An Alluring Envelope FIlled With Anti-Aging Tips

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Judi

According to the Associated Press-Life-GoesStrong.com poll, baby boomers say wrinkles aren’t so bad and only 12 percent are upset about looking older. The vast majority say they would not get plastic surgery.

I agree – I don’t think I would get plastic surgery either – too scared, at least right now with my wrinkles being the way they are, I would rather go to my esthetician D and get coconut oil lathered on my face to help erase my wrinkles. Have you ever had coconut oil on your face? I did last Friday when I treated myself to a facial with D and it smelled so good and my face looked so good afterwards.

The AP poll also found that 55 percent of boomer women who responded are taking some steps to look younger, including dying their hair to cover the gray and 25 percent have paid more than $25 for an anti-aging skincare product, such as a lotion or night cream.

Me too, me too. I’m part of the 55 percent who dye their hair. However, I do it not only to cover the gray, but also to provide my aging hair with more body and poof. As for the anti-aging skincare, I spend a lot more than $25 on lotions and night creams. In fact, I likely spend four times that amount each month.

Speaking of anti-aging, the other day I received a letter in the mail from Allure magazine, which claims to be a beauty expert (not a magazine I subscribe to). It said free gift inside, so I opened the envelope. It was a very thin envelope so I wondered what the gift could possibly be. There it was — a small card with seven, yes, I said seven anti-aging tips printed on the card. Ooh, aah. Aah, ooh. What a gift.

Ooh, aah. Aah, ooh. A professional discount order form was also enclosed. For $10, you can get two years worth of Allure magazines plus another free gift of a “must have” bag that features a sculptural silhouette with a pebble-textured red body and classic handles, said the flyer. What a deal…but dare I add another magazine to my mailbox? Yes. No. Maybe so.

What’s that you say? You’re my friend and friends share their gifts. Okay, you want me to share the seven anti-aging tips from Allure editors? Okay, boomer girls, here they are:

1. Shrink Your Pores: Allure says that “pores expand as gunk accumulates in them – the older you get, the more likely they are to stay expanded. Put them on a diet by switching to a cleanser with salicylic acid. It helps slough away dead skin that can lead to clogging.” (Wonder if coconut oil can help shrink my pores? Will have to ask D the next time I have a facial.)

2. Let It Rip: Allure says to “deflate and clean pores – like the ones on your nose – once a week with pore strips.” (I will do anything to make my nose look smaller. I always wanted a nose job, but I was not going to let any doctor break my nose and fix it, especially after I went through sinus surgery.)

3. Get More Beauty Sleep: Listen up boomer girls. Allure says that “if you go to bed 15 minutes earlier, for four nights running, you’ll establish a routine where you get an extra hour of dark circle-zapping rest. For your best shot at the necessary eight hours, quit the coffee after 3 PM and avoid exercising in the three hours before bedtime.” (Oh, Allure mag, you are so right. I do usually skip the caffeine after 3 PM, but I should try harder at going to sleep earlier. Thank you for the reminder — what a great gift.)

4. Pile On The Anti-oxidants: Allure says that “the most potent anti-oxidants are CoffeeBerry, idenbenone, green tea, pomegranate and Coenzyme Q10.” (What about blueberries? I’ve been eating blueberries every day during the summer months. Do I have to put them on my face to make the wrinkles go away?)

5. Wipe Out Dark Spots: Allure says that “wrinkles may be the classic sign of aging, but studies show that most people view mottled skin as even older-looking. (Uh-oh, I better use more of the fading cream that D gave me last year. I better put it on every night. And I better stay out of the sun, like D warned me. I definitely don’t like the idea of mottled skin.)

6. Brighten Up: Allure says that “as I age, cell turnover slows and dead skin cells pile up all over my face. Allure says I can “whisk my dead cells away twice a week with an at-home glycolic acid peel. (That sounds a little harsh. Wonder if I can use coconut oil instead?)

7. Don’t Forget Your Neck and Hands: Finally, Allure says that “the body parts most likely to betray the age that’s on my passport even when my face doesn’t, is my neck and hands.” (I do take care of my neck and hands. I try to put sunscreen on them each day and lots of cream at night. Oh, yes, I make sure that my passport photo is one from 10 years ago too.)

Oh, Allure, what a gift you have given me in that one little envelope I opened. As a “thank you” to you, I think I will have to take you up on your offer of that two year subscription for only $10. What a bargain. Just think what other anti-aging tips I will be able to share with all my boomer girl friends for the next 24 months.

Judi

Getting My Dibs on Fall Fashions

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Judi

I was pre-preparing for my fall wardrobe this weekend. I was invited to “get first dibs on the exceptional designer merchandise” during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. It was one of THE MOST FANTASTIC days of the year.

“You will have to change your vacation day,” I told my daughter A when I received the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale catalog a few weeks ago. “The pre-sale dates are July 5 – 13, a week earlier than you thought.”

I had two weeks to drool over the catalog and decide on all of the fall fashions I wanted to purchase. Ooh, ooh, ooh, I just LOVE all of the colors, styles, and accessories too. (Not that I want to rush away summer. No, no, no. I don’t want the snowy winter back anytime soon. No, no, no.)

My daughter A arrived home late Friday night due to a bad rainstorm, so her friend S, who is a personal shopper at Nordstrom, spent an entire evening catering to me. My appointment was for 6:30 p.m. and I didn’t leave the store until after 9:30 p.m. (Yes, I spent three hours trying on clothes and other accessories. It was heaven.)

Want to know the trends for fall 2011? Keep in mind that these are the trends according to Nordstrom. There will be more fall fashion blog posts to come after I receive my fall mags, including the September issues of Vogue and InStyle. (Have to get my arms in shape at the gym so I can lift the 900+ pages. Hope the issues fit in my tiny townhouse mailbox.)

For now, here’s the pre-pre Nordstrom scoop:

- A-Line Skirts (Very pleased that narrow skirts are still in fashion. I bought two a-line skirts in yellow raisin and basic black. The Nordstrom Halogen petite skirts fit me perfectly and they wear really well. I highly recommend these skirts for women 50+. They are very slimming, especially for boomer women like me who are becoming more and more pear-shaped during their life after 50.)

- Capes (“Every woman must have a Mackage cape,” said my personal shopper S. ”It looks fab on you. You must buy it.” As the catalog says, “The cape, right now, is the real hero in any woman’s wardrobe.” I liked the Mackage cape. The leather trim was very pretty and it fit me well. The price tag was a bit steep, but it was quite versatile, despite the short cape-like sleeves.

Buh, buh, buh. Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh. Stop the presses. Stop the cash register. Something magical was about to happen. It was as though Batman had swooped into Nordstrom in his black cape and taken me away to Burberry land.

My personal shopper S took me downstairs to the accessory tent where she took out a black reversible Burberry cashmere cape. OMG, OMG, OMG, I wanted to cry. IT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WRAP I had ever wrapped myself in. I COULD NOT TAKE IT OFF.

“Don’t you LOVE this Burberry poncho?” said S.

“Poncho? What poncho? I know what a poncho is,” I said to S, remembering all the ponchos that my mom had crocheted for me in the ’70s. “This is no poncho. This is a wrap for a mature woman.” I replied. ”I definitely love it more than the Mackage. I never want to take it off.”

“Buh, Buh, Burberry it is,” I said at the end of the evening. “Burberry it is.” P.S. When I showed it to my son D, he said “mom, you look like you are wearing a blanket on your back.” C’est la vie!)

- Equestrian boots (My daughter A wanted the Tory Burch riding boots. Ooh, ooh, ooh, but brown is more my color. A doesn’t wear brown very much. Maybe she will let me wear the boots sometimes. Dare I ask her?)

- Big, Bold, Belted Handbags (I didn’t buy a new handbag. Last year, I bought such a large handbag that it weighed down my right shoulder so much that I had to discontinue using it. Had I continued to use it, I might have eventually looked like a hunchback in my old age.)

- Knitted and Ribbed Vests (Longer vests that hang to the knee seem to be a fall trend. I did purchase a Tarnish Fringed knit vest in a lovely beige and brown knit. A bought one in purple. It was very cute on her.)

- Gray Flannel (I noticed gray flannel skirts, boots, sweaters. But, gray is not one of my favorite colors. No gray for me. Not during my life pre-50, nor during my life after 50, even if it is the pre-pre Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.)

- Exotic Essentials (I tried on fur vests and more fake fur-trimmed ponchos. They were fun, but I went more for the mainstream.)

Dresses and scarves, bracelets and bangles, flats and low heels, pants and tops with ruffles, I wanted them all, but I had to set limits. As I’ve done in the past, I plan to give many more donations to the Food Bank this month in honor of each fashion purchase. Maybe, maybe, maybe, my Burberry cape will do real magic this winter and help me warm the hearts and stomaches of all who need help, just like Batman does in his Batman comics and Batman movies. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Maybe I will change my name to Judi Boomer Bat Girl and fly around town in my bat mobile all wrapped up in my Burberry cape.

Judi

Top Boomer Trends

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Judi

I told you last week that I would share the “boomer trends” that Dr. Carol Osborn, author and CEO of BoomerInfluence.com, shared at the Forward with Ford conference I attended in Detroit a few weeks ago. After a long weekend of enjoying sun and fun, I’m back from my “condo on the corner at the beach,” ready to blog in my home office. (I just love my new IKEA desk and new IKEA bookcases in my new loft. So glad I simplified my life and made the move to townhouse living.)

Carol says that “boomers want to be different than their parents.” She says “boomers are defying the stereotypes.” She says that “when a boomer woman hits her 50s and 60s she starts living for herself.” (I agree. It’s not always about what my kids want. Maybe, maybe, maybe, that’s why I’m so excited for Nordstrom pre-pre-fall sale, one of my favorite shopping events of the year. What fall clothes am I going to buy for myself and what are the fall color and clothing trends that boomer women should be aware of…sorry, not telling you now, I’m saving all those trends for next week’s post.)

According to Carol, “as we look at an elongated lifespan, boomers are going to be doing things differently. “It is inevitable that when you hit 85-90, things will falter,” says Carol. ”However, in between 60 – 80, you will have more vitality than your parents did.” (If Carol is correct, I may have more than one mid-life crisis in my lifetime – I may be having a mid-life crisis every five years.)

Here are some of the other boomer trends, Carol shared:

Elongated life-span. (Do you know that in 2046 the first boomer will turn 100? I will be 88 in 2046. Zow-wee!!! How old will you be?)

Multi-tasking products and services. (I do want my products to taste good and do good things for me. I eat Activa yogurt every morning for my probiotics and I add sliced bananas for my potassium and throw in a few blueberries for my antioxidants. Then I have a bowl of Kashi Heart to Heart cereal, which is almost like taking a vitamin pill. Oh, yes, I also take a vitamin pill designed especially for women who are 50 plus, and I top off breakfast with my fish oil to keep my heart healthy. So much to remember every morning – wish I had another pill or product to prevent memory loss.)

Simplicity denotes status, luxury is being redefined. (I agree. I’m much more into the simple life now. I want to live simply, yet with style. Speaking of style, check out these two upcoming books that will be on the market soon: “The Right Color” by Eve Ashcraft, will help you find the perfect pallette for every room in your home. And “Design Sponge at Home” by Grace Bonney, is a great DIY book to make your home look fabulous. Heard Grace has one of the best design sites at Design*Sponge.

Connected Technology. (Move over millennials. Who do you think you are talking to? Carol is right. I grew up with technology – VCRs, DVDs, answering machines, and computers. I learned how to use them all. You should see me work the remote on my television and turn it on. I can juggle three remotes and watch a DVD movie all in one night. My boyfriend L will attest to my dexterity. I’m learning Facebook too. Make sure you become a fan of Judi Boomer Girl – see the sidebar on my blog.)

There are a whole lot more trends, from “inward bound to the rise of entrepreneurship, from shifting from anti-aging to aspirational aging, from reality tempered by resourcefulness and creativity to increased antipathy between generations, and finally, one of the most important of all – the growing awareness of the importance of boomer women as influencers.” Boomer women are a large and growing population and we will continue to live longer than our male counterparts. Carol says, “women have found each other online and we’re influencing decision making – from wrinkle creams, to clothing, to green living, to the cars we buy.”

What power boomer women have…can you hear us roar?

Finally, Carol says that “boomers, including both boomer women and boomer men, have tremendous ability to make our voices known. We have power to make big changes, that will be important to our legacy. While we are self-absorbed, we are also concerned about the future not just for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren.”

It’s so great to be a boomer woman. There is so much I want to do, share and be when I grow up. For now, I’m going to to watch my favorite July 4th fireworks and reminisce about the good old days.

Judi