Summertime Heat!

Yup, it is officially summer and in Florida, that means the weather is really hot and very humid. Sort of like living in a hot sponge!

The dilemma we women"of a certain age" face is how to stay comfortable without looking like we're trying to dress too young.

There are various pieces we can wear in a variety of combinations that respect our need to be cool and still look "cool."

I'll give you some ideas to build from here:

Linen...Light, breezy and wrinkles like a raisin. I do love linen but not in an entire outfit. Try just one piece of linen (top or bottom) and wear it with lightweight denim, cotton or a blend.

Lace...I have seen a lot of Battenberg lace tops and shorts in stores lately. Made with cotton, it is lovely and cool but be sure to try it on before you buy it as several are very sheer and with hot weather, I, for one, don't want to wear layers (camis, tee shirts) under it. It kind of defeats the purpose of being cool.

Strapless tops...this one is tricky for us to pull off. Often having big boobs, fat backs, and wrinkled upper arms means they are all emphasized by this type of clothing. I recommend trying it on and looking at it objectively from front, back, and side before you buy this piece. It may be cooler to wear but may make you look saggy. Strapless bras are very important at this stage of our lives with this style.

Cotton...the fabric of our lives (that tag line is so true). There are hundreds of options in cotton. One of my favorite looks is a sleeveless cotton shirt that has a collar and buttons up the front.  Colors, prints, stripes, pullover, back buttoned...you can look fresh and crisp and be as cool as a cucumber because cotton breathes.

Polyester...although it doesn't wrinkle..at all, it doesn't breathe either. I have many polyester tops, some are even a blend, but only wear those when I know I'll be in air conditioning most if the time. And I do love my yoga pants but recognize that they are not suitable for public use like shopping, dining, or going to the movies.

Knits...there are light summer knits but not for me, unless it is a jacket or cardigan for indoor coolness. I just cannot bring myself to wear knits in the summer because I get hot too often.

Denim...not just in that heavy canvas fabric nowadays, denim can be light, comfy and come in a variety of colors. From shirts and shorts to Capri's, to boyfriend to full-on cowboy length, this is a great purchase for year round wear.

There's that show song that goes: "Summertime...and the livin' is easy...".  Dressing attractively for the summer weather makes that possible and stylish.

Until next week, I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz

Only the Sun Should Shine!

Not too long ago I was in a local Wal-Mart Neighborhood store, just looking for bargains and I met a lovely woman. We chatted and she told me about a great face primer made by Cover Girl that she highly recommended. It wasn't in that store but I found it (buy one, get another at half price) in Walgreen's.

Primer, you ask?

This is the thing created to "grab" your makeup foundation, eliminate shine from your forehead, nose and chin (the T-Zone) and blur fine wrinkles and lines.And today your options for the best are huge.

I have several but I must say that Loreal's little pot of primer is my favorite - and fortunately, it isn't expensive.   

Also Miracle Blur is pretty good on my skin (promoted by the great Julianne Margolis).

I have paid a lot of money for a primer that had a good sunscreen and often wore it alone but it was in a pump bottle that didn't work (three times!) so I would open it and scrape the good stuff out with the pump straw.

The Cover Girl stuff is okay (I shared my second one with one of my sisters to try) and I need to ask her how she likes it.  Bare Minerals has their own primer, and so do other brands of cosmetics...because they work.

I've read women's comments that they hate to add more stuff to their faces daily. However, I encourage all women "of a certain age" to try a primer. So does this product mean no more moisturizer?  Not at all.  Here's the most effective process:

*  Clean your face (I like liquid lavender soap and cool water )
*  Using a foundation brush, lightly spread a moisturizer across your face
*  Spread the primer on your T-Zone and lightly push it under and around your eyes (I use my finger)
*  If you choose to wear foundation, use your foundation brush to lightly spread it on your face
*  A little bronzer or blush finishes your cheek apples

Primer also keeps your eye make up from creasing or smearing, which becomes a real problem in our summer heat.

You could try mixing it with your foundation to lessen the shine but it might not be as effective.

And since the mineral powder make up really emphasizes wrinkles, I no longer it. But primer was very effective in holding makeup onto my face all day long.

So buy an inexpensive one, try it for two weeks and see if you don't agree with me that it is better to let the sun shine than your nose!

Until next week, I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz

Getting to the Root of the Matter!

I am in the throes of a dilemma that most women "of a certain age" face eventually...whether to quit coloring my hair or not. I buy hair color a couple of times a year and a root touch-up product every month. It is becoming more often than I like. It isn't the money but it sure takes a time commitment to do.

The dilemma is what color would my hair be? The roots look white-ish but in the back of my head, more grey-ish. And since I'm not one of those beautiful young-looking women with the tight skin on the jaw and neck, with prominent cheekbones, I don't want to look like a "granny," if you know what I mean.



My natural hair color has always been blonde, but not unlike the late Shirley Temple Black, my hair started getting darker in my older age.



In my teens, there was a great hair lightening  kit called "Summer Blonde" and I loved using it to try to look like a beach babe (it never worked, by the way). Beach babes were not lily white-skinned and actually went to the beach daily.


In my dilemma consideration, I have looked through my many magazines I get, scoured the internet and even looked at other women on the street (I'm temping this week), to see what others are doing.

I saw one older woman with lavender hair.



Many with cordovan colored hair.


Some with obviously dyed black hair.



And several with really obvious grey roots.


I've Googled how to let your grey roots grow out and here's what I learned:

• Paint highlights of grey through your hair to lessen the obviousness
• Cut your hair short and keep trimming as your roots grow out.
• Wear a hat -- a lot!

Today I bought another box of blonde root touch-up, because I'm not sure about going all-over grey. How many of you have given this a consideration and what are you doing about it?

There are a myriad of bright colors to choose from, if you are daring.

Interestingly, one cannot find grey hair color in the drug stores. Although it is a popular color for young people, they're getting it done in salons. That may be my next adventure.  

Til next week, I remain (blonde) and 

Stylistically yours,

Sooz