“We’re unapologetic about menopause”: Meet the stars of our new campaign

Have you ever had a moment of brain fog at work but didn’t want to mention it? Ever felt a hot flush creep on and wanted to hide away in the loo? Are your periods going haywire but feel you should carry on as normal? Even though the reality of menopause and perimenopause is being talked about more than ever, too many women are still suffering in silence.

Uncomfortable, unexpected, sometimes alarming, often seemingly random symptoms of perimenopause can interfere with work, relationships, sleep and our general wellbeing. For some women the menopausal journey can be irritating but manageable – for others it can debilitating. But no-one should feel that they should be apologetic about going through this natural phase of life.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing tips and advice from health experts in nutrition, exercise and wellbeing to help you stay healthy and happy from perimenopause to post-menopause. But we also believe that you, the Royce community, play a vital role here: sharing your experiences with other women goes a long way in helping to smooth the menopausal journey for everyone. Perhaps HRT has been a gamechanger for you; maybe you’ve managed your symptoms with certain foods or exercise; or are you wondering how other women cope with night sweats or manage brain fog at work?

Whatever you’d like to ask or share, let’s talk menopause! Get involved by asking questions and sharing your experiences (funny, serious and everything in between) on our Instagram and Facebook platforms using the hashtag #MenoWithRoyce.

To get us started, meet the three stars of our new campaign – Vanessa, Marianne and Vera – who we spent a fantastic day with on our photo and video shoot a few weeks ago.

They modelled our beautiful bras, designed for all the comfort and support you need during peri- and post-menopause, and candidly talked to us about their own experiences, from the beginnings of perimenopause to life on ‘the other side’. You can see the photos and watch their videos during the campaign, but in the meantime, here’s a short introduction…

Vera

Vera, 49, started to experience perimenopausal symptoms in her mid-40s. “I started to feel chills around the time of Covid – instead of hot flushes, it was more like cold flushes which have been persistent. My sleep has been affected, and I never know how to dress properly. I’m also experiencing a lack of libido at the moment.

“I’ve always been quite temperamental and don’t have much patience – but now I’m even more irritable!,”

she says. “Once I’m post-menopausal I’m hoping to become a bit calmer.”

Her corporate workplace is very supportive of employees who may be going through menopause and Vera says she can be open about her symptoms with her colleagues and boss. But when she first discussed it with her GP her symptoms were dismissed, leaving her to do her own research online. She thinks it’s great that high-profile women in the public eye are openly discussing menopause as it’s so useful for other women like her.

Marianne

Marianne turns 50 this year and is now two years post-menopause, after entering perimenopause at 45. She struggled with her symptoms, such as hot flushes and brain fog, in her corporate job. “I suddenly felt very anxious, I would cry a lot, and that’s just not me. At one point I felt like I was losing my marbles,” she says. Thankfully, her workplace has a solid menopause policy with a wealth of support for their employees. This helped Marianne be open, honest and unapologetic with her colleagues whenever she was struggling.

“Most of my team are women and I’m just very frank and candid with them. One day I might have a fan and be dripping with sweat, another day I’ll have forgotten my train of thought in a presentation, but I’m not ashamed and don’t feel like I need to apologise for it. If I feel hot, the fan comes out!”

Marianne has continued to be candid about her menopausal journey on her Instagram platform, knowing it’s a great way for other women to find out more about symptoms, treatments, and to know that they’re not alone. For anyone going through it, she says,

“Don’t be ashamed, don’t be embarrassed, just talk about it.”

Vanessa

At 62, Vanessa is in her post-menopause phase after a hysterectomy in her 40s put her in medically induced menopause. When she was going through it over two decades ago, things were quite different to how they are today.

“None of this was talked about in families, the community, the workplace or media back then. It’s not that I couldn’t talk about it, it just wasn’t done.”

She believes circumstances are much better for women today, with employers developing menopause policies and people being much more open about this topic.

After decades of working in the corporate world, Vanessa began modelling as a classic model just four years ago. “I don’t give a scoobies about getting older – it’s a privilege and I’m excited to see what unfolds,” she says of post-menopausal life.

Stay tuned for more menopause content on our social media channels, website and e-newsletters. And don’t forget to get involved in the conversation on socials using hashtag #MenoWithRoyce.