What To Buy Now

Ahh, January, one of the coldest months of the year (in many places in the US, certainly here in the Washington, D.C. area) when our thoughts turn to self-improvement although grey days cast a dismal light over complexions and wardrobes. But cheer up! This is a great time to go shopping, in stores and online.
One thing we can do is think ahead to next year's winter and search out good quality merchandise at low, low prices now, and also find pretty accents to cheer up our current wardrobe.
What to buy now?

Something in Orchid, this year's newest color.
 Your best bet is a purse! But even small doses of this pretty color will update your wardrobe. Try a cashmere scarf or orchid leather gloves for a great pop of color during these cold, grey days.  Orchid will add a feminine touch to anything!

 

A winter coat that you will wear for years.  

 Most stores are having sales with prices slashed to ridiculous lows. You may not find your dream coat, but it is worth a look. Best bets are cashmere and camel hair in camel or black although a bright red or crisp navy would be great, too.

Great equestrian style boots. 
There's still plenty of time to wear them this year and you may be able to score a pair on sale.  Look for flat boots with buckles or a two-toned leather so that they are chic and extremely wearable.


Shopping in February not only gives you a chance to find some great deals, but you can also scout the early Spring arrivals and decide what is going to be worth adding to your basic wardrobe in the coming season.

Losing Weight; Getting Fit

 Yes, it has been quite a while since I posted; in fact, it has been approximately 4 to 5 sizes ago!  Since January, I have been dieting and trying to get healthy, and I have succeeded somewhat.  I told myself that I was not going to go back to this blog until I had lost enough weight that I was happy with the way I looked!
I have currently lost approximately 33 pounds and I feel great!  I have gone from wearing a size misses 12 (sometimes 10) to wearing a size 4 in pants (occasionally a 6 in some brands).  I feel on top of the world!

 The weight loss was precipitated by my son who wants me to be able to climb mountains and be around while my grand-daughter, who is 4, is growing up.  One of the great motivators was his purchase of a scale which showed not only weight but the amount of water, body fat (cringe), bone density, muscle mass and a few other factors.  My fat percentage was way out of line with my weight and small bones.  I looked forward to weighing on his scale once a week to see if I had lost fat percentage (and I kept an eye on muscle I might be losing, too), and then looked forward to telling my son the proud results.  When he left in July for his post in Bulgaria, I continued.  It doesn't hurt that I live in a townhouse with 4 floors and am constantly running up and down the stairs all day. Because of the stairs, my thighs are hard as rock and I can see daylight between them.  Now I want arms just as hard!

 Below, you see a photo taken (with my darling Cluny) in the summer of 2012, just before we went to Paris.  The rest of the photos here have been taken in the last month. Below, the jeans are a size 10; above the jeans are size 4.

 One wonderful change has been in my face; I feel as though my face looks younger and my double chin has all but disappeared.

The only downside: I've had to buy a new wardrobe! It's amazing how many wonderful pieces I have don't fit any more! Even my beloved cashmere sweaters swallow me!  But it's a small price to pay for being healthy.
More on how I actually accomplished this in my next post. I did NOT adhere to any paid diet, but did this on my own with the help of one online app.

Olay Total Effects Anti Aging Body Wash

Total Effects 7-in-1 Advanced Anti Aging Body Wash - Deep Penetrating Moisture

The skin on my body is so dry that its condition even has a name: ichthyosis. I do everything I can to keep it moisturized, and it has been a difficult battle even since childhood. I love Aveeno lotion and it works as well as anything I have ever tried, but I'm always looking for more. Enter Olay Anti-Aging body wash. This great body wash helps with moisture in a wonderful way, keeping my skin soft and smooth even before I put my moisturizer on. It also seems to "tone" my skin as well. And unlike so many other products that work well at first, then end up giving me a rash, after a year of using this, no ill effects - only good.  I've used the exfoliating version also, but while it did okay (exfoliation is not the best thing for sensitive skin), the body wash is fantastic.  No more old lady legs!

Ange ou Demon? Perfume Is a Must

Perfume should be a part of every woman's beauty routine.  It should be subtle and should match your mood, identity, or style in some way.

  I tend to like to have a signature fragrance myself, one that I wear constantly and layer in all its forms.  In the 1980's through the 1990's until the formula changed, it was Sung by Alfred Sung.  It just smelled good on me and people commented on it in a positive way constantly.  Then, it was Escada - the original Escada with its wonderful jasmine.  Then Escada became hard to find. I had  Boucheron, and Fracas when the mood struck me, but neither could be my signature.  So, I'm still looking.

  This year while traveling in Africa, I bought perfume and lotion in Maputo, Mozambique - Givenchy's Ange ou Demon.  I love it!  I don't think it can be my signature, but I am enjoying it.  Notes:   top notes are mandarin, white cumin and saffron which open to the florals of lily and orchid combined with ylang-ylang; rosewood and dense oak moss absolute continue and lead to a drydown of  powdery and sensual Tonka and vanilla. It lacks the jasmine I love so much, but for now, it's the perfect Spring fragrance - not too sweet, and just sexy enough.

  Do you have a signature fragrance?

Note: This is not a sponsored post, simply my own opinion.

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!

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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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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