One day, I received a letter informing me, in her usual terse fashion, that she was going to take part in a beauty contest.

NEWYORKER: Clara

Hal Reiter is chairman and CEO of Herbert Mines Associates, a senior-level executive search firm specializing in the retail, fashion, beauty and consumer products industries.

FORBES: Magazine Article

High fashion and the beauty industry have tipped their hat to women older than 50 in recent years with campaigns such as Lauren Hutton for Alexis Bittar jewelry and Gitte Lee for French apparel brand Celine.

CNN: Aging stylishly, online and in the streets

Late Afternoon: Liz Cherkasova's lush photography combines luxe fashion, beauty and decor into pretty bundles of products for fashionistas who appreciate the finer things in life.

CNN: Style bloggers to follow in any season

Nonita Kalra, the executive editor of the Indian edition of international fashion magazine Elle, similarly believes the power of the media in determining women's beauty aspirations should not be exaggerated.

BBC: NEWS | In Depth | In the eye of the beholder?

Among the explanations: Female pop stars have the ability to capitalize on their popularity in a range of areas that their male counterparts can't as easily, including fashion lines, beauty endorsements and fragrances.

FORBES: Magazine Article