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.
I’ve straightened my naturally-wavy hair for most of my adult life. When we lived in New York, I blew it dry almost every time I washed it (or, better yet, I went to a salon and had it professionally done). In my headshot, my hair is straight. When I got married, my hair was twisted into an updo—after I blew it straight. For job interviews, school interviews, television interviews...whenever I had an important event, my hair was always, always straight.
In case you missed the news, a class-action lawsuit was filed last month against Rodan + Fields, contending that Lash Boost, the brand’s $150 lash serum, violated consumer protection laws.
Regular readers will know I rarely wear foundation anymore, having downshifted to tinted moisturizer (a.k.a. BB Creams or CC Creams—similar products, different marketing.) I find lighter, sheerer formulas to be more flattering on my aging skin, as they don’t sink into pores or lines—or cling to dry patches.
I’ve just passed the six-week mark of my Vintner’s Daughter Serum road-test—and I’ve also come to the bottom of my bottle.
Spring Break is nearly upon us, and I’ve been packing (and re-packing) for a week
I was getting my hair highlighted recently when a woman sitting in the chair next to me announced (loudly) to her colorist, “No woman over 40 should ever wear tight leggings.”
If you’re a regular reader, you know I’m a fan of Essie’s Treat Love & Color one-step nail lacquer. It goes on in a single coat, requires no base or top coats—and it strengthens weak (prone-to-peeling-and-breaking) nails in as little as a week. It’s also now available in two dozen new shades.
I’m surprised. I thought applying an oily serum to my face twice a day would make it super-dewy. It doesn’t.
On a recent visit for brow-tinting at Sarah West’s The Brow Bar in Ann Arbor, my attention was hijacked by West’s expertly-curated collection of global beauty products. My fifteen-minute appointment turned into forty-five minutes (sorry, Sarah), as I peppered her with questions about the skin, hair, fragrance and makeup treasures she’d discovered while traveling in Spain, South Korea, Paris, Guatemala (and more). There were so many things I wanted to try, but one I couldn’t leave without...
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on my favorite tinted moisturizers, but couldn’t include the one I’m currently obsessed with (and am wearing as I write this) because it wasn’t yet available in stores. (I got an early preview from a beauty editor friend.) But it went on sale yesterday so now I can finally sing its praises.
If all the online buzz is to be believed, this plant-based serum may be the holy grail of skincare. Blogger accolades (from Millennials, mostly) include phrases like radiance-boosting, cystic-acne-curing, fine-line-plumping, dark-spot-fading. Many also contend it's such an effective all-in-one, they’ve tossed the rest of their regimen. (I assume/hope this excludes their cleanser and sunscreen.) So how well does it fare on a 40+ face? I intend to find out.
As part of a regular series, I’ll be asking inspiring, in-the-know women to share their best tips and favorite products. The point? As always, to find out what works. Today's beauty insider: Amanda McIntosh, founder of Take My Face Off reusable cleansing cloths
Not so long ago, to get your hands on French beauty products, you had to trek to a French Pharmacie and buy them in person (or beg a friend visiting France to stock up for you). No longer. French beauty staples can now be found pretty easily Stateside, either online or in specialty boutiques.
When I was the beauty editor at More, one of the best-read stories we ever published was by an American fashion editor who wrote how she’d moved to Paris, adopted a French approach to skincare—and watched her complexion improve dramatically, then age remarkably well, over the two decades she lived abroad.
With holiday reds and metallics behind us—and warm-weather brights still (alas) months away—early February can feel like nail lacquer purgatory: neither here nor there.
