Yes, 40 Over 40
“It was a reminder that confidence doesn’t peak in our twenties. It evolves. It deepens.”
When my talented friend and photographer, Denise Lin, invited me to participate in her “40 Over 40” Glowing Beyond campaign, I said yes without hesitation. The initiative highlights the beauty, strength, and complexity of women over 40, while also raising much-needed awareness around women’s health during midlife. It’s a subject that’s not talked about nearly enough and one that deeply resonates with me… probably because I am going through it myself.
The concept? A professional photo experience designed to honour where we are in our lives—complete with wardrobe styling, makeup and all the glam. Being in front of the lens is always a little out of my element so I didn’t quite know what to expect but knew that it would be a growing experience for me. So I asked around to see if any girlfriends would be interested in joining me; (one of them being my dearest friend who I have known since Grade 5!) A bunch of them said yes! Just like that, it turned into an amazing group experience and we made a day of it.
We started with a visit to Denise’s studio in Richmond where we previewed our looks and browsed through an incredible rack of gowns, many of them from Vancouver designer Hannah Tikkanen. Every piece felt intentional, flattering and designed to help each woman feel seen and celebrated. I brought one of my own outfits and paired it with two show-stopping dresses from Denise’s collection: one soft and ethereal, the other bold and dramatic.
On shoot day the atmosphere was nothing short of joyful. We got our hair and makeup professionally done by Jun Studios. They had done my Hair & Makeup before so was pretty excited to get all dolled up! There was a lot of laughter, a little bit of nerves and plenty of cheering each other on. Denise has a way of making everyone feel completely at ease, like you’re simply catching up with a friend and not posing for a professional portrait. She even had a live screen set up so we could preview the images right after each shot and rate them to our liking.
It was more than a photo session, it was a reminder that confidence doesn’t peak in our twenties. It evolves. It deepens. And when surrounded by other women who truly see you, that confidence turns into something radiant.
Stay tuned for the next part of this experience, because yes… there was more! There was a magazine and obviously there was a gala and of course we showed up in full party wear!