30 Days to 10 years younger--10 minute tips. Tip 27: The legs are the last to go, and other stories

So often the story of aging is the story of irretrievable, irredeemable loss. A woman reaches the age of 38 and bam! She gives up. Because what's the point? Why bother to keep trying? An 18-year-old in a t-shirt and jeans looks better.

And maybe that's true. (Although a lot depends on the 18-year-old.)

But here's the deal. If you've had a good feature--and you have, even if it's your left elbow--then chances are advancing years have not eradicated every vestige of its loveliness.

I know I'm right. Here's how: I advise you to "shorten your skirts" and some of you reply "No way! My miniskirt days are long gone." But others of you say "Absolutely! Life is short and so are my skirts." We may not what we used to be--but we still remain just a little bit cocky about our good points.

And why not? Is it crazy to suppose that some of us have good legs? Seriously good legs, even though we're 40 or 50 or 60? Why not? Have you ever seen Diane Von Furstenburg's legs? They're epic.

Photo courtesy of The Catwalk Queen

So let's get this straight. I'm not saying we should revert to a wardrobe of tube tops and shorts shorts. I'm not saying we should buy all our clothes at Forever XXI, our accessories at Claire's, paint our fingernails dark glittery purple, Manic Panic our hair, only wear makeup colors outside the realm of nature, or cover ourselves with tattoos and piercings.

I am saying that if you had good legs in your 20s, chances are you still do. If you had great hair in your 20s, chances are you still have better hair than the other women your age. If you had pretty hands, what the hell--have some fun with your nail polish.

Me modeling O.P.I.'s Ink

Your assets don't evaporate when you turn 40. Aging and childbirth have done a number on my figure, but I have good hair. I've always had good hair and with luck, I'll always have it. I'll go strand-to-strand against any other woman my age.

Sure I'm jealous of my mother-in-law and the stretchy little undergarments she calls bras. It ought to be against the law for a grandmother to be that perky. But I don't let it give me the mean reds. When I feel envious, I toss my hair around, flounce out of the room, and head into my bathroom to inventory my nail polish collection.

As the French philosopher said, Mesdames, cultivez vos vernis! Cultivate your nail polishes. Or whatever your assets are.

They're still there, ready to be enjoyed. So go ahead and flaunt them.

30 Days to 10 years younger--10 minute tips. Tip 26: Bags are the new shoes

I've been reading the fashion press long enough to realize that about every month or so, I'm going to run into yet another essay about women and their shoes.

So I'm not going to bore or insult you with rehashing the same old points--at least, not at length. Yes, women love shoes. Yes, they're easy to shop for. Yes, you can gain or lose a bunch of weight and they'll still fit.

But here's something else to think about.

If your feet are easy to fit and cooperative, you can go to town with shoes. My 87-year-old mother wears some of the wildest heels you've ever seen. You'll see her at a New Year's Eve party wearing turquoise patent leather sandals with four-inch heels. I love that she wears them, and I pray God I inherited her feet. They're working fine--she has a healthy arch, and no diabetes, bunions or other problems.

But if I don't end up with my mother's feet, I have my strategy all worked out. Because what else is easy to shop for, comes in all kinds of styles, updates an outfit like nobody's business, and works no matter if you've gained or lost 20 pounds? Bags.

Lately I've been a little obsessed with cross body bags. I carried them in the 1980s and early 1990s and loved them. So now that they're back in style, I've been looking for a luggage-colored leather cross body bag. Not too formal. Sort of satchel-ly. To sit right at my hip, with an outside pocket or two at hand for me to flip open so I can grab what I need.

Say hello to my little friend

I found it on the Top Shop website. It's $65.00. It's not leather, but so what? I'll tell everyone it's vegan. I think--I hope--it'll be insanely practical. And it will update everything I wear.

My point? Shoes aren't the only accessories that can update your wardrobe in an angst and Spanx-free manner. So think about it. We all carry a bag--is yours lackluster or dated? I'm not saying you have to rush out and buy the latest "it" bag, but if you're in the market for a new one, why not get one that's on-trend?

Shoe image courtesy of Amanda Clark

30 Days to 10 years younger--10 minute tips. Tip 25: Break some rules

I pulled myself out of a huge style rut when I realized what bothered me about Lucky magazine.

It wasn't the non-stop shopping they were advocating. OK, I'm not as shopping-crazed as their editorial staff, but who is? And I'm a big girl. I can deal with consumer-overload.

No, I resented Lucky because it made me feel old and out of it. I didn't "get" the outfits. I thought they were idiotic-looking.

The thing is, the people at Lucky break every rule I ever learned. And if you're as old as I am, you're old enough to have learned a lot of fashion rules. Remember matching shoes and pocketbooks? Or no patent leather during the winter?

Well, guess what? Young women don't know these rules. And if they do, they break them.

Following the rules is correct. It's tasteful. But it's going to date you. Here you are, fussing because you're in a rush and you have to carry a tan messenger bag with your black sandals. As far as a 20-something is concerned, you might as well be refusing to leave the house without your hat and gloves.

It's time to get ready to break some rules. So let's go all Diana Vreeland for once ... why don't you ...

mix brown and black?

Kasmira of What I Wore Today

or navy and black?

Kasmira @ What I Wore Today

Wear white shoes before Memorial Day?

Image from Laura J. London Loves Shoes

Wear a "Texas tuxedo?"

Image @ Coutorture

Or tights with open toed shoes?

Image courtesy of Amy Salinger @ Sassnstyle

Socks with sandals?

Fashionable People, Questionable Things

Metallics during the day?

from StyleHits 101

Sequins and metallics during the day?

Nubby of Nubbytwiglet

or a three-inch bright green rhinestone half-gecko, half-giraffe brooch?

while you write an entry for your blog?

(I actually don't have the half-giraffe/half-gecko pin. But I have the black rhinestone octopus bracelet. And I'm wearing it right now. With jeans. Because I'm a rebel.)

30 Days to 10 years younger--10 minute tips. Tip 24: Stay hydrated

And I'm not talking about that ridiculous canard about drinking eight glasses of water a day.

I'm talking about applying water externally.

When you drench your skin in water, it plumps up and look gorgeous. Think about the way you look when you walk out of a steam bath--rosy and glowing and smooth.

This happens because the outer layer of the skin--the statum corneum--is designed to absorb water. Get enough water into it and your skin will look younger and fresher--temporarily. The trick is to lock the moisture into the skin.

That's what moisturizers are for. Pretty much all moisturizers are emulsions of oil in water (the light ones) or water in oil (the super heavy ones like Eucerin.) They also tend to contain various waxes. The oils and waxes are there to create a barrier. They keep the moisture from evaporating from the stratum cornea. Without them, the evaporation will start within seconds of leaving the bath or shower.

If you've ever had a pedicure at a really top-end salon, and a pedicure at an inexpensive walk-in salon, you'll notice that the overall procedure is pretty much the same. The main difference is that expensive salons soak your feet for a long time. They don't start working on your calluses until your feet have been immersed in water for 15 minutes. The time in the water moisturizes your skin and softens your cuticles and calluses. Walk-in nail salons are fine--I'm not knocking them; I use them all the time--but they're like a fast-food restaurant. Their goal is to get you in and out of the chair as quickly as possible, so they skimp on hydration.

As often as possible, I'd like you to treat your face as though you were an operator in a luxury salon. When I have the time, after massaging in my cleanser, I rinse my face at least 20 times with handfuls of warm water. I can really see the difference when I towel dry--the skin on my face is plumped up and dewy. Then I seal in all that water with my regular moisturizer.

I do the same when I bathe. As soon as I get out of the water, I blot myself dry, then immediately massage in a rich lotion.


Or sometimes I have a cabana boy do it for me.

When my skin is really thirsty, I use a mask. I don't use anything heavy or complicated; I use pure aloe vera gel. If you've never tried it, you've got to try it. Run out and buy a tube. It's dirt cheap, and it's wonderful--water's leap towards immortality. (Either that, or it's what would happen if mineral water and Jell-O got married and had a baby.)

At any rate, I cleanse, apply the aloe vera gel, rest for 10 minutes, then wipe off the remainder with a damp washcloth. Then I ... wait for it ... seal in all that wonderful hydration with moisturizer.

Frankly, in this politically-correct age of diet police, fitness fanatics, and everyone being all PETA about the way we get fois gras, it feels good to force-feed something--even if it's just stuffing my skin cells with water!

30 Days to 10 years younger--10 minute tips. Tip 23: Send in the clones

Every time I try to rejuvenate my look, I run into a problem that can end up paralyzing me. And paralysis = not making changes = right back where I started.

The problem is fear of dressing too young. And it manifests itself not by the time-honored query "does this dress make me look fat?" but "is this too young for me?"

If this has never crossed your mind, you're dressing too conservatively. If you want to look and feel young, you're going to have to take some risks. Sure you can stay safe and secure in your cashmere twin sets and gray flannel trousers. You won't offend anyone. But you'll be dressing like an old lady. I say put down the Talbots catalog and live a little.



The question is how young can you go? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you can easily dress 10 to 15 years younger than your chronological age. Not only will nobody be offended, they'll think you're stylish as hell.

Now, the question is, what's the easiest way of dressing 10 to 15 years younger? Easy. Find a celebrity whose style you admire and copy her.



I'd love to pretend to be a style guru like many of the bloggers I read, but I'm really more of a makeup and skin care person. When it comes to clothes, I've been examining, dissecting, and stealing the brainy style ideas of other, better-dressed women since I was a sophomore in high school.


So pick a celebrity who's the right age--10 to 15 years younger--and use her as your style guru. I don't mean run out and buy what she buys; nobody can afford that except another celebrity. But examine her outfits and incorporate aspects of her style into your own.

Say hello to Jennifer, my celebrity style crush. Now, I don't look like her at all. I lack her golden tan, blonde hair, banging bod and hunky ex-husband. But her simple, pared down style really appeals to me. I admire and respect celebrities like Chloe Sevigny and Bjork, but they're too extreme for me. Jennifer Aniston is perfect. She goes bare and glamorous at night, and always looks wonderful on the red carpet. But it's her day time outfits I like best.


So that's my advice. Find a celebrity who's a good 10 years younger, and steal as many style pointers as you can from her. I'm generous, so I'll even let you use Jennifer.


After all, I'm probably not the only woman who spots something cute in a store and wonders WWJD?

My Dior Spring 2010 picks

The past couple weeks I've gone just a wee bit crazy with the on-line shopping. First of all, Nordstrom was having a "secret" beauty event. (I wouldn't call it all that secret, but I didn't see any print advertising. I guess it's secret if you only hear about it on line.)



So I popped for some Dior makeup from the Spring 2010 collection. And you can hardly blame me. First of all, how seductive is this graphic?



And then, most of the makeup in this collection has that lovely lace-y pattern pressed into it.



Anyway, I bought two items from the Dior spring collection, the Dentelles eye shadow quint

Dior 'Dentelle' Iridescent Eyeshadow Palette Pearl Glow 059

and the silver nailpolish

Dior Vernis Nail Enamel, Silver Pearl 604

which is really gorgeous. I thought a fun metallic twist on a gray would be an interesting change from the vampy purples I've been wearing lately.



Verdict? Well, the eye shadow palette was an absolute revelation. I've been reading rave reviews of Dior eyeshadow for years, and finally see what all the noise is about. The shades are gorgeous and the finish is incredibly soft. They blend so beautifully.



That being said, the shades are lighter in person than they looked on the computer screen. Lovely for spring summer, but they probably wouldn't show up as anything more than a pearly shimmer on darker complexions.



I haven't tried the polish, but I will this afternoon. I'm really looking forward to having gorgeous superstar toenails. And I need to have them before sandal season starts, or people will wonder whether I have delusions of glamor.

30 Days to 10 years younger--10 minute tips. Tip 22: Blot, don't powder

I just realized that I'm sounding awfully bossy these days. Do this; do that; hey you in all the black! Wear some color, damn it! Well, I just want you to know that you have my permission to tell me I'm full of it. OK? OK.

Now here's another
rule
tip for you: as we age, our skin becomes less lustrous. Which you might think is a good thing. After all, shine is bad, right?

Well ... maybe. Nobody wants to relive their days of high school/high beams. Nobody wants to look like an oil-slick--but go too matte and powdery, and you start to look embalmed.

I've already mentioned that every beauty expert on the face of the earth advises us to wear less makeup as we get older--and that I disagree. But I do think it's important to let the natural texture of your skin show. Especially if you've painstakingly cleansed, toned, moisturized and sun-screened your face. You're probably using at least one product that promises to brighten your complexion with optical diffusers. Don't you want your hard work to show?

So whatever you do, don't keep touching up with powder during the day. Instead, whip out a packet of blotting papers and blot off the shine. You'll absorb the extra oil and perspiration, and you'll do it without powdering over the beautiful glow you achieved from your skincare and makeup.

Do I need to show you Baby Jane again?



A few years ago it was well-nigh impossible to find blotting papers. People scoured beauty supply stores to find Palladio papers, because the only other blotting papers available were by Shu Uemera, and they cost ridiculous amounts of money.

Well, now there are all kinds available. Every makeup line seems to be producing them, and at all kinds of prices.

Drugstore Lines

When I was at Blissdom in February, I went to the E.L.F. party and came away with a packet of their papers. I just love them. And you get 50 for $1.50.

Noevir Japanese papers are available on Amazon, 100 for $3.30.

Clean & Clear papers are also very popular, at 50 for $5.69.

Sonia Kashuk has 100 sheets for $6.99 at Target.

Boutique and Department Store lines

Now that the word has gotten out on blotting papers, everyone has gotten into the act, and of course, the prices are all over the place. Naturally, the packaging on these little packets is adorable--but you're the only person who's going to see it, so why spend the extra money? Let's see how high they can go.

Too-Faced has 100 for $12.99.

Sephora has 50 sheets for $10.00.

Shu Uemura has 40 sheets for $12.00

And MAC's Blot Film offers 30 super special sheets for $13.50. Ding ding ding! We have a winner! That's 45 cents each time you blot the shine off your nose. Why? Because they're film, not paper. Hey, at that price, they should be film of Marie Antoinette eating cake. You might as well blot your face with dollar bills.

A dirt-cheap alternative

Thrifty chicks use Starbucks napkins. I kid you not.

OK, ladies--it's a sunny Friday afternoon, and it's time to start enjoying the weekend. Have fun! (And leave a comment if you think I'm picking on MAC. After all, nobody likes an internet bully.)

30 Days to 10 years younger--10 minute tips. Tip 21: Back out of black

Black is chic; black is slimming; black goes everywhere; black goes with everything. But let me tell you something; you don't look as good in black as you think you do.

Think about it. Black washes everyone out. It makes them look sad. That's why it's the traditional color for mourning. It makes you look so terrible that even if you aren't all that upset at the death of your mother-in-law, you can put on a good show. Who wears black clothes and no makeup? Nuns. The rest of us have to wear a full face of spackle to overcome the effect of the black.

There are colors out there that flatter your complexion a hundred times more than black does. Like the lights on a skincare infomercial, they cast a flattering glow at your face. When you wear the right colors, you can wear less makeup. Maybe you don't need to wear any makeup at all.

Figure out what your best colors are and wear them. A lot. If you don't know what your best colors are, ask. And pay attention when people pay you compliments. Example? I went to a party wearing a pale green silk suit the color of Boston lettuce. It had a fitted satin jacket and a chiffon skirt with car wash panels. My friend Ann told me "You should never wear any other color. Ever." Well, talk about a wake-up call. If I thought I could get away with it, I'd paint my entire house that color. (And I'm definitely going to make sure my coffin is lined in it. Might as well make the undertaker's job a little easier.)

OK, here's is one instance where a picture is worth a thousand words. Look what came home with me yesterday:

Aren't those colors amazing?

Let me break this down into its component parts. This is

a pale green Banana Republic cardigan


and two Banana Republic luxe tank tops, one green, one turquoise blue

the pale green Banana Republic ombré scarf I admired in an earlier post

and my favorite--a metallic tie-dye scarf from Express in shades of green, turquoise, and purple.

I feel like I brought home the best bits of a Crayola box. And the effect of them together is amazing. I can't wait to wear these pieces.

Are you ready to make friends with color?

30 Days to 10 years younger--10 minute tips. Tip 20: Think like a decorator

A decorator once said that if you walk into a house and look around, you can tell how old the owners are.

I find the whole idea depressing, because I suspect that my house is telling the world I'm 80.

But let's explore the idea and apply it to clothes. Can people tell your age from your clothes? I think they can.

Young people just starting out stay current because current is all they know. If my daughter decided to buy a white t-shirt, a jean skirt, and a cardigan, she'd end up getting something like this:

Fitted T-shirt from Forever XXI

Jean skirt from The Gap

Ruffled-edged tie-front sleeveless cardigan from Forever XXI

Meanwhile, my mother would end up with stuff like this:

T-shirt from Lands End

Chambray skirt from Vermont Country Store

Cardigan from Lands End

Now, when you think about it, nothing says a cardigan has to be a plain, button-up, long-sleeved sweater. Or that a jean skirt has to graze the top of your ankles. Or that a t-shirt has to be boxy.

And certainly nothing says you have to wear the old lady stuff from head to toe.

So for today, do a youth inventory of your clothes. Figure out the likely demographic for each piece you're wearing. See if you can't tweak your look a little. (And include your accessories! The right shoes, bag, and jewelry can shave off a lot of years.)

Blackbird is unhappy with her neck, or, the tale of the anti-aging drugstore products

Blackbird tagged me the other day with a long, pitiful list of complexion flaws--flaws that I've never noticed, but am apparently wise enough to advise her about. She uploaded lots of ads with pictures of Sarah Jessica Parker rolling deodorant all over her face and said "help me, Poppy Wan Kenobe!"

Now, that's gratifying ... flattering, even. Also, I'm enjoying the mental image of Blackbird in a flowing white robe and a double honey bun hairdo.

But I don't pretend to be able to judge whether such recently-released products are effective. (I mean, sure they sound great, but that's what advertising copywriting is for.) So I'm going to stick to products that have been out for a while.

So anyway, bird mentioned two problems:

• saggy jawline and neck
• puffy eyes in the morning

She also mentioned that she was out of cleanser.

And she wanted her problems solved at the drugstore. No $500 a jar Clé de Peau La Creme for bird. And she reacts to something in Olay.

Here's where I mention that I've always been completely happy with drugstore skincare. Neutrogena, RoC, Olay, and Garnier have some of the best and brightest people on earth working for them. Also, with very few exceptions, (Clinique, for example) I find most department store skincare intolerably perfume-y, and my skin doesn't like perfume.

However, I deeply suspect that department store brand pack more of the expensive and effective ingredients into their formulations. Take serums, for example. Department store serums are always very thin, and two drops will literally spread all over your face. Drugstore serums are bulked up with lots of silicones. They feel less like a wonderfully slippery potion, and more like a regular moisturizer. They leave your skin feeling very smooth, but when it comes to anti-aging, silicones are filler.

The solution is to maximize the number and concentration of active ingredients in the anti-aging creams and serums we use. The active ingredients fight free-radical damage and increase collagen production. I'm not going to pretend to know a lot about science, but I can explain it thus: Free radicals bad! Collagen good!

Look for products that include:

• Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) because it moisturizes and exfoliates
• Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) because it's an anti-irritant, superb exfoliant, improves skin thickness, and increases collagen production
• coenzyme Q10 for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and because sun exposure reduces the skin's supply of it, so why not add more?
• Copper gluconate for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, plus the fact that its small particles may be able to penetrate the skin at the cellular level
• Retinol because it increases cellular turnover and improves skin structure
• Vitamin C because it is an antioxidant that protects against photo-damage and neutralizes free radical damage

Unfortunately, copper peptides and Vitamin C cancel each other out, so don't use them on your face at the same time. Use copper peptides at night. During the day, use a good moisturizing high-SPF sunscreen with as many antioxidants as will fit in a pump bottle. (You want to use a pump bottle because antioxidants like Vitamin C aren't stable when they're exposed to air.)

Blackbird's new regimen

AM:

1. treat eye puffiness, if any
2. cleanse
3. (optional) apply antioxidant serum
4. (optional) apply eye cream
5. apply moisturizer with antioxidants and a high SPF

PM:

1. cleanse
2. (optional) apply serum--use one with retinol
   
3. apply copper peptide night cream
4. (optional) apply anti-puff eye cream

My Recommendations

For puffy eyes

First of all, make sure you're not using too heavy a moisturizer around your eyes in the evening. Watch your sodium/alcohol intake. Make sure the head of your bed is high enough. Then:

1. Try cold compresses made with green tea. You don't need to put a tea bag on each eye: just make a cup of super strong tea, decant it into a clean glass bottle, and leave it in the refrigerator. In the morning, saturate a couple of cotton pads with the solution and sit upright for 10 minutes with your head elevated and the compresses over your eyes. (By the way, cold green tea makes a wonderful toner when your skin is irritated from waxing, sun burn, or over-zealous exfoliation.)

2. Cold spoons, ice cubes wrapped in a washcloth, cold gel packs, or a bag of frozen peas all have their fans.

3. Preparation H. The American version no longer contains the ingredient that made it a makeup artist favorite, but it's still available in Canada. If you don't have a Canadian reader who'll send you a tube, you can buy it on eBay for about $12 a tube. Dab a little over the puffy areas and leave it there for 10 minutes, then wipe if off.

Product Recommendations

Drugstore cleanser


Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Ageless Daily Exfoliating Cleanser, available at drugstores for 9.99. This has mild exfoliating beads in it, but is gentle enough to use every day.

An antioxidant-rich daytime moisturizer with a high SPF



Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Sun Damage Daily Moisture Lotion SPF 28 has Vitamin C, Lycopene, and Magnesium. This is an extremely light, 99 percent oil-free moisturizer that contains effective UVA/UVB protection, but doesn't clog pores. I'm on my third bottle.

An optional serum to wear under the daytime moisturizer



Neutrogena Ageless Restoratives Antioxidant Booster (I liked Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Serum, but it was discontinued, although it's available at Overstock Drugstore.)

An (optional) evening serum (with a formula won't counteract your night cream)



Boots No. 7 Protect and Perfect Intense Beauty Serum with antioxidants and retinol.

For an (optional) evening eye cream



Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream (Don't let the name fool you; it's just a nice, light moisturizing eye cream with a few antioxidants, but it moisturizes, feels cool and light, and doesn't give me milia. I'm on my third jar of this.)

For a night cream



Neutrogena Visibly Firm Night Cream, Active Copper although I've heard a rumor that it has been discontinued. If that's true, I'd go for Neutrogena's Energy Renewal Hydrating Night Cream. Both have copper gluconate to firm the skin.

Sorry this was so long! Please feel free to recommend products in the comments. (Badger, I'm talking to YOU.)

30 Days to 10 years younger--10 minute tips. Tip 19: Be true to yourself

You know what's the problem with most fashion designers? They're men. Which means that they never have to wear their own clothes.

And that means they get to design anything they want.

Male designers know full well that a 14-year old giraffe-like supermodel will climb into whatever they design--say, a lucite rain barrel full of goldfish--stalk down the runway in eight-inch platforms, stare sulkily at the cameras, pivot, and stalk back. The rain barrel will never see the light of day again. At the end of the show, the designer will come out to take his bow wearing whatever he wants. T-shirt, jeans, khakis, Converse high-tops, bare feet--whatever. His fragrances, sunglasses, and purses will continue to sell.

This is not the case with female fashion designers. They have a sort of contractual obligation to wear their own clothes. That means their fashions have to be at least somewhat wearable.

So how do they dress?

I now present a sorbet, as a palette-cleanser between courses. Check out what these female designers wear. These are the most fashion-forward women on the planet. Right now they're occupied with coming up with the clothes that will be in stores in 2011. And they're not all young. Some of them aren't even thin. (Can you believe it???)

Ann Demeulemeester

Carolina Herrera
Betsey Johnson
Donna Karan
Nanette Lepore
Stella McCartney
Josie Natori

Miuccia Prada

Sonia Rykiel
Agnes Troublé (agnes b.)
Diane Von Furstenberg
Vera Wang

Vivienne Westwood

Do you notice something about these photographs? Each of these women exemplifies the spirit of her line. Vivienne Westwood and Betsey Johnson are eccentric; Josie Natori and Carolina Herrera are elegant; Donna Karan is sensual; Nanette Lepore is foo-foo feminine.

They've figured out their personal style. They know what they want to project, and they don't let age and figure flaws stop them. We shouldn't either.