Hometown Beauty

Hometown Beauty

Genevieve Monsma
Skin

My husband and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary earlier this month by taking a staycation in downtown Detroit. We checked into the new Foundation Hotel and made like tourists, combing the Cass Corridor and Woodward Avenue—and waving at Canada from the River. We also drove through Indian Village, visited Detroit Denim (women’s jeans are arriving soon!), downed martinis flanked by blue cheese olives at The Apparatus Room, and fell for (well. at least I did) a new candle line, fragrance collection, and beauty boutique—all homegrown.

Feeling a little sensitive?

Feeling a little sensitive?

Genevieve Monsma
Skin

My skin is not sensitive. But it is occasionally sensitized. That means it looks and feels like sensitive skin (red, flakey, sore), but the condition's temporary and self-inflicted—often the result of over-aggressive at-home exfoliating (or, in the winter, wind-burn). When this happens, I seek out skincare formulas that are gentle, soothing and low on active ingredients.

When The Best Gets Better

When The Best Gets Better

Genevieve Monsma
Makeup

I’ve professed my love before for Cle de Peau Beaute's Concealer. It’s creamy but doesn't clog pores, it’s opaque but doesn’t cake or sink into lines, and it glides over most eye creams without pilling. It also lasts. When you put it on at 7 a.m., it’s still got you covered at cocktail hour. For years you couldn't find a better camouflage cream. Until now.

An Ode to August

An Ode to August

Genevieve Monsma
Hair, Skin

August to me feels like adult summer break. Not the sleeping-until-noon and spending-all-day-at-the-pool breaks of yore, but it's more laid-back than the other eleven months. So, I plan to spend the next 31 days basking in summer's waning glow—and asking beauty industry veterans what products they stockpile for the season. That interview series will officially start tomorrow, but I’ll kick things off now with a few of my favorites:

LIp COLORS that never let me down

LIp COLORS that never let me down

Genevieve Monsma
Makeup

More than 80 percent of us wear lipstick. If you’re reading MediumBlonde, I’m guessing you’re one of them. And while so-called National Days (Caesar Salad Day…really?) are pretty silly, tomorrow is National Lipstick Day, and I thought I’d use it as an excuse to share (and re-share) some of my all-time favorite lipcolors.

Easiest-Ever Manicure (Even I Can Do It)

Easiest-Ever Manicure (Even I Can Do It)

Genevieve Monsma
Nails

Despite writing about nailcare and polish trends for decades, I’m terrible at a DIY manicure. My fine motor skills are nothing to brag about; sewing on a button takes effort, and my “scissor skills” (or lack thereof) screwed up my GPA in preschool. Thus, when I “do” my nails myself, I typically stick to a buffed finish. However, pigs must be flying because I just discovered a polish even I can apply—and be pleased with the results.

Spend or Skip? GrandeBROW

Spend or Skip? GrandeBROW

Genevieve Monsma
Hair

If every anti-aging product on the market really did what it claimed, we'd all look 18. And while there are many effective products that help make the most of our looks as we age (and I, for one, like the way I look better at 45 than I did at 18), there are also many that are nothing but snake oil. Thus, I've created this series, Spend or Skip?, in which I will apply my twenty years as a beauty guinea pig to objectively road-test and review buzz-generating, anti-aging products that everyone's talking about. The mission: to help you decide whether to buy—or bypass—the latest fountain of youth. My latest testee: GrandeBROW

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