The Midlife Fashionista

Help for Hooded Lids

Wednesday, August 17, 2022
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Knowledge is Power - Osteoporosis

The information shared is not medical advice. Please check with your doctor about what's best for you.

Some of the links in this post generate a small commission.

If leukemia isn't enough to deal with, I just got diagnosed with severe osteoporosis in my left hip. For years, I've been putting off a bone density test because I didn't want to expose myself to additional radiation. But now I'm kicking myself for being so stupid.

Osteoporosis is more prevalent in women than men. 14% of women ages 50-59 and 22% of women ages 60-69 have it (the percentages go up with age). It's diagnosed by a very easy simple bone density test. Basically you lie on a table for a minute or two. That's it! It shows the condition of your bones and flags both osteopenia and osteoporosis. There are medications to strengthen bones, but leukemia can make it challenging since the meds affect bone marrow. Plus I'm getting very close to starting cancer treatment, which makes things even more complicated.

I really want to spread awareness about being PROACTIVE by getting preventative tests and doing things NOW that can strengthen bones. Get ahead of health issues before they get ahead of you. Osteoporosis can potentially be serious should a fall occur. A broken hip can mean a long recovery and time spent in rehab. I definitely don't want to go down that road!

I've been doing a lot of research to see if osteoporosis can be reversed. Most of the data states that it can't be, however there are things that we can do to prevent it, or in my case, precent it from getting worse.

Weights: If you don't use weights in your exercise routine, you need to start. However, arm and leg weights are not going to do the trick to strengthen hips. I love to walk, so my doctor recommend wearing a weighted vest whenever I go out for a stroll. The location of the weight helps to strengthen the hip bones. Surprisingly, I find it very comfortable to wear and I even feel like it forces me to stand straighter.

This is the one that I wear. It's under $25.

Stomp and jump: You may look a bit silly, but stomping your feet (hard!) in place and doing jumping jacks are great ways to strengthen hip bones. Plain old walking or biking won't do it. By the way, climbing stairs is fabulous too!

Vitamin D: I've been taking Vitamin D for a long time, but a nutritionist recommended a combination of D, K and A. She likes this one because it has exactly the right proportions of each to be effective for bone health. Shop it here

Food: Did you know that sugar, salt, soft drinks, hydrogenated oils, and alcohol can weaken bones? I had no idea! I've changed my diet in a big way (I was a junk-food junkie) and although I'm lactose intolerant, I'm trying to eat more dairy such as lactose free cottage cheese, milk (A2 --easier to digest than regular cow's milk) as well as lots of dark green vegetables and pumpkin seeds (high in calcium!).

Take charge of your health. You only have one body so treat it well!

This Kicking Cancer in Heels sparkly tee gives 10% back to The American Cancer Society.

Email 2dye4nyc (Alyse) to order. v or crew neck styles available as well as assorted colors.

alyse120@gmail.com Follow 2Dye4NYC on Instagram here.

xx Susan

Saturday, August 06, 2022
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Skincare and Makeup Over 50

best skincare lines

Some of the links in this post generate a small commission, but please know that I personally test out products and only post what I love!

First of all, I'm a self-professed make-up and beauty product junkie! I LOVE trying new products. It's kind of an addiction! I test everything for at least several weeks to ensure that I can give you an accurate and honest review.

I get a lot of questions about my make-up routine, skincare product recommendations, and how I style my crazy unruly hair. So here you go!

Let's start with skincare. There are several lines that I'm loving right now that work great on my 60+ skin. The first is One Skin Topical Supplement Face . I've been using it for almost a year, on and off in between testing out other products. It's lightweight, effective and very gentle (you can even use it on your eyelids!). Serums and creams can be layered over it, but it's great on its own too. One Skin is fragrance free, "clean", and was developed by female scientists. It works in a totally different way than other skincare products as it actually extends your skin health. It addresses the root cause of aging so skin actually functions like younger skin! Check it out here and take a peek at the benefits. They just developed a Topical Body Supplement too, which I adore. Both products are worth every penny in my opinion.

I recently discovered Jurlique, a clean sustainable line that was born in South Australia. The company sent me a box of products and I was excited to try their Intense Recovery Mask. I was not disappointed. It leaves my face feeling refreshed, hydrated, and glowing. The photo below is after washing it off first thing in the morning. No make-up or filter.

One of my all-time favorite eye creams is from City Beauty. Their Advanced Eye Cream is beyond fabulous. It truly makes a difference in softening crows feet, hydrates and plumps. I love many of their products (big fan!) and I adore their Multi Sculpting Cream, which I use on my neck.

My very sweet friend Lisa aka Evolving50 recommended this tinted sunscreen with SPF 50.

It's pricey, but well worth the money! It's lightweight, offers amazing sun protection, and doesn't feel greasy or have shine/shimmer. Take a peek at her blog and follow her on Instagram too. She has amazing recommendations.

I'm not ready to start dyeing my brows, even though those pesky grays are taking over. I tried many brow gels, but my all-time favorite is by Thrive. The reason why I like it, is because it's a semi-permanent color, meaning that it washes off, but stays on much longer than other brow gels. Shop here.

So now that I have on my moisturizer, eye cream, brow gel, and tinted sunscreen, I'm ready for make-up. I don't wear a ton and prefer a more natural look.

First I do my eyes.

I've been using No7 concealer forever and it's fabulous! I love that it has serum in it and doesn't settle into lines.

My favorite tweezer here (it beats all the rest!).

For some reason the lashes on my left eye are much straighter than the right, so I always use an eyelash curler.

THEN I swipe on Pure Colors Cosmetics eyelash serum which is great for helping lashes grow strong and healthy.

I'm obsessed with this growth boosting serum --it's SO good!

And check out the give-back! For every #LashItForward sold, they'll give one to a cancer patient. Plus 10% of sales benefit Uncommon Threads! Wow, what an amazing company!

I don't use eyeshadow, but I love a swoop of liner on the top lid close to the lash-line and I'm obsessed with everything from Flyte.70. This new women-owned line is formulated for us "grown-ups" and is SO amazing that it was recently featured in Harpers Bazaar! Their eyeliner in Mad World and Wicked Game are such gorgeous colors (lots of other beautiful shades to choose from too) and the best part is that it lasts ALL DAY! Yep, it really does. 😀

AND until August 3, 2022, take 15% off at Flyte.70 with code 15FASHIONISTA.

This is a great discount and a fabulous time to test out the line.

SHOP HERE

And then it's a quick swipe of blush in ''linger'' a little whoosh of their amazing bronzer in "vacation"

Now for a little lip color. I'm super picky about lipsticks but my all-time favorite is Clinique's Angel Red. It's the perfect shade of red for just about everyone! I also LOVE the texture and shine of Flyte.70's Fast Car,

It's time to tackle my crazy unruly hair. You may know that for years I straightened my hair. It's been a constant battle trying to tame frizz, cowlicks, and wacky out of control curls. Last year, I finally embraced my natural hair texture and let it go curly.

But it's still not easy. In order to make it look half-way decent, I have to touch it up with a curling rod.

See below for the tools that I use and love.

As far as my hair routine, I vary products but always come back to Olaplex shampoo, conditioner and No. 6 leave-in treatment (bond smoother). Once it's washed, I use this gel to scrunch and then I let it air dry for as long as I can. If I'm in a rush, I use a diffuser. My two favorites are Dyson and T3

Speaking of T3, they're having a huge sale, starting on 7/21/22 through 7/31/22 with

20% off SITE-WIDE! No code needed!

I am crazy over their Whirl Trio that has three interchangeable rods. It's SO good!

I use a curling rod to touch up pieces that just won't behave and to add a little dimension to my curls.

If T3 is out of your budget, this curling rod does the trick too and it's under $25.

It's not as good as the T3, but still works well.

And DON'T forget to use a protective glove. I can't tell you how many times I've burned my hands and have the scars to prove it.

And I'm off for a busy day!

On another note, I'm excited to be blogging regularly again. Life got so busy that I put it on the back burner, but I'm back in action! I'm working on setting up an email list, so I hope you'll check back to sign up. Thank you for stopping by and for your support.

xo Susan