The Midlife Fashionista: February 2016

Leather jacket and tassel necklace

Monday, February 29, 2016
12 Comments

The cashmere poncho

Tuesday, February 23, 2016
10 Comments

Midlife Make-up tips from a pro

Meet my new stylish friend Lisa Hale, aka The Silver Stylist. This 54 year-old stunner is a professional make-up artist and style blogger. With loads of experience working for such prestigious lines as Chanel and Lancome as well as doing independent hair and make-up work, Lisa knows her stuff when it comes to beauty!

I recently asked Lisa to share her top beauty secrets for us "mature" women, and here's what she had to say...

Switch things up

The biggest mistake I find women make is that they either wear too much makeup or don’t wear enough color. Our hair color and skin tone changes over the years and it's easy to use the wrong make-up shades. The products and colors that used to work for us,

may no longer be our best choices.

Less is more

Avoid wearing heavy make-up that sinks into lines and creases. I prefer a tinted

moisturizer to a foundation...try a BB or CC cream with a light translucent powder over it.

Curl those lashes!

My most coveted beauty secret is an eyelash curler. It’s amazing how curling

your lashes really opens up the eye. I’m also a big fan of false eyelashes and lash extensions. I'd

rather see little or no eye shadow and lots of lashes - it’s a much more bright-eyed look.

Go red

The most universal lip color is a true red-- not too blue or too orange. Some reds that

I love are MAC Cosmetics lipstick in Ruby Woo, NarsSemi-Matte lipstick in Dressed to Kill and

Marc Jacobs lipstick in Amazing. They all go well with most skin tones. In addition to red, I also love a berry lipstick (blue undertones)

Focus on one area

If you want to wear a red lip, then do a neutral eye. If you want your eyes to

be the focal point, then wear a nude or natural lip color.

Lift your eyes

As we get older our eyelids can droop. Here's an easy way to give the appearance

of depth. Put a lighter color on the lid to bring it out and a darker shade on the droopy area

to give it the appearance of depth. Contouring works wonders!

Avoid the sun

My best anti-aging tip is to take care of the skin you have. Wear sunscreen and stay

out of the sun as much as you can. The sun's rays are so damaging to the skin ! Also drink lots of

water--it's great for the skin!

My favs

One of my favorite cosmetic lines is Bobbie Brown. I love their eye shadows and

lip-sticks. The whole line is really nice! I really love lip gloss but as I’ve matured, I don’t like the

way the gloss heads for the lines around my lips. However, I found a great gloss by Yves Saint

Laurent, Vernis A Levres. It combines the texture and shine of a gloss with the long wear of

a stain.Nars makes wonderful lipsticks, blushes and eye shadows with great pigment colors. I like Marc Jacobs lipstick, Make-Up Forever eye shadow and concealer,

Tarte eye shadow and lipstick, Anastastia Brows, Becca Contour, Hour Glass lipstick and Contour, Amore Pacific skin care and foundation. This list is ever evolving, because the topic of makeup and skin care is like technology -always changing, and growing.

Follow Lisa's style adventures on her blog Made Up Love and on Instagram at The Silver Stylist.

Are you ready to update your wardrobe?

I do distance coaching too!

www.agreatnewlook.com

For more style inspiration follow me on:

Facebook Twitter Instagram

Affiliate links in this post may generate a small commission. However, the content of my posts are based on my own honest opinions and are not in any way influenced by partnerships.

Sunday, February 21, 2016
9 Comments

The Merchant Hotel

boutique hotels

I recently saw a photo of The Merchant Hotel (Salem, MA) and knew instantly that it would be the perfect place for a Midlife Fashionista shoot.

My photographer, Emily O'Brien, and I arrived at the hotel yesterday with all our gear.

The stately brick inn was built in the 1700's and stands regally on a hill.

But once we got in the door, we were totally blown away by the spectacular decor.

The hotel is funky, modern, and has pizzaz.

Emily and I were shown to our rooms (yes we spent the night woohoo!)

The toughest part of doing a photo shoot is packing and unpacking all the clothes.

But my room was generous, giving me lots of space to spread out.

The innkeeper Jennifer gave us a tour---Emily and I were drooling. Each room is simply gorgeous and so unique!

There's the George Washington room...appropriately named since Washington himself slept there!

I love the starry ceiling.

And the Washington silouette on the bed.

I also found George hanging out in the hallway.

Here's another room--check out the striking foil wallpaper!

We were told that the interior design is the work of Rachel Reider. Such talent!

Emily and I unpacked and got right to work...we wanted to capture every ounce of daylight before the sun went down.

The inn offers so many special places to curl up and relax.

There were vibrant pops of color everywhere!

We shot several outfits then headed down to the lounge to capture some evening looks.

Emily got her lighting set up. We snapped a few photos then....

The power went out!

What could we possibly do since we couldn't shoot? The next best thing...we popped a bottle of wine of course! After the power was restored it was too late to take any more photos, so we had dinner across the street at the fabulous Adriatic Restaurant and headed back to our rooms for some shut-eye.

I threw on my cozy robe and curled up by the fire.

Can you hear my sigh of contentment? Ahhhhh......

The next morning we woke up refreshed and ready to start shooting again. We had an amazing night's sleep on the most comfortable soft and cushy bedding. All in all, we shot eight outfits which you will see over the next several weeks. Prepare for some gorgeous backgrounds!

I can't say enough nice things about this hotel and the staff. On the way out we had a chance to hang with Leah who was just the sweetest. The staff can't do enough for you...they make you feel welcome and at home. Lark Hotels manages The Merchant as well as many other boutique hotels in New England. From what Jennifer and Leah told me, they are all unique and equally amazing.

I've been trying to put into words how to describe The Merchant. It's warm and inviting...there's nothing stuffy or conservative about it. It's old but modern, sophisticated yet down to earth. I found a review online from The Boston Globe which sums it up perfectly.

"History served with a shot of spice" Boston Globe

Stay tuned for my looks at The Merchant...I can't wait to show you!