A veteran magazine beauty editor/writer (and a member of the 40+ club), Genevieve Monsma created MediumBlonde to help Gen Xers and Baby Boomers age the way they want.
By now, most of us know that the effects of beauty products are more than skin deep. They don’t just make us look better; they can make us feel better too. Thus, my new It Cosmetics bronzer makes me feel like summer’s around the corner—and, like sunsets at 10 p.m., a full glass of Whispering Angel rosé, and days where I wear a bathing suit all day, this releases happy chemicals in my brain.
Moving to Ann Arbor two years ago provided one gift I’d like to give back: spring allergies. Each year, I sail optimistically through March, convinced I won’t get stuffy this spring. But by mid-April, I’m buying the value pack of Claritin at Costco. Taking meds does help, but on some days my eyes are still itchy and puffy no matter what I do. And that inflammation around my eyes isn’t just annoying; it creates under-eye circles. Concealer has helped a bit, but not as well as tapping on Urban Decay’s new Naked Skin Highlighting Fluid in Skywalk.
In the 1990s, I loved a matte lip. For day, it was brown, like Rachel wore on Friends; for night, it was red-brick a la Gwen Stefani. And MAC lipsticks were the ultimate, with their rich, opaque, uber-flat finish and vanilla scent. But when grunge and MTV’s TRL went away, so did matte lipcolor. For about ten years. Then, a few daring brands began to dabble in mattes again, and as an editor, I championed the comeback. Then I swiped one on. Things were good (and nostalgic) for five minutes. Then it was hell.
As part of a regular series, I’ll be asking inspiring, in-the-know women (all 40+, of course) to share their best tips and favorite products. The point? As always, to find out what works. This week's beauty insider: Maria Halasz, 51, CEO of Cellmid/Advangen
It works. So many of you have been messaging me, asking when my next Lash Boost update will appear, I didn’t want to bury the lead. So there you go: Lash Boost delivers. Here’s the scoop.
Of course pictures help recall a memorable vacation. But, for me, nothing brings back a treasured trip like a scent. Jasmine whisks me back to my honeymoon in Bali. Lavender conjures our tenth wedding anniversary in Napa. Cherry blossoms call to mind a magical trip I took with Shiseido to Tokyo. And rum punch and cigarette smoke remind me of Key West Spring Break 1994 (hah). Thus, when we travel, I always look for an aromatic token I can bring home to evoke happy memories of my trip, later on.
I have been using the Évolis Reverse Activator for about a month now. It is worth noting that I did not stop using minoxidil because Maria Halasz, Évolis' CEO, said that could cause shedding for a few weeks, making it hard to properly review Évolis. So I’ve been applying a one-two punch of minoxidil topped with the Evolis treatment twice daily, and although it is still early days, I do have new hair growth. For sure.
I know the abundance of anti-aging options can sometimes feel like more of a blessing than a curse. They can be time-consuming. Expensive. And ever-evolving. Just when you commit to a skincare or haircare routine, you're told it's time to upgrade to something newer and better. I get it. But like most things in life (especially as we're older and wiser), I believe you pick and choose what matters most to you, then allocate your time and money there. That may be Botox, private yoga lessons, gel manicures, salon haircolor, acupuncture, or even blepharoplasty. The bottom like is that you get to choose what treatments make you feel good at every age—then skip the rest. However, there is one exception. If you're not whitening your teeth at least once a year, I think you're missing out.
This week marked the official beginning of the new season. And though it still feels pretty wintery here in Michigan, when I went to get a manicure, I decided to trade in my navy Essie After School Boy Blazer and Chanel Pirate for something less moody from Essie’s new cheery spring collection.
As part of a regular series, I’ll be asking inspiring, in-the-know women (all 40+, of course) to share their best tips and favorite products. The point? As always, to find out what works. This week's beauty insider: Naomi Whittel, 43, founder of Reserveage Nutrition and current CEO of Twinlab
Winter whipped back into town this week and with it, insta-chapped lips the second you stepped outside. Regular readers know I love Fresh Tinted Lip Treatments, but when it’s 16 degrees out, I up the ante on lipcare with cult-classic Smith’s Minted Rose Lip Balm from Rosebud Perfume Co.
A reader recently emailed and asked me if there was an advantage to starting Botox at 40 before she had any lines etched—or if it made sense (and was more cost effective) to wait and do it once she noticed lines didn’t disappear anymore when her face was at rest. I started Botox at 33 so you already know where I fall on this issue, but I did ask Gary Goldenberg, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, for his opinion.
Beauty Pie, a new cosmetics “club” started by Marcia Kilgore, the amazingly-prolific, 48-year-old founder of Bliss Spas, Fitflops, and Soap and Glory, may forever change the way smart women shop for their beauty products.
When I first started working as a beauty editor, I butchered the pronunciation of more than one French beauty brand. My friend and fellow beauty editor, Didi, practically collapsed on the floor when I told her I was on my way to a Guh-vin-chee press launch (I was trying to say Givenchy, which Didi, through hysterics, explained is actually Ghee-von-shee). I’ve still not lived that one down. But I know I'm not the only one who never took high school French (or Italian or Japanese), and who has struggled to sound out fancy, foreign-sounding beauty brand names.
It has been three weeks and four days since I started my Lash Boost application. Rodan+ Fields says some (lucky ducks) may see results in as little as four weeks, while, for others, it can take closer to six to eight weeks. I think I fall in the latter group.
