✨What it means to be ‘Luminous’...✨
When the Outside Becomes the Inside ✨ 👑 ✨!
✨ A vibrant space for midlife women, The Empress now reaches over two million readers through our networks of networks. ✨ From bestselling author Alisa Kennedy Jones. ✨ If you enjoy content about midlife, humor, and agency, I’d love to welcome you as part of our community. ✨ For only $50/year ($4.17 a month!) or $5/month, you’ll gain access to all my articles, Monday columns, book clubs, and virtual events.
This week’s Empress is presented by:
Fellow Empresses, How the hell are you?
When perimenopause struck at age 40, nothing could have prepared me for the side effects that came with it—an ecstatic seizure disorder—brought on by shifting hormones. One that only five years later would shatter my face and jaw and leave me unable to speak or work for some years—until I could be rebuilt. For my part, the seizures themselves were mostly gorgeous, exalted, luminous events—like being trapped in Van Gogh’s Starry Night—but they terrified and traumatized those around me. And I found it hard to reconcile the two experiences.
What it means to be ‘Luminous’...
According to the OED, the word "luminous" originates from the Latin *lūminōsus*, meaning "full of light" or "dazzling." It derives from *lūmin-* and *lūmen*, which refer to being a "source of light." In moments like a hot flash, we might feel as if we are quite literally filled with light. We’ve all encountered women—whether in our personal lives or popular culture—who radiate this kind of brilliance.
When I think of luminous women, the story of singer Dionne Warwick immediately comes to mind.
In the 1990s, Warwick, fed up with the rampant misogyny in rap music, took a bold stand. The singer of hits like, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, summoned some of the biggest names in the hiphop genre to her home for a confrontation. She challenged them to call her a “bitch” to her face and warned that if any of them had daughters, those girls would one day ask, “Daddy, did you really say that?” According to Snoop Dogg, who attended the meeting, the artists were stunned into silence. Reflecting on that day, Snoop said, “I believe we got out-gangstered.”
What does any of this have to do with skincare?
Absolutely everything. Who wouldn’t want to capture Dionne Warwick’s radiance and fearless self-assurance? We all long to feel that kind of strength—inside and out—and to be a source of light for those around us.
As we transition into peri/menopause, our skin, the body’s largest organ, undergoes changes. Its cellular turnover slows, leading to a loss of firmness, radiance, and resilience. To stay strong in body, mind, and spirit during midlife, we need every tool available. The deeper you grow into yourself as a midlife woman, the more you realize that everything is interconnected. Just as sleep is essential for healthy skin, so is hydration. Restoring your skin’s barrier function is as crucial as maintaining its microbiome balance.
PHOSIS LUMINOUS Ultrafine Revitalizing Face Oil provides clinically proven relief for dry, midlife skin, helping you reclaim your natural glow. Whether used on its own or layered over a moisturizer, this antioxidant-rich formula restores softness and radiance while enhancing suppleness. Free from fragrances and essential oils, Luminous is a gentle yet potent skin protectant, certified MyMicrobiome Friendly—perfect for perimenopausal and menopausal skin.
But how does skincare become self-care?
It turns out… Luminous on the outside equals luminous on the inside.
A 2020 large-scale UC San Diego Study revealed that looking in the mirror each day and seeing a more refreshed, vibrant physical version of yourself (whether due to Botox or some other intervention) can lead to noticeable shifts in mood, happiness, self-satisfaction, and even ongoing behavior—by as much as 88%. In other words: see the glow, feel the glow, live the glow. All good things follow.
And, while PHOSIS LUMINOUS Face Oil was designed by midlife women for midlife women to look and feel their very best—the most important takeaway is this: Midlife can be your most luminous era yet. Don’t miss it. There is so much light and power here in the messy middle!
Meanwhile… Coming Up This Weekend!
Can’t wait to see you there!
Yours in Grandeur & Deep Sh*t,
ps - I am a human typo. Amnesty appreciated.
*The information contained in this post is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness. Before using any practices or products referenced in this piece or others, always consult your healthcare providers, read all labels, and heed all cautions that come with the products. Information received from this piece, or anywhere in this Substack, should never be used in place of a consultation or advice from a healthcare provider. If you suspect you have any adverse conditions, please consult your healthcare providers immediately. This Substack, including Alisa Jones and any other writers or editors, disclaims any responsibility for any possible adverse effects from the use of any information contained herein. Opinions of any writers in this Substack are their own, and the Substack does not accept responsibility for statements made by writers. This Substack does not make any representations or warranties about a writer’s qualifications or credibility.
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The whole essay lights me up with the truth about getting older--and shining--despite the ever so-prevalent "ageism" (is that really a word? and if it is, I hate that word!) but I adore Alisa and Susan and this collaboration!
I love the word luminous and it such a good one for aging! Like a stone polished by the unrelenting passage of time, women glow all the more brightly because of our years.