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In the past few years, Lush’s Valentine’s Day collections have been iconic. The brand continually rolls out cheeky options that give off NSFW vibes in the best way possible. For Lush Valentine’s Day 2023, the company is switching it up with romantic bath bombs filled with dried flowers, skin-softening strawberry shapes and Wednesday-style black roses. Of course, there is also the classic aphrodisiac bath bomb for a sexy night in.

There’s never been a better time to take a moment for yourself during this stressful time. Light a candle, start the bath and pop in a yummy bath bomb. Not only are Lush’s bombs super Instagram-friendly (a pink bath!), but they also contain essential oils and aromatherapy scents to help calm you and relax your body. Plus, most are vegan, cruelty-free and package-less so there’s less stress on the environment. What a win-win.

Although Valentine’s Day is still weeks away, these products are great to use all year round. It seems Lush knew we needed a pick-me-up. Shop them online now and pick them up in stores. There’s no better gift option for a crush or friend you haven’t seen in a while.

Lush.

Strawberry Crumble Bubbleroon

This bath crumble features fair trade cocoa and shea butter cream inside the heart to soothe and moisturize skin.

Lush.

Valentine Bombshell Bath Bomb

This rose jam-scented heart is filled with dried flowers, petals and buds for the most romantic bath ever.

Lush.

Love Shower Gel

There’s more than bath bombs here. This fruity-floral shower gel contains lemongrass oil. jasmine absolute and fine sea salt.

Lush.

Sex Bomb Bath Bomb

This bath bomb sets the mood thanks to aphrodisiacs jasmine, clary sage and ylang ylang as well as body-softening soy flour.

Lush.

Black Rose Bath Bomb

This sweet floral bath bomb contains rose oil to calm the skin and mind, Sicilian lemon oil to uplift and cream of tartar to get that bubbly foam.

As we age, changes continue happening throughout the body, and the brain is no exception. Most people experience a little bit of forgetfulness as they age, especially in their 60s and 70s. Changes within the brain may result in potential impacts on cognitive function, even for healthy individuals.

There are many ways to support a healthy mind and keep it sharp – not only to improve everyday quality of life but to help reduce the risk of dementia and memory loss.

What Is Brain Health?

According to the National Institute of Health, brain health refers to how well a person’s brain functions across several areas including cognitive, motor, emotional, and tactile functions.

Brain health can be affected by changes in the brain, injuries such as stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI), mood disorders and diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple significant hypoglycemic events for those diagnosed with diabetes.

While some cognitive decline cannot be reversed, the human body can be very resilient. The brain consists of numerous neural connections which is useful to both send and retrieve messages to the rest of the body.

When a portion of these connections are damaged, they can create new pathways through a process called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity may rewire functions to new, healthy areas of the brain to compensate for the damage sustained.

There are also many lifestyle choices that can help boost brain health.

Stay Connected with Social Activities

Staying in touch with friends and family, and maintaining these important relationships stimulates the brain and helps you stay active. Connecting with others through social activities and community events can also keep your brain active and engaged and reduce feelings of isolation. Find ways to spend quality time with those close to you, or schedule regular calls if they do not live close by.

Stick to Your Sleep Schedule

Getting a good night’s sleep supports brain health at any age. Recent studies have shown that both insufficient sleep and sleeping longer than average can increase your likelihood of developing dementia.

It is recommended that people aged 65 or older get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. If you’re struggling to get enough sleep, inability to fall back to sleep in the middle of the night, or are concerned about sleeping too long, reach out to your health care provider.

Watch What You Eat

Eating a balanced, healthy diet can help reduce the risk of many chronic diseases and may also promote brain health. Fruits and vegetables are packed with antioxidants – leafy greens, grapes and blueberries are excellent options.

Additionally, fatty fish, including salmon, tuna, and herring contain DHA omega-3 fatty acids that can help protect the brain and may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Everyone’s body is different, so contact your health care provider before altering your diet drastically.

Learn Something New

Studies have shown that older adults who learn a new skill have more memory improvement than those who only socialized or did less cognitive-related activities. To figure out what new skill you’d like to learn ask yourself: Is there something I’ve always wanted to know how to do? Learning a new skill doesn’t have to completely change your daily routine, it could be as simple as trying a new recipe once a week.

Keep a Close Eye on Stressors

Over time, chronic stress can change the brain, affect your blood glucose levels, affect memory, and increase your risk for dementia. From regular exercise and meditation to journaling and practicing gratitude, there are a variety of ways to reduce and manage stress.

Regardless of what works best for you, stress management can have a significant impact on brain health and mental agility. Many of these activities can also promote better mental health at any age.

Being proactive about brain health will help you stay sharp and prevent age-related cognitive decline. Remember, age is just a number, and it shouldn’t define who you are.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What brain boosting activities resonate most with you? How do you stay active and engaged with peers and loved ones? What new skill have you always wanted to try? What are your current stress management tactics?

Nicole Martin’s Pink Tie Dye Dress on Her Instastories

Real Housewives of Miami 2023 Instagram Fashion

Word on the street ‘gram is that RHOM is currently filming their reunion. So I wonder if this snap is Nicole Martin and Guerdy Abraira out pre-gaming? Who knows, but what we do know is we are loving Nicole’s tie dye dress she’s wearing in it. So much so that we can’t wait to doctor up our closet by getting one just like it.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here to Shop Her Bardot Dress

Click Here to Shop Additional Stock

Click Here to Shop it in a Top

Photo Credit: @drnicolemartin

Originally posted at: Nicole Martin’s Pink Tie Dye Dress

Most women gain belly fat during menopause and well into post-menopause. Our hourglass figures give way to a heavier middle section and, sometimes, excessive belly fat. This is caused by the reduction of female hormones and the redistribution of body fat, notably in the abdominal area. Lifestyle, eating habits, and genetics may also play a factor.

It’s great if you love your body unconditionally and don’t really care about your belly fat. But, if you don’t particularly enjoy the look of your belly fat, there are simple ways to hide or camouflage it.

1. Avoid Tight Tops
2. Layer your clothes
3. A-Line Tops, Wrap Tops, Crossover Tops, Ruching
4. High-waisted Bottoms
5. Belt High
6. Shapewear
7. Tummy Control Pants
8. Tunics Over Leggings
9. Stand Tall

Often, dieting and exercise won’t even help get rid of the belly fat. It’s simply a part of our over-50 reality, and we need to learn to accept it and live with it. That doesn’t mean that you can’t use a few tricks to wisely try to hide it. Let’s take a look at a few simple ways that you can adapt to your daily habits that will hide that belly fat.

Styling Tips and Tricks to Help Hide Belly Fat

Avoid Tight Tops

This is the main thing to remember – avoid wearing skin-tight tops if you wish to hide your belly fat. Tight and clingy tops will only accentuate your rounded mid-section.

Layers

Layered clothing items are your new best friends! Cardigans, wraps, ponchos, blazers, kimonos, and jackets are all great options to camouflage your belly.

A-Line Tops, Wrap Tops, Crossover Tops, Ruched Details

It’s all in the details! The design of your top and the styling details can play a big role in how the top fits you.

A-line tops are your best bet. They are super comfortable and don’t hug your midsection. Wrap and crossover tops and dresses are very flattering and draw attention away from the belly.

Look for details such as vertical stitches or ruching which creates texture and an optical illusion.

High-Waisted Bottoms

High-waisted pants are back in style, and we are here for it! Choose pants and skirts that have a waist about or over your belly button. They will help tuck your belly in.

Belt Above Your Waist

Don’t shy away from belts because you have belly fat. Wear this accessory higher than where you typically wear it to emphasize the smaller part of your midsection: right below your bust at your ribcage.

Double Buckle Thin Waist Belt

Shapewear

Shapewear has become very popular with women of all ages. Brands like Spanx and Skims for example have booming businesses and offer an array of control underwear.

OnCore High-Waisted Mid-Thigh Short

SCULPTING HIGH WAIST BRIEF

Tummy Control Pants

Like shapewear, tummy control pants can help tuck in belly fat. Jeans, pants, and even leggings offer tummy-control front panels that will help you breathe better. No need to suck it in, the pants do it for you!

Tunics Over Leggings

I love this timeless look. It’s a look that is modern and versatile and that you can wear in all seasons. Be careful not to wear an oversized tunic or a blouse that is too long because this can make you look larger than you really are. A-line tunics and button-down long shirts look great over leggings.

Stand Tall

Last but not least, be aware of your posture. Posture plays a huge role in how we project ourselves to the world. Holding yourself upright with your shoulders back will not only help tuck in some belly fat but will also give you a boost of confidence.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you have belly fat that you wish you didn’t have? What do you do to hide it? Do you have more style tricks to share with our community? Tell us about it in the comments below.

I happened to click onto an online site recently that featured a 6-piece collection of new – at least new to me – clean beauty products that I just couldn’t resist purchasing. So, in today’s video I thought we could have some fun trying out these new products as well as creating a complete no makeup look by incorporating a few other clean beauty products along the way to finish off the look.

What Is Clean Beauty?

What exactly do we mean by clean beauty? It’s usually defined as products that are free from ingredients that are harmful to the skin as well as the environment. And although it really wasn’t until 2010 that clean beauty products started to be more widely known and available, clean beauty has evolved into quite a large movement that is redefining beauty and skincare standards across the globe.

The Backstory on Doll 10 Beauty

And one of the entrants into this clean beauty niche 10 years ago was a company called Doll 10, and I’ll be using five of their products today.

Doris Dalton founded Doll 10 after surviving a rare cancer that affected her skin and took most of her hair and eyebrows. She wanted to help herself and other women who’ve experienced illness take back their beauty and sense of self.

With Doll 10 Beauty, Doris created clinically proven, cruelty-free beauty products that, as she says, “you can use to get ‘dolled up’ in 10 minutes or less, whether you’re feeling your best or not.”

She believes that we’re never too old to wear makeup or to feel beautiful and has said, “As women, it’s so important that we care for ourselves and nurture our self-worth and stand firm in our personal power. Wearing makeup is something that can dramatically change the way you feel about yourself, which affects every single part of your life.”

The Doll 10 Products

This particular Doll 10 Collection came in an attractive pink bag and includes foundation and concealer, a really lovely soft brush to apply the foundation, mascara, blush and lipstick.

Be sure to check out Elise’s YouTube channel which specifically focuses on makeup tips, techniques, and product reviews for those of us 50+. Don’t forget to subscribe!

The only products I actually tried before filming this video were the mascara and the lipstick. Since so many mascaras – even from some clean beauty brands – irritate my eyes, I wanted to make sure this one was safe to use in the accompanying video.

And since we all know how challenging it is to find a lipstick color that works, I wanted to try that product ahead of time too. Unfortunately, the lipstick color doesn’t work for me so I’ll be using a different clean beauty brand lipstick.

As you probably noticed, the Doll 10 Collection doesn’t include eye shadow, so I’ll be using two liquid eyeshadows from the clean beauty brand Kosas. For eyeliner, I’m using the deepest shade called “Unravel” from Illia’s “Cool Nude” clean beauty eyeshadow palette.

The Mascara and Foundation

The next product I’ll try is the Doll 10 Effortlash Lifting and Volumizing Mascara followed by the Doll 10 Skin Perfector. The mascara is a gel formula which both volumizes and lengthens, but what I like best is the brush which really keeps the lashes separated.

The Skin Perfector is described as a skincare and makeup hybrid which conceals imperfections, smooths the look of skin texture and gives a radiant finish. It’s formulated with mineral pigments that adapt to your skin tone, and it provides full coverage.

Some of the ingredients include Bioskin, licorice, turmeric, cucumber extract, chamomile, algae, magnesium, Vitamin C, aloe extract, lavender extract, green tea and Vitamin E. The green tea and Vitamin C are antioxidants that help fight free-radicals and chamomile and Vitamin E are moisturizers. The directions indicate to apply a pea size amount and then blend in circular motions.

The Concealer

The Doll 10 Concealer is described as a product that illuminates and color corrects the skin. It’s formulated with many of the same ingredients as the Skin Perfector. The concealer has a sponge tip applicator which can be used to apply the concealer and then it can be blended in either with the sponge tip applicator or fingers.

Then, to help prevent any creasing that might occur under the eye, I’ll apply a small amount of the Cloud Set powder from Kosas under my eyes.

After the concealer’s in place, I’ll apply just a small amount of eyeshadow to the outer 1/3 of my eyes and then continue with mascara to the bottom lashes. I used the same color I used in my crease area –called “Cocoon” – under my eyes.

The Blush

The Doll 10 blush is really creamy and blendable and can also be used on the lips and the eyes. This blush provides some beautiful very soft color, and you can build up the look of this blush. But if you’re someone who really likes a stronger blush look, this blush may not be for you.

The Lips

Since I don’t have a clean beauty lip liner, I’ll use my L’Oreal Age Pefect Lipliner. Although I liked the formula of the Doll 10 lipstick that came in this collection, the color didn’t really work for me. So I’ll apply Illia’s Balmy Tint in “Runaway” to my lips, followed by my Kosas Lip Oil in the color “Fruitjuice” as a gloss.

First Impressions

So let’s take a moment to talk about some first impressions of these new Doll 10 products. I think my favorite product from this Doll 10 collection is the mascara. It does an amazing job of keeping the lashes separated and provides very noticeable lengthening and volume. And it’s only the fourth mascara I’ve found that doesn’t irritate my eyes.

A close second to the mascara is the Skin Perfector Foundation which applied beautifully using the Doll 10 #9 Kabuki Brush. I was amazed by the amount of coverage it provided without looking heavy or cakey on the skin. In fact, it felt extremely lightweight. And although it looked like the color would be too light, it conformed beautifully to my skin color. I can definitely give a total thumbs up to this product.

The Doll 10 Skin Perfector Concealer worked well – especially under the eyes. However, I do have other concealers (notably the Even Better Concealer from Clinique) that do a better job of covering my age spots and other discoloration.

The Doll 10 Skin Genius Cheek Flush blush was beautifully creamy and applied effortlessly, but there certainly are many other cream blushes on the market that work equally well.

But it was definitely worthwhile trying this collection to find a top-notch clean beauty mascara and foundation and an excellent foundation application brush.

Editor’s Note: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links through which the author, Elise Marquam Jahns, earns a small amount if you purchase a product. This comes at no additional cost to you.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you use any clean beauty products? If so, do you have a favorite product that you can share with us? If you haven’t tried any clean beauty brands or products, are you interested in checking out any clean beauty options?