Unstoppable: A Women’s Portrait Campaign
Unstoppable
Created and photographed by Melissa Van Oordt and Aaron Lozynsky, this campaign features portraits of women who are over the age of 30.
The portraits show the woman as she wanted to be seen, from strong and confident to sensual and vulnerable. It is an expression of how exquisitely unique we are and the power of accepting and embracing our appearance, regardless of age.
The goal of this campaign is to start a conversation about what truly makes us beautiful. Though our beauty may change as we get older, it does not diminish.
TLDR: This campaign is a love letter to women in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. You are celebrated. You are worthy. You are beautiful. You are strong. You are a badass.
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Over the years I've realized that I feel most beautiful when I'm being myself and pursuing my passions. I’ve had alopecia my whole life and I’ve been bald since I was 10.
As a young woman I remember feeling different and unattractive. And sometimes I still have those feelings creep up. But now I celebrate myself – I wear wigs or don’t, I love my body (most of the time), I like being different, and I choose to pursue things that make me happy. I started training in dance in my late 20’s and at 32 I know I feel most amazing when I’m sweaty and exhausted at the end of a two hour class. I am empowered and proud of myself. I feel strong when I show up to work everyday in a field that helps people. I feel like I’m worth it when I mentor people and see them succeed. I glow when I’m with my loved ones.
True beauty to me is having a rich, fulfilling, and joyful life. And I feel grateful to experience that.
- Janelle Panday
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True beauty is reflected in the way we perceive others and how we treat them. By seeing the good in others and being kind, compassionate, and empathetic, our own beauty shines through. It took me years to fully understand and live by this belief, but doing so has helped me appreciate the beauty within myself - and create the woman I am today.
- Patricia Strojin
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At 36, a fertility doctor told me I’d never be able to conceive naturally and possibly not even with medical intervention. I was gutted. With my then boyfriend’s support (and, um, contribution), I underwent three rounds of embryo freezing to preserve whatever I could for a time when we were ready to start a family. We were very careful leading up to the wedding a year later because I wanted to be able to fit into my dress. Priorities! The effort felt fruitless but was symbolic nonetheless. The day before our wedding, preparing for our rehearsal dinner, I realized that I was late. There they were. Two blue lines. My body showed up for me then like it never had before.
Needless to say, my conception of beauty changed dramatically in that moment. I had always been so hyper-focused on physical appearance that I missed all of the powerful things my body did for me every single day.
Beauty to me now is confidence, strength, authenticity and kindness (to others and, importantly, to myself). Beauty is my miracle. Beauty is my son.
- Jessica Rubin
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I am done being put in a box - and the dominant perception of "beauty" is definitely one heck of a box. In order to fit in there, I cut out parts of who I am and took on other stuff that isn't necessarily mine. I was told that this was all "normal" until one day I stared into the mirror and heard myself say "who the f*ck are you?"
This is our time. To reclaim the sidelined, shamed, forgotten parts of our being. To let go of crap, masks, armours, that we carry around but aren’t ours. Our own unique and powerful destiny is already written in the stars - and the only way to get there is by being our awesome unapologetic selves.
This. is. beauty.
- Patricia Paramita
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I'm a real late bloomer when it comes to beauty. I don't think I was thought of as some great beauty when I was young. I was nerdy, went to grad school, was really focused on being perceived as smart, and I think I believed it was a zero sum game: you could be pretty or smart. And I chose smart. Fast forward a few decades. I had my kids later--in my 40s. And as they grew, I started to understand that I could contain multitudes. I could be beautiful, too.
- Jennifer Solmes
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From a very early age and through most of my life I had a joy-crippling perception that beauty meant a physically perfect body. For me, that was repeatedly unattainable. But if I couldn't have a beautiful body, I'd overcompensate with what laid on top – the clothes, the jewelry, the make-up.
Those feelings have since evolved. Now when I think of beauty, I think of uniqueness and authenticity. It's wearing your hair the way you want. It's wearing the type of clothing you want and in the way you want. It's having the comfort to put forward the face that reflects how you feel on that day and in that moment - whether it's excited, neutral, happy, frustrated, sensual, sad, or any other emotion. That also means not wearing
make-up, or wearing make-up, or any combination in between.
But the beauty within any of that is being true to your preferences, which come from so many individual traits and experiences that can change at any given moment. To me, beauty is having the will to look and sound however you like even when it may not be the "norm" or popular. When I see someone who embodies that, the word that often springs to mind is "Beautiful." And with the greatest irony ever, I'm envious.
- Tracy-Lynn Reid
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Beauty is the transfer of positive emotion. A smile, laughter, offered unexpectedly, shared joyously, enjoyed alone in a moment; therein lies beauty that cannot age but we must choose to recapture every day.
- Anne Salvadori
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Beautiful is the ability to love yourself.
I have never seen myself as a beauty, but by turning 40 and being divorced I found myself again. Believing in myself and knowing I am worth it, gives me so much self-confidence and power.
I learned that true beauty comes from within, and when you feel beautiful inside, you reflect this through your eyes. I received reactions I never noticed before, just by loving myself.
I never thought I would say that about myself at 40 and divorced - I am so beautiful!
- ME
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I feel the most beautiful when I'm not thinking of it because I'm busy with enjoying my life. Turns out this happens a lot.
As a beauty editor, I've met many physically very attractive persons. However, the ones I find most beautiful are the ones who's inner beauty shines through because they're kind to others as well as to themself.
- Katrin Roth
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To be beautiful means for me to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself. Yes, my definition has changed with age a lot.
My perception impacts me in the way, that I am more confident when I feel beautiful. I feel beautiful since I have accepted the way I am. To accept that everyone is an individual in look and behaviour and everyone
has a different perception of beauty, which is beautiful. I also feel beautiful when I dress a way that I think makes me look good and makes me feel comfortable.
The beauty of aging for me is to love the signs of age, like wrinkles and the look of confidence that comes with age. To know what you want in life and what you don't want in life. Not to be scared to miss out on anything and to know that you do not have to prove yourself to anyone else. Just be you and love life to the fullest.
- US
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It took until I was well into my 40s to truly feel beautiful.
Aging brings with it a unique gift of inner perspective, a humble confidence of who you are, and a genuine, unapologetic release of no longer being concerned by what other people think about you. Aging and beauty, in this way, are entirely one and the same.
- Naomi Smith
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The circle of life
Especially for women, aging sounds almost like a threat in this society. Aging is part of our circle of life and has goods and bads. I never used any anti aging products in my life, nor special treatment, as I want to recognise my true self in the mirror.
- VF
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I feel my most beautiful self when I am empowered, and also in confidently knowing that I can rely on my own self, no matter what.
I associate aging to the very fact that the more you know what you’re doing, the more you enjoy what you’re doing - and that is beauty in itself.
- Ruby Bobos
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This year I will become 50 and oh yes, I will celebrate it a few times, at least.
I love getting older.
I finally know myself. Accepting myself the way I am and what I look like.
All my life experiences, the good and the bad, help me to make the right decisions. They give me wisdom, empathy and gratitude. I am grateful for my family, my friends, my physical and mental health. My work.
Every scar, every wrinkle, every grey hair and every change in my body symbolises my journey so far. They make me the person who I am today. I am flourishing, and I am in my most confident stage of my life: I know what I want and what I don’t want, I am comfortable with my body and I know my strengths and weaknesses. Aging for me doesn’t mean longing for what I have lost. It means new adventures, new challenges, another
body and the unknown.
I embrace the fact that I am getting older, and I am simply glad to be alive.
“Those who become older are the survivors”, they say. And that says it all.
I am a survivor. A happy and proud one.
- Femke Kroes
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What is the definition of beauty ?
For me, beauty comes from self love.
I love my perfect imperfection, this is how I define myself.
- Sandra Quni
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In the previous years my perception of my own beauty was not rooted in the present. I was never seeing myself pretty in the given moment, only when I was looking at the pictures from earlier ages I noticed that at that time there was beauty in me. I think this perception was coming from a place of self-hatred and feeling unworthy. Beauty for me is reflected in how much love one has in their heart and how willing they are to share this love with the world. My heart was always full with love, love for everyone and everything but me.
Today, after a lot of hard work on myself, I am finally able to practice self-love and self-compassion and therefore I finally managed to be able to see my beauty in the present moment. Through this campaign I celebrate this achievement.
- Diana Nagy
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Beauty goes beyond physical appearance. It makes you feel deeply, heart and soul. If you live with positive intention it shines through. There is beauty in small moments that gives meaning to your life. Time shared or experiences that make you feel happy and alive. My family, children and grandchildren help me feel that.
Not everyone sees or feels beauty but you definitely can depending on your perception. My definition of beauty has changed with age. When we are younger we are influenced by different mediums. They fill our heads with what beauty should be. I live a healthy lifestyle. I practice daily yoga and meditation and I stay active enjoying nature and the outdoors.
One of the most beautiful woman I knew was my mom. I always remember her beauty growing up. I loved looking at old photos of her. She lived a difficult life. It weighed on her. She aged with beauty and grace. I saw through the fine lines when she smiled. Those lines and grey hair showed her strength and hard work. She always put us first. She was beautiful in every way.
- Lisa Novembre
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Now that I am in my 40ies beauty for me is feeling self assured in being ME. With my mixed features and imperfections.
For many years I fought to fit a self imposed beauty standard based on fitting in with what was popular in a given country at a given time, and always coming up short.
Now I am beautiful simply because I am as I am.
- Valentina Coco
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At 50, I changed everything in my life. I lost a lot, and much of it by choice. Very difficult and painful choices. The career I loved for two decades ended, and as I pivoted, I saw the rest of my life more clearly. I saw what was missing. I felt the loneliness and disconnection. Continuing the path ahead was certain to wilt what was left of my spirit. If not kill it all together. I was unhappy. So, I made the choice. I went back to school and left my home and my marriage. I decided to start from scratch.
Beauty when you are young is easy. It's a part of being young. And when you age, the beauty that you develop is the becoming of who you are. The growth through the ups and downs of life. The strength of your spirit shines through as you survive, achieve, and honour who you are in your soul. Take opportunities and take on challenges. And the more I am true to who I am, fight for who I am, the more at ease I feel and the happier I become.
Happiness is beauty. I believe in myself. That is my glow exuding from within, a shining beauty. The energy is empowering. It is only possible as you age. As you grow. As you experience life through time, the more you become who you really are. And that is beautiful. That is your beauty. It is unmistakable. It makes you Unstoppable!
- Barbara Adhiya
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Beauty means...
Beauty is female, is strong.
Beauty gives life.
Beauty exists at every age.
Beauty sits at every part of our body.
Beauty is more than just physical appearance.
Beauty needs passion and love.
Beauty is about accepting who you are.
Beauty can be just being natural and yourself.
Beauty is when you can appreciate yourself.
Beauty is believing in yourself.
Beauty fights for love.
Beauty is unique with imperfections.
Beauty gets stronger and wiser with age.
Beauty is when moving on with scars.
Beauty is when raising voice so those without voice can be heard.
Beauty is when you shine and those who never believed you could.
Beauty becomes unstoppable when it deserves better.
Beauty is when creating your own journey and being confident and independent.
- Gowsalya Somaskantharajah
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I recently lost a friend to breast cancer and something in me shifted in regards to how I viewed aging.
Aging, as hard as it can be for women in our society, is a gift. Not everyone has the privilege to grow old. I think every woman has the right to her own aging journey and doing whatever feels right & good is what’s best.
Also comparison is the thief of joy.
- Samantha Campo
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Age is undefined! It’s yourself who drives it and makes it a reality!
Beauty is all around in different shapes and forms! Just enjoy it :)
- AP
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The beauty of aging is my self-confidence.
I have never felt more empowered than today.
I have never felt more open to share my vulnerabilities than today.
I have never been a better leader than today.
The beauty of aging is gaining experience to inspire others and yourself.
- Jacqueline Hargis
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Growing up in a catholic family, liking and taking care of yourself was seen as superfluous, shallow and vain. This, among other things, took a toll in my self-confidence.
Melissa's "Unstoppable" campaign spoke volumes to me, as it was a great opportunity to see myself in a different light, without judgment, and to feel truly comfortable and beautiful in my own skin.
- Veronica Cubarle
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Love yourself! Unconditionally :)
- Jana Zimova
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Beautiful!? Me? That is what I used to think when receiving a compliment. Nowadays beauty means empowerement. Feeling beauty makes me feel more confident and happier. It is not about good makeup or nice clothes, but how I look at myself. It changed completely over the years and especially after this amazing photo shooting. Thanks to that I can see myself with kinder eyes now.
- JS
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"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"
I often feel obliged to fulfill standards from others. Even more after the second time I gave birth. Which is why I got to Melissa.
Even today I have more self-confidence with my hair done and wearing clothes that hide what I don't like about myself.
Beauty is about the ability to accept what you don't like about yourself.
- Rachel Garessus
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Aging is mandatory but thinking you are old is optional. Think young, act young and you will be forever young despite wrinkles and grey hair. That's the beauty of ageing - you stop worrying what others may say or think.
You are simply at peace with yourself. Enjoy it :)
- ES
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Schönheit ist ein freundliches Lächeln, eine nette Geste, ein offenes, fröhliches Auftreten.
Je älter ich werde umso selbstbewusster bin ich. Ich bin froh das Shooting bei Melissa mit fast 40 Jahren gemacht zu haben. Mit 20 hätte ich mich niemals so wohl gefühlt in meinem Körper wie jetzt. Obwohl mein Körper mit 20 jünger war und ich inzwischen 3 Kinder bekommen habe. Schönheit hat nichts mit Jugend zu tun.
An Tagen an denen ich mich weniger selbstbewusst fühle hilft es mir mir etwas mehr Zeit zu nehmen und mich etwas zurechtzumachen. Gerade im Mama-Alltag kommt das oft zu kurz. Doch ein leichtes make-up hilft mir dann oft schon.
For me, the beauty of aging is the life experience. Every wrinkle, every scar tells a story.
- Isabelle Oggier
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Beauty is a feeling.
It is the caress of a warm summer breeze, or that of a lover. Beauty is being physically healthy and active; being one with nature. Beauty is freedom, bravery and having a sense of adventure. Being beautiful is taking care of yourself and expressing yourself authentically. When I feel beautiful. I’m more confident. I laugh more, and I’m more outgoing. Being authentically complimented on my beauty makes me feel gorgeous! I always feel beautiful in the summertime. There is something about the glow of a healthy tan and the boundless energy of the earth in summertime that really gets me vibing.
- Joanna Ricci
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Beauty is inner strength.
It is focus, wisdom, compassion and determination.
I believe feeling beautiful comes from inner contentment and peace, self-acceptance, fulfillment and calm.
'Feeling' beautiful and 'being' beautiful can look and feel different depending on whether one is on the outside looking in, or, on the inside looking out.
But crucially, 'feeling' beautiful comes from 'being' beautiful and, I believe, this requires great self-awareness and introspection. It is accepting who you are. Indeed, the beauty of aging is accepting yourself and remaining progressive and open to new perspectives and experiences in life.
- Rachel Hahn
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My definition of beauty is that it is a timeless gift given by God, which does not need hands to touch us and which has many facetts, not only the ones visible by the eyes. With age you only start seeing more than what meets the eye and you start to value yourself as an entire being.
I have always been a person who took good care of herself phisically (and internally) and I think it is important to keep that all our life, since we only have one body to care for. Beauty makes me humble because at some point it is a big responsibility which if not carried the right way can fade away quickly. Sports, nice clothes and make up help me to feel beautiful physically but also when I read the Word of God and see how He sees us builds up my spirit as well.
Regarding aging we should be greatful for everyday we get to live and experiance because not all of us get the chance to do that. So I see aging as a good thing and an opportunity to learn and grow in every way possible, also in the way we present our beauty to us and others.
- TB
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My beliefs on beauty have evolved from being a purely physical attribute to describe someone's appearance to being a statement about how they present themselves to the world.
As women age, their physical features seem to become less about some single dimensional feature and more a story about who they are and how they have lived their life. The confidence and maturity that come with ageing together with a marked abandonment of caring how people see them result, in my opinion, with a more elevated and refined sense of beautify that women often encompass as they enter into each new chapter of their lives.
- Dani Shields
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Growing older is about acceptance. It's about redefining yourself and rediscovering your beauty. Being in harmony with and have confidence in yourself.
- Angéla Thijs
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Beauty is when I acknowledge my imperfections and focus on my own qualities which impacts how I can empower myself and makes me feel unique and the best as I can be with my body, my age and my mind.
- RDP
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With age, I have realized that beauty is the light that shines through from within.
It is the passion, the love, the experiences that shape us. As a birth doula, witnessing the strength of a woman as she brings about life confirms the light that I know fills every one of us. I want to embrace the laugh lines that are starting to etch upon my face, a sign of a life well-lived, the immense privilege to be growing older and wiser.
- Elise Morin
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As women the double-whammy of sexism and ageism can impact how we think of our own bodies and our own abilities. There is the option to fear aging and then there is the option to be calm.
For me, calm means that my skills in representing myself well in my relationships, leading others with grace at work and inspiring younger women, especially my own daughter, are now more within my daily practice than ever before. And there is a lot of time ahead of me to practice this new calm so I can have an even bigger impact.
- Diana Kawarsky
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but the most important rule of beauty is: ‘Who cares?
- CI
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Beauty is knowing how you real are and allowing yourself to be exactly like this.
- Justyna Potega
Thank you
A huge THANK YOU to all the incredible women who participated in this campaign. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us - you are all so beautiful.
Meet Your Photographers
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Basel, Switzerland
Hello lovely! I specialize in helping everyday women see how beautiful they are through my photography.It’s my mission to show every woman who walks in front of my camera all the beauty that she might be having a hard time finding.
What gives me hope for the future is all the incredible women who I’ve met who used to be labeled by society as “past their prime.” These women have said “HELL YES!” and have refused to be labeled or diminished as they move through life. I want to use this campaign to showcase the timeless beauty and wisdom of women in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond!
Let’s rebel against the “old” beauty standards and celebrate our worth and value as women!
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Toronto, Canada
My background in Fine Art is what initially brought me into this really special genre, but it’s honestly the power that it has to transform a woman that makes me so happy with my work. I know lots of really incredible women (my mother, sister, and friends among them) who have a difficult time appreciating their own beauty and seeing the strength that everyone else sees in them. A photoshoot really has the ability to change a woman’s perception of herself and I feel so lucky to help women move past their fears into seeing the very best version of themselves. I think that is pure magic, and I’m honored to be a part of your photoshoot experience at our location in Canada.
