What To Buy Now for Summer

Straw hats add protection while being relatively cool.

 Before it gets any sunnier or any hotter, there are four items you need to make sure that you have ready to go for summer - especially if you are over 40.  These are not just fashion accessories; they will make your life simpler, make you look better, and protect you from the harsh elements of summer.
A HAT:  I know. You hate hats. But a hat will not only protect your hair from sun damage as well as your tender scalp, it will also shade your face and reduce the sun exposure your facial skin receives.  Although many people wear sunscreen, some still get a rash from being directly exposed to very hot, very bright sunshine (alas, I am one of them!). 
Canvas hats are great: they can be rolled up and stuffed in a suitcase, but they can also get a bit hot.  Your best bet for running around town is a closely woven straw hat.

SUNGLASSES: Your eyes need to be protected just as much as your skin does.  Too much sun exposure can lead to cataracts.  Be sure to buy sunglasses that fit you without sliding off when you sweat and those that flatter your face shape.  Below, Coach, Fendi, and Prada sunglasses are great, but if you are like me and constantly misplacing them, the cheap ones are okay. Just make sure that they meet the following standards:

• UV 400 protection. (These block light rays with wavelengths up to 400 nanometers, which means that your eyes are shielded from even the tiniest UV rays.)  (fr
• Lenses block 99% or 100% of UVB and UVA rays
• Lenses meet ANSI Z80.3 blocking requirements. (This refers to standards set by the American National tandards Institute.)
• om WEBMD)

A GOOD BEACH TOTE:  Forego the cheap bags that barely outlast the summer unless you know that it's going straight into the drink the first time you get into a boat, kayak, or canoe.  A good bag can be used when running errands around town and still look chic. You can still be colorful; just avoid kitschy (always avoid kitschy!). 

The bags below range from $9.99 to over $370.

Coach Tote Bag with Colorful Stripes

Large Striped Beach Tote from WalMart

Longchamps Travel and Tote Bag in Colorful Stripes

A TUNIC COVER-UP: Don't go inside the snack bar in your bathing suit.  Get a tunic that can double as a run about town top over pants or shorts and a cover-up over a bathing suit.  The tunics below are modest, cover up drooping upper arms and your lower bottom when worn over a suit, and look airy and summery over a pair of leggings or shorts. These three tunics are from Soft Surroundings, but they can be found at most department stores, and specialty stores such as Anthropologie. (I love Anthropologie's Striped Swing Tunic, not pictured here).

Lips and the Best Mascaras

As we get older, our lashes often thin, and mine are no exception. I got tired of wearing false eyelashes for the lush look that was a part of my signature eye makeup and have been looking ever since for a mascara that both lengths and thickens my lashes with making them look spidery.

 I've finally found the right concoction! I am using two, yes, two mascaras, and both are by Maybelline. I first put on Illegal Lengths mascara to get the length that I want, being careful not to let it dry between coats. It goes on best if you apply until you get the length that you want without letting it dry between coats. Then, I use the Volume Express mascara, Falsies, for thickness.  If this sounds, goopy and like too much, it really isn't.  I like the "winged" Falsies best, I think.  I apply a couple of coats of it starting close to the lash base, and finally, I have the lashes I want!  The Falsies in waterproof is also decent, too.  I used it lately when I was in South Africa and Mozambique to keep away racoon eyes.  It worked!

 Beauty Tip:  If you have very dry lips all the time, try this. Your toothpaste may be drying your lips.  Before brushing anytime, put a thick coat of vaseline on your lips, then be sure to rinse lips after you finish brushing.  Toothpastes containing baking soda are especially drying to the lips.  I've tried this and my every so dry lips are finally getting soft and smooth!

Abreva: The Cold Sore Remedy

Unfortunately, I am one of those people who has always suffered from cold sores. Although I can sometimes go for a couple of years without one, eventually one is going to pop up - and it seems the season makes very little difference; I've had them in cold season and also in the middle of summer.

  Oddly enough, the way the cold sore feels is a thousand times worse for me than the way it looks, although that is bad enough. But I have found something that works - finally.  And they are not a sponsor of mine, not do I receive anything at all from them.
   The best cold sore treatment I've tried is Abreva.

  Abreva really does work.  In the last week, my cold sore I could feel starting was averted simply by applying Abreva to it twice!  The package comes with funny little tubes that you break open for one application (although it bugs me that there is so much in there and it says for you to use each tube only once).  The end of the tube is basically a Q-tip with the clear ointment (did I say that there was lots of it?).  Put it on the cold sore and that's it!  

  No comparison to my Mother's old remedy of Campho-phenique!
  Remember that avoidance is best.  Wear a sunscreen on your lips just as you do your face, keep your lips moisturized (not just with lipstick - I like to wear vaseline at bedtime, and the rest of the time a moisturizing lipstick and/or a good lip balm (not Chapstick).

SPF - Sunscreen is NOT Optional!

Be sure to wear a sunscreen everyday!  As careful as I have been with my complexion, it is not something I have always done.  Going about day to day life, I often used a foundation with an SPF of 15, but often I didn't.  Now I know that you can prevent signs of aging by wearing a sunscreen year round, yes, even in the winter when all you do is hop in and out of your car to do errands. And remember, your foundation may have a sunscreen, but most people do not wear enough foundation to get true protection.  The answer is a moisturizer with sunscreen and a foundation with sunscreen. Wear both - everyday - even in the dead of winter!

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!

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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