This Air Force Veteran Built a Makeup Platform for Women Over 40 — and It Took Off
Dawn Pfingsten served nine years in the Air Force before launching Just Doing My Best for mature women
Key Takeaways
- Dawn launched Just Doing My Best after seeing no beauty content made for mature women.
- The Air Force veteran now has nearly 100,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram.
- Dawn says now — not when the kids are grown — is the time to find yourself again.
Watching yet another young online beauty influencer share tips for applying makeup, 48-year-old Dawn Pfingsten couldn’t help but shake her head.
“How about us older women with mature skin?” the Bell Buckle, Tennessee, resident sighed.
An idea suddenly sprang to life. What if I started a platform of my own for women over 40 to learn affordable makeup and skin care tips to feel confident? she wondered, feeling a rush of excitement.
How it all started
Dawn had always wanted to make a difference in the world. At age 18, she joined the United States Air Force, and for nine years she served in Indiana, Mississippi and Okinawa, Japan.
From there, she went on to focus on family and raise two daughters, instilling in them a strong sense of confidence and self-assurance.
Now, in her late 40s, Dawn embraced her longing to teach women beauty tips to help them feel empowered.
“There aren’t enough women speaking directly to mature women,” she realized, and soon she set out with a mission.
Starting with a blog and then branching out into social media platforms, she launched Just Doing My Best.
Dawn focused her videos on simple, easy-to-understand tips—from addressing dark under-eye circles to applying foundation to conceal fine lines.
Her relatable, warm tone made Dawn seem like a friend, drawing in more followers.
“Beauty is an act of strength, self-respect and renewal,” she would share, knowing those lessons could change lives. Her heart welled with pride as she read comments proving her idea was filling a niche.
One wrote, “Before now, I thought makeup was out of reach since I have wrinkles.”
Yet another shared, “Your videos have given me actionable steps to try again and apply my makeup with confidence.”
Where Dawn Pfingsten is now
Today, Dawn’s Facebook and Instagram have nearly 100,000 followers each, and her YouTube channel boasts more than 20,000 subscribers.
The positive response, which keeps growing, fuels Dawn to find more ways to uplift and empower women.
Not only has this new life’s calling helped countless others, but Dawn has discovered a new confidence.
“We can start a new chapter later, as we still have a lot to offer the world—and each other,” says the now 58-year-old with a smile. “We often think our work is done when our kids are grown, but now is the time to make things happen. It’s time to find ourselves again!”
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This article originally appeared in the May 18, 2026 print issue of Woman’s World.
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