How To Make Yourself Want To (Yes, Want To) Workout

Earlier this fall, I battled a cold that morphed into bronchitis. Walking up and down our basement stairs winded me, so I stopped working out. One week turned into two, turned into three. Once I started to feel better, I knew it was time to head back to Orange Theory, but inertia had set in. Driving Heath to school in my pajamas, then coming home to work at my desk in sweats and fuzzy socks had become my new norm. So, in an effort to break out of this sedentary rut, I employed these tricks:

Darling, You Look Radiant!

I’ve tried dozens of primers and tinted moisturizers that promise luminosity. But they’re often laced with shimmer that make my skin look older by sinking into and emphasizing pores and fine lines. One time I showed up at the office of my dermatologist, Neal Schultz, MD, wearing a radiance-boosting CC Cream, and he sighed in relief once the makeup was removed, saying, “Your skin looks so much better with that off.” However, I’ve just discovered a new duo that gives me the healthy glow promised (but not delivered) by those makeup products. Even better, they're not even makeup.

Best Bets for Bag Deflation

My 6 a.m. alarm (thank you very little, back-to-school schedule), combined with fall allergies and a fairly-regular evening glass of wine, have conspired to create chronic morning under-eye puffiness. So, I’ve been experimenting with treatments that specifically target tired, puffy eyes with promises of deflation, tightening, smoothing and brightening. Here are my three favorites.

The Product You Didn't Know You Needed

I’m a proponent of applying foundation with a tool (e.g. a brush or a sponge), as opposed to your fingers, because I find the finish smoother and the application more even. It’s also less wasteful since a not-insignificant-amount of product is usually absorbed by your fingers as you’re stippling. For years, I’ve toggled between two excellent tools: Giorgio Armani’s Maestro Brush and the original Beauty Blender sponge. But this week, I found something I may like even more.

Fall Colors!

Here in Ann Arbor, the air is crisp, the kids are back in school, there’s football at the Big House, and I’m loving all the fall colors. (P.S. I’m talking about nail lacquer; the leaves haven’t started changing yet. We’re not that far north.)

Spend Or Skip? GrandeBROW (7 week update)

I must confess that I procrastinated writing this post one extra week because I was somewhat discouraged by my GrandeBROW results thus far. At the six-week mark (one week ago), I'd not noted a significant improvement in density—nor new growth in my brows' anemic tails. But then, over the weekend, I took an “after” photo, and when I compared it to my “before” taken in late July, I was surprised at what I saw.

Growing Pains: How I Overcame Hair Loss

One in four women in the U.S. (or one in two women, if you’re over 40) suffer from thinning hair. I’m one of them. I’ve written in earlier posts about my struggles with shedding, but because August is National Hair Loss Month (who knew?), and a number of you have asked…I’ve consolidated the details of my routine (the what and the why) in this post.

Hometown Beauty

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.