Grooming Tips I Have to Share!

I have been "baking" my face forever -- and not a wrinkle to show for it!

Baking is a new term for, after you have patted on your foundation, putting on a lot of loose powder, letting your body heat absorb the powder your face needs and then dusting off the remaining powder. I have done this every day for years...the only problem is you then have a nice layer of powder dust lying around on your stuff.




But it does work and I wanted to pass that on to you. You do need a great fluffy powder brush!


I also want to tell you about a product I bought at Ulta. It is Big Sexy Hair's Powder Play and for a very small container, you'll pay $8.

  This product gives you a huge root boost and also if sprinkled in your hairstyle-to-be, provides texture, separation and fullness.  WARNING: A little goes a very long way!  And your hair feels icky and sticky. But if you want a beehive, bouffant or height, this stuff is amazing!


The other day, I bought Johnson & Johnson's Baby Oil Gel ($3.48 at Target) to put on my arms, legs, chest and back of hands. You should put it on immediately after you shower or bathe while you are still wet-ish. It really made the fine wrinkles and "alligator" look on my skin disappear. However, I could feel it "on" me all day and it made me warm. I will use less to see if it is better that way but I certainly will use it daily in the Fall and Winter. This product is better than more expensive oils and creams, for me.

 

Then another day, I went to Walgreen's and bought the L'Oreal Visible Lift blush to complement their foundation that I absolutely love.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, their Foundation is the best I have ever used, so using their blush was a natural progression. I think it is great! I got Rose Gold (best suited for blonde, light skinned people) for $13. And with the slight shimmer, great texture and perfect color, it does exactly what I need it to do.

So there you have it,

my latest cosmetic tips for women "of a certain age" - please let me know if you buy any and try them.

Until next time, I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz

I Had A Great Thursday With a Long Time Friend!

 
I know, I know...I don't need another pair of shoes...but they were so pretty and affordable!  I went to lunch with a dear friend on Thursday and we shopped the nearby stores. I saw these Coach and Four Janet pumps and tried them on..they were so comfortable! The insole is lightly padded, they are a pretty nude color trimmed in black and the heel isn't high, so I bought them for $40. I imagine I'll be wearing them a lot. Right now, they sit on top of the box at my vanity so I can stare at them before I got to sleep and again when I wake up.

Then I bought two tops that I know I will wear A LOT. I couldn't find the exact picture but this is so close:


The only difference is my sleeves hit just above the elbow (hides that saggy upper arm issue). The fabric is soft and the neckline is flattering (not too deep or wide). I bought a black one (of course) and a sweatshirt gray one for $20 each.  It was a great day at Stein Mart.

My friend bought a beautiful lined black and white wide strip jacket with 3/4 length sleeves, on sale for 30% off.

And if you haven't been to Old Navy, you should go now. They have great disposable clothes (inexpensive clothes to wear until you don't like them anymore and can easily give them away). And great costume jewelry! I bought a pair of front/back earrings for $8 (gold ball post with a "diamond" that affixes behind the ear and hangs down just past the lobe).

And my girlfriend bought several earrings for herself and one of her daughters, as well as a pair of Pixie pants (my favorites) in black with white dots (I have a pair but she looks so much better in hers!).



Getting great buys is always a great treat but spending quality time over food and fashion with a longtime girlfriend is priceless. We had a wonderful day!

So I am sharing my latest purchases with you to show that we women "of a certain age" can get stylish bargains and not look like an old woman. You just need to look for them..any where.

Until next time,



I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz

This LIttle Pinky Went To the Salon!

I am shocked and appalled! Why, you might ask?

Because I cannot believe how many women have nasty, skanky feet but still wear sandals, exposing those feet to the rest of us.



I take two yoga classes, which means that there are a lot of bare feet. Ugly bare feet. Bunions, callouses, and hammer toes aside, there are a few simple things you can do to enhance your feet.



Go get a pedicure, stat!  And if you are intimidated about going into a salon, do it yourself.

Soak your feet, push back the cuticles, trim your toenails and file them, pumice callouses and PAINT THOSE TOE NAILS!

If you apply a base coat first, then two layers of a pretty color followed by a good top coat, your pedicure can last over a month.

DO NOT walk around in public in open toe shoes if you can't take care of your feet. It isn't pretty, it is gross and makes you look sloppy, careless and that you don't care about yourself.



There are so many kinds of polish removers, nail polishes and processes that even those with sensitive skin or allergies now have options...except to show un-cared for feet.



It gives you some time to sit, relax, binge watch TV, read a good book, nap in a chair...no excuses, just do it!



Until next time, I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz

Another Example of Why I Started This Blog!

I saw a woman, close to my age, who made a serious mistake:  she forgot how old she really is in what she was wearing and was shockingly ridiculous. I think I actually flinched!

That doesn't mean we can't be stylish, wear fun trends or try new things. It DOES mean, however, that we have to be cognizant of how these things look on women "of a certain age."

Mutton dressed as lamb is the perfect phrase that describes this matter.

We don't have to dress like Aunt Bea on "The Andy Griffith Show" and we can certainly wear many of the latest styles, but within reason.

We can wear pencil skirts, just not so short that we can't bend over or walk well.

We can wear leather pants or skirts (not that I ever want to again -- I couldn't stop sweating!) but with elegant accessories.

We can wear fun jewelry, but quality looks so much more elegant on us (and looks more expensive now that we are older).



We can try makeup trends but there are some that suit younger skin, eyes and throats. We need to be careful that we don't wear trends that are too drastic or cakey.

We can be proof that getting older is the equivalence of elegance, grace and taste. If you're in doubt about wearing something, then don't. If you think something looks odd or weird, then you are probably right. If you think something is pretty in your mirror, be sure to look from the sides and back, as well. And if you're in doubt, ask someone else...someone who will be honest and true.





Remember the below quote was said years ago and amazingly still valid today.




Until next time, I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz

I Could Hardly Wait to Share This With You!

Although this isn't really fashion, it is about the most amazing foundation for women "of a certain age" and I just can't tell you more than this, how much I love it!

L'Oreal (and I do not receive anything from this company -- darn it!) has done it again. The Visible Lift Advanced Age Reversal Makeup is pretty spectacular for us women. It doesn't actually lift anything and no one has thought I am younger since using it, but it is made with a serum and that's what makes it so great.

The serum makes this foundation spread across your wrinkles and divots smoothly and easily. It has a light coverage, no fragrance and, once you find your color, you will find this foundation to be terrific, too. My skin feels velvety, my face looks healthy and bright and I love how it covers my smile creases around my eyes and mouth.

I copied the below from the L'Oreal website:

As the first lifting anti-wrinkle foundation enriched with serum, you will see immediate results. Notice smoother skin because corrective pigments unify your skin tone for a natural-looking radiant complexion. The anti-wrinkle formula is enriched with a serum combining powerful anti-wrinkle ingredients. Day after day your skin looks visibly younger. Up to 24 hour hydration, light fluid texture, blends easily. SPF 17.



You can find it at any drugstore or discount store (Target, Walmart, Ulta) for about $15. They also have blush, concealer and CC cream, if you're interested.

If you want to research your best color, ask the cosmetics counter girl to give you a cotton swab (like Q-Tips) shot of it so you can put it on your jaw line (that is the best place to try on foundations and powders). Then go stand in real sunlight with a mirror and look (even ask someone else) to see if it is your true color.

I haven't loved a foundation in a long time. I've been using Calvin Klein's and Maybelline's but they are going into the trash. This is THE ONE!

Let me know if you try it and how you like it. I can hardly wait!

Until next time, I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz