How to Reduce Fine Lines and Wrinkles

The Palo Via is an easy and affordable hair removal system.

I used the PaloVia in my evening skincare routine and found that it did not take up much extra time although it did take a few tries to get used to it.

The laser is small and easy to handle.

After using the PaloVia for a month, I've seen some reduction in fine lines around my eyes and lips. The product has a suggested retail price of $499 and comes with a 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee.

While $499 may sound expensive, the cost is comparable to just two medi-spa skin treatment sessions. Overall, the PaloVia is a convenient and cost-effective way of bringing the medi-spa experience home.

BEFORE: The side of my mouth and top of my lip have noticeable lines.

After: I was very pleased that after using it for 4 weeks, I saw a noticeable difference!

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40% Off Fabulous After 40 ebooks -Canada Day to The 4th of July!

Here’s something you might not have known about us, The Glam Gals.

Glam Gal Deborah is Canadian!

Deborah is a  <<<Canadian and lives in  Toronto.

Glam Gal JoJami is an American

JoJami is an American from>> Delaware and currently travels around the country in her RV.

This is the Canada Day weekend. Next week, it’s the Fourth of July holiday in the U.S. — That’s why were celebrating with a huge 40% OFF SALE.

That’s right! 40% off all our ebooks and podcasts today through Wednesday July 4th at midnight.

But be sure to use this code FABSALE  when you check out to get your discount!

 

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Beauty Tips For Women Looking For Natural Skin Care

Systeme 41 when it arrived at our doors

We’re always on the lookout for beauty tips and products for women interested in organics. So when Système 41 provided us with their anti-aging skin care products and asked us to do a review of their line we accepted. Over the next 8 weeks we will be testing five of their products. They are the Système 41: Gentle Purifying Cleanser, Nourishing Day Creme,Revitalizing

Deb's skin with sun damage

Eye Treatment, Rejuvenating Masque and Restorative Night Treatment.

Today we’re starting with the  Système 41 Cleanser and Système 41 Day Cream.

 

Deborah: I have good skin, so I’m very picky about what I put on my face, but when I read Système 41 “combines 100% natural ingredients with  cutting-edge skin science”, I thought..c sounds good; I want to try this.  It is interesting to see the main ingredients are Beech Tree Extract, + Apple plant stem and red grape stem cell technology. Not sure what all this means, but it sounds yummy and I’m hoping it makes my skin plumper more even toned now sunspots are starting to show up.

 

JoJami has a lot of redness and dark blotches she would like to see cleared up!

JoJami: My skin needs work and I want get get a really smooth base to put make-up on so I’m looking forward to this. To start off,  I really like the packaging. It was nice and simple. Sometimes these skin care systems come with so much packaging you can’t even unwrap them, but this was nice and easy. I loved the smell of these products. They were very fresh and natural. Sometimes products for your skin can have way too much perfume!

Deborah: To me, at first, there wasn’t any smell, and then I detected a slight peppermint smell?.. but it was very mild. What did you think of the cleanser JoJami?

JoJami: I loved it. It felt really good on my skin and the texture was so smooth. As for the day cream, it didn’t just disappear into my skin. Even an hour later I still felt like it was still there working for me.

Deborah: I liked that it was very thick and almost gummy. It felt very hydrating and I like that because I have dry skin. The moisturizer was also rich and plumped up my skin nicely. So, so far, so good.

JoJami: I can’t wait to try this out more over the next 8 weeks. We’ll be reporting back to you about the Système 41 Revitalizing eye cream in 2 weeks, so stay tuned.

Ladies, to hear the full conversation we had about Système 41 just click this arrow below to listen.

 

If you want to purchase Système 41 now they have a special promotion for free shipping plus 10% off any purchase of 2 or more items.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Système 41 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Casual Dressing over 40 Shocking Summer Dressing Tips

Hi there Deborah and JoJami,

On one of your teleseminars, you provided something I found really valuable for winter: a few “outfit” recipes (knit dress+scarf+black tights+riding boots, for example).   I am looking for something similar for  Summer — go-to combinations of warm weather clothing items that are age appropriate and not frumpy.

Can you suggest an outfit recipe for warm weather that will be comfortable and easy to throw on?  

Thank you!

This shocking new purchase, has been one of our favorite "go to" pieces! (Express)

Jill from LA, CA 

Hi Jill,

Great to hear you are on our team when it comes understanding the concept of having “recipes”  for outfits.  Having our go-to “uniforms” ready in our closet  means that we Glam Gals can run out the door  at anytime and feel confident that we look presentable!

So how does a gal  decide what to buy to create  just an outfit?  Well, we love to keep our eyes peeled for new trends that we spot on the street.  One of those trends we found  rather shocking…

Part 1: drum roll please…the  Jean Jacket !
We can hardly believe we are suggesting this idea because we (hate to admit) have rolled our eyes at them for years.  However, since we’ve  been seeing them  popping up all over the place, I (JoJami) broke down and recently bought one.  It took some research because, I:

1) Wanted to make sure it was lightweight

2) Did not want to spend a lot on it.

I finally settled on one from Express.  (Another shocker…not a place I usually shop!)

Part 2 : A stretchy casual dress.

This recent fun “find” is from a new line of clothing called Canyon Creek (Nordstorms).  It is designed in Los Angeles and is known for it’s bright, cheery prints and comfy, stretchy fabric.

The little dress by Canyon Creek can be worn with a pair of Toms or flat sandals.

If you have a cool evening, paring it with a jean jacket can really tone it down and hip it up!

 

You might think that this would be something you wouldn’t wear that much, because it is so colorful and has a busy print, however I have been pleasanlty surprised at how many times I have  already pulled this out and worn it.

If I’m home working it is super comfy and doesn’t wrinkle, so if I have to run out to the grocery store I can, and don’t have to change.

 

Plus this little summer dress is versatile and can  can easily be layered when it starts to cool off in the fall.  (If you are not fond of  bold prints you could find something similar in a small stripe or even solid and it would still work.)

As soon as we get a cool night, I plan on adding a thin black stretch top and a pair of leggings and black lace up booties for a funky “out with the girls” or concert outfit!  As I’m walking out the door, I’ll make sure to throw my jean jacket over my shoulder too!

We call this dressing Chic on the Cheap! With 2 updated pieces you can go from summer into fall and feel like a million bucks!

When summer winds down and it starts to cool down, just pair it with some legging !

These funky little half booties are not too high and very comfy for a night out on the town!

If you like tips like these check out our e-book, Tweak Your Chic~ Chic on the Cheap.

 

What are you enjoying wearing these hot summer days? Send us your photos and we will share it!

This book will save you oodles of money and save you from picking the wrong things.

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Casual Fashion for Women Over 40

Singer, Christine Day performing at Salt Creek Grill in Valencia, CA

If you happened to be the musical casting director for the hit TV show Glee, what would you be doing on your day off?  The answer is singing of course!  It was Christain Day’s years of experience in the music industry that  landed her the dream job of working on Glee and recently the Glam Gals had the opportunity to meet and hear this wonderfully talented vocalist!

Breezy, wide legged pants are comfortable and cool on a warm summer's night!

How inspiring to see this sharp, spunky lady using her talent and entertaining a crowd at a local restaurant.

We were loving her layered all white ensemble with a mesh top over the perfect tank (we like the wide straps) and how she balanced it all with wide legged pants, silver hoops and chunky silver cuff.

Dressing casual but cool does not always mean having to wear shorts and a t-shirt! She looked fresh and stood out like the star she is!

Copy her style!

An outfit like this would fit the bill for any casual outing.  You could wear when you go out to dinner or to the movies or even to an evening B-BQ.

While the band was taking a break, Christine stopped over to chat with one of her biggest fans, her girlfriend Julie Solwold, who happened to have been just out shopping and had a bag of goodies she was excited about.
“Look at this top, isn’t it fun!  I just picked up at J.C. Penny’s!”  We all oohed and aahed.  Then she pulled out 2 pairs of brightly colored, suede platform pumps.

“I could not decide which color I liked best, so I got them both.  The price was right, so I went for it!”  Before you know it, another gal pal at her table  was trying on her shoes!  ”I’m already tall and these give me even more height…I love them! ”  As we were taking photos we noticed that Julie had on a delightful pair of gladiator sandals, that really perked up her outfit!

"Look at this new top, I just got!" (J.C. Penney)

 

Shoe Finds…these colorful pumps would be perfect to brighten up some dark jeans!

This is what we Glam Gals enjoy doing most… chatting about our latest finds and sharing them with our good friends!

Did you go shopping recently?  What did you find and where did you buy it?  Let’s all share below!

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How to Look Fabulous over 40 as a Summer Wedding Guest?

There aren’t many occasions to dress up  these days, so if you are invited to a summer wedding seize the chance to dress up and Look Fabulous over 40! Here’s a little outfit we put together  that falls into the party dresses for women over 40 category. We think it would look great at any semi-formal event, including a summer wedding. Why? Read on…

 

The Dress
A wedding or semi-formal party is special.  That means you need to dress accordingly. Don’t think you can throw on a day dress that you’d wear to the office and be done with it. You need something more  luxe and glamorous, even a little sexy over 40. This Tory Burch hammered silk dress is a great choice. It’s  a little shiny, which makes it dressy. It’s soft and silky to the touch which makes it feminine and sensual.  The skirt flows making it  rather romantic and  great for dancing at the reception afterwards. The sash adds some wonderful drama!

The Color

Color blocking is hot right now so this dress is modern and on-trend, which is a good thing. You don’t want it to look like you are wearing something from the last wedding you attended 5 years ago. The cream color up top is elegant enough for a wedding or important occasion, yet the tangerine color below communicates high energy and playfulness and excitement. So you have a combination of being respectful for the occasion, but being festive and fashion forward too.

The Clutch

If you were ever going to carry a clutch, then carry it with a party dress over 40. This gold embrodiered leather bag, with it’s diamond pattern, is a showstopper. It’s almost like a piece of jewelry!

The Earrings

If you are  a regular reader you know how much we like chunky costume jewelry, by day. But for a special occasion like this, we say bring out your finest to really dazzle them. If you have the real thing wear it. It doesn’t mean you can’t wear faux stones. Just wear jewelry that  is more refined and that dazzles. These amesyth teardrop earrings are Fabulous over 40, or at any age.  Imagine how they’d swing when you dance and add a touch of sexy over 40 to your look.

The Shoes

Slingbacks are classy and look alluring with  party dresses over 40. Go for gold, or some other metallic to match the festive mood. This is one time when it’s important for metals to match. So if your purse is gold, make the shoes and jewelry gold too. It’s a high end look.

The Wrap

This is  one thing that many women forget about when it comes to buying party dresses over 40. You likely need a little something to cover up with because most party dresses over 40 are sleeveless. Also, you might want something for the church or for the air conditioned reception hall or outdoor patio if the reception is outside. Make sure your wrap is delicate and ladylike. Keep the material fine like silk, the color neutral or elegant so as not to steal from your dress and keep it lightweight.

Did you look Fabulous over 40 at a wedding recently or at a semi-formal party? Send us a photo. We would love to post it.

 

 

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Fabulous After 40 Summer Fashion and Beauty Tips

The weekend always seems to fly by and we are just curious… what did you end up wearing over the last two days?  Did you go back to your boring “uniform” of jeans and a t-shirt?  Or, did you have a new sundress or casual outfit that you recently bought that you tried out?

We Glam Gals were chatting the other day about what we’ve recently bought and are which pieces we are actually wearing in our wardrobe and here they are:

Deborah: Watermelon boyfriend jacket from Zara. ” I just adore the color!  It’s one of those pieces that I find I just keep wearing and wearing. It looks great with a simple t-shirt and a jeans or I can dress it up with all white underneath.”

 

JoJami: “A friend of mine told me about a new line of clothing called Clover Canyon (Saks) , so I tried on one of their dresses and brought it 2 weeks ago.  Since then, I have lived in this dress! I can wear it with flat or with heels. I have even tried layering it. On nights when it has been cool, I put a thin long sleeve top and a pair of black leggings with short high heel boots and top it off with a light weight jean jacket. Running around during the day, I have it on with a simple pair of flat sandals or Toms shoes (Zappos).”

This week’s Fashion Flash has more tips like these and our fabulous host is Kari from Fab Over Forty where she is the expert on testing beauty products for over 40 skin.

What’s a Fashion Flash? It’s where you can get wonderful tips on beauty, health and fashion from our panel of top over 40 bloggers! We cull the news for the juiciest tips and share them with you every Monday!

Here are a some of the topics we are chatting about this week:

We want to hear from you! Did you go shopping over the weekend? What did you buy?  Comment below!

 

 

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Finding Your Signature Style Over 40

Feeling out of touch with who you are are this stage of your life and how to dress. We have help with a guest post from Image Consultant Ginger Burr.

Do you find yourself looking at women in their 20's and thinking how can they look so at ease in their skin?  Of course, we simply dismiss it as a benefit of being young with firm skin and no worry lines or shifting body parts.   And, then we wonder what happened to us!  Sure, your body will change, and yes, styles will change, but if you take one step at a time and celebrate each change that makes you feel good you will get there.

Ginger Burr (center) and friends

Hold It Right There!  The first step is awareness.  Fully allow the realization to surface that you aren't happy with your wardrobe right now.  Don't wallow in it but fess up and take responsibility.  Agree that you will no longer support this habit that isn't serving you.  Every woman, no matter her age, weight, height, coloring, or special traits can look fabulous.  You are no exception.

Go Beyond Comfort. I'm not saying sacrifice comfort.  I'm saying allow for other aspects of your ideal wardrobe to be present along with comfort.  Yes, you can wear a dress that is comfortable AND it can be beautiful and reflect who you are.  Comfort and personal beauty are not mutually exclusive.

Be Yourself:  I'm talking about who you are at a gut level (not whether you're an entrepreneur, mother, wife or speed skater).  Are you radiant, down-to-earth, quirky, fun, bold, gentle, spunky, elegant, unconventional or ________?  How have you changed, grown and evolved from when you were in your 20's?  What positive words would you use to describe yourself now?  These traits MUST be reflected in your wardrobe or you'll never feel fully satisfied.

Start Small:  You don't want to scare yourself by completely overhauling your style overnight.  It probably took you years to get in a style rut so give yourself a break and start small.  If you've been wearing mostly neutrals, add a new color in a top, scarf or pair of shoes.  Don't buy an entire outfit in shocking pink if you usually wear all black!  Get a great new hairstyle or hair color to reflect the image you want to project.  Hint: If you do that, you might find you need to make another change fairly soon to keep up with your new fabulous do!  Or maybe buy a handbag in a color you've been admiring and use it every day for a week.  See what happens!

Let The Universe Inspire You.  Okay, so it sounds a little woo-woo, but I've seen it work time after time.  Spend 5 minutes a day visualizing yourself wearing clothes that make your heart sing.  Here's the key – you don't have to see a specific outfit.  It's more the feeling that that outfit elicits that you're going for.  Imagine looking in the mirror and saying to yourself, "Wow, I look amazing!"  (If amazing is too big a word to start, choose one that feels doable to you right now – maybe, pretty or darned good or even so much better.)  The universe will say hey, she wants more of that and that's what you'll get – perhaps in small doses and surprising ways, but you'll get it.

Finally, buy it and wear it only if you love it.  This step combined with those above will move you into a signature style faster than you can imagine!

Ginger Burr – www.totalimageconsultants.com — Find a style that reflects who you are from the inside out.

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Clothes for Women Over 40 What To Wear To a Romantic Dinner?

There are times when a woman wants to look really feminine, soft an downright pretty! Dinner with your honey might just be that time. If you are looking for ideas on clothes for women over 40, here’s an outfit you could wear out to a special Anniversary Dinner, or even a fancy date if you happen to be on the market for a partner. Let’s take a closer look at this Grown-up version of Pretty in Pink.

 

Pink
Did you know that if you want to convey an open heart pink is the color to do it? That’s right. Women, (and even men) who wear pink send the message that they are approachable and capable of loving others. This makes it the perfect date color and a great way to look sexy over 40.

The Wrap Dress
If you know us you know  that when it comes to clothes for women over 40 we are crazy about wrap dresses. Diane Von Fursteneberg the designer who said, “Feel like a woman, wear a dress,” invented the Wrap and it has been going strong since the 70′s as a true classic that is feminine and sexy. Wrap dresses are super flattering for all shapes because they are usually made of silk or jersey and follow the curves of a woman’s body and help create a waistline even where there isn’t one. You can go wrong in a wrap dress on a date, or anywhere else for that matter. Wrap dresses make you look sexy after 40.

The Dangly Earrings

Maybe you’ve never thought much about jewelry and what jewelry is sexy or not so let’s talk abotu that now. Think about small button earrings. What message do they send. They’re kind of proper and tight- right- good for the office, but at night you want something much more free, bold and relaxed and that’s why big, dangly earring work so well. They swing, the move, they dangle and they send a playful message which is exactly the kind of feeling you want to project on  a special night with your Mr. Big.

The Shoes

Same principles apply to shoes. Sensible pumps go with sensible business suits, but high, shiny, strappy shoes goes with feminine sexy looks. Paint your toes and show them on a date. It’s a little like flashing a touch of cleavage.  It’s sexy over 40 or at any age. We love the nude heel we’ve chosen because nude shoes- shoes the same color as your skin elongate your legs by creating one continuous line. Plus the nude shoe lets the pink dress grab the spotlight. Even if you don’t like heels, try to find one that is comfy for the evening. A low, chunky,frumpy shoe like we see so many women resort to out of comfort would totally destroy this ladylike look.

The Bag

Nothing says femininity and class more than this quilted channel style bag in classic cream. The neutral color keeps the outfit looking elegant.  The  gold chain on the bag adds a touch of glitz and glam and  mimics chain bracelet which is always a great way to make an outfit look pulled together.

Do you have your own ideas  on clothes for women over 40 who may be going on a special dinner date? Email us at info@fabulousafter40.com and tell us what you wear to Look Sexy over 40. We’d love to hear from you!

 

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Facebook Chat Your Beauty over 40 Questions Answered!

Wrinkles may be appearing, your hair may be thinning and your teeth may suddenly look rather yellow, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t look Fabulous at 40, 50, 60 or beyond. There are ways to stay looking modern and youthful!

The only problem is that with all the treatments and products out there on the market it can be really confusing knowing what to use and what really works.

What can you do as you age to dump the frump and Look Age-mazing?

Dr. Jeanine B. Downie will answer your beauty questions!

Find out when we chat live on Facebook to leading dermatologist Dr. Jeanine B. Downie.  Dr. Downie is a board certified dermatologist and frequent guest on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and The View.

She will be our guest tomorrow, Thursday June 21st from 7-8 p.m. EST on our Fabulous after 40 Facebook page.

To join us with your most burning beauty questions about skin care, your hair and teeth whitening, all you need to do is log onto our Fabulous after 40 Facebook page at wwww.facebook.com/fabafter40

You’ll get the answers you need to all your beauty problems, and you’ll have a lot of fun with us while you are doing it. So join us for a full hour tomorrow Thursday June 21st from 7-8 pm EST on our Fabulous after 40 Facebook Page.

This Fabulous after 40 Facebook chat is sponsored by Procter & Gamble Beauty

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Work from home uniformjust add a scarf!

Depending on where you live, this time of year the weather can certainly be warm one day and cool the next.  If you are trying to up your casual style, here is an inexpensive and easy tip: just add a colorful scarf!  (To learn a cool way to tie a scarf, check out our scarf tying video on our You tube page!)

 Yesterday, I (Deborah)  was so sick of  sitting at my computer in black leggings, a long top and belt, that I decided to head to the mall for something light and fresh.  I like Banana Republic because they have casual basics, usually lots of color ( which you know I crave) and their prices are such that if I get tired of something after a while I don’t feel like I’ve wasted my money.

I ended up with two pairs of sateen cropped pants (navy and olive) and  a very cute vivid scoop neck peach top and scarf.  These colors work well together and that way I avoided the dreaded black or boring kaki.  I call this my new work from home uniform - casual and comfy but chic with my new Stuart Weitzman flats.  The latest style of cropped pants tend to be longer this year and I found them more flattering than the ones that hit up higher by the calf.

I tried on a lot of the frilly tops they were showing but for me they just didn’t seem right and my 10-year-old son let me know, too. When I looked in the mirror I felt too young and girly, almost silly in them and my son confirmed that by telling me straight, mom you look like Hanna Montana!  Keeping things simple and sleek will always look classy on us over 40 gals even when we are casual.

I love my Stuart Weitzman gold cut out flats!

My mind was made up.  Now I just need to look for a couple of other cute tops to mix and match.  Just make sure that the top is on the long side so that it hits below the hips.  That will keep you wardrobe looking updated!  Shopping after 40, 50 and beyond..It’s work!

 

If you are looking for more ways to instantly update you wardrobe but are on a budget, you might enjoy our e-book, Tweak Your Chic~ Chic on the Cheap.

This book will save you oodles of money and save you from picking the wrong things.

!

Do you work from home?  What are you wearing these days?  Send us a photo and we’ll post it.

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NYC Full Figure Fashion Week and more in this Weeks Fashion Flash

NYC Full Figure Fashion Week is in full swing!

Got the Monday Blahs?  We have the cure for you!  Today’s Fashion Flash is full of quick little tips that

are the perfect sweet, treat to start off your week!

Here are a few of the hot topics our Fabulous Over 40 blogging experts are chatting about:

 

 

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Watch Your Posture To Be Fabulous over 40!

Guest Post: This week’s guest post comes from our friend Etiquette Expert Lisa Taylor Richey who tells us if you really want to be Fab after 40 you need good posture.

Have you ever heard the saying "an outfit is only as stunning as the woman who is wearing it"?  Part of being fabulous is being confident and comfortable in your own skin. One of the many pluses of a certain age is the beautiful gift of wisdom and confidence that it brings.

   
I love to people watch. Yes, I observe what people are wearing and the way they are groomed, but I really like to see the way people carry themselves. Are they walking by, buried in their cell phone? Or are their shoulders down, head held high and walking with purpose? If so, they have my attention.  I am enamored without even speaking to them.

Susan Lucci carries herself well

Years ago, (even before I became an etiquette expert), I was in the West Palm Beach airport. I was waiting at my gate. I looked up from my book and a woman caught my eye. She was quite a distance down the concourse from where I was sitting, but I could not take my eyes off her.  She had such an aura. It wasn't her outfit that caught my attention. It was the way she was carrying herself. Such pride. Such confidence. Such purpose. I loved the way she walked. I loved how she was looking forward, with her shoulders squared, and her smile. She was fully present.

As she got closer, I recognized her. Yes, she was a movie star, but I didn't notice that until she was close enough for me to get a really good look. It was Susan Lucci. I have never been one to watch soap operas, but I recognized her from magazine photos. Wow, what a presence she has!  That was over fifteen years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday. What an inspiration.

So, the good news is, it doesn't cost anything to have good posture! It isn't rocket science either. To have good posture you must pull your shoulders down, not back, and elongate your spine. Hold your head high. Smile.

Try it. Walk in a room with your most perfect posture. Show off your confidence, style and the fact that you know you are very comfortable in your own skin. Nothing can stand in your way!

Now, go ahead, channel your inner Susan Lucci.

Lisa Taylor Richey is a recognized etiquette expert and creator of the popular program, Manners To Go for children. She also provides business etiquette training programs for corporations and universities and has been featured in the NY Times, Fox Business News, and Food Network Online.To learn more about Lisa, go to www.americanetiquette.com.

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Creative Dressing After 40 a Woman with a Cause

Yesterday, I (JoJami)  was standing outside of Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills when I noticed this stunning woman!

When you spot a gorgeous woman with flaming red hair and a man’s dress shirt and tie, you can’t help but stare a bit!

It takes a strong and confident personality paired with a sense of creativity to dress so out of the box and this gal just had me intrigued. I could not wait to see if she would be willing to allow me to take a few photos.

She said yes.  As I was snapping away, she said that she has always had a deep love of fashion with a desire to create windows for such stores as Barneys or Saks.  Then she dove in with some savvy fashion advise and said,  ” I combine everything, old and new. I have many designers that I love and some pieces I have had for years.  Good design and quality will always hold up. If something is gorgeous from the start, it will always be gorgeous.”

Her bright red hair set the tone for this unconventional ensemble.

The secret to this layered look is that she has kept all the elements simple and sleek.

1) Start with a crisp white blouse

2) Black loose wide legged ankle pants

3) Added her husbands tie

4) Long blue vest that goes over the hips

5) Thin black leather belt wrapped around a few times

6) Over the shoulder Gucci messenger bag

7)  Simple gold flats

Bold red lips

9) Updated sunglasses

It turns out that she certainly is one strong lady.  As she handed me her card she never mentioned what she did, but continued to share with me her passionate feelings and  love of fashion.  However, when I got home I looked her up and discovered an interesting back story.   After the death of her teenage son from a brain tumor she lost her husband who committed suicide.   Valerie Sobel picked herself up and turned tragedy around by founding the River of Life Foundation.   This is an amazing organization that provides immediate support to single parents with urgent expenses so that they can stay at their child’s bedside during catastrophic illness.

It goes to show although Valerie has a serious side to her,  by dressing with dramatic  flair she can allow her creative and dynamic personality to shine.

She confessed that at age 72,  although she is very busy with her philanthropic work, she would one day enjoy the chance to dabble in the fashion industry.  With her spunky everyday style, it seems she already is!

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What to Wear to a Casual Dinner over 40?

When hubby comes home and you say, “It’s been a busy day. I don’t feel like cooking, let’s go out”, what do you wear?
Here’s a casual outfit that you can throw on to zip up to your local restaurant for a burger, salad or tasty bite.
Let’s look at how we put it together:

 

Jeans
Slip into a pair of dark wash denim, the kind that follow your curves and has a slight flare that balances out your hips and thighs.  Nearly all women will look great in this style. No rips, fades, whiskers at the crotch, rhinestones or jeans that are so low your muffin top or back fat spills over. A medium rise dark wash jean with some stretch looks rich, classy and feels comfy.

Long top
Where a lot of gals go wrong is  wearing short tops when they are wider across the middle and have a bit of a tummy. Short tops that end at your problem area will draw the attention there. Now, if you have a belly as flat as a pancake, ignore all of this, but if you are like most women and have a bit of jelly belly please take our advice. Get yourself a solid color long top that comes down over your tummy and hides it.

This top is particularly flattering. Do you know why? It’s the neckline. Where does your eye go when you look at this top. It goes up to the neckline and away from the tummy. That’s the trick- distraction! Pick an interesting neckline.

Also this top is smooth and slim fitting and has some stretch which is always good as we get softer and rounder. It flows with the body.
Pick a color that is your wow color. You need color up by your face after 40. If you don’t know what your wow colors are then get your colors done. Our associate Lora Alexander is a color analysis expert and will do your colors online. Check her out. It is well worth it.

Shoes
These shoes may be too high for some, no doubt, but you get the idea. You need to add some height to look taller and sexier even if it is just and inch. You will look svelte and your pants will look better on you. Wedges say casual, but chic. Do not wear ugly black loafers with these or sneakers- repeat- do not. You will ruin the look.

Bag

This bag is so fun. When you want to be casual a colored bag adds energy and makes you look youthful. This bag could be orange, purple etc. It doesn’t matter. It is there to add some punch.

Necklace

This black necklace simple and chic. No itty bitty jewelry here. This necklace shows personality. Imagine how plain the outfit would be without it. Notice how the black ties in with the shoes and pulls the look together?

The Whole look

Yes you could wear it out to a casual dinner,  but you could also wear it a lot of other places like shopping, dropping by a girlfriends, out to a movie etc. It’s a solid outfit and one you will like to have in your closet. Have you ever worn something similar? Send us a photo. We’d love to post it.

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Fashion Flash Summer Dressing, Beauty and Health Tips!

This week’s Fashion Flash has some super juicy over 40 style, beauty and health tips on topics such as:

 

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What To Wear To The Office In Summer?

Wondering what to wear to the office this summer to look casual, but professional? Here’s a great suggestion.
Summer is a time when you want something that is breezy and easy, so we’ve put together this tropical themed outfit.

What are the key elements that make this look work?

 

 

Wrap Dress

A wrap dress is always a great way to look chic, plus it flatters every figure. It cinches in gracefully at the waist making you look really feminine and works to create a faux waist even if you think you don’t have much of a waist left! Most wrap dresses like this are made of jersey, so they follow the curves of your body which are usually getting more prominent as your midlife body gets softer and rounder.

One suggestion here, You might want to wear Spanx or some kind of shapewear underneath to smooth out any lumps and bumps. It will make all the difference in the world.
The most attractive wrap dress sits just above, or at the knee.

Also, if you find your wrap dress cuts too deep at the bust we suggest a simple stretch camisole to wear underneath that softly fills in the deep v neckline. It’s a more modest look for work.

The Necklace

You always want to remember that when you have a strong theme  like this banana leaf pattern dress you want the jewelry to be in keeping. For example. pearls or sparkly diamonds would not be in keeping with the tropical, natural feel of this print. This necklace works well because it is chunky and tribal and the colors go perfectly with the pattern too.

The Bag

Again, one could not imagine a serious Chanel bag with this exotic print, or some kind of  dainty, flowery romantic bag. This look is fun and and a little wild, so you need something that goes with the jungle feel. This rugged leather tote looks like something you’d imagine Indiana Jones or an explorer in the jungle carrying, and so it suits the tropics fashion theme going on here. Notice the bag is a neutral shade which anchors this dress. A green or yellow bag would be too matchy- matchy and frankly a heck of a lot of color with a dress that is bright and busy.

The Shoes

These wedges are casual and natural looking in wood and raw leather, and again the neutral color anchors this strongly patterned dress. In this case we’ve shown a high pair of wedges.  You may not want to go this high and that’s fine, but  we just wanted to stress that a wedge is a nice casual,  summery look with the dress. A pump would work too but would be more formal and less carefree.

The Total Look

This outfit is very versatile because  it could take you from the office to out drinks and dinner on a summer patio. If you did have an important meeting during the day, you could just throw a  jacket on over top of the dress to show more authority. It’s summer- have fun with this look!

Have you ever worn a tropical look? Send us a photo. We’d love to post it!

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What to Wear In Summer When you Hate Showing Your Legs?

Sue Donnelly loves bright tights with summer dresses

Recently we wrote about How to Wear Dresses when you  have unattractive legs. One reader responded by asking, “What if you don’t like showing your legs at all? How do you cover up in summer?’  We turned to our good friend, Image Consultant Sue Donnelly, to answer this in a guest post. Enjoy!

SUE: Yes, this is THE season when women of a certain age bury their heads into their hands and wail – 'what do I do about my legs?'  Of course, if you have pins to die for, tanned, lean and going up to your armpits, you can move on. No need at all for you to be reading this article. If like the rest of us, the onset of summer is a nightmare then these tips will be your best friend:

1. The obvious – wear pants.  Not very original but totally do-able.  Linen pants are a great standby in hot weather, keeping you cool and chic at the same time.  Capri or ¾ length pants are really chic and show off a slim ankle without revealing the rest of the leg.  Wear with a cute kitten heel to lengthen the leg even more. A shorter length colored jean worn with ankle boots, so there is about an inch of flesh on show, is a fabulous way to be totally on trend if it's not yet in the 90's.

2. Try a midi or maxi dress. I've only just succumbed and I'm already hooked. Midi length is fabulous for petites and for those of you who want to show off your fabulous ankles. Wear with flat shoes, flip flops or a small heel.  They never look quite right with a towering stiletto.

3. Thanks to Kate Middleton, we can now all wear 10 denier flesh colored tights without feeling 103 years old.  Some even have the added advantage of control panels so your tum, bum, thighs are streamlined too.  Choose toe-less if you want to wear sandals. You could even go the fishnet route, as they are cooler to wear in hot weather.

4. Sounds crazy I know but I started a new trend the other year by wearing black, patterned or colored tights with summer dresses and I'm talking 40 denier or higher.  It sounds bizarre but actually looks amazing with lighter colored shoes or sandals and is especially good if you are stuck in an air conditioned room for any length of time. Hitch your hemline up a bit to make the most of good shaped legs.  Just remember that you choose either a shorter hemline or a lower neckline. Never both. That's just tarty

5. Like it – the tan, I mean.  If your legs are just pasty, then this is the way to go.  Alternatively, you could show off your beautiful, white skin as long as it's like alabaster and not blue veined cheese!

6. Leggings.  These cover a multitude of sins.  Wear them under tunics and dresses as an alternative to tights.  Adjust the bottom hem so they look good on your legs.  Some women look better with them worn nearer to the knee, others nearer the ankles.

7. Divert attention. The oldest trick in the book but it works.  Move the focus upwards by wearing a fabulous hat, bright lipstick, dramatic jewelry, a must-have scarf. Your legs won't even be noticed!

Experiment and play.  Laugh if it all goes wrong – it's not the end of the world. Pretend it's a new trend, like I did, and then you get to set your own rules.

Like to lean more?

Sue Donnelly www.suedonnelly.com  Style for your Soul, Spirit and Silhouette

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Fashion Flash: Over 40 Style, Health and Beauty Tips

Welcome to our weekly Fashion Flash!

We Glam Gals are so excited to be a part of this dynamic group of bloggers and one of our newest members is hosting for the first time, please welcome Prime Beauty!

Make sure to click on this blue link and  read more on these hot fashion and style tips for the over 40 gal:

What’s the Fashion Flash? This is a our weekly fashion report from the top over 40 fashion, beauty and health bloggers.  Every week one of our experts “hosts” the Fashion Flash and link to the full articles of an array of topics. Enjoy!

 

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Does Chocolate Break You Out? Quick Fix for Red Bumps on Face.

Is chocolate causing your skin to break out?

It was innocent enough…I was visiting my daughter recently when I spied a large box of Godiva chocolate that  her boyfriend had given her and asked if I could have a piece. She replied, “Go ahead, there is SOOOO much of it!” With permission to go for it, I dove in and tried several yummy nuggets! I don’t eat chocolates like that often so I was in heaven!

However the next day, I awoke with a surprise. Much to my horror, my face had 4 large red bumps! Oh NO!! What had I done…I looked terrible!!

I googled, “Large red bumps on face”…and found that one of the causes can be from food like chocolate especially rich chocolate.  I have noticed in the past that after splurging on confections I have noticed my skin react but this was worse than I remember!

The products form Somme Institute feel so soothing and are easy to use!

So being desperate I looked at my stock of beauty products and realized that I had not yet opened some new products that The Somme Institutehad recently sent to us to try. The packaging was simple and clean and the information claimed that it has been tested and proved to work wonders on skin that has discoloration or breakouts. Bingo!  ”Let’s hope this works,” I thought! So I got right to work on my skin.

The packaging was color coded and came with a guide on which product to use  and in what order. I don’t know about you, but I find most writing on beauty products is so tiny and hard to read and I can never remember which cream to put on first. However, these products are clearly marked and even color coded!  Next, as I got to work on my face, I noticed  the products were fragrance free and were soothing to the skin. My skin felt wonderful!

I have been using them morning and night now for 4 days and have  definitely seen my skin respond quickly!  I’m down to only 1 bump and it’s almost gone! After checking out their website, seems that these products are helpful to those with problem skin, sun damage and for those who have rosacea too! They can be found at Nordstrom and on line.

Needless to say, these products get a thumbs up!

Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. 

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How Do I Accessorize This Dress for a Summer Wedding?

 

 

 

For more tips like this you might enjoy our newest e-book:
How to Dress the Mother of the Bride or Groom.

 

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Casual Dinner

Casual Dinner by fabafter40 featuring oversized jewelry

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Gold Sandals -Why theyre a great summer choice

Deb's gold sandals

Deborah: I was at the hairdresser the other day when I complimented my stylist on her new sandals and somehow got into this great conversation about gold sandals and how they are the perfect summer shoe.

After chatting about how much we loved rich metallic shoes I realized that pretty much all my summer sandals were gold!

So I went home and counted. 8 pairs out 12 pairs that I own are gold.

I asked JoJami, “Is it just me or do you like gold?” Turns out,  she has a few pairs herself.  Why so many?

1. Gold is a Fab Neutral -  It goes with everything. While black can be harsh, white tacky and  brown too earthy, gold is perfect.

2. Gold matches my skin- I’m warm. In the world of color analysis I’m considered a spring so gold works well with my coloring. The gold flows with my fair golden hair and skin giving my legs a nice lean line. Even if you are not warm skinned, anyone with even hint of a tan looks fab in gold.

3. Gold looks rich and elegant- no matter how summery  and chic I look in stylish shorts or a sundress, I always feel more elegant with gold shoes.  They add that touch of class.

Will I buy more gold? Yes, I’ll keep going for the gold. Here are a few new gold sandals  JoJami and I  found online that we would love to add to our collections. How about you?

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