It might be time to get rid of some of those old clothes!
Have you noticed some of those little pesky moth holes in your favorite sweater yet this winter?
Thanks to one of our readers, who sent us a recent article in the New York Times our antennas went up when we realized that it was that time of year when our closet are susceptible to being eaten my moths!
“They reveal themselves in the form of small, irregular holes in your cashmere sweater, or as a ghostly apparition flitting from the pantry shadows, or perhaps most disturbing, as tiny larvae cocooned in the cuff of a wool coat.
It’s those larvae, not adult moths, that damage your winter wardrobe. Adults merely lay eggs, preferably on a dark, undisturbed surface where animal fibers — wool, perhaps, or in less politically correct closets, fur — will provide food for their young. (The current prevalence of cottons and synthetics has meant rough times for baby moths.)”
Even Oprah is getting her closet cleaned out and selling her cast offs to raise money for her girls school in Africa. She might have done so a lot sooner if she knew what keeping all those old clothes could be dangerous!
To get lots more tips and tricks on how to get started and get super motivated to clean out your closet, check out our DVD, The Ultimate Cure for the Dysfunctional Closet!
Listen into this special interview with author, Robyn Okrant
First there was the Julie/Julia Project, then came Living Oprah~ My One-Year Experiment to walk the Walk of the Queen of Talk.
Yoga teacher, Robyn Okrant, aka LO (short for Living Oprah) is a self proclaimed, “average” almost 40 year old, who set out to find out what would happen if she put her life in the hands of televisions’ most influential personality.
The result was a full year of watching the Oprah Show (everyday), reading O Magazine, and going on line to the website as well. What happened is a fun ride down a slippery slope. Not wanting to be sponsored, Robyn chose to buy everything that she could afford that Oprah reccomended for a full year… even if that ment having to give back a free Kindle that the producers of Oprah sent her! OUCH!
JoJami read the book (Loved it!) and got a chance to interview Robyn this week to ask her some upclose and personal questions about how the whole thing went!
Listen here for this juicy chat with the author and find out if LO has worn out the cute ,age-appropriate, lepeord print flats she was instructed to buy!
Have you tried something new lately?
Did you see the Oprah Show the other day, the one where she took 3 women who were all feeling down and out and made them do things that were WAY out of their comfort zone?
Seems the Glam Gals are not the only ones out there trying to get you over 40 gals to try something new! (check out our past posts on leather jackets or thigh high boots!)
If you need a little push out of the “plane” Jane syndrome, just go and take a peak this weeks Blogging Boomers Carnvial #138! The Boomer Chronicles are hosting and have lots of inspiration from some of the top Boomer Bloggers out there!
I have a confession to make (JoJami here…)
I was TOTALLY STUMPED this weekend… I had a daytime, holiday party to go to and boy, did I have to work hard to find just the right thing to wear…
It seems that every time the weather changes or I have an event to go to are the times that I struggle with what to wear.
This party I was invited to was a cookie exchange party with a twist. You had to bring your cookie dough and bake cookies at the party, while enjoying martinis! Fun concept, but hard to imagine what to wear…. It seemed on the one hand, I should dress casual for the cooking part, while drinking cocktails with the girls, I wanted to look chic, but not too dressy.
But wait, there was one more caveat… My girlfriend that was also going to the party, called me a few days before, to ask me what I was going wear and I told her DEFINITELY NOT JEANS, but probably a skirt of some kind.
Well, one of my rules to myself is, when I tell someone what I’m wearing, I better wear it!!! So of course it was a 1/2 hour before the party, I was in the closet and the clothes were flying all over the place, and all the skirts just seemed too dressy, it was a really cold day and I wanted to be comfortable! OH, how I wished I could wear my jeans, but my friend was probably already on her way, and I could call her to tell her that I had changed my mind. (Ends up that NO ONE wore jeans, so it was a good thing I didn’t!)
Anyway…. I floundered along and did find a casual dress to wear and I felt comfortable and that I dressed perfectly appropriate for the party!
So here is a Glam Plan on how to look comfortable but chic for an afternoon holiday party!
1. Plan ahead! Don’t just pick out what you want to wear, try it on and make sure it looks good and you have all the accessories you need.
2. Start your outfit with what shoes you want to wear. If you know your going to be doing alot of standing at the party, think twice about those killer heels. Boots are great for this time of year, low or high, you can still pair them with a skirt, pants or leggings
3. Fabrics should be cozy and comfortable (colorful cashmere comes to mind!)
4. Invest in a beautiful top or jacket. If you’re out shopping for an outfit, so as not to go into overload, start with one piece that stands out to you. It could be a pretty jacket, sweater or again, you can start in the shoe department.
5. Beware of going for the same look you always wear. Search catalogs and magazines first, to get a fresh idea of how to pair 2 pretty colors or a new type of look. (Did any of you happen to see Nicole Kidman on Oprah the other day…. we LOVED her outfit!) Her purple suede jacket with a tank top the exact color as her hair, pencil jeans and matching heels!! Perfection and not too hard to duplicate!)
Just jeans, heels and a jacket - but it's perfect!
Here is my outfit, that I was so comfortable in. I admit, grey is not my best color, but I tried to liven it up with the scarf, and overall, I think it was a good casual look for this type of party. (In case you are wondering…yes, that is a paper plate I am “modeling”) Also, I have a new hair do AGAIN!!!
The scarf and belt completed the look
We never get tired of seeing new and exciting make overs and a new book we’ve discovered has some of the best we’ve ever seen.
The book is called Staging Your Comeback
(love the title!) – a complete Beauty Revival for Women over 45! It’s by Christopher Hopkins who we’ve blogged about before- a beauty and fashion guru and regular guest on Oprah.
Can you believe this is the same woman? That’s what happens when Christopher works his magic.
We’re excited to announce that we will be doing a teleseminar with Christopher on Wednesday April 16th. You’ll be able to call in, speak to Christopher personally and ask your most pressing beauty or fashion question. Sign up here for that.
Christopher’s book comes out May 1st, but you’ll want to order your copy of Staging Your Comeback now, as we know this is going to be a smash hit.
For a taste of what to expect check out these fantastic make-up tips that Christopher has recorded exclusively for our Fabulous after 40 subscribers!
This week’s Blogging Boomers Carnival is up over at Life Two.
This week it looks like one of our community members of the Blogging Boomers Carnival had fun, writting a tongue and cheeck article, directly to Oprah about the trials and tribulations of aging….if your in need of a good giggle, we think you’ll like it!
While your there, check it out and other Boomer related articles!
Cheers~
The Glam Gals
Ever look in the mirror and wonder where your eyebrows are disappearing to? JoJami and I were talking about this and we’ve both noticed that our eyebrows seem to be getting patchy and they are starting to fade out around the middle of our eye.
Just read an article called Beauty over 40: 5 Things they don’t tell you about Aging and apparently this is very common, along with getting hair on your face, having your ears and nose droop, your gums shrink and your hands get veiny and spotty! What’s a gal to do?
Well if you want eyebrows as beautiful as Sharon Stone’s, we’ve found a good brow pencil works well, but you must combine it with some powder. (When a make-up artist first told us this we thought it was a sales job, but since we’ve been using pencil plus powder, we see the point.)
The trick is you have to make sure to have a light hand and use soft, feathery strokes when applying the pencil or else you’ll get that fake, painted on look all your old aunties had when you were a little girl.
We prefer a color that’s just a tad lighter than our own brow. JoJami is a brunette and she likes Nars pencil in Jodhpur and a touch of brown eyeshadow. I’m blonde and I like Laura Mericer eyebrow pencil in blonde combined with Laura Mercier brow powder duo in deep blonde.
Once you’ve filled in your brows with pencil use a stiff brow brush that is angled at the tip to gently layer some powder over top. Be careful to use just a touch of powder (it’s easy to overdo it) Why bother with the powder? It adheres to the liner and makes your eyeliner stay on longer, plus it gives your brow more of a 3d look instead of being a flat line.
We guarantee that if you start using a little brow pencil and powder and you’ll be amazed how much it gives your face a lift. More defined eyebrows will frame your eyes and bring your face back to life!
After years of mascara and curling our lashes we’re noticing that our eyelashes are starting to look a little sparse and faint, making the whole eye area seem kind of tiny and bald.
Oh, to have those thick, dark, long movie star lashes like J Lo, Beyonce or Oprah. We know, they probably wear fakes, but for the average person, it seems such a pain to have to put false eyelashes on all the time, unless it’s special occasion.
A lot of women go for eyelash extensions which we’ve never tried, but hear they can damage the eyelash even more if you are not careful how you remove them.
There’s also some eyelash creams out there like Revitalash and Jan Marni Age Intervention Eyelash Conditioner which are supposed to work, but have never heard from anyone who had much success.
Now there’s another new option that sounds kind of interesting: Eyelash Transplants. It’s a cosmetic surgery procedure where they remove a few hairs from your head and transplant them into your eyelid.
Not something we’re going to run out and try right away, but we’ll sure be watching to see if this what kind of success others are having.
How do you keep your lashes lush and beautiful? Have you ever tried any of these things and do they work. Post us a comment and let us know. We’d love to hear from you about what works. 
Sounds like Project Runway’s Tim Gunn assumes that all women over 40 are overweight and out of shape!
His now famous list on Oprah of The Six Things Women over 40 Should Never Wear, might as well have been called, The Six Things Fat Middle Aged Women Should Never Wear!
We totally agree that horizontal stripes, jackets that hit at mid-thigh, pleated pants, double breasted blazers, Capri length pants, and low rise jeans do not flatter heavy or matronly bodies.
But if you’re still looking fit and trim after 40, which many of us are these days, some of these styles will still work.
It’s really more about the shape you are in rather than your age your age. Let your body be your guide.
For example, a pair of cute Capri length pants on a boomer body is a great alternative to shorts. A double breasted jacket can still look classy and fashionable on a slim, mature woman.
A classic horizontal striped top (we’re thinking of the cute navy nautical ones this spring) looks smart and sporty if you’re toned up top and not overly busty.
As for pleated pants, well they look terrible on any woman with a tummy regardless of age, and since flat front pants are what’s in style anyway, why even bother.
Ditto for jackets that fall at mid-thigh.
Low rise jeans, it’s true, are most always best left to young tight bodies, but we think that slightly lower jeans, rather than those frumpy high waisted ones make you look more hip and they flatter most figures.
So go ahead break a few rules. Let your shape, not simply your age, help determine what you should and shouldn’t wear if you want to be stylish at any age.
