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.
All in Hair
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: Michelle Pagoda, MD, a Manhattan facial plastic surgeon and ENT
The hair-washing mantra these days is less is more. The longer you can stretch time between sudsings, the healthier your hair. Right? Not quite.
When I’m traveling, I aim to carry my luggage on board the plane. I was not always like this (just ask my beauty editor friend Didi who, for years, counted on me to pack the entire contents of my bathroom vanity when we went on press trips, enabling her to bring like a toothbrush and then borrow the rest). But, after losing my luggage too many times, and nearly missing flights because I was waiting in miles-long lines to check my bag, I finally learned how to minimize my beauty gear. My secret? Primp in advance; here's my strategy:
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: Lisa Price, founder of Carol's Daughter
Since moving to Ann Arbor, I’ve been in a constant battle with hair brassiness.
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: Natasha Cornstein, the CEO of Blushington makeup studios.
Blow-drying is damaging to hair. Period. But it’s a necessary evil for most of us, so figuring out how to do it, while inflicting minimal harm, is the goal. Here’s my strategy.
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: Tiffany Masterson, founder of Drunk Elephant Skincare
I’ve written a lot about what I do to promote healthier hair growth—and minimize age-related loss. But I also have a strategy for making the fine hair I have right now look and feel fuller too.
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. First up: Sharon Dorram, NYC colorist extraordinaire
Retin-A. Botox. Latisse. Shellac. Mention any of these words to most beauty-savvy women and you’ll get a nod of recognition. They know what these innovations are and they’ve probably even tried them. But say the word Minoxidil, and you’ll get blank stares.
On days I don’t shampoo (or am having a bad hair day), I often default to wearing an unfussy knot at the nape of my neck. My inspiration is Carolyn Bessette Kennedy on her wedding day, though I probably come closer to Kelly Rutherford (the “mom” in Gossip Girl). This style is classic and chic and allows me to look polished when I don’t have the time (or patience) to do more to my hair.
I know women who are proud of how long they can go between shampoos (four days, ten days, two weeks). They consider this a good thing because they’ve been told by experts that scaling back on sudsing keeps color from fading as quickly, cuts down on daily-blowdrying damage, and helps hair stay better hydrated because scalp oils don't get stripped daily. This is not wrong, BUT there is a big downside to this practice.
I believe in the confidence-boosting power of beauty products. I'm talking about the way wearing Chanel's black-red Vamp Nail Colour made you (okay, me) feel current/cooler/chicer in the mid-1990s.
After the birth of my son, Heath, in my early thirties, gobs of my hair fell out; only some of it grew back. Thus, a year into motherhood, I became a client of Liz Cunnane, a trichologist (that's a U.K.-trained hair ‘doctor’) at the Philip Kingsley Trichology Clinic in New York City.
