It's Going to Be a Blue Spring

Blue for Spring
It's going to be a blue Spring - and I mean that in the happiest way possible. Blue, especially aquas and turquoises, are very in for Spring, and that's good news for most of us since blue is an almost universally becoming colour. Feel that you can't afford any of the new blues in these trying economic times? No worry, it's easy to add a touch of the new blue to your wardrobe without going into a personal recession. Think of accessories:

*Great sunglasses in blue from Jil Sander's new sunglassesline

*Blue jewels (try handcrafted artisan jewelry to get both real jewels and an affordable price)

*scarves - yes, they are very in right now especially if they are long enough to double around your neck and hangdown to your waist. *

*Find a shocking turquoise belt to brighten up the tobacco coloured dress or pants from last year (or the year before)or add it to a pair of light grey slacks.

* Turquoise or blue shoes make a real statement when worn with an all-black ensemble or really many different monochromatic outfits. The good news is that if you can't afford them at first, you're probably going to beable to find these on sale just a bit later in the season.

Always remember that dressing chic is mainly an attitude and keep the attitude strong!

Essie's the Best!

I have a love/hate relationship with nail polish. On the one hand, I like how it looks and makes my hands look (and my hands do need help). On the other, there are not many things that look worse or that will downgrade your entire appearance more than having chipped nail polish. My new favorite": Essie. I first came across it when getting a manicure/pedicure in Arlington, Virginia. Then my daughter-in-law gave me some for Christmas. I can't find it here locally, but I buy it through amazon. com simply because I usually have other items to purchase at the same time. Essie goes on smoothly, dries remarkably quickly without any drying agent, and comes in quite a few delicious colours. My only caveat is that I bought a colour (I think that it was called Beach Party) a sort of ballerina slipper pink, that had no shine whatsoever - totally matte so that it looked as though I had messed up my nails in some way. Otherwise, dark colours and their light pinks (try No Pre-Nup) are fantastic and have lasted a week for me - an unbelievably long time!

The Cream de la Creme!

I have extremely dry skin (on my body - my face is slightly different). In fact, my skin has a condition known as ichthysosis (the ichthys from fish) which basically means fish-scale skin. And if left alone, it would look very much like fish scales. Luckily my case is not as severe as it could be, but it still makes finding the right lotions and creams a challenge.
Of course, I love, absolutely love, Aveeno lotion. It is the cream that I use on my face - the only cream, and I've used it for years (I've received many compliments on my complexion which is rather porcelain-like; I attribute the complexion to Aveeno and to good sunscreens). However, finding a good body lotion/cream is a different matter. I seem to need to rotate creams in order for them to remain effective. The body butters from The Body Shop and Bath and Body Works are some of my favorite concoctions (I loved the ones with grapeseed and with pumpkin, both of which are now discontinued), but I've found a wonderful alternative.
The Wildflower & Thyme Company in Waterloo, Illinois makes a cream to die for! This body cream supplies just what my skin is hungry for: grapeseed oil, jojoba oil (my two favorites), avocado oil, Vitamin E, aloevera, and other goodies for your parched skin. And best of all, the nice people will scent your cream with your choice of fragrance: LAVENDER/ROSEMARY, PATCHOULI, ROSE, VANILLA BEAN, LILAC, PEACH NECTAR, JASMINE, LEMON VERBANA, GARDENIA, CINNAMON, MUSK, TROPICAL BREEZE, CUCUMBER MELON, PEPPERMINT, HONEYSUCKLE, GRAPEFRUIT, PLUMERIA, SANDALWOOD AND BROWN SUGAR, EVERWOOD OR FRAGRANCE FREE.
The Jasmine is my favorite, and it's a good strong jasmine so that the fragrance lingers.
It also isn't as greasy as many of the body butters (those with shea butter especially), and it rather inexpensive at about $1.00 an ounce.
You won't believe how great this cream is - and no, I have no affiliation whatsoever with the company. I found them one night while frantically googling for lotions with grapeseed oil and jojoba oil together.
You can e-mail them for information at wildflsoap@aol.com. At times they sell on ebay under the id cacook1. Here is a link: http://cgi.ebay.com/BODY-CREAM-ALOE-VERA-JOJOJBA-GRAPESEED-AVACADO-VITA-E_W0QQitemZ300249052852QQihZ020QQcategoryZ21205QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem



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Back with Good Products

I've been concentrating on other things lately and have let this blog lapse shamelessly - but now I'm back! I'm not sure that it was the discovery of good new products that have brought me out of hiding or the completely hideous fashions that I've seen everywhere lately (more on those lately), but here I am again.
First new product: Not necessarily a new product, but great are two mascaras, both by Lancome. The first is Lancome's Hypnose, the one I think that I cannot live without and that will take the place of the single best mascara, Elizabeth Arden, I've ever used that was discontinued years ago. Lashes are longer; lashes are thicker; lashes are curled, and they do not have that spikey look that does not flatter older women at all. The second is Lancome's Fatale, a mascara with a funky brush that takes some getting used to, but that will probably become your favorite mascara if Hypnose is not.
Stayed tuned for the next great find: a wonderful cream that moisturizes and lifts your spirits with its wonderful fragrance!

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Lips Are IN!!

Body parts, just like clothes, go in and out of style (yes, there was a time when it was popular to be very small-breasted).
Right now, lips are in, so a few words of warning are in order.
I should say "big" lips are in. Think Angelina Jolie. No argument whether they are real - it doesn't matter - she looks gorgeous. So if you are trying all the lip plumpers on the market or considering going for those fat or silicon injections, keep a sense of proportion. If you've ever seen pictures of Angelina when she was a little girl, then you know that she was born with full lips (that or she began getting injections at a very young age). If you opt for the injections, think carefully about the lips that your face will carry. Angelina's face is strong, the lines appear as if she were a carefully chiseled piece of sculpture. Her large eyes balance her lips. Is this you?

However, if your face is like Lisa Rinna's, forego the overplumping. Lisa Rinna has a great face - not perhaps as young as Jolie's nor as chiseled. Her lips make you look a second time at her face - in shock. If you go to a plastic-surgeon and say that you want lips like (fill in the blank), then you may end up a trifle overdone.
Remember that the key word here is proportion.
A second warning: don't go for someone else's lip shape: enhance your own and you will look the best.
Updates: check out Bath and Body Works online for their great supply of Wexler products.
Also, for those of you looking for a new coat this fall season, check out Kim Cattrell's classic camel shawl coat. This is the look to aim for: classic, easy-going, flattering.

Finally, AVOID BLUE EYE SHADOW!!!




















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Uh, Oh, Fashion Faux Pas on the Celebrity Scene

Okay, we all can't look like Jennifer Lopez does here - but we can try! Great hair, sexy, but well-groomed. Revealing dress, but she has the body for it. Good make-up, but not overdone. Clear complexion, great smile...she really looks beautiful! How close could you come to having someone say the same things about you - no, not look like Jennifer, not even wear that dress, but have well-groomed hair, appropriate to the occasion, wear clothing that shows off (or reveals ) your body in a flattering way. Make-up not overdone, but applied well, sparkling complexion, clear eyes, and, oh, yes, a wonderful smile (we can all smile!)? Oddly enough many celebrities can't live up to these demands as you can see below.

Courtney Cox has gorgeous deep blue eyes, pretty make-up that emphasizes them without being too much and - what pretty hands! However, I want to scream, "Go wash your hair!" Or is it wet?
If this was a deliberate do, whoever did it needs to go off the payroll, pronto!


They were adorable once upon a time; now they are supposedly on their way to becoming fashion icons. ( I'm not sure why.) I always get them mixed up, so I'll just say to the twin on the right - you look good except for that horrible expression that makes you look as though you just got fat injections in your lips. I'm getting really tired of celebrities pursing their lips this way every time a camera comes near.
To the twin on the right - brush your hair!!! I really chose a pretty flattering picture of these two - there are far worse - mostly involving nightmare hair days.

An animal is not a fashion accessory! Nor should they cost as much as a Hermes bag. Have you heard of the Humane Society - there are plenty of animals there that really need a hug.
(But if you do try this old trick becoming new again of using an animal as a fashion accessory, do please get an animal in proportion to your size; any animal that could get lost in your chest area is not proportional).



Do I really have to say anything here?
Yes, I do.
I wore that same dress in the second grade, only it was pink.
And my mother had the good sense not to make me wear black tights with it.

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Dressing Slim: The Tops That Work

Fashion changes constantly of course, although it reverts to styles that were once in fashion years before. If you don't believe that's true, just wait until you're over 50, and to your surprise you will find that "something old is new again." Happens all the time. Of course, vintage is recognized as vintage because there's always a different take on the fashion: the material is very different, the colours are modern, the style is old but the length changes. This is why I cannot pass off the mini I got married in (the first time) for those that are in style now.
Of the newer styles, one that I almost passed on that would have been a great mistake is the Empire waist look, both in dresses and tops. Why was I going to pass on it?
First, because I remember wearing the Empire waist dresses in junior high - not my favourite time period (circa 1965). Secondly, I associate a lot of the Empire waist with clothing worn during pregnancy - not my favourite look either.

But I was wrong. Instead of making a woman look like she's pregnant or has a gargantuan tummy. the Empire waists today are cut subtly and naturally and give a pleasant shape to the body, often emphasizing a good bustline and making the most of a small one, and hiding a multitude of faults, including a protruding tummy and wide hips.

The tops (such as these from Anthropolgie, a favourite online store) have shape and give shape to a thickening middle. The long tunic you see above also have the virtue of de-emphasizing large hips and tummy. In a solid colour with good tailoring details, you will look fashionable and slimmer!
The second top perhaps really isn't an Empire, but has the same look in many ways. Its shaped with darts that lead the eye to the center of the decolletage ; its lacy neck is feminine and sexy rather than froufrou and it's almost 3/4 length sleeves hide the upper arms (which are sometimes a bit less than beautiful on some of us). Just make sure that it is not too low!
The cummerbund top (to the left) has the flattering (and usually slimming) V-neck, and sleeves that aren't skin-tight. The Empire waist is subtle, and the vertical lines of the bust area both lead the eye to the bustline and give the illusion of slimming. The blouse is cut so that the waist is shaped - which means that it will give you some shape instead of hanging like a square cut boxy tee. The wider sleeves give a feminine look, but once again without being froufrou.
The great thing about these, too, is that they work for any age. Even if you are over 60, you can still wear these tops and look age-appropriate.
Finally, dresses with an Empire waist can be even more slimming than the tops. Be careful about the length however since a too-short Empire dress can make you look like a sausage with a bit of twine tied around it. A longer length or below knee length is usually best if you are over 40, and wearing the dress with boots is even more flattering.
Also pay close attention to the neckline: low necklines with a V or a higher neckline look good. Both the red and brown Empire waist dresses here are flattering to the slightly overweight figure. However, the fuschia dress with the square cut neckline screams, "WIDE". If you're even slightly overweight or busty, run screaming from this one!
By the way, the best way to look slimmer? Get slimmer! Start your diet today, and start exercising, too.

Note: all the clothing on this entry from Anthropologie.com.


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