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NIKOL JOHNSON

Beauty Reinvented with Gray Hair

Hello Blog, It’s Me Nikol

November 14, 2019 ·

I realized on a recent flight this month that I have not been writing on this blog as much as I would like for 2019. This post will be a little catch-up and news on upcoming events. Most of the content I upload is here and here, but I view this blog as an outlet to interview other women that are breaking the beauty rules to encouraging you through your transitioning beauty.

Hello Blog, It's Me Nikol

To catch you up to speed on where I have been for the past six months, I have been in the studio filming and producing videos that feature makeup tutorials on women from fifties to eighty-four on my YouTube channel, which hit 80K subscribers. These videos have been such a rewarding series called #FierceAging. The series started as a four-part series but now has turned into a monthly feature. I have an inspiring project coming up that I will be announcing on my YouTube channel and Newsletter, so make sure you tune in and are signed up (find my sign up here).

If you have not joined my private Beauty Reinvented Facebook group, this is the perfect time to get inspiration and support from women all over the world. We are almost at seven thousand women sharing and helping each other through aging and gray hair. I am so proud of this little group, and I have been posting LIVE Q&A’s randomly to answer your questions in real-time.

If you love Fresh Beauty Studio Cosmetics/Nikol Cosmetics or are curious, get ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday! New beauty products added every week. You don’t want to miss out on the specials that are coming up for the holiday season. Early access will be announced here, so make sure you are signed up.

I hope you ladies are doing well and are enjoying all the content that I am creating for you on all my platforms.

Hello Blog, It's Me Nikol

Posted by Nikol / Filed In: Lifestyle
Tagged: Anti Aging, Beauty Reinvented, bold beauty, boss babe, fierce beauty, Gray Hair Journey, Nikol Johnson, Over 40, over 40 style, White Hair, woman on top, Women Empowerment, women encouragement, women helping women, women power, Women who gray, Women with Gray hair

Fashion Dysmorphia – Why The Need for Youth is Ruining Our Self-Esteem

February 22, 2019 ·

Fashion Dysmorphia

 

Let’s have a little sit-down chat, shall we? I recently subscribed to the magazine PORTER instead of receiving the magazine on my Nook. Porter came yesterday, and as I flipped through the magazine, I was creeped out at how young these models were for big brands like Chanel, Michael Kors, Fendi, Jimmy Choo, etc. It’s honestly disgusting to me that in 2019 we are still showing these little girls in clothes that cost over five thousand dollars a piece. Think about that for a second heck is anyone thinking about this or questioning how the fashion industry portrays women?

Fashion Dysmorphia

Fashion Dysmorphia

Fashion Dysmorphia

Fashion Dysmorphia

I don’t think so, or something would have changed by now. I can’t relate to teenagers in a Chanel suit or a teenager putting on Chanel makeup. I think it’s ridiculous for me to try and compare my skin, face, body to an embryo. Let’s remember that I probably see zero to one percent of the time a gray-haired model or woman over fifty featured in these magazines (that’s not a celebrity) such as Elle and Harpers Bazaar. Oh, wait! I did see a mature woman with long gray hair for Valentino but they had her hold up branches with leaves all over them so I couldn’t see her face. If you don’t believe me check out the March issue of Harpers Bazaar.  We all know the fashion and beauty industry is extremely shallow but how is looking at a pubescent girl going to make me want to buy clothes? Buy an anti-wrinkle cream or even better seven hundred dollar shoes?

We all know the fashion and beauty industry is extremely shallow but how is looking at a pubescent girl going to make me want to buy clothes? Buy an anti-wrinkle cream or even better seven hundred dollar shoes?

Advertising is all subconscious ladies; you look through these magazines and page after glossy page you are bombarded with teenagers, unrealistic images, some women over the age of thirty and forty but very rarely. What does that say to us? If you are over forty, you are not beautiful, not worthy of being shown in an ad? Seriously how can you go to the Chanel counter and look at the teenage girls on their point of sale and think I am sixty-five I am going to look like that if I use this cream for four hundred dollars? Is thin, thinner, thinnest the only size in fashion?  Surgery, laser, botox, filler anyone?

As a former model, I am getting so tired of seeing this display of ignorance and limited thinking by the fashion and beauty industry. It’s almost laughable to put Kaia Gerber (Cindy Crawfords daughter) a seventeen-year-old that has sparked tons of rumors recently for having an eating disorder in a Fendi or Jimmy Choo advertisement. Am I missing something? Because I feel like I am. I have nothing against Kaia or the other teenagers featured in these ads; it’s the ripple down effect that I want to point out.  The pressure is beyond intense in the social media/fashion/beauty industries with more and more “influencers” completely changing their faces and bodies whether that is in the form of filters or full-blown surgeries. What is this saying to our daughters? What is this saying to women in general that feel like they are not enough because all they see is altered faced and bodies? The competition is brutal; influencers are all vying for a bite out of the lucrative pot of “influencer” marketing dollars. Enter why people buy fake followers and “likes” geez did I even just write that?

Fashion Dysmorphia

Fashion Dysmorphia

Fashion Dysmorphia

I ran a poll on my Instagram Stories the other day asking you if you thought it was weird that Chanel was featuring teenagers in their ads and most of you said that now that you think about my statement it WAS peculiar. Hearing from my followers reinforced what I have been thinking for a long time now, NO ONE IS THINKING ABOUT HOW WEIRD ANY OF THIS IS. We are all looking and not caring, or we are so numb to how dysfunctional these powerhouse advertisements are that we are blind to them. Do you think this will ever stop? Do you think that there could be a movement that one day companies will show who is really buying their clothes, accessories, and makeup?

Fashion Dysmorphia

In my opinion, it’s all fun and games for these girls until you see what’s happening behind the scenes with the pressure of social media and the pressure of the fashion industry to be thin, “perfect” and fit into a fake world ruled by numbers, subscribers, followers.  Take for example Lisa Rina’s daughter Dalia, I caught up on the second episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills last night and was not surprised to see that Lisa’s daughter came out to the world about her eating disorder from the pressures of trying to be a model. More and more girls are looking at these ads like Chanel and Fendi with Kaia and thinking that this is normal. Selfie surgery is on the rise if you don’t know what that is you’re lucky.

Not all companies are creating this unrealistic disease. We still have CoverGirl and Neutrogena that have a brain and have tapped into their demographic. CoverGirl is featuring Maye Musk age seventy with the campaign slogan “I Am What I Make Up” and Neutrogena featuring Nicole Kidman age fifty-one for an age-appropriate skin care product like “Rapid Wrinkle Repair.” This post isn’t about not buying from Chanel or the rest of the fashion houses that are out of touch with women. This post is about being aware in a world where it seems we accept what we see and don’t stand up and say HEY! That’s Not Right!!! Start the conversation, stand up for what you think is right or wrong. Don’t sit back and think “Oh well, it’s all too big and out of reach for me.” or “I am just one voice who really cares?

Fashion Dysmorphia

I can’t wait until the day that I hear my mailbox clang pour a glass of crisp champagne and slide into my reclining couch to read the latest fashion magazine. I expect to see glossy page after glossy page women over forty that inspire me, encourage me to embrace my age and love my aging body. It might be far off on the fashion and beauty horizon, but I will never stop dreaming of the day we celebrate women through age and acceptance in magazines, billboards, the workforce, TV and commercials.

Fashion Dysmorphia

Posted by Nikol / Filed In: Fashion
Tagged: Anti Aging, Beauty Reinvented, Gray Hair, gray hair model, Over 40, over 40 style, over 50, over 50 style, White Hair, woman on top, Women Empowerment, women encouragement, women helping women, women power, Women who gray, Women with Gray hair

Silver Sister Spotlight with Kristen Karlisch

July 13, 2018 ·

Silver Sister Spotlight with Kristen Karlisch

Celebrating another Friday with a Silver Sister Spotlight. Kristen found me on YouTube about a year and a half ago when she was just starting her gray hair transition. I thought she would be a great feature to inspire you ladies.

Kristen is a proud mom of two creatively kind girls (now tween/teen), wife and business partner to an incredibly talented interior and commercial photographer of 20 years. Originally born and raised in Houston and then moved to Dallas 25 years ago. Kristen feels so lucky that she gets to see the world and meet new people through her travels in the photography industry.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Kristen Karlisch

Photo Credit @stephen_karlisch_photo

Kristen says there are moments in our life that a big decision is made which shapes your destiny. I have had many but one significant one was changing my career at age 30 and then meeting my husband because of it. He has always encouraged and supported me in my many different interests. I love marketing, being in the creative visual field, I have been certified in teaching full comprehensive Pilates (although I don’t teach but practice) and also certified as a health coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. I did the IIN year course to just educate us as a family to learn directly from the source versus reading articles and being confused. Highly recommend for anyone, it’s an amazing school and community. Much needed in this world of increasing health problems. My dedication has been to our photography career, however, I think teaching kids about entrepreneurship, saving and giving back is truly important. Our daughters are dabbling in the e-commerce world targeted to tween, teens on up to moms. It is empowering them with my help and they are giving back a portion of their sales to Pencils for Promise and fundraisers to support education.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Kristen Karlisch

Kristen with her husband Stephen in Italy

Q: Tell us when you first started seeing gray hair?

My mother found my first silver when I was 20. We were in California in a convertible sitting at the stop light, and I can still feel the sting from that strand of hair being pulled out by mom showing me my first silver with a smile. Thanks for the chuckle of a forever memory Mom.

Q: What were your initial feelings about seeing the silver?

I think we just laughed it off and then I just pulled them for the next ten years before I started coloring looking back I wish I would have had the confidence to let them grow. My paternal grandfather was all silver in his 20’s so I definitely inherited more of that gene.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Kristen Karlisch

Q: Being in a creative field do you feel that your silver hair is more accepted by your industry?

Absolutely! I receive compliments all of the time, however, owning it proudly makes a huge difference.

Q: What do you teach your daughters about beauty and aging?

I made the decision to start this journey two months before my 50th birthday. It had been on my mind for two years. I am glad our girls will have this memory as I fully expect them to have to face this decision one day. Many of my friends my age have shared with me remembering the time their mom decided to stop coloring and how much they admired their mom for making that difficult decision that society has shamed and labeled for so many years. Our girls have been VERY supportive and could see the negative effects of the chemicals that I was experiencing for years. I am truly grateful to them, my husband, mom, sister and other close family members for their support as I know many who have no family support. None of them felt I would be considered “old” or that “she has let herself go” or any of those other messages that are whispered or in our head. When I was in doubt for those first 6 months they were cheering me on and didn’t want me to give up. We try to live a pretty clean lifestyle with organic skincare, food, health, activities, kindness to others and gratitude. Our girls amaze us with the beauty they see in others that may be judged negatively by people. They are the friends that are there taking up for the kids being bullied, have a learning difference, who needs a friend and are in need of a little support.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Kristen Karlisch

Q: As a photographer, you see beauty through a lens do you feel like you see your gray hair beauty differently than the world?

Photographs were what helped me daily. I saved many images on my phone of women I admired that I found on Instagram, Pinterest, and private support FB groups. I saved those images and looked at those women I admired to help get me through those days that I felt weak and wanted to go back to faux color. My husband photographed me this time last summer on the beach. It was about seven months and the first time I had felt pretty again. He loved how I was starting to embrace my look and directed me, so I was showing my grey and silver confidently. That shoot made me want to secretly take up some lifestyle modeling representing women middle age with grey hair. It was a lot of fun.
As a photographer, I think it would be fun to do a portrait project of women 30-60 with their natural grey/silver hair. Photographs are truly inspiring, and it is definitely becoming more accepted to see younger silver sisters, and I love the movement that is taking place. It is pretty sexy.

Q: What is one thing you would want women to know that are starting out on their gray hair journey.

Luckily I had a very supportive stylist. I chose to use very fine sheer low lights on the cap of my head to help the demarcation as the grey and silver were growing out. For some, they chose to use highlights and some just go for it and do nothing but let it grow. Just know there are options (but please don’t try to pull the color out) but having a stylist support is so helpful in being successful especially in those weak moments. You have to get out of your head. The old messages of “ I will look old”, “what will people think”, “I let myself go” or “they are looking at my hair” are negative old messages from old ways of thinking. Believe me, vanity does get challenged but OWN IT and you will rock the sexy silver. Use support groups on Facebook if you have none, find the many silver sisters on Instagram and just try to make it past the rough 6 months. It does get better. Your hair will become so healthy, so soft (no more straw brittle hair) and lots of new growth. As my wonderful husband told me from the beginning, “If this makes you feel better then I am all for it. It’s just a color and you can choose whatever color that makes you happy.” Remember you are doing this for you, not anyone else.

Connect with Kristen on Instagram @kkarlisch

Silver Sister Spotlight with Kristen Karlisch

Posted by Nikol / Filed In: Silver Sisters
Tagged: Anti Aging, Beauty Reinvented, bold beauty, boss babe, Girl Power, Going Gray, Gray Hair, Gray Hair Journey, gray hair model, international women's day, mature women with gray hair, Nikol Johnson, Silver Hair, Silver Sister Spotlight, White Hair, Women Empowerment, women encouragement, Women with Gray hair

Silver Sister Spotlight with Maryam

June 29, 2018 ·

Silver Sister Spotlight with Maryam

Happy Friday Ladies, I am so excited to feature Maryam Remias today as one of our fierce Silver Sisters. I found Maryam on YouTube a couple of years ago and loved her spunky attitude and fun beauty videos. Let me introduce her to you.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Maryam

Maryam lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband Eric and eight-year-old daughter Arianna. Maryam creates makeup, beauty and gray hair videos on YouTube and Instagram. Her favorite thing is to hang out with her family at the beach. She loves Persian food and Korean BBQ. It’s safe to say she’s a major foodie.
Before her YouTube career, Maryam had a corporate job working as a graphic designer. When she had her daughter, she decided to stay home with her, but because of her workaholic nature, she needed to do something else besides being a stay at home mom.

At first, her hobby was collecting makeup and binge-watching YouTube videos. At the time Maryam was silently going through depression and was feeling very lonely, and YouTube was her escape. Her husband suggested she start her own YouTube channel rather than watching other people’s videos. Creating beauty videos began as a hobby but now has become an exciting career path for Maryam. The community of supportive women encourages her to keep going.

Q:  Gray Hair is becoming a huge movement right now, when did you start embracing your gray?

I discovered few strands of gray on the crown of my head at age 19. At that age, I related gray hair with being old. So, I refused to let anyone see my gray roots, and that’s when hair color and I were inseparable.
Through my mid 20’s, I had developed skin allergies to hair colors. I knew something was wrong with coloring my hair, but I wasn’t ready to show my gray.
It was in 2014 that I started to embrace my gray hair journey. What led to me embracing my grays was that I was tired of coloring my hair every two weeks and the skin allergy on my scalp had gotten terrible.
I remember the day when I thought that growing out my gray hair could work for me. I had looked up gray hair on Pinterest and found beautiful older women with naturally gray hair. Also, pictures of young women with colored gray hair that looked fantastic. That’s when I started to become curious about how I would look with gray hair.
I spoke to my husband and showed him the photos on Pinterest. He was supportive, and we both wanted to see how it turns out. I’m very thankful that it became a trend because it gave me the courage to stop coloring my hair.
So, I started my transition journey and embracing my gray hair in 2014.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Maryam

Q: You have a YouTube channel where you teach women about beauty and style did you feel insecure doing videos with gray hair?

I was insecure in the beginning about doing beauty videos as a 40-year-old woman with gray hair. It was scary to put myself out there and get out of my comfort zone. I was also going through so many ups and downs with transitioning to gray hair.
The only way I could deal with the emotions was to talk about my gray hair transition on video. I used my YouTube channel as a vehicle to tell my story and share my journey with others.
I figured by sharing my story I would help someone going through the same situation and hopefully make an impact in their life. Check out my Playlist HERE

Q: How do you encourage other women to start their gray hair journey?

The way I encourage other women to start their gray hair journey is by sharing my story and sharing tips on how to get through their transition. I give the resources that helped me transition to gray hair. I also share the videos that I’ve made about gray hair on my YouTube channel.

Here are a couple of resources that I used on my journey.

• Looking up “Women with Gray Hair on Pinterest” – You’ll find many beautiful women with gray hair with different skin tone and hairstyles.
• I also recommend joining Gray Hair Facebook groups – They are a very positive and an encouraging place for anyone going through the transition.
• Lauren from How Bourgeois was an inspiration to my journey to gray hair

Going gray is not for everyone, and the only way you know for sure is to try it out. You may fall in love with your gray or silver hair and never think about coloring again.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Maryam

Q: Do you feel that gray hair is a trend or a movement?

It was a trend for younger people to dye their hair gray but that trend seems to be going away.
In the past six months, I feel that there is a movement of natural gray hair. I’ve been seeing lots of women with gray hair on social media sharing their transition journey or just rocking their beautiful gray hair.
It became undeniable when a few months ago, Maye Musk became the new face of CoverGirl. I also knew that beauty industries view of women with gray hair was changing when beauty companies started to reach out to work with them.

Q: Social Media can be harsh at times with the negative comments. How do you handle negative comments about your gray hair?

It can be very harsh. I’ve gotten my fair share of negative comments on Instagram but very few on YouTube. What’s weird is that I get negative comments from women close to my age, but the younger generation is more accepting.
I don’t answer negative comments because the people writing them are looking for attention. I believe that the more focus you give the negativity, the more you receive it.
My hope is for everyone to embrace their uniqueness, no matter what their hair color, size or age. We all have a voice and story to tell, and we can all learn from each other.

Check out Maryam on Instagram and YouTube where she shares beauty for women over 40 and tips on transitioning to gray hair.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Maryam

Posted by Nikol / Filed In: Silver Sisters
Tagged: Anti Aging, Beauty Reinvented, bold beauty, Going Gray, Gray Hair, Gray Hair Journey, gray hair model, how to get style, Nikol Johnson, Over 40, over 40 style, over 50 style, Silver Hair, SIlver Linings, silver sister, Silver Sister Spotlight, White Hair, woman on top, Women Empowerment, women encouragement, women helping women, women power, Women who gray, Women with Gray hair

Silver Sister Spotlight with Hayley

May 18, 2018 ·

Silver Sister Spotlight with Shelly

I am very excited to feature Hayley another Silver Sister from Australia; I am obsessed with booking a flight to this gorgeous country in 2018. Hopefully, I can make that happen.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Hayley

Hayley is from the beautiful Gold Coast In Australia and has two gorgeous kids and happily married. When Hayley was younger, she worried about what others thought of her and suffered from body image issues, but after having a large cancerous tumor removed from her abdomen when she was twenty years old, it made her realize life is too short. Since then Hayley has tried hard to live in the present moment which is sometimes easier said than done. Hayley finds that Yoga helps her with living in the present and she makes practicing Yoga a priority.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Hayley

Before having her kids, Hayley worked as a makeup artist and still uses her make up skills by volunteering with The Look Good Feel Better program that teaches and helps women battling cancer to know how to apply makeup and work with their skin after chemotherapy and radiation. When Hayley is not working, she loves to study Italian, and she currently sings in an Italian choir for fun. Traveling and learning about different cultures is one of her passions.

A few years ago she came across pictures of young women with natural grey hair who looked amazing. She thought, what if Mother Nature got it right? What if my natural hair color suited me? So she stopped dying it and has never looked back.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Hayley

Q: When did you first start seeing gray hair? What were your initial thoughts?

I saw my first grey hair twenty years ago when I was sixteen! I wasn’t too fazed but a little surprised if anything thought it was funny. Being that young, there was never a feeling of “Oh no I’m getting older.”

Q: Being Australian do you feel Australian Society is more accepting of gray hair compared to America?

Australian culture is influenced by America, so I think the beauty ideals are similar. I have had overwhelmingly positive feedback and not one negative comment about my hair but Australians are pretty laid back, and if someone didn’t like it they’d never tell you to your face. I do feel like we see a shift here in what’s considered beautiful and diversity is genuinely embraced.

Q: How did you become a gray hair model with Silver Fox Management?

I read an article about Silver Fox Management and it caught my eye as my husband called me his Silver fox. I thought why not? I sent a photo in, and they replied. Silver Fox Management said they would love to sign me on. I’m also with Extra Edge talent, I’ve been doing some extra work with them they too are big fans of my hair, and it’s uniqueness. A casting director told me recently “Don’t ever color your hair; there’s no one else that looks like you!”

Q: You seem to be very passionate about supporting women, can you tell us how you share and encourage women to embrace their beauty?

I think a woman supporting other woman is powerful; we need to boost each other up. I also have a ten-year-old daughter; I want to be the best role model I can be for her. Embracing and accepting your true self and living an authentic life is a message I like to convey. It goes beyond hair and what we look like it’s celebrating our differences and experiences that make us unique. A few of my friends have recently stopped dying their hair, they don’t have grey hair yet, but they colored their hair because it’s just what they felt they had to do. I’m not against people wanting to dye their hair by any means but if women say to me that they are sick of going to the hairdresser every four weeks I encourage them to give it a go and see what happens. Nothing to lose!

Q: What has been the hardest transition personally for you going gray?

I had very long dark hair, so I chopped it off to above my shoulders. I didn’t feel like me without long hair, but It didn’t take long to grow back. At first, I was worried what people would think, but as I went along, I cared less and less. You have to rock the skunk look!

Silver Sister Spotlight with Hayley

Posted by Nikol / Filed In: Silver Sisters
Tagged: Anti Aging, Beauty Reinvented, bold beauty, boss babe, fierce beauty, Girl Power, Going Gray, Gray Hair Journey, gray hair model, how to get style, international women's day, Mature Fashion, Nikol Johnson, Over 40, Silver Hair, SIlver Linings, silver sister, Silver Sister Spotlight, White Hair, Women Empowerment, women power, Women who gray, Women with Gray hair

You Are Not Broken Just Bent

May 7, 2018 ·

You Are Not Broken Just Bent By On Air Beauty Specialist Nikol

One of the many reasons I love spinning is that my mind runs free. I can think clearly, and many blog posts were created right in the saddle mid-song. I am inspired by music and working on my body so much that I filmed a video on my Peloton Hack if you haven’t seen it check it out, I save you thousands of dollars with this hack, and you get a sexy summer body, you’re welcome.

You Are Not Broken Just Bent

Copyright: Rick Gomez Photography Top: Polo Ralph Lauren (similar here) Pants: Oscar de la Renta vintage (similar here, here and here) Shoes: Frontline 105 by Tamara Mellon

One of the songs on my ride today was by PINK called “Just Give Me a Reason”. I have heard this song a million times but never actually listened to the lyrics. Isn’t that so typical? I am listening to the song and most the time humming what I think are the words, and yet I am missing the entire meaning of the song. Pink sings about being not broken but bent, how incredibly beautiful is this statement?  I go around thinking I am broken because I haven’t been able to conceive, I go about figuring I am broken because I went gray early on in life. Thinking this way is incredibly harmful self-talk a topic I have been researching and found this book to be very helpful. It has shown me ways to understand why choosing healthy positive thoughts is crucial to balance and happiness.

As I was climbing my hills this morning I thought back to a show I saw on how they make steel drums. That captivating sound that only a steel drum can make doesn’t come easy, there are multiple steps from stretching to create enough space for the notes, pounding with a sledgehammer to create the concave shape (sounds painless lol), cutting, burning the list goes on. Without all these steps to refine the steel to make beautiful music, it would just be ordinary steel. I started to think that if I didn’t experience infertility, I wouldn’t have been stretched, refined, put under the fire to ignite my desire to help women with their journey, to get to know myself and what I was capable of doing. Going gray in my thirties was just a little bend in my steel, a refinement if you will.

Ladies, look at what you think are imperfections in your beauty, your life as just a little bend something that makes you different and unique. That is how we each enrich the lives of everyone that gets to know us. No two women will have the same bends in their steel; no two women will have gone through the same process of refinement. Honor that, own that and set yourself free. This summer every time you see or hear steel drums you will think of how one-of-a-kind, special and deserving you are to the world.

You Are Not Broken Just Bent

Posted by Nikol / Filed In: Beauty, Lifestyle
Tagged: Anti Aging, Beauty Reinvented, fierce beauty, girl boss, Girl Power, Going Gray, Gray Hair Journey, gray hair model, gray hair models, gray hair style, how to get style, Over 40, over 40 style, over 50 style, Silver Hair, Silver Sister Spotlight, White Hair, Women Empowerment, women encouragement, Women with Gray hair

Silver Sister Spotlight with Shelly

May 4, 2018 ·

Silver Sister Spotlight with Shelly

For Our Silver Sister Spotlight, this week is on ‘Dr. Shelly,’ a college professor who teaches undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of instructional design, adult learning, and instructional technology at a large Midwestern university in the U.S.  She is married to her high school sweetheart and best friend, whom she met when she was just 14. “We have two beautiful children that I adore with all my heart, both teenagers.” Her latest hobby is training her first-ever pup – a Goldendoodle named Ted – to become a therapy dog at the local Children’s Hospital. “Just looking at Teddie makes people chuckle; I hope he can bring joy to the children and momentarily allow them to escape their illnesses.”  She also enjoys just about anything outdoors, including her butterfly garden, snorkeling in tropical waters, yoga, hiking, boating, and relaxing at the family’s lakefront cottage.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Shelly

I was so taken back when I found Shelly on Instagram because her hair is so dramatic, fierce and tells a story. It takes a strong woman to bravely embrace her gray hair transition. Shelly reminds me of a mix between an extraordinary woman that was in my life when I was a child and Julia Roberts. When you look at Shelly’s gray hair journey documented on Instagram the beginning pictures have a lot of weight and uncertainty to them. As Shelly progresses, embraces and allows her hair to almost develop like a butterfly you can see the pure light that radiates within her. Bold, Fierce and Owning her beauty. Ladies, this too will happen to you. I am so happy that Shelly agreed to be featured on Beauty Reinvented, her hair has a story to tell, and we can learn so much from her journey.

Q: At what age did you start seeing gray hair and what made you decide to ditch the dye?

I saw my first gray hair when I was 18 years old. Without blinking an eye, I bought a hair dye kit, and that was the beginning of three decades of dying. At that young age, it was already programmed in me that gray hair was something to hide. We must change this mindset.  I found my daughter’s first silver hair last month.  I have encouraged her to think about not coloring her hair, should more silvers appear. Let’s encourage our beautiful daughters to love their whole selves to be confident in who they are, not in who society tells them they should be.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Shelly

Q: You have a very powerful transformation. How did you feel when you started seeing the white roots?

I was admittedly horrified. Society has deeply entrenched us to think that silver hair on women is unattractive, yet men are more distinguished with their gray hair. It is ingrained in women that gray hair is ‘old, ugly, shameful and that we should go to great lengths to hide it.’  I have made significant strides in my evolution of how I perceive hair color.  I now see the white, silver, brown and steely gray as unique and now that I am 11 months into my journey, see a complete picture of what the end will look like and I cannot wait! There is no one else in this world that has my unique blend of natural highlights and lowlights. I am 100% unique now! No more hiding, no more shame. It feels so good just to accept it and move on.

Q: Did you find that society was shocked by your decision to be authentic with your hair color?

I was really worked up about what people would think, but the truth is, people truly do not care about other people’s hair. Most ignore it. Some are confused. Some think it is intentionally dyed to look this way. One man said, “Wow, you must have paid a fortune for that hair color!” I have heard a couple of ignorant comments. But what I love most is when I catch another woman glancing at the new hair growing out of my head because when she smiles back at me, I am 100% certain I have encountered another Silver Sister in the making, and I hope I have given her pause to consider accepting her silvers.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Shelly

Q: What do people say to you about your hair?

I have had more compliments in the past year than I have ever had in my entire life put together! One woman chased me down in a furniture store to tell me how gorgeous she thought my hair was, and she ended it with “And I’m a hair stylist so I should know!” Random women and men have stopped me to tell me they like my hair. I stand out now. I am different than any other woman I know in my age bracket. I am a Silver Sister who has broken that bloody awful cycle of dying my hair and feeling the need to dye my hair every week because of the white halo that emerged about five days after every dye. What kind of quality of life is that? Every seven days I was embarrassed to go out because my roots were visible and it looked awful. I have had a humiliating year at times with a really awful demarcation line, but it was worth the trade because I am free now, and empowered. I am no longer held down. I have a greater quality of life, and I have so much more time to enjoy my life because I have broken this vicious dye cycle. I lived for the dye. It dictated my life. It was like a drug that I needed a hit off of to make me feel good. I am coming up on my “Silver Anniversary” – the one year mark of having a healthier body and mind since ditching the dye. I am so happy to be in this place.

Q: You have mentioned in your Instagram posts that your body became very ill from the toxic dye. Can you tell us what symptoms you had?

My body started to systemically reject hair dye in ways one would never directly correlate with hair dye; and now that I no longer dye, my symptoms have almost all disappeared. It started with digestive symptoms and food intolerances a few years ago and then moved to eczema of the eye.  Every time I colored my hair, my scalp burned for days. After my last professional salon dye 14 months ago, my scalp was so damaged that every time I brushed my hair, electrical shocks were sent to my eye.  Within 24 hours of my last home dye on May 6, 2017, my body went into anaphylactic shock, and for days I carried an Epi-pen with me, even slept with it, I was so fearful. I could not eat anything without my body reacting; my body was red, swollen and itchy; my scalp on fire; my heart raced for weeks every time I ingested any food or drink. I honestly thought that my hair was going to kill me. My body was outraged, and it finally drew the line in the sand. Enough was enough.  (And no thank you to all who have recommended the natural, organic hair dyes. I’m done!)

Our skin is our biggest organ, and when you make it absorb the toxic chemical frequently found in darker hair dyes, Paraphenylenediamine (PPD), it can have a dangerous impact. I fear the damage I have done to my body with dying my hair so regularly, and for so long, as it has been linked to cancer (American Cancer Society, 2018).  Educate yourselves before starting or continuing on this journey. There are options!

Silver Sister Spotlight with Shelly

Q: How have you dealt with the anxiety and self-doubt that gray hair brings?

I do believe that “gray anxiety” exists and it can be depressing, debilitating, and frightening for some.  We have started a gray revolution because we want to empower women to embrace who they are, to reform beauty standards, and to learn to accept and love themselves as they are.  I think many women mourn their youth so ditching the dye in a way, becomes symbolic of accepting we are growing older, that we are not immortal. And similar to mourning, I think there are stages we must work through on our journeys – shock, sadness, depression, and eventually, acceptance.

After recognizing that “shaming” my hair in front of my kids was only perpetuating societal views on going gray, I refrained from speaking negatively about my hair ever again.  I relied heavily on my biggest supporter, my husband, who tells me every day how beautiful he thinks I am. I decided to be openly gray this time and never used the temporary hair colors to diffuse the demarcation line; for me, it made going public even harder after hiding and then revealing the hair again.  I also found great strength in the Silver Sisters who are part of my Instagram family. They are the most evolved, loving, compassionate, and supportive women. They are a close-knit group; they accept you when you fail, shower you with love when you need it, inspire you with their confidence; and humble you with their honesty and vulnerability. Many of the Silver Sisters are professional models, who are showing the world it’s okay to age; it’s okay to be gray. Nikol, you are one of these women.  Thank you for your inspiration to the gray revolution and reinventing beauty!

For more inspiring pictures follow Dr. Shelley on Instagram @ Silvertransitions.Silver Sister Spotlight with Shelly

Posted by Nikol / Filed In: Silver Sisters
Tagged: Anti Aging, Beauty Reinvented, fierce beauty, girl boss, Girl Power, Going Gray, Gray Hair, Gray Hair Journey, gray hair model, gray hair style, Grey Hair, How to dress, how to get style, Nikol Johnson, Over 40, over 40 style, over 50 style, SIlver Linings, silver sister, Silver Sister Spotlight, White Hair, woman on top, Women Empowerment, women encouragement, women helping women, women power, Women who gray, Women with Gray hair

Silver Sister Spotlight with Rhiannon

April 27, 2018 ·

Silver Sister Spotlight with Shelly

I have decided Friday’s will be the day that I feature our Silver Sister Spotlight. I think it’s a great day to kick off the weekend and give you some hardcore inspiration. Today I am featuring the gorgeous Rhiannon not only is she rocking her gray hair journey as a young Mom she also has curly hair. I know so many of you struggle with gray and having unruly curly hair. Rhiannon shares with us in a bonus question what hair care products she uses to tame her curly hair.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Rhiannon

Rhiannon is a Licensed Esthetician and Cosmetic Laser Technician but decided to stay at home for a while to focus on her kids and her health.  Rhiannon will be celebrating her 15th wedding anniversary this year and is very excited about this milestone. Her husband’s support through her gray hair journey means the world to her. Rhiannon posts YouTube videos of her documented gray hair transition. She recently created an Instagram account to continue inspiring others as well as herself. Her followers love the fact that she’s not only growing her gray but that she is also a naturally curly girl. There is a demographic of women out there who are looking for ladies embracing both silver hair and curls, hence the title of her channel: Silver Curl Journey. Rhiannon hopes to be an example to her daughter, showing her that gray hair is ageless and beautiful. Head on over to Rhiannon’s YouTube Channel and Instagram and show her some Silver Sister support!

Silver Sister Spotlight with Rhiannon

Q: When did you start seeing gray hair and what were your initial thoughts?

I remember the day I found my first gray hair. I was about 16-years-old, and at the time, I thought it was a rare strand of platinum blonde hair because it had no color. I actually plucked it right out of my head, twirled it into a circle and saved it in a velvet ring box. A few months later, I discovered another one of those colorless hairs in my head. That’s when I realized, “Oh wow. I’m getting gray hair already??”

Q: Did you have support from friends and family with your gray transition?

Oh yes. My husband had been encouraging me to grow out my naturally gray hair for at least a decade. Every time I had a baby, my gray hair would become more intense. He thought it was awesome, but I was having too much fun playing with vibrant highlights and fun box colors just to stop and be natural. When I finally decided to grow it out, he was ecstatic.

Q: As a young Mom do you find other Mother’s celebrating your decision to go gray?

You know, it’s hard to tell. Some of the questions I was getting, in the beginning, seemed very superficial. People thought I was going through a phase. They would ask how long I planned on growing it, whether I liked it or not, etc. It wasn’t until very recently that I finally started receiving what I recognize to be genuine compliments.

Q: You have some very hip and trendy gray hairstyles from braids to super sleek tell us about your personal style.

Oh, thank you! I try to be creative because I do become bored very quickly with my hair. Hence the reason I played with hair color for 20 years. My style is more about simplicity than anything else. My kids have hectic schedules, which means I am always on the go. So whatever I can do in 10 minutes or less is my goal. I hardly ever wear makeup, but when I do, it only takes me a few minutes to apply it. You won’t catch this girl contouring and ‘baking’ her foundation! Ha! I have naturally curly hair, so the easiest thing for me to do is a wash-and-go style. I have no shame in rocking ponytails (synthetic ones are fun!), pigtails, baseball caps, or bandanas on days when I’m in a rush. In fact, I seem to get more compliments when I have my hair pulled all the way back, exposing the majority of my silver hair. That’s when braids come in handy. I braid my hair when I feel like I want a little attention. Haha!

Silver Sister Spotlight with Rhiannon

Q: What advice would you give other women going through the first six months of not dying their hair?

Those first six months are the most eye-opening months for both yourself and the people around you. When you own it with cheerful confidence, everybody recognizes that as a type of beauty you didn’t even know exists, even if you look and the mirror and don’t see the beauty in yourself just yet. Your hair changing on the outside is kind of like that cocoon wrapping around that beautiful butterfly just waiting to be revealed. So hang in there! Once your transition is complete, you will feel like a new kind of beautiful. You will flutter around and attract all types of new people and adventures. I mean, look at me! I’m just a regular person who wanted to embrace her natural hair, and here I am being featured on the website of the very person whose videos inspired me to make this decision in the first place!

Silver Sister Spotlight with Rhiannon

Q: Working with curly hair can you tell us what hair products you currently use and recommend?

Sure! I use sulfate-free, silicone-free products. My current favorite brand is Cantu. I’ve tried a couple of others, but my hair texture and curl pattern didn’t agree with them as much as they agree with Cantu. If I could sample every curly girl product out there, I would! I just haven’t had the chance to experiment some more. I recommend trying anything and everything until you find what works for you. Some curls do well with silicones and a little sulfate. I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all method for curls. However, for those with curly silver hair, it is an absolute MUST to avoid too much heat (flat irons, etc.) and to use colorless products. Any cream or oil tinted with even the slightest shade of brown or yellow will stain our lovely white strands and dull the overall appearance of our hair. When and if that happens, there are plenty of purple shampoos that will help correct it. 🙂

Silver Sister Spotlight with Rhiannon

Posted by Nikol / Filed In: Silver Sisters
Tagged: Anti Aging, Beauty Reinvented, bold beauty, boss babe, Going Gray, Gray Hair, Gray Hair Journey, gray hair model, Grey Hair, Mature Fashion, Nikol Johnson, Over 40, over 40 style, over 50 style, SIlver Linings, silver sister, Silver Sister Spotlight, slay, White Hair, woman on top, Women Empowerment, women encouragement, women helping women, women power, Women who gray, Women with Gray hair

How To Get a Gray Attitude

April 25, 2018 ·

How To Get a Gray Attitude

Ladies I get it, going gray is not fun no matter what your age.  All the stereotypical statements go through your head that people say from “I am so old,” “Grandma Hair,” “Frumpy old lady.”  You name it you’re thinking it. So what are you to do? Default to what society says is beautiful and young? Allow your negative self-talk to keep you from being true to yourself? Or keep on dying your hair, so it looks entirely unnatural for your age? Maybe give up and add more toxins every two weeks so that you can feel accepted? I think NOT.

I know gray hair is not for everyone, but I don’t think I need to remind everyone that Beauty Reinvented is all about women that WANT to go gray.

How To Get a Gray Attitude

Photo Credit; Rick Gomez Photography

When you are feeling down, and very unattractive how do you pick yourself back up and get in the game? How do you feel confident when all your peers are sporting golden locks or rich chestnut hair? I have created a list for you ladies to print out and post to your mirror or somewhere you will see it on a daily basis. I am your biggest cheerleader because I felt everything you are feeling. I didn’t have a gray-haired role model that did videos or wrote a blog about it when I was first going through this crazy gray transition over two years ago.

When your gray hair journey gets hard, and you are at your last dark hair strand NOW that’s when you need to push for your gray and own it even more. You need to look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself “This too shall pass.” Ladies, it’s a hair color that means nothing except for a bold, fierce and downright powerful attitude. If you dyed your hair pink, purple or green like a lot of women, not just teens are doing do you think anyone would care? So why do they care about gray? Think about that for a second.

Here is the plan, read this list below, print it out to give yourself the encouragement you need to get through each day. I promise you it gets more comfortable you have to commit and not look back.

How To Get a Gray Attitude

 

I designed a couple of hats like the one I am wearing in this photo that is available on my website. Perfect for the days where you are just like I can’t take it anymore. It’s a fashionable statement to help you through the growing out period. You have seen me wearing this hat a lot on my Instagram. I love how I make a statement without having to say a word.

How To Get a Gray Attitude

 

Posted by Nikol / Filed In: Beauty, Fashion
Tagged: Anti Aging, Beauty Reinvented, bold beauty, boss babe, fierce beauty, Girl Power, Going Gray, Gray Hair Journey, gray hair model, how to get style, international women's day, Nikol Johnson, Over 40, over 40 style, over 50 style, Silver Hair, SIlver Linings, silver sister, White Hair, woman on top, Women Empowerment, women encouragement, women helping women, women power, Women who gray, Women with Gray hair

Silver Sister Spotlight with Hillary

April 20, 2018 ·

Silver Sister Spotlight with Shelly

The silver sister circle gets smaller, meet Hillary a gorgeous woman that lives in my backyard (well, not literally) but here in Miami! The funny thing is is that Hillary and I have shot with the same photographer (Yes, the fantastic photographer that does all my photo shoots) but we have never met! How crazy is that! We met through Instagram so ladies this shows you the power of social media and connecting. Hillary and I are working on something extraordinary for all of you so keep checking back to the blog for updates. Don’t forget to show Hillary some love and follow her on Instagram.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Hillary

Hillary is a native New Yorker and went to the Fashion Institue of Technology.  After graduating from F.I.T., she was a senior buyer at Bergdorf Goodman for over ten years. Hillary modeled for a short period as a teenager but was told she wasn’t the right “All American” look. Fast forward to her adult life, Hillary married an Ambassador to Cuba, Belgium, and Uruguay which led to being overseas until 2009 when she moved to Miami.

Hilary reentered the modeling world at age 50! She went to an audition for a Zumba dancer and not only booked it but was used for all advertising of the Zumba Gold program. From there she was encouraged to pursue agents etc., and she did. Hillary is represented worldwide, and it’s been almost five years as a full-time model. She has several TV commercials running at the moment along with ads for fitness, health, and beauty. Hillary says she loves the creativity of this business, but you also need to deal with an enormous amount of rejection- something people often don’t realize.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Hillary

Q: Tell us when you first started seeing gray hair.

A: I first started seeing my gray hair as early as my mid-20’s! My hair was naturally very dark, so they stood out. I loved it and thought it looked like strands of tinsel. I never thought about covering them up. By the time I turned 40, I was indeed salt and pepper.

Q: What made you decide to go gray?

A: I decided to keep my gray because I loved being unique and I think it appealed to my rebellious side. With each negative comment I received (and there were many) it only made me more determined to stay true to my personal choice – not what the beauty industry and society dictated.
Going gray is not for the timid-it is a bold statement. Twenty years ago the internet was new, and there wasn’t an online gray hair support community or chat groups- no info about the process, products to use, etc. Now it is so much easier and beautiful to connect worldwide with like-minded women “The Silver Sisters.”

Silver Sister Spotlight with Hillary

Q: You are a busy working model how has your gray hair enhanced your career?

A: My hair is my signature along with a 100% natural look. That’s the image I chose as my brand. As a model, it has been both an asset and hindrance. The concept of accepting gray hair is becoming something other than “old lady/grandma,” but the reality is that advertising is still youth-oriented. Women always search for any way to look younger and ads will continue to be marketed towards that. It happens often that a client will choose a woman my age with dyed hair over gray for that very reason. There is a fallacy about dyed hair equals youth, and gray hair equals old. But it is slowly changing and I am proud to be one of the pioneers.

Q: What has been your most exciting booking as a gray hair model?

A: Being chosen as the first mature gray haired model in the Athleta catalog in 2016 was thrilling I was featured alongside young women of all body types and ethnicities- I was truly proud to represent my generation.
I also had my first magazine cover in 2017 – M Magasin Sweden the images are unedited and marketed to women over forty.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Hillary

Q: What advice do you have for women wanting to go gray?

A: My advice is to go for it!! You will never regret it. Surround yourself with people (online virtual and real) who support You being You. Gray hair does inspire comments from virtual strangers that no other color will- so be prepared. Many are very kind and genuine- enjoy those and learn to ignore the rest which inevitably comes from other women being cruel just because of their insecurities. Gray hair will make you stand out- Own it. Confidence is the key.

Posted by Nikol / Filed In: Silver Sisters
Tagged: Anti Aging, Beauty Reinvented, boss babe, girl boss, Girl Power, Going Gray, Gray Hair, Gray Hair Journey, gray hair model, gray hair style, Nikol Johnson, Silver Hair, Silver Sister Spotlight, supermodel, White Hair, woman on top, Women Empowerment, women power, Women who gray, Women with Gray hair

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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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