those years I was throwing color at it to cover those silvers I am now in love with.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Pilar

Posted by Nikol / Filed In: Silver Sisters
Tagged: Beauty Reinvented, Going Gray, Gray Hair Journey, Nikol Johnson, Silver Hair, silver sister, silver sisters

Welcome to Beauty Reinvented where FIERCE women are being empowered to embrace their beauty no matter what that means from Gray Hair, fine lines and wrinkles or just not looking like everyone else. My mission is to empower you to live your best life on your own terms. It's time ladies to Get This Beauty Started.

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