Every Woman Over 40 Should Have a Boudoir Session
We are often asked by women who are interested in booking a boudoir session, but hesitant because of their age, “How old is too old for boudoir?” Our answer is always, quite simply, “No woman is EVER too old for boudoir!” (To date, our oldest client was 71 years-old.) In fact, women over 40 may have even MORE reasons to treat themselves to a session now than they did when they were in their 20’s or 30’s!
Before we discuss the 3 Reasons Why Every Woman Over 40 Should Have a Boudoir Session, though, let’s take a closer look at why many women of this age question whether or not they’re “worthy” of investing in themselves, being pampered, feeling sexy, having a SUPER fun afternoon to themselves, and, most importantly, embracing how beautiful they are today.
Common Hesitations About Booking a Boudoir Session Over 40
The most common and, perhaps, most obvious hesitation many women have about being photographed over 40 stems from comparing how their bodies look now versus how they looked 10+ years ago:
“I didn't feel that I was good enough, pretty enough or 'young' enough to do a boudoir shoot,” said Miss B. (44). “I was very petite before I got pregnant with my son. I had gained about 125 pounds with my pregnancy. I have since lost the weight, but still have 'extra' skin that I absolutely hate, which leaves me self-conscience about how I look in 'sexy' clothes. So basically, I was embarrassed of my body.”
Miss J. (43), also told us, “I have had four kids, weight loss surgery, and my weight has gone up and down so much that I didn’t think I could really pull off being sexy that well.”
Another common and unfortunate hesitation we hear from women over 40 stems from low self-esteem derived from previous negative life experiences:
As one such example, Miss M. (52) told us, “For decades, I worked myself to the bone and wore myself out in the process. Toss in an ex-husband who sued for custody twice and I reached a point of burnout for a number of years. Then, peri-menopause started…Weight gain was a concern..but truthfully, my hesitations ran deeper than that. They were more related to a lack of self-worth and not feeling attractive, pretty, feminine. I felt like I was harsh, old, and lumbering my way through life.”
While cost can sometimes be a concern for women of any age, we’ve found that women over 40, especially, seem to struggle with the idea of investing in themselves. (Please note: we have several flexible payment plan options available to help make this experience affordable for everyone):
“…Believe me, when you are a single mom and doing something for yourself, you second guess it so many times,” Miss C. (43) told us, adding, “I felt guilty about spending the money, but how much money do you spend on products to make yourself feel better? What do you spend a year on clothes, shoes, makeup, hair, nails and everything else to give us a boost of confidence?”
Now that we’ve discussed some of the most common hesitations women have told us they have or had about booking a boudoir session, we’re dying to share with you
3 Reasons Why Every Woman Over 40 Should Have a Boudoir Session!
1. To honor yourself, because you’ve been through some shit, and you deserve this!
This is exactly why we said earlier that women over 40 may actually have MORE reasons to treat themselves to a boudoir session now than they did when they were in their 20’s or 30’s. Because, as we all know, the more years that go by, the more life throws at us - and yet, here we still stand, battle scars and all (some more visible than others)! So, what better way to celebrate how far you’ve come in life than to capture in photographs today the strong, resilient woman those experiences have helped you become? Just listen to these amazing examples:
Miss D., who is over 40, underwent a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. She said, “…I only still see the hot mess, if I'm being honest. I decided to do a photoshoot for myself in October of 2019 for Breast Cancer Awareness with these lovely ladies at The Adore Girls. Shewww the tears are rolling right now, because I am SO grateful for these ladies. They have completely changed my life…They captured the real me. Not the hot mess that I think I am.”
Miss L. (43) told us, “I was two weeks post-op from a complete hysterectomy when I bought my session at the Southern Women's Show. I was not feeling feminine or womanly post-op. I was hoping a boudoir session would help that.”
Miss M. (57) said, “I wanted to do this for my husband, but lost him to Cancer. I wasn’t sure if I could go ahead with the shoot, but decided to do it for myself in memory of my husband.”
Miss S. (47) has actually had two boudoir sessions with us now, and as she explains, “My first session was a ‘Mini’ and I had a blast with Jamie. I had just lost 95 pounds and had just really started recovering from my divorce. I had some body image issues that were deeply rooted because of my former size and I wasn't sure how I would really look in photographs. My second session was the Dream Session [shot by Lindsey], almost exactly 1 year after the Mini, and I felt like I had conquered so much in my life. I wanted to treat myself to something that I could look back on to remember how far I had come in such a short amount of time.”
2. To Spice Up Your Current Relationship and/or Your Own Libido!
Women who are over 40 are more likely to have been in their current marriage or relationship for many years, and, let’s face it, it’s not always easy to come up with new and exciting ways to keep that “spark” alive, let alone think of a new gift idea for an upcoming birthday or anniversary. But, regardless of your current relationship status, it is just as easy for us women to lose that “spark” within ourselves, as well. Having a boudoir session is a surefire way to help you “get your groove back” AND create an incredible gift that is guaranteed to knock your significant other’s socks off! Just listen to what some of our past clients had to say:
“I ask my husband what I can buy him for holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and all he ever says is, ‘All I want is you,’” says Miss J. (47). “Incredibly sweet, but extremely frustrating! Our wedding anniversary is on my husband's birthday. This year will be our 17th wedding anniversary and his 50th birthday. So, I am giving him what he asked for, me but in photographs! We are renewing our vows on the same beach we were married on. If I can hold this secret until then, I will present him his book of me before our vow renewal.”
Miss J. (43) is a repeat client, and she had this to say about her most recent session, “This time it was for me. I wear scrubs everyday. I don’t style my hair or put a lot of makeup on a daily basis, but I love to look sexy and feel sexy when I can. These photos make me feel like I’m the hottest woman around.”
“I did not tell my boyfriend I booked a session (it was for ME),” said Miss L. (43). “After my image debut, I texted him one of the pics. He loved it...I am having fun randomly texting a pic from the session every couple of weeks.”
3. To Recognize and Embrace How Beautiful You Are Right Now, at THIS Age!
Remember that first hesitation we talked about earlier? The one about how women over 40 often compare their looks and their bodies to when they were younger? Well, pardon our French, but F#%k. That. Noise! To be perfectly blunt, if you allow such comparative thinking to prevent you from booking a boudoir session, then you may never fully experience the self-love and confidence that comes from seeing yourself through someone else’s eyes and realizing how truly beautiful you are RIGHT NOW! But don’t just take it from us. Take it from our past clients who have experienced this for themselves:
Miss L. (52) has had three boudoir sessions with us so far, and here is why she says she keeps coming back, “I think the boudoir sessions are a great reminder that our minds, bodies and souls evolve every year. So I like to see the changes in my body and that every session my confidence grows and so do my ideas of beauty.”
“Between February and November, I almost canceled my session at least 40 times,” said Miss M. (52). “My gut told me to keep the session. I was NOT going to cancel it, no matter what. The shoot was for ME to record ME at 52 years young. I needed to walk into the photo shoot with zero expectations, zero judgments, a lot of self-acceptance, an open mind, a willingness to see myself differently, and perhaps even some softness for my body - finding a gratefulness for where it’s taken me thus far.”
Miss D., who is over 40, said, “We are always so hard on ourselves. I am not anymore. On my bad days, I look at these pictures. These ladies made me realize that I am a beautiful, imperfect, original, sacred woman that is beautiful inside and out.”
“I want to feel like the version of me that I see in my album daily,” Miss L. (42) told us. “I went shopping for more fitted clothes, some new make-up, and I have been spending more time on my hair and make-up. The biggest impact my boudoir experience has had is it brought me out of my hair-pulled-back and no make-up rut. I feel beautiful and empowered.”
In conclusion, we believe that every woman, regardless of age, deserves the empowering experience of having a boudoir session, but the reason why we especially encourage women who are age 40+ to book a session can best be summarized by these words from another amazing past client:
“I learned you don’t have to be a size 0 or a 21 year old to be beautiful! I found I can be a size 10 and 44 years old and be just as beautiful... The beauty comes from within yourself. The Adore Girls know exactly how to show you your self worth. Just remember you are beautiful and you are worth it, NO matter your size or age!”
Are YOU ready to become an Adore Girl?
Contact our office Monday - Friday, 9:00-5:00, via call to 615-336-4256
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