Like many, Valerie Mackay has some past fashion choices – including some short, glittery pants – she regrets.
Between a bold sense of fashion and measuring 5ft 10, growing up in Caithness Valerie became used to garnering a few stares.
When she moved to Inverness 34 years ago with her family, and as her taste “toned down”, the former NHS data analyst was happy to disappear in the crowds.
But it appears the stares are now back. And this time people know her name.
Whether it is from one of her 790,000 followers on Instagram or recognising the mum-of-two from a YLS or L’Oréal photoshoot, the Inverness influencer has become a recognisable face.
From lunch park dates, city breaks in Glasgow and Edinburgh and being called “the TikTok lady” while browsing at an Inverness shop opening, Valerie said it can happen in the most bizarre places.
“It just happens occasionally sometimes to the amusement of my friends if they’re out with me,” she added.
“People will come up and speak to me and know things about me. And they’re just a perfect stranger. That can be sometimes a little bit strange. It takes a bit of getting used to.”
Swapping figures for fashion and beauty
Despite her beauty influencer fame, Valerie admitted she is quite a quiet and private person and only first started her Instagram account in 2017 on a whim.
Under the handle embracingfifty, Valerie would post pictures of her outfits before or after work.
When Instagram changed and IG TV came out, she started posting videos on days out like paddleboarding at one of her favourite spots, Loch Morlich, and one day did a skincare routine with Garnier products.
That was when Garnier picked up her video and she slowly started working with brands.
Things really picked up in the last three years, making it hard for Valerie to balance her job as an NHS data analyst in microbiology and infection control in Inverness and her growing presence online.
She said in October 2022 she made a scary decision to leave her job.
“I was working late into the evening and every weekend was then taken up,” she added. “At one point, I just thought that something had to give because it was taking over, we had no free time.
“I really enjoyed my job and the NHS… it was a big decision.
“I was 59 and I thought if you can’t take a chance at 59 when are you going to take it, so I decided just to go for it and I’d done a few exciting things by then. I’d done some photoshoots in London and I thought this is quite exciting.”
‘Over 50s are here and we want to be seen’
Describing her first photoshoot in London with YSL beauty, Valerie said she definitely felt imposter syndrome and even got a little bit of stage fright.
But since then, she has attended a Charlotte Tilbury event and met with the British beauty entrepreneur and make-up artist herself, and while on a L’Oréal campaign met Dame Helen Mirren.
However, it is clear she does not do it for the glitz and glamour.
When first starting up, Valerie said she noticed there were not a lot of female influencers over 50 on social media, particularly in Scotland.
“People would say to me basically once you get to 50 what was the point?” she said.
“And I just felt there was a place for over 50s on the internet.
“It’s also to show brands that we’re here, over 50s are here. Because you probably find the most disposable income is the over 50s.”
Valerie said the reaction has been all positive and she gets lots of questions asking advice or messages after people see her in a campaign.
She said: “They say they’re glad to see an older model doing something rather than it being shown by someone who’s 30, which is lovely because they do look really good and everything.
“But we look at 30-year-olds and we see our daughters, we don’t really see ourselves.
“You realise that lots of women are saying the same thing from everywhere.
“They’re having the conversation, that we want to be seen.”
Age is a privilege not a negative
While Valerie said some commenters suggested she should dye her hair to look 10 years younger, she said for her, age is a privilege.
She added: “I don’t think about age at all. Sometimes if someone makes a comment about an old lady I think ‘Who? Oh, that’s me’ because I don’t think about it.
“I have no desire to look 10 years younger. You want to look your best but I don’t want to be young again.
“Just don’t think about getting older, just live your life.
“Don’t see age as a barrier, because I’ve had friends who would have loved to have reached 60 and who didn’t. Don’t see age as a negative thing, it’s positive. We’re lucky to age so make the most of that.”
Conversation