Saturday, October 20, 2012

"Fritter Away"

"fritter away" (verb) "To spend (money) excessively and usually foolishly." It's easy to "fritter away" money on clothes, shoes, handbags and other accessories when you start your shopping among the sale racks and tables. If you added up what you've spent over the years on sale items that didn't work, you probably could have purchased some very good pieces. Before you go shopping in stores or on-line take a look at your wardrobe. Maybe there are pieces you've been meaning to buy to complete an outfit. Maybe you need a pair of good quality work shoes. Maybe you have the start of a fun outfit or something to wear to a holiday party. If you take a few notes before you shop you will stop "frittering away" your hard earned cash on things that won't work for you. Don't be seduced by sales. If those items were all that great to begin with then why didn't someone buy them?

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Drugstore and Discount Store Shopping List

Everyone shops for beauty supplies at drug and discount stores. Here is list of some of the products I buy on a regular basis: "Almay Makeup Remover Sticks" for cleaning up eye makeup that falls under your eyes or to clean up mistakes. Rite-Aid "Renewal 3-in-1 Cotton Variety Pack" with 30 cotton swabs, 10 cotton rounds and 10 cotton balls, great for travel. "Finishing Touch" personal shaver for women who don't like to tweeze, shave or wax facial hair. It will also shave the nape of the neck if you have short hair. "wet n wild" lipstick #902C "Bare It All." According to Pinterest it's supposed to look like an "YSL" nude lipstick shade. "Nivea Skin Firming Lotion." It keeps my skin moisturized during dry winter months. "Leggs" or "No Nonsense" black opaque tights. I've had some of mine for years because I wear nylon gloves when handling them. A small "day of the week" pill box in clear. These are handy for tiny bits of leftover lip sticks and glosses. You will need to purchase an inexpensive drug store brand lip brush if you don't own one already. The pillbox lip sticks and glosses are great for travel too. It's fun to make new shades from dipping your brush into two or three colors then adding a gloss. Travel size containers (empty) and a black "Sharpie" to write your product names on the outside. Put the date on the lipstick pillbox too so you will know when it's time to throw them away. Give the ink 24 hours to dry before filling with your favorite products and lipsticks.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Price Stickers on Shoes

Please check the soles of your high heels to make sure there are no a price stickers on them. I've attended many special events and could clearly see price stickers on the soles of women's shoes, especially if they are in front of me on stairs or escalators. A little "Goo Gone" will take the adhesive off that is left from the stickers.

Large Animal Prints

Large animal print garments, especially Zebra prints may not be very becoming on women over 50. I saw an older woman in a skin tight, too short Zebra print dress the other night. First of all she needed a good bra to bring her "Girls" up to where they belonged. This is something I see frequently. Last night I saw an older woman in a big, billowing Zebra print top that also had sequins scattered all over it. She was wearing very large rhinestone hoop earrings, heavy eyeliner, too much blusher and red lipstick that had migrated into the fine lines around her lips. It was overwhelming. A lot of women over 50 wear way too much makeup. As we age we lose pigment in our skin. This means our makeup needs to be lighter than when we were younger. Soft pinks and nudes work the best. No one looks good with eyeliner and lipstick caught in the wrinkles and lines that are a part of the aging process.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Sequins and Embellished Clothing

Sequins: There was a time when women never wore clothing with sequins during the day or for casual wear. Sequins and other sparkling embellishments were saved for special events and evening wear. I still adhere to those old rules. If I wore sparkling clothes all of the time then I wouldn't feel very dressed up for special occasions. If you plan to wear sequins, etc. to a dance take a moment before you leave the house to do a little dancing in front of a full length mirror. If you don't have a rock hard body it's possible that the placement of sparkling decorations will draw a lot of attention to areas of your body that jiggle when you dance. I witnessed this last night in a club. The woman's top had dark sequins at the shoulders with lighter sequins going down to the waist. Let's just say her "muffin top" was highlighted as she danced and brought all eyes to her mid-section. If you want to wear glittering clothes to a dance, keeping them above the bust line may be more becoming.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Hard Working Kentucky Women

Maybe it's the outdoor lifestyle we enjoy in Kentucky that makes the way we dress seem too casual to people from other states. Kentucky women love to hunt, fish, camp outdoors and enjoy tailgating at college and high school football games. I know many women who own fire arms and are not afraid to use them. It's not unusual to hear a story about a teen age girl shooting a large Buck or reeling in a giant Catfish. We have sports programs in our public and private schools for young girls. They learn how to be fit, healthy and self-confident young women by the time they graduate. Kentucky women like to watch sports as much as the men do and they will quote you chapter and verse on their favorite teams and athletes. Kentucky women seldom shy away from hard work. Many do very physical jobs that have traditionally been held by men. It would be ridiculous for a woman driving a forklift or fixing electrical wires in a cherry picker to wear anything but protective footwear and clothing. We have women who work for UPS and build Ford trucks as well as serving in every branch of the Military. Some are deeply involved in the horse breeding, racing and farming industries. There is no reason for these women to dress up every day or to be aware of the latest "designer" apparel. We are still women though and most of us like to dress up for special occasions, like the Kentucky Derby in Louisville and Keeneland in Lexington. We also enjoy dressing up to show our support at charity events, the opera, and performances at the Center for the Arts. It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help Kentucky women discover their personal style and find good quality clothing that fits their body type. I want to help them increase their self-confidence not just when they have a special occasion but every day no matter where they go or what they do for a living.

Lily Pulitzer