Writer encourages women to remain fabulous after 40
Thanks for visiting Turning 40! If you're new here, please take a moment to share your experience of Turning 40 and subscribe to my RSS feed.
Are You Turning 40 and Looking for a Profound Life Change?
Have a great day!
Gigi Levangie Grazer writes about women — their strengths, their struggles, their insecurities.
She especially knows a thing or two about women in their 40s — their celebrations, their confidence, their successes.
Grazer, in her mid-40s, wrote the screenplay for “Stepmom” and is the author of three books, including “The Starter Wife,” a novel about one woman redefining herself after her movie-mogul husband dumps her. Grazer also was executive producer for the television miniseries, based on the novel, that is airing this month on the USA Network.
As an outsider’s insider (she’s married to a producer), she sees many challenges that Hollywood women 40 and older face, but she also knows those are challenges shared by many women everywhere.
What she hopes women realize after reading the book or seeing the miniseries is that they, too, can be 40 and fabulous simply by embracing themselves and finding their inner confidence. I caught up with Grazer by e-mail while she was doing movie-related events in Los Angeles.
Q: Is being fabulous at 30 different from being fab and 40?
A: Being fabulous at 40 is definitely different than being fabulous at 30. When you’re in your 30s, you’re still trying to be what society wants you to be and trying to define your happiness by society’s standards.
In your 40s, you come to terms with your imperfections and learn to love them — they are what make you fabulous. After 40, you learn to celebrate yourself and find a confidence that just wasn’t possible in your 30s.
Q: Forty seems to be one of those magic bullets for women. Certainly it’s just a number, but for some women, it’s so much more. Are women starting to move past the notion that it’s downhill from there?
A: Absolutely. I think the emphasis among 40-plus women is really about taking care of themselves. Turn ing 40 is still a turning point for most women, but not in the negative way once was. Turning 40 is now liberating Women can finally be selfish and do what makes them feel good, and as a result, they look good, too!
My book “The Starter Wife” really shows how life is just beginning after 40 which is why I’m so happy Ponds teamed with USA network to make it in to a national TV event. The six-part miniseries celebrates the sexiness, sas siness and confidence of women in their 40s.
Q: Do you think women who are married think differently about being fab and 40 than those who are single? A: Of course, it varies from individual to individual, but I think that women who are 40-plus have similar notions about being fabulous. It’s about something inside that shines through to your outer appearance, and I think that this metamorphosis is the same for both married and single women.
Q: How can women be fab and 40? Any fashion and beauty tips?
A: Here are some of my personal tips to help women look and feel their best in their 40s: ⢠Slip on some fun lingerie, and you will instantly look and feel sexier and sassier. I like to wear lingerie under my morning get the-kids-to-school sweats to remind myself that I’m not just a mom or a driver or the nutty lady who packs the lunch box, and I immediately feel more bold and sexy.
Q: You’ve seen how Hollywood women eat, live and breathe. You’ve seen them dumped, struggle, survive, even thrive — at 40 and older. Is it harder to be fab and 40 in Hollywood?
A: Hollywood likes to pick people apart, but you just learn to laugh at it. Living in Hollywood is a lot like living under a magnifying glass, but when all is said and done, the most magnetic thing about a woman is her confidence. If you know who you are and stay true to that, then you already are fabulous, whether you’re in Hollywood or Oklahoma City.
Q: What’s the one thing you want women to come away with after reading “The Starter Wife” or watching the miniseries? A: That the men in your life do not define who you are; only you can do that. Embrace your sexy, sassy, 40-something self and celebrate it. Q: Are you fab and 40?
A: I am definitely over 40 and fabulous. Part of my journey has been making my own name and taking control of my own life.
My husband, Brian, has a very high-profile career as a Hollywood producer, but I have my own life and my own success, apart from being a “wife of.”
I acted as an executive producer for the TV miniseries of my book “The Starter Wife.” I have another book on the way, too, called “Queen Takes King.” Watch for it next spring. Q: What’s the best advice you can give women, no matter what their age? A: Don’t wait around for Prince Charming. The only one who can save you is you, so take control of your own life.
Loading ...