Beauty knows not of age, and it's not a cliche.

How many annoying speeches about how beauty is blind to size and age have you heard?

How many have you believed?

Yeah.

I'm 19. Aging is not exactly the first thing on my mind when I think about my 'beauty ritual' (it's not really about beauty and it's definitely not a ritual) but age and what it all means is such a primary focus in the fashion&beauty community that it seems necessary it be addressed. For the longest time, rather than encouraging women to age gracefully and decently, 'the industry' has been pushing them towards unrealistic goals, teaching them that expression lines, rather than marks of a life well lived, are something that need to be chemically and disturbingly erased with Botox and surgery, that silvery-gray hair, rather than distinguish a face that rejoices in its standpoint in life, needs to be dyed into the season's trendiest color.

But times are changing. I don't know if there's a general turning around towards a more natural way of life, but it does look like the acceptance of what years bring with them is part of a larger catharsis. I'm an optimist, and I believe humanity is waking up and smelling the roses, granted, slowly, but it is. The fashion industry is doing its part and accepting that one size doesn't fit all, and that a great face is a great face regardless of whether its owner is 16 or 60. 

The exponents of this change are, doubtlessly, Kristen McMenamy and Cindy Joseph.

Kristen was a hotly sought-afer top-model in the 80s and 90s, but she has been making a comeback, in no small part due to the most fascinating charm of her long, silver hair, thick lips and porcelain skin.

Now 46 years old, Kristen has decades on today's top models, but aside from the striking quality of her appearance, there is something from within her that shines through, and makes her appealing for Vogue Italia, Vogue Paris, Louis Vuitton campaigns, closing a Chanel Haute Couture show and others.

Ph. David Sims for Vogue Paris

Cindy Joseph, on the other hand, at age 60, boasts a sunny, radiant beauty that is just now making the rounds on the Internet and not only. Healthy living adept, Cindy has never dyed her hair, nor has she used botox. She has the figure of a teenager, but to me, it's all about her face, which seems to say ''I love life." 

Ph.: unknown. 

So that's it. Beauty is an attitude and it's a wonderful thing, if we know how to look at it. I don't think hair dye is a bad thing. I just think different things work for different people, and for these two wonderful gals, their silver hair is my favorite part.