Miss Universe, wrinkles and all!

Miss Universe, wrinkles and all!

Former Miss Universe Lorraine Downes is 45 and not afraid to show her age. On the latest cover of The Australian Women’s Weekly the mum of two appears without any air-brushing or photographic retouching. And she was happy to do so, given her determination to embrace her years without surgery or Botox.

The Australian Women’s Weekly approached Lorraine to do a natural cover shoot after being bombarded with feedback about the cover of the January issue, featuring Judy Bailey. Readers complained that the former newsreader had been photographically rejuvenated, rendering her unrecognisable.

Although Judy’s new, longer hairstyle was behind some of the confusion – and the fact she’s “a lot happier now and that has made a huge difference to me and to how I look” – the feedback prompted Editor Leonie Barlow to run a cover devoid of any photographic tinkering.

The unairbrushed cover is a first for the New Zealand edition of the magazine and, Leonie says, Lorraine’s move was a brave one, given the pressure women, especially high profile ones, come under to look perfect.

She’s sure reaction to the cover will be divided but the idea was to encourage discussion and awareness of this issue.

In her story Lorraine explains why she is shunning cosmetic surgery and other procedures. The piece also includes comments by other well-known New Zealanders who have appeared on the cover of The Australian Women’s Weekly, including 60-year-old author and foodie Peta Mathias. “If a magazine is courageous enough to make older women cover girls then they also have a responsibility to be respectful to them,” Peta says.

ENDS

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