Sunscreen Again

I am a "fearful" sunscreen wearer-- fearful because my redheaded father has already had skin cancer removed from his face, and also because at 42 my face already shows some signs of sun damage.

I use a lot of lotion with sunscreen-- daily, no matter what. One of my favorites for inside is this product from Korres. I suspect I like this product because of the cream formula and the Wild Rose content-- a natural, oil based source of Vitamin C (my face loves essential oils). Unfortunately, the cream is only spf 6-- from the titanium dioxide I see listed on the box. Korres does make a facial sunscreen with spf 30 but I haven't had the opportunity to sample that one yet.

In the winter I had been enjoying a Neutrogena product, but it now seems to be stinging and running into my eyes-- I'll probably return to it come fall, when I'm outside quite a bit for my job (the lotion is spf 45).

What to do in the summer in the mean time? I'm trying to stay away from oxybenzone, after reading some health concerns about long-term use of this chemical. It's tough to find a US-available sunscreen that doesn't contain oxybenzone and has a high spf. One baby sunscreen from Coppertone does fit the bill: At spf 50 and with a relatively high (for the US) UVA protection rating (the zinc oxide, I think) I can wear this comfortably outside without doing more damage to my face.

I don't understand why it's been so difficult for the US to approve sunscreen ingredients that are available in European and Asian brands. When I've felt particularly rich, I've splurged on Bioderma and La Roche Posay and been quite amazed at the texture and quality of the products (thinner, quicker to absorb, and *no* tanning at all). Possibly this will be of more concern to our aging population.

Wardrobe Matters: Concert Dress

Mr. Caroline is a professional musician and I was lucky enough to attend a free concert his brass quintet gave last night.

As you might expect, dress for the audience varied widely even though it was an evening performance. Many people were in what I'd call "business casual": khakis and nice polo shirts for the men, summer dresses for the women.

I don't have a lot of dressy clothing, because my job can be a messy one. I'm always a little anxious about dressing for concerts. I know I shouldn't wear blue jeans and my Springsteen t-shirt, but I also don't want to wear a suit or an overly formal dress (I've also seen audience members at these events in very formal attire; nice, but too much for this community.)

So what did I do? Back to basic black, with a pop of color. An old (two seasons, I think) black jersey skirt from J Crew, which is full enough to make me feel comfortable about my figure/sitting down, topped with a nicer jersey t-shirt and tank top (again, layers make me feel more comfortable, so I enjoy the performance more).

Pop of color, you ask? Bright yellow ballet flats, cheap ones from Forever 21. I decided it wasn't too bumblebee since the rest of the outfit was so monochromatic. I think "plain" can be flattering if you're also wearing something fun.

Styling the Trends

Is it impossible to wear a trend like a maxi dress? I'm not sure. I bought this at Target recently for several reasons. One: it's a trend that means you're covered up. I don't like dressing like a teenager, since I'm not one. (J Crew, would you please make at least ONE skirt that is long enough for women as opposed to teens?) Second: the maxi pre-dates me, making it safe along the "if you wore it the first time, don't wear it again" guidelines (no 80s brights for me, except in flat *plain* ballet slippers). Three: the print is more sophisticated and the cut, with the cowl neckline, seems more "grown up" than the other halter-style maxis I've seen in the store.

So how to style this thing? I wound up washing it in very hot water because it was really long- almost "trippingly" so. I'm unsure most of all about shoes, because I see most young women wearing these dresses with flip flops. Flip flops are for the beach or for the state park shower, at least where my feet are concerned. My toes are meant to be covered in public! Would a fisherman's sandal work? I've got two pair-- one sporty style from Keen, and a heavier one from Dansko. Both are black, which means either would match the print.

Now to the accessories: a scarf seems a logical choice. I have a lightweight black one would again match the print. I also have multiple pairs of black earrings (I wear them a lot for work). Nothing else, I think, since the dress is still sort of casual.

Will I feel a bit ridiculous? Probably. I think it's important to try the trends, though. Fashion's supposed to be fun, after all.

On TV: The Makeover

Boris Kustodiyev. Merchant Wife with a Mirror. 1920

I just finished watching Oprah and a re-run of "sexy" makeovers.

It strikes me that these shows always select women who are already gorgeous-- what about helping someone look/feel great who isn't going to be stereotypically beautiful when they're finished? As a glasses wearer, it also annoys me that they always select "sighted" women or remove their glasses and give them contacts. I can't wear contacts; I know this, so am I doomed to unsexy-ness?

I do recall one show where the stylist used "familiar" chains like Old Navy. This was one I could appreciate! I do pay more attention now to how pieces are styled in the chain stores-- I may not have the right shirt to make a skirt work, for example, and would need to buy both for them to get a workout in my wardrobe.

Here's what seems to be the ideal of beauty, at least on TV: lighten/brighten/highlight your hair. I get that, as my hair looked fantastically expensive when I had it professionally highlighted. Wear "glowy" makeup. I get that, too, although I wish they'd spend more time showing/discussing products. It's really hard when you're over 40 to straddle the line between "glowy" and "shimmer stuck in fine lines". I have fairly decent skin and I know that too much shimmer makes me look ridiculous; blush, as I also discussed before, seems to be an issue for me now. How about selecting a mass-market blush that doesn't highlight age spots?

Also on the "beauty" agenda: long hair. Whoops, sorry Mr. Caroline, I've struck out there, too. Couldn't a famous stylist show how to style very short hair in a sexy fashion? Jamie Lee Curtis, for example, is sexy and her hair is both naturally grey and very short. Why not do that for someone?

Finally on the agenda: high, high, high, high heels. Whoops, I've missed there too. I'm on my feet eight hours a day and there's absolutely no way in the world I can wear heels. Why not show sexy flats? There's tons of them out there-- I should know, as I'd be buying dozens of pairs of Chanel and Lanvin flats should I win the lottery.

I love makeover shows in general, but this one made me cranky. Make them sexy for real life. I work with many beautiful women who make t-shirts, flats, and other "no no's" look great.

I'm Blushing

I'm a girl who loves to buy blush; now that I've gotten older, creme textures (and even satiny powders) seem to suit me more than the matte shades I wore when I was younger.

A recent find is Josie Maran's creme blush in Sunrise. I bought this set, from Sephora. All of the products are good quality- Argan Oil is great for anyone with irritated skin- but the winner is the blush. On my pale yellow olive skin, Sunrise is a pinker version of NARS' famous Penny Lane blush- another product I adore (you can see a great deal of pan in my current Penny Lane).

In terms of texture, Sunrise is similarly "dry" to NARS, but thicker- a bit like Stila's Convertible Colors, but more opaque. Stila's more natural colors in this line seem to exaggerate the sun damage I have on my face (too brown a base, perhaps), but Sunrise is a fresh warm pink that makes me look as if I just washed my face or went for a walk in the sunshine.

Josie Maran also has her own web site, and the blush appears to be safe to use on the lips as well.

NR for Her

Recently one of my favorite scents has been the edp formulation of Narciso Rodriguez for Her. As you can see, this is an award winning fragrance from 2006. Weirdly, I wasn't overwhelmed by this fragrance when it first came out (and trust me, I enjoy sampling everything). I'm old enough that the immense scents of the 80s and early 90s represent my youth-- some beautifully (Lou Lou, by Cacharel, which I adore) and some not so beautifully (Giorgio, I'm talking to you).

According to descriptions, this is a pink chypre, or a fragrance that is built on one of the oldest structures in perfumery. It has a very ambery dry-down, explaining why I like it now (many of my favorite fragrances have amber in them).

NR for Her is sometimes described as being akin to Sarah Jessica Parker's very nice Lovely, but the two are not similar on my skin. Lovely is more floral and less "metallic". There's a slight metallic smell in NR for Her-- which may or may not be helional, I'm still trying to learn-- that gives it the feeling of very good silver underneath the amber, mosses, and slight floral overtones. NR is a very comforting scent for me and one to wear when I need that.

The scent also comes in an edt-- the black bottle-- and this one is described as being quite a bit different on the skin. My semi-educated amateur nose felt as if it had more floral notes and less of the amber/metallic/musc quality that make the edp so interesting and wearable for me.

Lesson learned: don't be afraid to try a perfume again.