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.
Although I’ve been covering the beauty industry for more than two decades, I don’t claim to be omniscient—I still learn from others too. So here are a few product picks I recently swiped from other insiders (and think you'll like too)...
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.
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.
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. Today's beauty insider: Brenda Wu, General Manager of SkinCeuticals
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
All month long, I’m asking discerning beauty insiders to share their favorite hot-weather staples. Today’s expert: Janna Ronert, founder and CEO of IMAGE Skincare
All month long, I’m asking discerning beauty insiders to share their favorite hot-weather staples. Today’s expert: Kristen Comings, VP of Integrated Consumer Communications at L'Oreal Paris
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.
All month long, I’m asking discerning beauty insiders to share their favorite hot-weather staples. Today’s expert: June Jacobs, founder of the eponymous skincare collection
All month long, I’m asking discerning beauty insiders to share their favorite hot-weather staples. Today’s expert: Petra Tucker-Moss, Co-President of FLOWER Beauty
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.
