Welcome to Facing Forty!

say hello to your new beauty BFF!

 
Facing Forty - Erica Whelan
 

Hi Friends! Welcome to Facing Forty, an online community helping women in their forties solve their current beauty dilemmas with tips and tricks from a professional makeup artist who’s actually in her forties!

Where Are All The Forty-Year-Olds?

We can agree that 2020 will be a year that we will never forget. Like you, I had big goals planned, then the world stopped. It was tough to watch everything that I had worked so hard for in my career abruptly end. Suddenly I went from zipping through life to watching time stand still. To escape reality, I spent a lot of time on social media. I certainly went down the beauty tutorial rabbit hole. Some tutorials contained great content. Most tutorials were average, and some should not have been posted at all. My takeaway from my Instagram binge was there was nothing out there for the average forty-year-old woman. Despite what the advertising media tells us, we are not “over the hill” or “mature” when we turn forty. God, I really hate that word “mature,” don’t you?

Afraid to be vulnerable

Did you ever have an idea and were too afraid to try to do it? Yep, that would be me. I have had the idea for Facing Forty for almost ten years! As a busy freelance makeup artist in NYC, I left myself believe I had more important things to work on - the next job, updating my makeup portfolio, paying my expensive NYC rent, etc. Aside from the overwhelming amount of work to launch a blog and the lack of technical skills to film videos, the main reason I did not pursue my great idea was not wanting to call attention to my age. I work in a youth-obsessed industry. Looking younger than my age has been one of my superpowers. Old enough to be wise and responsible, but young enough to hang out with and have fun. Do you know how many times I have been on set when a song from the late 90’s/early ‘00s has been playing, and the model or crew member mentions that they loved this song when they were in middle school? Ugh, cringe! I would smile and nod politely in agreement while thinking I was a full-fledged adult when this song was on the radio. Does anyone else have an experience like that?

the big idea

The pandemic changed my life. As a professional freelance make-up artist, I lost a lot in 2020. I realized I had two choices: sit back and do nothing or overcome fear and make a change. The more I mentioned the blog idea to my friends, the more I realized how right my instincts were. And so Facing Forty, the place for the everyday forty-year-old woman who wants to look her best, was finally born. I have been in the beauty industry for fifteen years. And along the way, I have worked with some fantastic hairstylists, makeup artists, beauty editors, and wellness experts, all of whom are not only talented but truly enjoy helping others with their expertise. With this realization, I knew that Facing Forty could be more than a small blog, but a beauty platform where we can connect and learn from one another.

facing forty is different

Facing Forty will be a beauty forum where beauty tips and tricks are shared for real women to use, presented either through great editorial content or useful beauty tutorials. Aren’t you tired of watching videos where you can’t relate to the model? Wouldn’t you rather watch a beauty tutorial where the model was a woman who is the same age as you and didn’t have perfect model-like features?

facing forty together

At Facing Forty, beauty is not tied to how old you are. I believe beauty doesn’t age. Beauty is how you choose to define it as you grow older. You decide if and when you want to be called “mature.” My answer will always be…No Way In Hell! But that’s me. Let’s go on this journey and face our forties together! Keep in mind I am new to the world of digital content, so please bear with me as I figure it all out. I promise Facing Forty is the online community that you have been searching for. Take the first step and let me know the type of content that you want to see! Leave a comment below.

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