Month: February 2026

The lonely heart is a hungry old hunter,
It wanders at night and it wonders and wonders.
For years we were married, then suddenly—poof!
A spouse disappears—by divorce… or by death.

You planned a whole lifetime with someone beside you,
Then life changed its mind and politely denied you.
So here you are single, with memories sweet,
And an echoing chair where two used to meet.

You miss the warm chatter, the touch, and the tease,
The closeness, the comfort, the physical ease.
And soon comes the question that circles your brain:
Will love ever find me… or is that all gone?

You don’t meet them at markets or rings at your door,
So you wander online—what could happen? What more?
A profile appears with a smile so sincere,
And suddenly Mike is remarkably near.

He writes you good morning! He calls you dear friend!
He listens and praises and asks how you’ve been.
He says all the right things at just the right pace,
And mirrors your words like a soft, friendly face.

He’s charming. He’s gentle. He’s widowed like you.
(What a coincidence! Isn’t that true?)
He’s working overseas—or deployed, or afar—
But his heart, he assures you, is right where you are.

And oh how he listens, this wonderful Mike,
Your stories, your worries, the things that you like.
He never gets tired. He’s patient and kind.
He seems almost tailored to fit your own mind.

Then one day comes trouble—an issue, a bind.
A business delay! A bank left behind!
Just something quite small—just a loan, just a bridge—
Just help me a bit while I straighten this ridge.

You hesitate briefly… then send what you can,
Because love helps love—that’s the natural plan.
And once you say yes, the requests start to grow,
Like weeds in a garden you didn’t yet know.

For Fake Mike is fishing with practiced old skill,
He tugs on your heartstrings, not strength—but your will.
And long before money, before wires are sent,
He’s stolen your trust… and your hope… and your bent.

So pause here, dear reader, before Part Two starts,
Protect both your bank book and vulnerable heart.
For love doesn’t rush you or hide in the dark—
Real people don’t ask you to fund their life spark.

(To be continued…)

Let’s Chat:

Have you encountered a dating scam? How did you handle the situation? How long did it take you to recognize the true nature of the encounter? What clues should women look out for?

If you catch every bug going around, your gut might be trying to tell you something.

You might think of your digestive system as the system your body uses to process food. But did you know that about 70-80% of your immune system cells are located in and around your gut?

Your digestive tract is home to trillions of microorganisms, mostly bacteria, that help fight infection and reduce inflammation.

Together, they make up what’s known as your gut microbiome.

They work with the other immune cells in the digestive tract to:

• Block harmful microbes and prevent them from attaching to the gut lining.
• Neutralize toxins and support liver detox pathways.
• Prevent infections by producing antibacterial compounds and supporting antibody production.
• Train your immune system to know what is dangerous (viruses, toxins, pathogens) and how to respond.

Why Gut Health Declines with Age

Over time, our gut health often becomes more fragile. Common factors that weaken it include:

• Repeated antibiotic use
• Low-fiber diets
• Chronic stress
• Inflammation
• Hormonal changes
• Reduced stomach acid
• Nutrient deficiencies

Our age also affects our immune system.

Doctors and researchers use the word immunosenescence to describe the gradual aging and weakening of the immune system as we get older.

You might notice more frequent colds and infections, longer recovery times, lingering fatigue, more inflammation and aches, and slower healing. This is a key reason why gut health becomes so important.

When your gut is healthy, it helps slow down the aging of your immune system. When gut health is poor, immune function declines faster.

Take Care of Your Gut Microbiome to Boost Your Immune System

One of the most powerful ways to support your immune system is by keeping your gut microbiome healthy.

In a perfect world, a balanced diet filled with fresh vegetables, whole grains, and fermented foods would provide the nutrients our gut bacteria need.

But the truth is, we don’t live in a perfect world.

It can be challenging to consistently eat all the right foods. And even when we do, the changes in our digestion and absorption that come with age can make it harder for our bodies to use those nutrients the way they once did.

As a result, nutritional gaps can develop – even when you’re doing your best to eat well.

What Your Gut Bacteria Need to Thrive

It’s estimated that over 95% of people don’t get enough fiber, and it’s taking a toll. Fiber is a primary fuel source for your gut bacteria, acting as a prebiotic that helps them grow and produce health-promoting compounds that nourish your colon, reduce inflammation, and support immune function.

Learn more about how to Kickstart Your Digestive Health with Dietary Fiber.

It can be challenging to get all the fiber, prebiotics and probiotics you need for a healthy gut, which is why I often recommend a nutritional supplement.

The Organic Fiber I use has 8 grams of fiber per serving, and I like that I get everything I need in one scoop instead of having to add in ten extra things! Organic Fiber includes:

 Agave Inulin – A powerful prebiotic that feeds healthy gut bacteria and supports digestion.

 Psyllium Husk – Gently sweeps waste from the digestive tract and promotes regularity.

 Pea Fiber – Supports fullness, digestion, and healthy blood sugar balance.

 Baobab Fruit – Rich in prebiotic fiber and antioxidants for gut and immune health.

 Chia Seed – Delivers fiber, omega-3s, and nutrients to aid digestion and heart health.

 Apple Cider Vinegar – Helps support digestion, gut balance, and metabolic health.

 Ceylon Cinnamon – Known to support healthy blood sugar and inflammation balance.

 Lemon Fruit – Provides gentle cleansing and natural digestive support.

 Ginger Root – Soothes the stomach and promotes smoother digestion.

 Turmeric Root – Helps support gut health and a healthy inflammatory response.

The supplements I recommend are the ones I use for myself and recommend to my family, friends, and clients. I finally found a company I trust and so I partnered with them to become an affiliate. Their nutrition supplements are made with high-quality, premium ingredients and are third-party tested for purity and potency. I also love that they are VERY affordable!

Click here to find out how to get Organic Fiber plus all the health and wellness products you need with low pricing that makes taking care of your health easy to do!

PS – Your health is important! Please consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplements.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How much do you know about your gut immunity? Is your gut healthy? What do you do in your daily routine to stimulate/maintain gut health?

It’s cold, your skin is dry, and your makeup routine is boring. Even I, with my ridiculous quantities of makeup, get bored and uninspired! The solution? Watch makeover videos of mature ladies! This month, I asked my friend Elaine to join me in my studio for a totally new look. In true diva fashion, Elaine brought her ultra-cute doggie, named Molly, to join us. Stay tuned to the end of the video to see their adorable photo we took outside my house.

In this fun and easy tutorial, I demonstrate how a pretty, natural look can be incredibly flattering, confidence-boosting, and practical, especially when the focus is on enhancing what you already have rather than covering it up. This beginner-friendly guide walks you through a simple, fresh makeup routine designed specifically for mature women who want a healthy, natural glow.

Start with Skin Care First

Before any makeup goes on, it’s important to start with well-hydrated skin. As skin matures, it tends to become drier, and makeup can settle into fine lines if skin isn’t properly prepped.

A lightweight moisturizer, vitamin C serum, and/or hyaluronic acid can help create a smooth, comfortable base and allow makeup to blend more naturally. Think of skin care as the base of your makeup; it sets the stage for everything that follows.

Using a hydrating CC Cream foundation that is a light to medium coverage is perfect for mature women and my go-to favorite. To keep everything very clean and natural, layer the foundation over discoloration, and only use concealer on top if needed. Think: less is more.

Easy trick: Be sure your skin is warm and freshly washed, this will ensure that the C serum and/or moisturizer is able to go beneath the top layer of the skin.

Simple Eye Definition That Brightens

Easy Cream Eye Shadows

Truth be told, when I worked in television as a makeup artist, I never touched a cream eye shadow. Now, as a woman in her 60s, I adore them. They are practical and simple to use including application and blending with a blender brush, and they last all day. On Elaine, I used one of my favorite shades, Toffee, all over her lid and under her eye. The neutral brown pops her blue eyes and looks pretty and natural.

Then I used water repellant eyeliner pencil in Wood all around her eye. This can be tricky. If you apply the liner too heavily and don’t blend sufficiently, it can look garish but properly done it can be gorgeous.

Easy trick: Place the liner between your lashes and thicken only on the outer edges of your eye.

Colored Mascara as a Style Choice

In the final images of Elaine, she is wearing a maroon jacket, so taking that cue, I applied a beautiful lengthening and thickening mascara in Mulberry. In fact, it’s always a good idea to consider what you are wearing before you do your makeup so that you can tie your outfit together with makeup choices.

I applied two coats of mascara and the final effect is a subtle pulling together of her total look. If you’ve never tried colored mascara, I encourage you to check it out. For blue eyes, try navy or maroon, green eyes look great with maroon or even brown if you are particularly fair skinned, and brown eyes can pull off just about any shade imaginable. Have fun with this!

Easy trick: Start at the roots of the lashes and wiggle the mascara wand to coat as much as possible. After that, swoop up to cover the whole lash.

Natural Color for Cheeks and Subtle Contour

Adding warmth back into the face is one of the most impactful steps in any makeup routine. A touch of blush and contour/bronzer can make skin look healthier and more lifted.

For best results:

• Smile slightly and apply a blush color to the apples of the cheeks.
• Add bronzer or contour just under the cheekbone, under the jawline, and highpoints of the forehead.
• Use a small amount of both and blend well in circular motions.

The goal is a soft flush that mimics natural color, not heavy contour lines.

Easy trick: Match your blush to your lipstick. Pink lips, pink blush. Warm lips, warm blush. The only time I don’t recommend this, is when your wardrobe is also pink, and it’s a color overload. In those cases, I use the opposite of the lipstick shade.

Hydrated Lips for a Polished Finish

As lips mature, hydration becomes essential. Instead of heavy, matte lipstick, a nourishing lip balm like Velvet Rose can add:

• Softness to the lips
• Aid in hydrating dry lips
• Give a healthy, flattering shine

For Elaine, I also used a neutral lipliner to stop any bleeding and make it look more polished.

As an aside, Elaine really loved this lip shade. She tries to add a flattering lip color daily and asked me to get this lip balm for her, which I happily did.

Easy trick: Put foundation on your lips before liner and lipstick. This helps your lipstick stay on longer and not droop as easily.

A Natural Glow at Any Age

Natural makeup after 50 thankfully doesn’t require complicated techniques or a long list of products. With a few thoughtful steps like hydrated skin, simple eye makeup, a touch of cheek color, and healthy lips, you can create a look that feels fresh, confident, and authentically you.

The new year is a perfect time to simplify, refresh, and embrace makeup that enhances your natural beauty. Remember, makeup isn’t about perfection, it’s about feeling good in your skin.

{Use the code THEBEAUTYSHAMAN for 10% off all products at PrimePrometics.}

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you like trying new makeup colors each season? Which ones look good on you in the winter?

It’s that time of the year when tax documents start to appear. The 1099s, W-2s, Social Security, and pension statements all start arriving. And you might be wondering, did I overpay or underpay?

So let’s address a common misconception, that tax planning for 2025 ended on December 31. True, many moves that can lower taxes like contributing to your workplace retirement account or making charitable contributions need to happen by year-end. But there are still meaningful moves to consider that you can make until you file your return (typically on or before April 15).

If you have already started looking at your tax software and don’t like the numbers or you just like optimizing, below are four moves you can still make before you file.

1. The Traditional IRA

If you have “earned income” (this is usually wages or net self-employment income) there is a good chance you are eligible to make a Traditional IRA (individual retirement account) contribution. The ability to deduct those contributions depends on your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) and whether you or your spouse participate in a workplace retirement plan.

If you have income from Social Security, pension, and investments, they likely will not count as “earned income.” This move is more common if you are:

• Working full-time or part-time
• Consulting
• Have a spouse who still earns wages

For 2025, the inflation-adjusted amount an individual can contribute is up to $4,300, and the family limit is up to $8,550.

2. Don’t Forget about the “Spousal IRA”

Speaking of a spouse who still earns wages, if you file a joint return, the earned income from one spouse may allow for the non-working spouse to still make a spousal IRA contribution. This works as long as the household has enough earned income. It is important to check if your spouse participates in a workplace retirement plan and your MAGI.

3. The HSA and its “Triple Tax Advantage” (Pre-Medicare)

If you haven’t enrolled in Medicare yet (including Part A) and instead have a High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), specifically an HSA-eligible plan, you may have access to an HSA (Health Savings Account), assuming you meet the other eligibility rules. Unlike an IRA, you do not need “earned income” to be eligible to contribute to an HSA.

Depending on your situation, an HSA may result in:

• Tax-deductible contributions
• Tax-deferred growth, and
• Tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses

For 2025, the inflation-adjusted amount an individual can contribute is up to $4,300, and the family limit is up to $8,550. For those who are age 55 or older, you and your spouse can each contribute an additional $1,000 (although you each need your own separate HSA to make the $1,000 contribution).

4. The SEP-IRA

You may have “retired” from your 40+ hours a week career, but your efforts to stay busy by consulting, freelancing, or other 1099 income might allow you to contribute to a Simplified Employee Pension Plans (SEP) IRA.

While a SEP-IRA can allow for a greater contribution than a Traditional IRA, your net earnings and other factors determine the contribution amount. So, it could be helpful to speak with a tax professional to run your numbers before making a SEP-IRA contribution.

Check Your “Estimate” Accuracy

By the time you are ready to file your 2025 taxes, you might be thinking, “good, it’s done.” But before you move on to something else, ask yourself, “Did you underpay in 2025 (and get hit with a surprise or penalties)”? If yes, you may want to consider adjusting your 2026 withholdings or estimated payments. You might be able to adjust the withholdings from:

• W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate
• IRA distributions
• Social Security
• Pension payments
• Annuity payments

True, no one likes to overpay by thousands of dollars, but at the same time, a surprise tax bill in April is also not fun.

Taxes Are Unique so Focus on What You Can Actually Do

• If you file an extension, it is usually an extension to file and not necessarily an extension on when you have to pay (you generally owe any tax due by the April deadline).
• Not everyone has access to an HSA, so double check the rules and Medicare eligibility.
• Traditional IRA contributions are not always deductible.
• Other tax moves, like Roth IRA conversions, charitable giving, and capital gain/loss harvesting generally need to happen by December 31 (for the prior tax year).

Just remember, you likely have opportunities to adjust your taxes even after December 31, but it’s important to review how the rules apply to your personal situation.

Taking a Step Back

While last-minute tax moves can feel appealing, it usually works better to step back and look at your taxes over several years, not just one. Your goal is not this current tax year. Your goal is to have flexibility, reduce future headaches, and make decisions when you have adequate time to consider the ripple effects. When you look at several years of tax returns together, you can start to build a customized approach. And that plan can be adjusted not only as your life changes but also when tax laws change. Having a long-term perspective and plan that is regularly reviewed and updated will likely help more over the long run than focusing on any single year-end tax strategy.

A Few Questions to Think About:

Can I still make contributions to an HSA, IRA, or SEP? Was my tax bill or refund small or should I adjust my withholding? Was there an unexpected income spike and will it likely happen again?

Originally posted at: Madison LeCroy’s Perfumes