beauty

This week the Menopause Makeover is hosting the fabulous Fashion Flash! Lots of amazing beauty and styling tips from my favorite bloggers.

How do you get the shine back in your dull, aging hair? Find out at Fabulous after 40!

In a never-ending battle of fighting cellulite, find out from Fab Over Forty if cellulite creams really do work or are they just a gimmick.

Put a little spring in your winter! Jackie Silver from AgingBackwards.com has discovered a gorgeous line of jewelry that looks good in any season. Check out the Love Me, Love Me Not collection from LAGOS.

Plus size fashion choices range from minimal to maximum glam as we see sequin tanks and colorful jackets to glitter nails and accessories. Whatever your choice, have a glamorous and fun holiday season this year!

Can you freeze away your belly fat–FabOverFifty discovers the surprising truth about CoolSculpting–the lipo of the future?

The Spring 2012 shoes are starting to be released, just in time for New Year’s Festivities when we all need a beautiful pair of shoes. Check out the gorgeous footwear at Obsessed with Shoes.

Check out the first video from No-Nonsense Beauty Blog – The Truth About Sunscreens.

Holidays often mean an abundance of yummy foods and drinks. Female Fat Loss Expert, Shawna K provides some ‘do’s and don’ts’ for holiday eating.

Shawna from FemaleFatLossOverForty is hosting this week’s fabulous Fashion Flash!

Does the yogurt aisle baffle you? Don’t be tricked into eating glorified ice cream. Female Fat Loss Over 40 Expert (that’s me!) gives advice to check out what kind of yogurt to buy and why.

Is your hairstyle aging you? Aveeno beauty expert and celebrity hairstylist Patrick Melville offers Fab Over Forty readers his tips on getting youthful yet age appropriate hairstyles.

Winter’s cold temps, short days ad holiday stress can bring on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as the ‘Winter Blues’. Jackie Silver from AgingBackwards.com has some tips for overcoming the blahs.

Staness, creator of The Menopause Makeover, shares her yummy turkey chili recipe that can help you lose weight over the holidays!

Jodell at Black Cat Plus discusses the quandry some plus size women may feel when faced with the pressure to celebrate their size or conform to expectations set by society.

Deb of  No-Nonsense Beauty Blog goes in search of a beautiful smile. Who’s wearing what Christmas shopping these days?

Find out how to look Fabulous after 40 at the mall with the Glam Gals.

FabulousAfter40 is hosting the Fashion Flash. Read on for some fresh fashion and style tips from some of the top over 40 bloggers! This week we are excited to introduce a new member of to our group, Jackie from Aging Backwards.

Now here is a little taste of each of our fabulous group of Bloggers!

Black Cat Plus discusses her five faves in plus size fashion this holiday season.

Exfoliation is a girl’s best beauty friend after 40! Staness, co-author of The Menopause Makeover, has tips on what type of exfoliation is best for you.

Good beauty and skincare can come in all price ranges, even from your own kitchen. Fab Over Forty shares with us a recipe for a homemade face mask that will leave your skin fresh and younger looking.

Would you spend $65 on a bottle of nailpolish? Geri of FabOverFIfty.com did!

Jackie Silver of Aging Backwards reminds you to make time for breakfast – it’s been called “the most important meal of the day.”

Burpees are stupid! That’s what a good friend of Female Fat Loss Expert, Shawna K had to say. See that conversation and what she has to say about burpees and other high intensity exercises and how they can affect fat loss here.

Want a prettier alternative to red shoes this holiday season? Try these fuschia slingback pumps from Giuseppe Zanotti instead and wear through the new year and beyond. Check it out at Obsessed with Shoes.

Deb at No-Nonsense Beauty Blog looks at new studies of anti-aging vitamins.

This week on Fabulous After 40 we are answering our most popular 0ver 40 fashion question…”What do you wear with leggings?” For more info, watch our new video!

Every 28 days skin renews itself leaving your skin with a fresh layer of baby cells. As we get older this shedding process, called desquamation, slows down leaving us with fine lines, dry areas and an uneven skin texture. Make-up can really accentuate this dilemma.

Exfoliation stimulates new cell growth by removing the cells your body is no longer shedding. It helps your body with the desquamation process by stripping the dead epidermal cells on the outer surface of your skin and exposing a fresher layer of living cells. It takes a few days for a noticeable amount of dead cells to accumulate. It is best to exfoliate once or twice a week. You don’t want to irritate your skin or remove healthy living cells by doing it daily.

Benefits of Exfoliation

• Removes the top layer of dead cells, so the cells turn over at a faster rate revealing softer, smoother skin
• Improves the texture of your skin
• Helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles
• Un-clogs pores
• Makes your skin look healthier, fresher and more radiant
• Gives your skin a good base to absorb moisturizers and other skin products
• Boosts your circulation from the friction

Exfoliation can benefit the skin on your face, around your lips, neck, elbows, knees and feet. Lately I have noticed the skin on my heels starting to crack and the skin on my elbows seems thicker. This dilemma has improved as a result of exfoliating. For those of you who love self-tanning, exfoliation will be your new best friend. It is a great technique to blend around the feet, elbows and knees.

There are three different exfoliating methods.

• Manual
• Chemical
• Enzyme

Manual exfoliation is moved across your skin’s surface using your fingers or buff puff. You are removing the dead cells by scraping off the top surface with physical friction. Many manufacturers use natural products such as seeds, apricot pits, or crushed oyster shells as the ingredient that causing friction. Some products use round beads or poly spheres that can be easier on the skin.

Chemical exfoliates are a topical bio engineered ingredient that can dissolve the glue like substance that holds the dead cells together. Most chemical exfoliates use either Alpha Hydroxy Acids or Beta Hydroxy Acids. This type of exfoliation is applied to the skin then rinsed off. You do not “scrub” to enjoy the benefits. The “chemical” does the work.

Enzymes work by dissolving the dead tissue. The enzymes are molecules that catalyze chemical reactions of other substances. The product is applied then washed off. You do not manually “scrub” your skin. The enzyme does the work for you.

You have three choices: manually scrub off the dead cells, dissolve the glue like substance that holds the dead cells together with chemicals or dissolve the dead tissue with enzymes. They all work equally well.

I was absolutely amazed at the results of such an inexpensive and simple process. Exfoliation is my new anti-aging weapon.

Are you seeing spots?

You are not alone. Many women get brown spots during pregnancy, while taking birth control pills or during menopause due to the reaction of hormones or medications, and the biggest offender – the sun. If you have been exposed to the sun, are taking medications and/or going through hormone fluctuations, you have options to regain and keep your healthy glow:

1. Prevention, prevention, prevention:  Use sunscreen and wear a hat when outside.
2. Skin-lightening creams (prescribed 4% hydroquinone creams;  over-the-counter 2% hydroquinone creams,  Porcelana and Esoterica;  these options take time to show results).
3. Use a tretinoin topical (acid form of vitamin A, the generic term for the medication Retin-A).  Other brand names: Rejuva-A, Retisol-A and Renova.
4. Laser therapy.
5. Intense pulsed light (IPL).
6. Chemical peels.
7. Microdermabrasion.
8. Exfoliate using a glycolic acid.
9. Eat antioxidant foods: yellow veggies, blueberries, cherries, blackberries and fresh fruits.
10. Use antioxidant facial products.

FabOverFifty is hosting Fashion FLash!

Can casual and classy co-exist when it comes to weekend dressing? Discover the perfect style recipe for this sought after look at Fabulous after 40.

Are you at risk for heart disease? Staness Jonekos, co-author of The Menopause Makeover, reveals the latest life-saving information in her interview with top heart doc Chrisandra Shufelt M.D.

Is your makeup aging you or making you look younger? Fab Over Forty shows us steps on how to use makeup to look younger.

Female Fat Loss Expert, Shawna K is in love…it may not be exactly what you think, check it out here. Maybe you’ll fall in love too!

Black Cat Plus discusses how the trend continues as the fashion industry uses innovative measures to meet the demand of plus-size women’s fashion needs.

Deb Chase of No-Nonsense Beauty Blog looks at the triggers and treatments for dark spots and patches.

Great style, beauty and health tips from my favorite bloggers, hosted by ObsessedWithShoes

Deborah from No-Nonsense Beauty is hosting this weeks Fashion Flash.

This weekend, Fashion Flasher Geri of Fabulous Over Fifty hosted the amazing Beauty Bash in New York City. For the first time, eight Fashion Flashers were together at one time. We went out to dinner at Olives in the W Hotel and were having such a good time that a young women came over to find out who we were. When she heard about Beauty Bash, she and her friends bought tickets and came to hear the lectures and visit the booths. It was that good! And in between giving presentations and talking to the over 1000 women who came to visit, we kept blogging. This week:

* Kari of Fab Over Forty insists that beauty does not have to be complicaed, giving us a few quick beauty fixes to make the day a little easier.

* Deb of Fabulous After 40 answers the question– what is the top fall fashion acessory for casual dressing?

* Jodell of Black Cat Plus presents a plus size fall fashion forecast including texture, color and animal prints.

Staness of Menopause Makeover has another amazing recipe, this time a chicken, charred tomato and broccoli salad.

Cat of Obsessed With Shoeslooks at what master cobbler Christian Louboutin is doing this fall.

The Menopause Makeover has teamed up with some amazing ladies with incredible tips!

We have a great group of women who have a lot of wonderful and informative things to say, so be sure to check them out!

• Want to tone your tummy?  Shawna K, Female Fat Loss Expert takes you through a circuit that you can do along with her.
• Are you confident?  The Menopause Makeover community took a survey with surprising results.  Check out eight easy steps to improve your self-confidence.
• What lies below?  No-Nonsense Beauty Blog uses facial imaging to measure sun damage and aging.
• Fab Over Fifty finds out, can a nightgown really help you sleep?
• At Black Cat Plus check out the latest accessories for plus sized fashions that you can wear well into Fall!
• Designer shoes are going tall for Fall.  The Giuseppe Zanotti shoes for Fall 2011 have many towering wedge heels including the limited edition “crystal lovers” sandal.  Can you work 6 inches? Check out the Fall 2011 shoes at Obsessed with Shoes.
• Want to stand out in a crowd but don’t have the money to buy something special? Don’t worry.  The Glam Gals have 5 great ways to look wow on a budget.
• If you’re over 40 do you really care what younger women think about what you wear?  Fab Over 40shares the opinions from women under 40.

by Staness Jonekos
The Menopause Makeover

There are more than 40 million women in the United States over the size 14 and over 44 million women going through menopause. This Beauty Tip is a styling tip so you can look and feel beautiful everyday.

Shopping for a new outfit can be frustrating when your body is changing as fast as your hormones and designers are focusing on younger smaller woman.

For the past year I have been hiding my disappearing waistline with baggy clothes. With my body fat shifting to my belly, it’s time for a shopping spree. With my new larger body measurements I quickly learned what styles were flattering on real women.

Flattering Styles

TOPS

With an increasing waistline, longer length tops and jackets that sit lower on your hips create a “longer” line. A top that sits at the waistline will accentuate an area you wish to diminish. Make sure your top does not hit the largest area of your hips. The length should hit just below the waistline to mid-thigh. It is best to wear jackets open for a clean vertical line. V-necks, open collars, turtlenecks and wrap tops will bring the attention to your face.

Layering can create a comfortable and stylish look. If you are suffering with hot flashes layering will be your best friend. Be careful to layer properly. Too many bulky layers will only make you look bigger. Try a fitted camisole under a fun blazer or oversized sweater.

BOTTOMS

Whether your bottom has gotten bigger or dropped from age, an A-Line Skirt is a must in your new wardrobe. Not only will it flatter a fuller figure, the waist is fitted and flairs out so the smooth lines don’t show the problem areas. You can also wear a longer top without adding bulk at your waistline. You should wear an A-Line skirt at knee length. Try wearing a dark color for the skirt and a fun top with accessories to bring the attention to your face.

Pants are one of the hardest wardrobe items to buy. Even before menopause finding the perfect fitting pant was tough. But, pants can be flattering with a straight (if you are 5’4″ or shorter) or boot-cut leg (taller than 5’4″) with the waistline falling just below your natural waistline. Try solid darker colors to create a nice straight line. Do not buy pleated or tapered legged pants, these styles will only bring attention to your disappearing waistline and hips.  The jeans pictured, Not Your Daughters Jeans, are awesome!  They are comfy, give you a little support and very flattering –  menopause makeover approved.

DRESSES

Dresses look best when they are one-piece, not separates. They will elongate your body. The length should hit between your knees and mid calf. If you have great legs, show them. Choose a dress length just below the knee. If you have great cleavage, choose a neckline that celebrates your bust line. Accessories can bring the attention to the top half of your body. And for a dressy occasion, bare your shoulders and arms. If you are uncomfortable with your arms, cover them with a shear wrap or bolero jacket.

TIPS

Undergarment foundations are my newest discovery! I purchased an all-in-one shaper. I was firmer and my soft lumpy spots didn’t ruin the nice line in my outfit.

Know your best feature. If it is your legs, wear knee length dresses. If it is your bust, enjoy a plunging neckline. Whatever your special asset, this is the time to flaunt it.

If you are pear-shaped bring the attention to your upper body using style, color and accessories. If you are apple-shaped, show off those legs with shorter hemlines (around the knee) and sexy shoes.

Once you update your wardrobe, add a few sexy shoes, a fun handbag and accessories for day and nighttime.

Enjoy looking and feeling beautiful.

Click here then go to page 3 at The Menopause Makeover Shopping mall to purchase these flattering outfits.