Beauty, health and a bit of fashion,too

Not too long ago I noticed, to my chagrin, that I had a little peach fuzz long my jawbone, the side of my face and upper lip. I have been lucky to never have had a dark moustache to bleach, wax or laser like friends and family. In fact, my first encounter with Jolene bleach was at overnight camp when a couple of friends were bleaching their moustaches and on a whim, I slapped bleach on some strands of hair framing my face ( "moneypieces" as hairdressers call them)- and had amateur highlights! But back to the peach fuzz - my sister and some friends turned me on to Finishing Touch Flawless shaver. It's ironic now that we don't have to shave our legs as often or barely ever under our arms, we now need to address our face. Dermaplaning is also an option. Dermaplaning is a skin treatment that uses an exfoliating blade to skim dead skin cells and hair from your face.It is also called microblading. Besides removing fine hairs, it makes the skin and wrinkles appear smoother. Unfortunately, it only lasts about 3 weeks and is best performed by a licensed aesthetician or dermatologist and can cost $150-250 per session. You can purchase a tool or special face razor to do it your self, but you run the risk of possible infection if not done properly. That why I like the Finishing Touch Flawless shaver. It is effective and easy to use ( employ a circular motion for best results) and very reasonable at $19.99

 "Flawless gently erases hair from the surface of your skin, without the redness, burning or irritation other skin damaging devices or treatments can cause. And hair will not grow back thicker or darker."

You can find it at Amazon, Walmart, Target or their website https://www.finishingtouchflawless.com/

Eating healthy and exercising are two priorities in my life, and while they won't solve all my health woes, they are an effective duo in protecting my heart  and overall health. Eating fish, fruits, veggies, nuts and whole grains make a difference in how you feel and how your body functions. Certain spices and herbs have been shown to help maintain good health, too. Garlic provides more than 100 biologically useful chemicals for your health. Cayenne pepper is one of the richest sources of Vitamin E, directly linked to lowering the risk of heart disease besides stimulating your metabolism. Tumeric is easy to add to your diet as a spice to dishes and as a supplement. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is also an antioxidant. Studies have shown it eases the effects of osteoarthritus and rheumatoid arthritus. I am taking it with glucosamine chondroitun and feel it has helped my osteoarthritus.  Research has also found it may help in preventing cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Look for a supplement with Black Pepper for better absorption. Cinnamon contains large amounts of a potent polyphenol antioxidant. It also has anti-inflammatory properties to help lower risk of  heart disease and high cholesterol. You can sprinkle a little tumeric and cinnamon in a smoothie and reap the benefits while barely tasting it. Speaking of smoothies, I have one for my lunch several times a week. It's an easy way to get in a few servings of fruits and veggies, some extra fiber and lots of protein. I start with a cup of fresh spinach in my Nutribullet container, adding 1/2 a frozen banana, some frozen strawberries or frozen dark cherries,mango chunks or sliced peaches ( thank you Trader Joe's), then a TBSP of flaxseed meal and a sprinkle of chia seeds, Orgain plant based Creamy Chocolate Fudge or Chocolate Peanut Butter protein powder for 21 grams of protein, a dash of tumeric and cinnamon, maybe some matcha powder or a handful of shredded coconut or almonds, a few ice cubes and almond milk to cover.Turn on the machine and in less than a minute you have a nutritious and                                                                                  delicious treat! 

We are knee deep into summer, as the 4th of July approaches and heat waves are kicking in around the country.Time to think about some essential summer pieces.

A good, comfortable strapless bra is not easy to find,yet essential when it comes to camis, some halter tops,sundresses and more. Many are truly more comfortable than you might remember if you haven't bought one in awhile.

Wacoal Red Carpet Strapless Bra at Amazon or Nordstrom is a classic and Chantelle's Absolute Invisible Smooth Convertible Strapless Bra at Saks or Nordstrom-both good choices for fuller busted women. Natori's Bliss Perfection Strapless and Minimal Strapless are comfortable and lower cut choices. Don't like wires? Try Lively Wirefree Strapless Bra at wearlively.com. Calvin Klein has the best choice for smaller busted women in its Naked Glamour Strapless Push Up at Amazon. Ranked most comfortable overall for a wide variety of sizes is Third Love's 24/7 Strapless Bra with a padded band for comfort and silicone at top and bottom edges to prevent slipping. thirdlove.com

                                     

                                 

        

                     Stay healthy and cool.Always love to hear from you,too

              

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Memorial Day and More

Hello Summer!

Now that we are going out again ( isn't it wonderful?), it's time to get out of the yoga pants when you are not doing yoga or working out and wear a maxi, midi or mini dress, your white jeans, or a jumpsuit and put on your face. Here are a few Memorial Day sales to help you shop!

Lovely Skin 20% off + a free gift  use code MD21  LovelySkin.com

Dermstore   20% off  use code SALEAWAY  Dermstore.com

Verashop   up to 80% off fashion     Verishop.com

prAna, sustainable clothing   25% off +free shipping   prana.com

Banana Republic  40% off with code BRMYSTERY + extra 10% bananarepublic.com

GAP    40% off tees, sweats and dresses + many special promos Gap.com

Zappos   30% off shoes, clothing & accessories   Zappos.com

Maisonette   25% off cute kids clothes & more   Maisonette.com

Vionic   30% off most off their most popular shoes Vionic.com  

                          great for travel which hopefully we will be doing soon

Macy's   tons of hugely reduced specials and even more 25% off Macys.com

Saks Fifth Avenue  already has a huge sale on everything and a special Fathers Day Sale too. Saksfifthavenue.com

Neiman Marcus currently has up to 70% off on numerous items and 40% on newer spring and summer pieces. Neimanmarcus.com

Nordstom's Spring sale is in full swing and will have added holiday specials, plus they price match if something is on sale elsewhere. Nordstrom.com

Anthropologie get an additional 25% off sale clothing anthropologie.com

Memorial Day brings loads of other sales- appliances, furniture, mattresses, technology. I've just highlighted some fashion and beauty for you.  Online sites like Rebecca Minkoff, Tory Burch, Johnny Was, Kate Spade and more will surely have good sales, too. If you've been lusting after something, check it out now.While sometimes on the pricier side, Neimans and Saks have fabulous sales and this is a great time to get quality fashion at great prices. But remember, just because it's on sale if it doesn't really fit ( and you are not prepared to alter it) or you have nothing to wear it with and it ends up just sitting in your closet - it's no bargain. Shop smart.

Now is the time, if you haven't already, to whip out that sunscreen everyday! May was National Cancer Awareness Month. I recommend  (and I'm backed up by Derms all over) you get an annual skin scan with a dermatologist if you haven't already. The climate is changing and our summer weather seems to be warmer and sunnier than ever. The sun is the #1 cause of wrinkles, dark spots and skin cancer. It is a huge myth that if it's not sunny you don't have to worry about UV rays. No matter what the season, weather or amount of time you are outside, applying SPF is essential if you care about preventing or minimizing fine lines and wrinkles. You need to have a SPF of 30 or higher in your skin care regimen. With so many moisturizers, skin tints, foundations, tinted facial sunscreen products- there's no excuse. And don't forget your hands that are also prone to wrinkling and sun damage (  especially when driving or sitting in a window). Use a product like Supergoop Handscreen SPF40 or Colorscience Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush-on Shield or your favorite mineral sunscreen.

Finally, I had some feedback on my binging recommendations and was asked for more- We never watched Ray Donovan and are loving it now. It's many seasons and may lose it's luster, but for now I look forward every night, especially while waiting for Billions to return. If you haven't started it yet- try Billions now. We enjoyed 2 quirky mysteries, The Night Watchman ( with Taylor Swift's ex, Tom Hiddleston) and Manhunt, the 1st season on Netflix. An American Playboy about Hugh Hefner was an interesting show about the man and the evolution of Playboy and the times. If nothing else, Covid gave us the pastime of binge watching together.

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Fashion Rocks the Oscars

 The show may have been a bit ho-hum- yet the fashion was so glam and the most exciting in years! If you turned off the Academy Awards, this is what you missed!

                                  Amanda Siegfrieid, Regina King and Zendaya 

                           in Giorgio Armani Privee, Louis Vuitton and Valentino

Angela Bassett in Alberta Ferretti  

Carey Mulligan in Valentino

Marlee Matlin in Vivienne Westwood

                                  Maria Bakalova in Louis Vuitton

Those were my favorites. Very elegant and glamorous. The next group were a little too much or not as flattering on their figures as I would have liked to see, but kudos to these ladies for taking a chance

Glenn Close in Armani Privee

Emerald Fennel in Gucci

Laura Dern in Oscar de la Renta

                   looks like she might fly away with all the feathers

Hallie Berry in very short in front and a lot of dress in the back and taped to her body

Dolce and Gabbana in a beautiful color- mixed feelings

Andra Day in Vera Wang

          

                                 Viola Davis in Alexander McQueen

                   Olivia Coleman ( love her acting, not her style) in Dior

And some very sharp and fashion forward gentleman-

                                              Colman Doming in Versace

Alan Kim in Thom Browne

                                       Leslie Odom Jr. in Brioni and his wife

                   ( another super short front and long back- beyond the usual 

                                                        hi-lo look )                                         

                                                  Tyler Perry in Giorgio Armani

Jon Batiste in Dior

                    Sasha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher in Ralph Lauren and Dior

I think is was a wow of a night for fashion.It was evident the stars relished the opportunity to call their stylists and designers and pullout the stops for a special evening. They've been hanging out in sweats, too.You could tell many of them were excited to be out socializing after so long, dressed up, with hair and make-up- just the way many of us ordinary folk have been feeling lately. LOL