‘I radiated youth, but bronzer and Botox make my girl seem older...’
DiSabiLiTy support worker Julie anne Naughton, 54, is married and lives in Sheffield. her daughter, writer Laurie Woodruff, 30, is single and lives in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
MUM JULIE: She refuses to grow old gracefully
I NEVER had a make-up routine when I was Laurie’s age — bar a brief punkrocker experiment in my teens, I just didn’t wear it. By the time I was 30, I was a mother and had more pressing things to think about than looks.
Laurie is a natural beauty, she doesn’t need to wear so much makeup. Other people have commented that it actually makes her look older.
When I compare our photos at the same age, I think I look much younger. There’s a freshness about me that just can’t shine through those endless layers of primer, foundation, powder and bronzer on Laurie’s face.
As for her having Botox, I’m of the generation that just doesn’t see the point of it. It’s fake and epitomises everything that’s wrong today. What long-term damage is she doing? And what happens when she stops? I’m concerned about the pressure she feels to look a certain way. This ‘dripdrip-drip’ corroding influence on girls’ self-esteem is so damaging.
I want to grow old gracefully. I wish my daughter would, too.
DAUGHTER LAURIE: I’m just more glamorous!
MUM has never been interested in make-up. When she goes out, I always end up doing it for her.
By the time Mum was 30, she had a family. Although she kept her figure, she didn’t focus on making herself up every day. I’m the opposite: I wear a
lot of make-up and, even though I think Mum was naturally pretty back then, I think I look better for it.
I first had Botox when I was 21. Now, I have it done every three to four months around my eyes and along my forehead and frown lines.
Mum thinks I’m insane, but it makes me look better. I wish she’d give it a go to see how she could look, too.
I know this sounds over-the-top, but there’s so much pressure on my generation to look just right. If I went bare-faced, I wouldn’t feel myself.