Inspirational Woman May 2013: Cindy Joseph

Every step of the way, Cindy Joseph has defied the conventional notion of beauty.  As a makeup artist in the 70’s, she chose to enhance each woman’s natural beauty rather than mask it under layers of cosmetics.  At the age of 49, Cindy defied the adage that “youth is beauty” when she was asked to be the face of a worldwide campaign for a designer fashion label.  She continued on her path of showing women that it’s how they feel about themselves that makes them beautiful, not their age, shape or size, when she launched her cosmetics line, Boom! by Cindy Joseph. Her journey has been a constant inspiration for women who have long struggled with the damage of living up to the standards of the fashion industry’s concept of beauty.

The SkinLess Project is honored to announce entrepreneur, model, and spearhead of the Pro-Age Revolution, Cindy Joseph, as this month’s Inspirational Woman.

You are labeled a “supermodel”.   Please tell us how you started modeling.

I was approached on a street corner in NYC by a casting agent for Dolce and Gabbana and asked to model for a worldwide campaign. Six months later, I was approached on the street again to model for More magazine. I then went to Ford Models Inc. to ask about representation and have been modeling ever since.

How did you feel being asked to model for such high end fashion designers at your age?

At first I thought friends were playing a joke on me. Having been in the industry as a makeup artist for so many years, I had a strong prejudice as to who was qualified to model for fashion, so I was shocked. In the end I was delighted and had fun with it. I was happy to see that the fashion and beauty industry was opening up their standards. I saw that women over 40 are just as interested in living a passionate and fulfilling, fun life , and also that we are shopping for many of the same things younger women shop for. Modeling would not have been easy for me when I was younger. I was too self -conscious to feel comfortable in front of the camera. Because the fashion industry, and therefore modeling, is youth-oriented, many women feel they will lose their value as they age and obsess about looking young as long as possible. However, the fashion industry responds to the consumer’s desires, and that is why they have become obsessed with youth-oriented advertising. It is driven by how women feel about themselves.  But the industry’s viewpoints are shifting ever so slightly,  or I would have never been asked to model!

You started out as a makeup artist. Please tell us how you began your career in the industry .

My husband was teaching himself photography. I practiced making up the women he photographed. He would always take a before and after hair and make up photo for my portfolio. A well-known local advertising photographer in San Francisco saw them and hired me to make the models look tan for a Coppertone ad campaign in 1978.

You were surrounded by women who are known to be beautiful by the industry’s standards. What did you learn about beauty during your experience?

I learned that physical beauty is either lost or enhanced by how a woman feels.

What did you learn about women?

Too many things to list here. However, in regard to beauty, I experienced that when women are feeling good about themselves, comfortable in their skin and experiencing pleasure, they are their most attractive.

We have seen the power of physical beauty for centuries. We have been taught “Beauty is Power for Women”.  Being a model and a make-up artist do you believe this statement to be true?

I believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and therefore, it is possible to see beauty in every woman. I have witnessed that if a woman cares for herself and treats herself well, with self -love, and fulfills her desires, the confidence that creates is perceived as power.

What about in your everyday interactions in the industry? Did women who did meet natural conventional standards of beauty get ahead versus those who didn’t?

No. The models who really made a great living at modeling were photogenic because of how they felt about themselves. It was a fascinating thing to watch. A girl would come into the studio with beautiful shiny hair, gorgeous skin , symmetrical and pretty features etc. But if she did not have confidence, she was not hired again. On the other hand, if a girl looked a little odd, had asymmetrical features, and was not necessarily pretty but really enjoyed being photographed, felt good in her skin , and didn’t take things too seriously,that made her photogenic. She looked stunning regardless of her so called “flaws”. There is of course, a limit in terms of weight and height for fashion models, not as much for beauty models. Clothing designers use models with a long lean frames, because that body type shows the cut and silhouette of their designs in a way they prefer.

Would you agree that if you are beautiful you are happier?

The media tries to convince us of this and I do not agree. I have met many women who have what are consideredthe most beautiful features who are desperately unhappy.  So in my point of view, it’s the other way around. The happier you are, the more beautiful you are. I do not look at fashion and beauty models as representing beauty or even reality, but simply as mannequins showing products. When you meet them in person and get to know them, they are as different from each other as all people are. When you see models in candid photos with family and friends, you see they look very normal and regular when they are being themselves and not posing.

You are also an entrepreneur. Tell us about your make up line, BOOM! by Cindy Joseph and why you created it.

Boom! by Cindy Joseph is a pared down, simple to use, no-nonsense skin care and cosmetics line, with an honest and realistic approach to beauty.

Boomsticks are multi-tasking sticks that will make your complexion dewy, colorful and radiant. They create the same complexion your skin generates when you’re having fun and turned on to life .

1. Boomstick Color is a universal color for all skin tones, to be used on lips, cheeks, neck, eyes, forehead and more to create the natural looked of revved-up circulation.

2. Boomstick Glimmer is a subtle pearlescent highlighter for natural radiance and luster.

3. Boomstick Glo is a convenient, organic moisturizer in a stick.

4. Boomsilk is a the same luxurious moisturizer as Boomstick Gloin a cream, to use at home for your entire face and body.

BOOM!  by Cindy Joseph is the first pro-age cosmetics line.

BOOM! by Cindy Joseph is about women of every generation celebrating their age, features, shape, color and size.

I discovered as I was getting older, instead of experiencing myself getting worse (as the messages I heard growing up seemed to be telling me), I was experiencing getting better in all areas of my life ; healthier, happier, more self -confident, smarter, more sensual, experienced, etc. The years had added more of everything that brought  me joy and gratification. I did not want to hide my age, but rather to show it off and celebrate it.  Every cosmetic line that exists offers only anti-aging and anti-wrinkle products, continuing the archaic believe that age looks bad. I wanted to create a line acknowledging that women of every generation have a unique beauty that can be revealed and revered.

Did you feel anxiety coming up with a pro-age make up line in a youth-obsessed industry?

Not in the slightest. I knew women were ready for it. I spoke to many women over the years on the subject of beauty and self -esteem with regard to age. A huge percentage of women are ready to embrace and celebrate the changes in their bodies as they continue life and see those changes as a part of their evolving beauty. Women in America fought for the vote 100 years ago. We liberated ourselves in the 60’s. We are free. And we recognize that the only thing stopping us from feeling, doing and having anything we want is our own self -imposed limitations. So many of us have chosen to let go of the archaic notion that our value comes from being or at least looking like we are in our childbearing years. We are beautiful and attractive just as Mother Nature designed us, not just a fraction of our li ves, but all of our li ves.

You are advocating natural beauty instead of covering up. A lot of women, influenced by the images they see in magazines and television, want to cover up as much as possible. What would you say to these women?

Remember, the images you see in magazines and television are just make-believe. Hair stylists and make-up artists spend hours on those women. Special lighting is used to make them appear “flawless”, and after all that, they are Photoshopped to the point that you might not recognize them if you met them in person. None of it is real. So don’t take it so seriously. And all those so-called flaws are what make you unique, special and individual. Also, consider being more beautiful to be more about getting healthier. Being healthy can change your entire outlook, which includes your outlook on YOU. When you feel good, others can see that. You can’t fool anyone with make up, hair and fashion. Everyone sees right through it all. They see your spirit, your character and personality. When you honor yourself, and do what makes yourself happy, truly happy, that will be seen and experienced by others. Another tip is to check your motivation. Are you motivated by fun or fear? If you go for what pleasures you, success is guaranteed. If you are motivated by fear, whatever you do to try to look younger will not be successful.

It seems that this makeup line is not just a product, it is also a philosophy. How would you summarize this philosophy?

Taking joy in living is a woman’s best cosmetic.

Do you want to create a movement?

I have started a movement! It’s The Pro-Age Revolution!  And everyone is invited to join me at our first public gathering in Union Square, San Francisco, on July 27th from 11am to 1pm.  We are going to publicly demonstrate to America that we are changing our anti-age viewpoint into a pro-age one, by strutting our age with pride and celebration. I will be giving away Boom! The Pro Age Revolution t-shits and hats. Bring posters with positive messages about your age. We are going to make history!

The Skinless Project wants to empower women as consumers, remind them that their dollars run billion-dollar industries and that they should harness this power to ask for products that lift them up instead of bring them down. How do you feel about this?

I believe that anything we can do to create awareness as to how ageism affects us , will make a critical change. Women commit ageism against themselves everyday. I say, do whatever it will take to get women to wake up and realize it is up to us! It is OUR viewpoint that will make the change. We are a tremendously powerful demographic. When women get together with the same intention, we can move mountains! Women can own that knowledge and use it. There are new communities of women around the country sharing through social networks, blogging, and discussing this very subject. Once we are truly convinced of our own value, at every age, shape, size and color, the rest of society will recognize it too. It must come from us. Then the billion-dollar businesses will have no other choice than to design their branding around our new self -image!

Do you see the trend in the beauty industry changing, going from an artificial beauty to a real beauty?

I see a split. It’s either cosmetic surgery and anti-aging cosmetics, or a holistic organic approach with each woman embracing her own unique beauty. Women seem to choose one or the other point of view. The truth is we can choose to do whatever feels best to us. The beauty industry responds to the public, and once a trend takes on, it takes a decade or two for the industry to swing towards the new direction consumers chose.

What do you want every woman who feels insecure about her physical beauty to know about herself and her worth today?

Focus on what you know really matters, rather than superficial and fleeting beauty. Look for the beauty in every age, from 1 to 110. Embark on a quest of self -knowledge. To find your worth, you have to do some self -exploration. It starts deep inside. It’s about addressing the psychology around those issues. You can use good old-fashioned therapy (delving into your childhood, or adult years, to see where you started to question yourself, etc.), take personal growth workshops, or simply ask your dearest friends and family to remind you what they love about you, what makes you special and valuable to them. Leave no stone unturned. It’s a commitment.  It takes eternal vigilance to find out what is true, and step away from being victimized by the media. Get in the driver’s seat of your life , and search for what makes you attractive in your own unique way. Attractiveness is innate in all women. It is the nature of women. Yours may be in your humor, your feistiness, your tenderness and a myriad of other qualities.  You are a combination of many characteristics. And your own unique combination is what makes you valuable and vital in this world.

Learn more about Boom! and Cindy Joseph at: http://www.boombycindyjoseph.com/ .