I’m not even going to go into Whitney’s crazy marriage with Bobby Brown or any of those times she made news because her strange behavior from the past!

When I was a teenager, I have to say that I never took to Whitney until the 1992 sound track to The Bodyguard. That song “I Will Always Love You” written by Dolly Parton was the song that really made me appreciate Whitney’s talent.

I always find it so heartbreaking to see people with so much talent have so many issues in life. I mean Whitney is the world’s “best-selling music artist) with over 170 million albums sold and yet, she’s had a very complicated, tumultuous and plain screwed last few years!

When she announced her divorced, I yelled Hallelujah and when Clive Davis from Arista Records declared in March 2007 that Whitney would be putting out a comeback album, I said “thank God”. Now with her second album (I Look to You was released on August 31, 2009) behind her, Whitney seems to be back on track to rebuilding a healthier life for herself.

When I found out that Whitney would be sitting down with Queen Oprah on September 14^th , 2009, I know this was huge since I doubt the Queen would have invited Whitney on her show during the “confusion years”.

I can tell you that I was sitting in front of my telly to catch as many nuggets of information on Whitney’s comeback. I wasn’t doing this to mock or make fun or her, but because Whitney, like so many of us, had to rebuild her life. She got a divorce in her 40s (she’s now 46, born August 9^th, 1963) and now she’s had to take one day at a time to get to a better place in her life and I wanted to use what she had to say as a lesson for a lot of women who might be in a place in their lives where they are making a big changes in their lives.

>>> Whitney Houston looked incredible!

Whitney looked flawless. She has been aging so well despite all the ups and downs of the past two decades.

The hour was a great comeback with Whitney Houston. She’s had a rocky life and like many other women, she’d had to pick herself up and start from scratch.

I won’t bore with the obvious since Whitney’s interview was what you would expect.

Oprah asked her about her beginnings as a singer, Clive Davis, the derailment with Bobby Brown, her rocky marriage, her daughter Bobby Christina, Whitney’s mother’s countless intervention attempts, the “crap is whack” interview, her drug use (cocaine and Marijuana) and her new outlook on life.

Oprah talked about a reporter (I didn’t catch the name) who compared Whitney’s voice as gift that she didn’t know how to treasure.

I was all over that sentence because I’ve been saying that for years. She had/has a voice that is so intense and in my view she had lost it all to her disturbed life with Bobby Brown.

Another thing that was a surprise was when Whitney said that the worst thing that happened in her marriage was when Bobby Brown spat in her face – WOW! Whitney had to live with this??? Thank God, she’s divorced now!!!

>>> If you missed the show, here a sneak peak: Whitney Houston on Oprah’s 24^th Season Premier

Here’s a cool video of Whitney in London promoting her new album “I Look to You”

Top Photo from Oprah’s Web site

Marissa Tomei is back on the Hollywood scene thanks to her performance in the movie The Wrestler where she plays a stripper.

There’s no doubt that playing a stripper at any age might be scary, but when you have the chutzpah to do it in your 40s, I say bravo to that.

In Darren Aronofsky’s drama “The Wrestler” Marissa’s portrays a fierce New Jersey pole dancer who heats up the screen in “The Wrestler”.

When getting herself in shape for her nude scenes in the film, Marissa (44, born December 4th 1964) turned to her favorite exercise tool – a hula hoop. She learned many of her hoopdance moves from L.A.-based company, Hoopnotica. Hoopdance can burn 400 – 600 calories an hour while working the abs and other major muscles for a low-impact and sexy exercise.

Last month I featured this great new workout that is sweeping America and now it seems that Hoopnotica is sweeping Hollywood and I was pretty excited to find out that Marissa had shaped her body thanks for her Hoopnotica hoop!

Hooping not only got Marisa’s body tight, it helped her stay grounded on set. She had this to say to USA Today about her Hoopnotica routine:

“It feels really good, and it’s really calming. I bring one to all the sets now. You’re waiting and you have all this extra energy and you want to stay focused and relaxed and there is something about that hoop – you do it and it calms you down. Honestly, it’s the best thing.”

You’ll find more details on Hoopnotica here: Hoopnotica.com

You can read more about my previous reviews of Hoopnotica here:

Watch these impressive Hoopnotica routines!

Have you tried the Hoopnotica workout yet?

Follow me on Twitter

I know when Robin McGraw is talking about beauty on the Dr. Phil show because my stats go nuts. One year ago I started talking about Robin McGraw (aka wife of Dr. Phil) and I reviewed a few of her favourite beauty products. It took about one hour after posting those original posts to realize how incredibly popular Robin McGraw is among her fans in TV land.

I still think that one of the reasons she’s so popular is because she’s not trying to be someone else and I think people like that about her.

On Tuesday, January 6^th, 2009, Robin McGraw joined her husband on stage with a team of beauty expert to once again transform a few fans over 40 (Sheri 47 and Shelly 42) who had let themselves slide to the bottom of the priority list.

Unfortunately, I had meetings and conference calls booked back-to-back that day so I was only able to catch a glimpse of the show, but since I’ve seen thousands of those types of shows, I knew exactly where this was going. Since last week was so busy for me, I was only able to sit down today and write a post on last week’s beauty show.

I also was able to hear Dr. Phil pimp (aka heavily and shamelessly promote) his wife’s new book: What’s Age Got to Do with It?: Living Your Healthiest and Happiest Life (I’m thinking that Tina Turner is screaming for royalties on the title because it’s a play off of her massive 80s success: What’s Love Got to Do with it?“).

I’ve not read Robin McGraw’s new book, so I cannot say if the book is worth the buy or not, but I guess the premise of this new book is Robin McGraw celebrating being 55!

I did take a peek at the comment sections on Amazon and it seems that people who did read Robin McGraw’s new book are divided into two camps: 1) those who think she can do no wrong and 2) those who are begging for her to stop writing and giving advice to women.

Here are some of the comments I’ve seen up to know on both camps:

“Nothing new, very basic information: I eagerly awaited this book but after reading it am disappointed. What I realized part way through the book is that this book is really about Robin, not about (or necessarily for) the rest of us. While the information is useful it probably would be most useful for younger women looking for ways to stay healthy as they age. The title would need to be revised as I also realized that by the time women might be looking for a book with this title (and presumed subject matter), they have already read much of what is revealed in this book during their 20s, 30s, and 40s, in other books and magazine articles. I saw an advertisement for this book in a magazine and there was not much detail given on the contents; so perhaps I was just expecting something different. Carefully review this book before making the investment in reading it so you won’t feel like saying to yourself: “What’s this book have to do with it?” – Tisa Marie

“Rock On Robin: In true Robin McGraw style this book is fun, enlightening and hip! You’d never know that she’s in her 50′s has a son that is married, one that is in a rock band, or has been married to Dr. Phil for 30+ years. In this fun light hearted book she shares her favorite health tips, helps you reassess what’s really important, and that women really do need to take the time to take care of themselves. What I enjoyed most about this book was all the life stories and life experiences that she, her friends and family share. Overall a great book! I am going to give it a lighthouse and shine a light on it!” – A. Johnson

I know there is a new trend these days in publishing and it’s to take a theme and a personality and juice it for as much money as humanly possible. Again, I’m not saying reading Robin McGraw’s new book is not worth it, but I suspect that A LOT of the content is recycled. Also, since she’s not an aging-well expert or a medical professional, she’s mostly relying on other experts to actually give her the facts.

In these recessionary times, my recommendation would be for you to visit your local library and read a borrowed copy of the book without committing to it. If you like it … then you can always come back to Amazon and buy it. If you live in America and if you do have the Amazon Kindle (lucky you), then you can always purchase it for a low price and chose to read it fully if you find it interesting or discard it after a few chapters if you find it to be a regurgitation.

>>>>> If you missed Robin’s “What’s Age Got to Do with It?” show, you can catch the highlights here:

What’s Age Got to do with it?

Robin and her team of beauty experts makeover Shelly and Sheri

Robin McGraw, Dr. Phil and Steven “Cojo” Cojocaru sit down and discuss style and fashion makeover for Shelly and Sheri

Robin McGraw consults with renowned esthetician Janet Harris to talk about beauty on a budget

Robin designs her own lipstick shade with the help of Hana Zalzal, president of Cargo Cosmetics

Here’s a short video from You Tube of Robin McGraw’s take on the “why” of her new book:

>>>> So do you think that Robin McGraw is a style icon and do you think she’s aging beautifully? Leave me your comment below … I’d love to know your point of view on the topic.

—

>>>> If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or DIGG. I’d appreciate it.

shes_got_the_look_kim_alexis

Do you remember the 80s supermodel Kim Alexis? She was the blonde with a mole on her left chin. As a young girl and young teenager, I still remember Kim’s face all over the cover of my Vogue magazines as the pretty blonde American model.

A few weeks ago, I was channel surfing trying to get away from the gloom and doom news of the financial markets free falling when I saw this advert for “She’s Got the Look: The modelling competition for women over 35″. I just about died because I thought that Miss Fierce-Tyra-Banks had the monopoly on modelling competitions in TV-land and I thought that the prerequisite 18-year-old-size-zero-girl-with-no-curves was what TV audiences wanted to watch!

I won’t go so far as to say that I’ve never watched an episode of “America’s Next Top Model” because I have … it’s really entertaining and the producers have done an amazing job at putting these young girls in situations that bring the “real” person inside (many times it’s not a pretty picture or a model perfect photo).

“She’s Got the Look” is the adult version of “America’s Next Top Model”. All the models are (get this) over 35! Yes, ladies, if you missed out on that modelling career in your teens and you are aging well, it’s still time for to turn that dream into reality.

Now, I’ve not yet caught the show live because it’s been particularly busy for me lately and I’ve pretty much cut out all evening TV other than “Lipstick Jungle” (I cannot miss that show) in order to fit all the latest product launch events, Christmas parties, emails, comments from readers and workload, but I thought this was such a phenomenal and monumental event that I just had to highlight it!

I think Kim Alexis is the perfect host for the show because at 48 (born July 15, 1960) she’s gorgeous and considering she’s the mother of five kids, one can clearly see from her physique that moms can be sexy in their late 40s. Beverly Johnson (who is one of my Celebrity Beauty Match Picks: Beverly Johnson is sensational in her fifties! ) is also a judge on the show.

shes_got_the_look_beverly_johnson

Beverly Johnson is a bit like the “Barack Obama of the modelling world” because she’s the first black model to grace the covers of major fashion magazines like Vogue and today at 56 (born October 13, 1952), she’s doesn’t look a day older than 34! Alongside these two models, Sean Patterson (president of Wilhelmina Models, Inc) and Robert Verdi (lifestyle expert) are also judges.

Here are some photos that prove that 18 year olds don’t have the monopoly on being models  (remember all these women are over 35!):

If you want to look at more photos from the modelling competition for women over 35, you can catch all the highlights here:  “She’s Got the Look”

You can catch “She’s Got the Look” in the U.S. on TV Land and on W Network in Canada.

Ladies, this is what being over 35 looks like!

shes_got_the_look

shes_got_the_look_2

shes_got_the_look_3

shes_got_the_look_4

shes_got_the_look_5

shes_got_the_look_6

shes_got_the_look_7

All photos are from TVland.com from the “She’s Got the Look” page

***I’ve included a short clip from Ellen’s show where she talks about the shooting of the CoverGirl advert at the end of this post***

This is really BIG news! Ellen is the new face of Cover Girl’s newest line of anti-aging products.

As a new generation of anti-aging makeup, Simply Ageless stays suspended over fine lines and wrinkles, making them look less noticeable and providing beautifully flawless-looking skin. It’s been formulated with Olay’s Regenerist serum!  And the new age-defying foundation has been clinically shown to positively impact the healthy look of the skin for improved skin appearance over time.

The secret behind CoverGirl and Olay Simply Ageless Foundation is a solid emulsion technology that allows the foundation to stay suspended over skin’s imperfections.  As it is applied, the unique Simply Ageless formula works with the skin’s temperature to transform the foundation from a cream to a liquid on contact.  The liquid then forms an “invisible suspension system” that floats over the surface without gathering in lines, making imperfections seem to virtually disappear.  The CoverGirl and Olay formulas work together to balance skin’s textural and colour variations in order to provide a smooth, even-looking finish.

Now, women no longer have to make sacrifices between look and skin condition to obtain full coverage.

Since its introduction in 1961, the CoverGirl brand has been a pioneer in celebrating women’s inner and outer beauty, and their drive to look and be their best selves.  The long list of famous CoverGirl spokespersons has included Christie Brinkley, Cheryl Tiegs, Rachel Hunter, Tyra Banks, Niki Taylor and Molly Sims, and its current roster of CoverGirls includes the dynamic Queen Latifah, Rihanna, and Drew Barrymore.

Here’s what Esi Eggleston Bracey, vice president and general manager, Global Cosmetics, Procter & Gamble Beauty had to say about Ellen’s new role as model for the company:

“Ellen is a quintessential CoverGirl.  She is smart, confident, and natural, with a beauty and down-to-earth personality that fits perfectly with what CoverGirl represents.  She’s a woman living her fifties with verve and a zest for life that is truly uplifting.  She is also a woman who knows first-hand from her daily sessions in the makeup chair preparing for her national television show that many foundations – even expensive department store brands – can actually make you look older. We developed CoverGirl and Olay Simply Ageless for all the women just like Ellen who told us they’re looking for quality products that help them look and feel beautiful at any age.”

You can watch as Ellen is changing the face of beauty and the face of the CoverGirl!

I just finished watching the Ellen DeGeneres Show and her segment was so hilarious that I wanted to see if it was on YouTube … and it was!

The only thing I like more than watching Lipstick Jungle is talking about how much I like watching Lipstick Jungle.

I’ve reviewed the many reasons why the Lipstick Jungle style and fashion keepsme glued to my telly on Friday nights.

I wanted to remind my readers that the Lipstick Jungle Boutique on SeenOn.com has tones of the beautiful jewellery featured on Lipstick Jungle episodes and I just had to share this with other fans of the Lipstick Jungle show.

If you’ve been dying to find out how to get your hands on Wendy Healy’s (played by Brooke Shield) purple drop earrrings or Nico Reilly’s (played by Kim Raver) killer bold rings or Victory Ford’s (played by Lindsay Price) beautiful flirty glass seed bead necklace, now you can and you can get it all in one spot!

You’ll notice that at the Lipstick Jungle Boutique at SeenOn, you’ll be able to get some really incredible looking jewellery that is both stylish and original!

While you’re on SeenOn.com, you’ll also be able to shop for fashion and accessories from other TV shows like Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, 90210 (you should check out the jewellery here as well), House and Grey’s Anatomy!

You’ll find more details on Lipstick Jungle’s dazzling  here: Lipstick Jungle atthe SeenON boutique!

Photo from episode 14 of Lipstick Jungle “Let the Games Begin”

I have to say that Lipstick Jungle has had the biggest fashion impact on me since Sex and the City. The difference between the two shows is the fact that I can actually see myself wearing many of the fashion and accessories featured on Lipstick Jungle, while Sex and the City was more of a “I cannot believe she’s wearing this” reaction.

I will admit to having many fantasies about walking in 4 or 5 inch designer shoes thanks to the ladies of Sex and the City, but since I’m already quite tall and I walk so ungracefully with anything higher than 2 inches, I’ve used the show’s influence to really take my accessories to another level because Patricia Field (the show’s stylist extraordinaire) has really showed us all how bold accessories can “make” any outfit.

I will admit to watching Lipstick Jungle for the fashion and accessory features. I really like how the three main characters (Wendy, Nico and Victory) wear some of these bold fashion statements:

* Short nails and rich-dark nail polish

* Big rings

* Big chunky necklaces

* Drop earrings as daywear

* Diamonds in the middle of the afternoon

* Vintage furs

* Super-high heels

* Fashionable glasses

* Multi strands of pearls as daywear

* Vintage fashion that is stylish and not frumpy

* The softer side of the “power wardrobe”

* Beautiful handbags

The best part about this show is that two of the characters in real life are over 35 (actually over 40) and both Wendy (Brooke Shield) and Nico (Kim Raver) are always dressed to kill … it’s always sophisticated, but VERY sexy!

Lipstick Jungle is a breath of fresh air and another statement that you CAN look good as you age and being/feeling/looking sexy after 35, 40, 45, 50 or 60 is up to you.

We might not all be able to buy the high end designers featured on the show, but ladies, you can take those fashion cues to your nearest Target (Canadians call it Tarjay for fun) store and you can find the same styles at prices that suit your budget.

Here are some of my favourite fashion moments from Lipstick Jungle:

Take a look at the neckline on Nico’s dress

NUP_131803_0042

I love the bold gold necklace against Wendy’s purple blouse

NUP_131803_0071

Look at how Wendy paired those dropped earrings and that updo for daywear at the office!

NUP_131803_0160

The jewellery … the jewellery and the jewellery again!

lipstick_jungle_jewellery

I LOVE how Nico placed that big broche at her waist instead of the usual shoulder placement

lipstick_jungle_premier

Nico is famous for her big-bold-look-at-me jewellery

liptick_jungle_big_jewellery_11

liptick_jungle_big_jewellery_21

liptick_jungle_big_jewellery_31

Nico has brought back the fashionable eyeglasses

nico_glasses

This is the new power suit “look” ladies – see how Wendy and Nico wear clothes that command attention and respect, yet they still look very feminine and sexy:

nico_power_suit

nico_wendy_lipstick_jungle

wendy_soft_power_suit

nico_fur_jewellery

Victory’s vintage inspired dresses

victory_vintage_dresses

victory_vintage_pink_dress

All photos are from Lipstick Jungle

liptick_jungle_big_jewellery_open

I know that last week’s Presidential debate was quite crucial for our American cousins, but may I just say that the fact that it was presented during the time slot allotted to Lipstick Jungle was a tad bit disappointing for diehard fans like myself.

Luckily, the show resumed its normal course of style, drama, sex, love making and couture last night.

Since the show started again for this second season, I’ve spoken to so many women who watch the show weekly because they just HAVE to see what the characters are wearing.

I know that many of us on the Beauty Match team are glued to our TV set each Wednesday night at 10 pm EST.

This will be a short banter because photos speak much louder than any description.

lipstick_jungle_stylist_amanda_ross

I salute Amanda’s sense of style and sophistication and I wish she could give me personal style tips so I could look as stunning as the women on Lipstick Jungle.

So back to the topic at hand: Nico’s jewellery.

You know when it comes to big bold necklaces, they can either look really good or they can look really like a major fashion faux-pas.

I think the biggest style secret when it comes to wearing bigger jewellery is to keep to everything else very simple. You do NOT want your designer necklace competing for attention with any other designer items (or none designer items) you might be wearing.

When in doubt,  remember what Coco Chanel said:

“Simply remove the last thing you put on before going out”

This actually works. I always ask myself: “is this too much … will it compete with anything else”?

If you are looking for a 101 lesson on how to wear big bold jewellery, I think these photos from Lipstick Jungle should be a great source of inspiration:

Nico during a team meeting: Did you notice how the stylists paired an orange necklace with a coral sweater (which is no doubt cashmere)?

liptick_jungle_big_jewellery_1

Nico during a team meeting (again): Look at how the stylist broke the colour palette by adding two gold bangles! I love big rings, but even I would not dare to wear that big rock Nico has on her right hand.

liptick_jungle_big_jewellery_3

Nico having breakfast at Wendy’s house after Wendy got fired from her high powered job: This necklace takes that little simple black dress to totally new heights!

liptick_jungle_big_jewellery_2

All photos are from Lipstick Jungle’s web site

I was at an event last week and started chatting with this women who had seen me at another event and she also remembered how much I LOVED Lipstick Jungle and how I could not get enough of the couture (fashion) on that show!

One of the great pleasures I have about being a beauty contributor for SeenOn.com is that I’m “forced” to watch Lipstick Jungle every week so I can track the makeup and hair style trends. The second the shows ends I usually jump on my computer and I try to locate some of the couture I saw on the show.

I enjoy talking about how these women bring makeup and hairstyles to the next levels just as much as I like to drool all over the parade of designers they are lucky enough to wear each week.

Here are some of my favourite fashion moments on Lipstick Jungle’s “Chapter 10: Let It Be” episode:

1) I could not get enough of Nico Reilly’s jewel red dress with the blingged out detailing at the neck line. That dress was stunning. The colour brought so much light to Nico’s face it was insane.

NUP_131803_0042

2) The dress Wendy was wearing when Griffin (new character played by James LeSure, formerly from the series Las Vegas) fired her is dazzling. There’s a bit of old style and new style combined into one and the grey is the perfect choice of colour for the style of that dress.

NUP_131803_0160

3) Wendy’s purple shirt is not only quite à propos for the season, but it again looks stunning as a colour against her skin and the brown hair.

NUP_131803_0071

4) Victory looks always very chic in her vintage inspired fashion and she pulls that look off so well.

NUP_131803_0082

A lot of women might not know this, but you can buy a lot of the same items the characters wear on the show! Lipstick Jungle in partnership with SeenOn.com brings you the same couture as you’ll see on Lipstick Jungle (and many others of your favourite TV shows) … and you only need to shop and click for your favourite looks online!

If you’re looking for some of the hot design items from the show, you’ll find them on the Lipstick Jungle/SeenOn.com site: Shop Lipstick Jungle Fashion

On this page you’ll find all the featured designers per character: The Glam team of Lipstick Jungle

>>>>> You can catch my other banter on Lipstick Jungle here:

Lipstick Jungle is back on the screen!!!

Revelations from Candace Bushnell author of Sex and the City

SeenOn.com is my favourite new web site!

Fashion and style over 35!

‘Lipstick Jungle’ is celebrating women over 40!

All photos are from Lipstick Jungle

lipstick_jungle_premier_trio

I got a bit confused because I didn’t realize until the morning of the season premier that the show had been moved from Thursday nights at 10 pm EST to Wednesday nights at 10 pm EST.

I’m so happy I didn’t miss one of my most anticipated season premier shows.

What can I say about Lipstick Jungle other than WOW!

When Candace Bushnell said that the wardrobe was an important part of the series because it was important for the team to portray women in their 40s who are sexy, vibrant, elegant, sophisticated and desirable … she was NOT kidding.

The ladies on Wednesday night looked spectacular – simply breathtaking.

The first season ended on a high fashion-style-and-beauty note and the new season didn’t disappoint. Between all the drama, the affairs, the careers emergencies, injecting your G-spot with Botox to hold on to your marriage and trying to ignore a billionaire that is obviously hot for you Wendy, Nico and Victory always look impeccable!

The one thing that I’ve noticed jump out of the screen was big-bold necklaces. It’s true that it’s one of the strongest trends of the season, but it’s quite different to see the look on a runway model versus seeing it on “real” women (ok – actresses).

I was dying to get my hands on the black dress and diamond studded broche Nico (played by Kim Raver) was wearing at her husband’s funeral (Nico is the blond one).

lipstick_jungle_premier

I also could not resist Wendy’s (played by Brooke Shield) blue dress and chunky blue necklace she was wearing while picking up some groceries with her mom.

The clothing in this show really shows women over 40 how to look sexy yet sophisticated, but more importantly, the stylists’ play on accessories is such an important lesson for those of us who cannot afford the private services of an A-list stylist.

I still marvel at the shoes and the heels, unfortunately, my feet were not created for high heels, but that said, I do love looking at a woman who can maneuver her way around town in four inch heels the way Nico combed the streets of New York after the her husband’s funeral.

The new season sees the addition of two new characters: Wendy’s highly critical mother (played by the legendary Mary Tyler Moore) and Victory’s (played by Lindsay Price) new publicist-slash-commercial-real-estate-agent Dahlia (played by Rosie Perez).

The new season promises in my opinion many new fashion and style reasons to keep watching!

If you’ve not been following the first season, you can catch the recap on NBC’s web site: Lipstick Jungle season 1 recap

Photos from Lipstick Jungle site

Until February, I focused on basic skincare, anti-aging skincare, medical spa treatment, fitness, emotional fitness and healthy eating as means to aging-well.

It’s not that I don’t care about fashion … Italy is my favourite country in the whole wide world because I cannot get enough of Italian fashion … it’s that I had not thought of including this segment originally.

Since I made a promise to my readers to watch weekly episodes of “Lipstick Jungle” and comment on them, it really hit me how much style has an impact on how a women ages. After all, two out of three of the main characters on Lipstick Jungle are in their 40s, Kim Raver (40) and Brooke Shield (42) – Lindsey Price is 31.

I’ve watched week after week how Kim and Brooke’s characters looked smashing because they not only had impeccable makeup and beautiful skin (thanks to a talented makeup artist), but also because the selection of clothing and accessories were perfect.

There were also a few other events that put style & fashion on the front page of Beauty Match — Oprah’s March 8 show, which was devoted to showing women in their 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s how they should dress to always look their best. After that, Toronto Fashion Week Fall 2008 followed and then followed my review of a site that reveals how you can get your hands on the fabulous clothing that has been featured on your favorite TV shows –
SeenOn.com.

Alas, few of us have access to celebrity stylists, but there are so many little tricks that women over 35 can use to really look their best at all time.

I’ll use the latest trends and will try to give pointers that women over 35 can use to add a dash of attitude to their wardrobe. I’ll feature higher priced fashion selections, but I’ll also feature a number of great finds from stores that are offering designer styles at very reasonable prices.

I hope you’ll like this section and I hope you’ll leave us your comments to let us know when you agree or disagree with our selections.

Photo from Lipstick Jungle’s NBC site

Although, I’d never be caught dead with Carrie Bradshaw’s outfits from “Sex and the City” because they were so “out there” and also because I’m about nine inches taller than Sarah Jessica Parker, I would indulge freely in most of what Victory (played by Lindsay Price) on Lipstick Jungles wears.

How many times have you seen great styles on TV and have said to yourself: “I’d love to be able to buy that”? Well, now you can easily find out where to buy it! SeenOn feature some of the most stylish fashions from the most popular shows on the TV.

Along with great clothing seen on many of the hottest TV shows (like “The Hills”, “Desperate Housewives”, “The Real Housewives of Orange County”), you’ll also be able to find out where to buy clothing seen on certain movies like “License to Wed” and “Nanny Diaries”.

I think SeenOn is brilliant because all of the actresses on the small and big screen have stylists working with them to make them look as good as possible and also work with their body types. Since most of us, cannot afford the personal services of a stylist, this is the second best option. If you see that an actress has your body type and she’s sporting a little number that you’d love to get your hands on, you simply need to check and see where you can buy it on SeenOn!

Photo from NBC’s Lipstick Jungle Web site.

Photo by Nayrb7

“Peel off years from your life, look younger, live longer”

– that was Oprah’s introduction to today’s (February 5, 2008) show on anti-aging.

Before I get into the details of the Oprah “anti-aging check list”, I’ll say that it’s all common sense and information that’s been repeated many times before on many media outlets, but so few people actually take time to follow.

Most of the information comes from Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen’s 2008 new book: You: Staying Young: The Owner’s Manual for Extending Your Warranty”.

There were five parts to this anti-aging formula:

1. What’s in your fridge and cupboard?

Your diet has such an important bearing on how you age that it still surprises me how many people have not yet accepted this fact and made changes to ensure that they nourish their bodies properly.

Dr. Oz’s list of power anti-aging foods included: lemon, onions, blueberries, broccoli, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, acai (a small fruit from Rain Forrest which contains twice as much anti-oxidants as blueberries), red wine, green and white (a younger, less mature variation of green tea) tea.

When it comes to anti-aging power, Dr. Oz talked about the power of spices. If you want to add longevity to your life, make sure you include the following in your meal preparation: cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper and rosemary.

Other must have anti-aging items in your kitchen include: fibre, omega 3 (fish oil) and 1 or 2 table spoons of oil olive (according to Dr. Oz, you should never cook food in olive oil).

2. What’s your passion?

Dr. Roizen who co-wrote You: Staying Young: The Owner’s Manual for Extending Your Warranty ” book worked with two audience participants to find out what was their “real age” were base on the “real age test”.

I kid you not people, these women looked amazing and if it was not for the fact the Dr. Roizen revealed their biological age … there was no way of knowing:

* Barbara who is 60 had a “real age” of 48 (but she looked 42). Dr. Roizen attributed this younger state of being to Barbara’s long time practice of yoga and the fact that she practiced bell dancing. That said, Dr. Roizen pointed out that Barbara’s passion, which were writing and reading where really the most important factors in keeping Barbara looking and feeling younger.

* Sandra who is 63 had a “real age” of 59. Sandra meditates, sleeps her 7 hours per night (lucky her) and she has a balance diet. Dr. Roizen attributed Sandra’s youthful good looks to her passion: ridding horses.

So the key to living longer and living better is to pursue your passions full throttle!!!

What are you supposed to do if you “don’t have a passion”? You simply need to find one … it can be anything you enjoy doing: cooking, pie making, fishing, painting … the list is endless and it will add years to your life.

3. Are you exercising?

You MUST exercise at least three times per week and Dr. Oz recommends adding meditation to your weekly regime to calm your mind. I’m not going to in details on that point because long time readers know exactly how I feel about the importance of exercising. If you’re a new reader, you’ll find my views about exercising archived here.

4. What’s happening in your bedroom?

You’ll need to get your 7-8 hours of sleep to age well and you’ll also need to include a little more action under the sheets as well. Dr. Oz recommends having sex 2-3 per week to keep your body aging well. In fact, sufficient sex will cut back the aging process by 3 years.

5. Are you taking vitamins?

Some doctors say vitamins are good and some doctors say they are bad.

Dr. Oz recommends adding Vitamin D to your regime. According to Dr. Oz about 50% of all Americans are deficient in Vitamin D which helps your body fight off cancer, heart diseases and infections.

The best ways of getting Vitamin D include 10 minutes of sunlight per day (with sufficient skincare protection) or 1000 units of a Vitamin D supplement.

You’ll also want to make sure you add Calcium to your diet. In order to make it easier on your system, you’ll want to choose a Cal/Mag (Calcium and Magnesium) formula.

Dr. Oz also recommends you taking half portions of multi vitamins at a time each day instead of one tablet (basically take you’ll cut your tablet in half and take each half at different time of the day to allow your body more ease to digest them).

You can read up on Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen’s 2008 new book: You: Staying Young: The Owner’s Manual for Extending Your Warranty”.

Here are other anti-aging tips we’ve highlighted in the past:

Are Europeans living longer by having more sex?

The Brits are having active sex lives well into their seventies

Can sex help you age better?

Spinning is a low impact exercise that helps you fight gravity

Variations of “dirty-dancing” that can help you get fit

New Body, Mind, and Wealth Tele Seminar Series starts on January 14!

The 7 most important tips to blasting belly fat this new year and creating the body that you desire!

Happiness will help you live longer!

How sleeping only 4-5 hours per night almost did me in

Photo source: NBC’s official Lipstick Jungle Web site

On February 7, NBC will launch a new show based on a Candice Bushnell novel that is centred on the life of three best friends. Where ‘Sex and the City’ was focused on four women in their 30s and one in her 40s, Lipstick Jungle is all about celebrating women’s lives after 40!

The series will follow the life of three high-powered New York career women: movie exec Wendy (played by Brooke Shields); Nico, editor-in-chief of a hot fashion magazine (played by Kim Raver); and designer Victory (played by Lindsay Price).

Well, no doubt that I’ll be all over this show for many reasons: sexy women over 35 … always dressed to kill … wearing impeccable makeup … and pursuing their passions with much conviction.

I know it’s a bit of a departure from my usual posts, because this really deals with a series as opposed to one celebrity who is aging-well or a beauty product, but I hope you’ll agree with me that this show is well worth featuring.

Another reason why I’m so adamant about featuring this show is because I’ve read many other beauty blogs written by bloggers in their 20s and many have compared this show to the 80s sitcom ‘The Golden Girl’ (which followed the life of four women in their 60s and 80s). These younger beauty bloggers are snubbing ‘Lipstick Juggle’ in preference to ‘Cashmere Mafia’, which focuses on a group of four women who are in their mid 30s (‘Cashmere Mafia’ is directed by Darren Star,who had also directed ‘Sex in the City’).

I remember when I was in my early 20s, I could not imagine one day turning 35. And then it happened. And I know that one day, I too will be in the same age group as the leading ladies of ‘Lipstick Jungle’, so I want to make sure that women over 35 are also represented on the Internet and among beauty editors/bloggers.

After reading so many beauty blogs disrespecting ‘Lipstick Juggle’, I felt I needed to step in because this nonsense of a show featuring women in their 40s is like a throwback on ‘The Golden Girl’ is simply the point of view of girls how have not yet realized that a woman comes into her own after the age 35.

Since I’ll be watching it weekly, I’ll most likely have a short weekly summary.

You can catch a lot of great details on NBC’s official Lipstick Jungle Web site.