If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

Thursday night was Ralph Lauren’s SS23 fashion show in Los Angeles, the first time the designer had a West Coast show. LA’s hottest stars came out decked out in classic Ralph Lauren, including Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. Although we were supposed to be looking at clothes, we couldn’t help but notice how glossy, shiny and stunning J.Lo’s Old Hollywood-style waves were. Not to mention, her subtle glam makeup and fall-ready nails. Don’t worry — we got all the scoop.

Lopez’s glam team came out to do their thing, with Chris Appleton on hair, as usual. “Dream shine this evening with jlo,” he wrote on Instagram and shine is right. We’re dying to know how her strands got so glossy. It could be his favorite Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray ($44.93 at Amazon), which wraps hair in a water-resistant barrier so strands are silky, glossy and frizz-free. He also enlisted Violet Teriti, a Russian hair/extension expert to add length and volume.

Source: Instagram

Makeup artist Scott Barnes was responsible for the glam, which consisted of bold lashes, glowy skin and a nude lip from his own brand — the J.Lo special. She knows what works and she sticks to it. She did switch up her nails, though. She traded in her nude and grey shades for a fall-ready wine color. Nail artist Tom Bachik shared his inspo:

“Last night’s look, pure Ralph Lauren. Makeup was clean and fresh. Hair perfection in glamorous waves,” he said. “Beautiful, classic, minimalist was the vibe and nails needed to complete the look. We went with Essie’s #424 Bordeaux to do just that! Short, strong, natural-shaped nails help the color pop. Paired with the Ralph Lauren black pinstripe dress and gold jewelry gave us timeless strength, sophistication, and style.”

Source: Instagram

You know what that means? Thanks to Essie, you can get J.Lo’s exact nail look for just $7 on Amazon.

As a retirement coach, I spend my time discussing the possibility of working for oneself in retirement. It offers the opportunity to work flexible hours and to do something that ignites your passion.

Having retired from formal employment a few years ago, I now work for myself, mainly online, from home. I have all the flexibility I want, and if I get distracted during the week – or even during the day – I catch up over the weekend or by stretching my work day into the evening.

We Let the Internet Take Over Our Lives

If you have not worked for yourself before, a word of caution may be necessary.

The insidious way that the world wide web creeps into one’s life and the way that passion for doing what you love can take over, are two things that you need to watch out for if you become an entrepreneur for the first time in retirement.

It is not simply a case of another Facebook post I need to acknowledge, another webinar I should listen to or another TED talk to watch. If you are working as I am, in the coaching and personal development industry, all of these should be categorized as ‘work’.

And, if you are not vigilant, you can find yourself – as I have in the past few months – working every day of the week, for longer and longer hours.

Over the past year, I have slipped into an unhealthy habit of catching up with blogs, YouTube clips and webinars over the weekend when my time is less pressured. I tell myself it feels great to clear my inbox and to watch or read all the material I have put to one side for ‘later viewing’.

Set Yourself a Challenge

Last week, a comment from a friend jolted me into realizing that I have forgotten how to take time to get away from it all. I infer, he might have made the comment because I was sounding a little edgy and impatient.

That is why I set myself the challenge of completely cutting ties with work for the weekend. My laptop only came out for entertainment – Netflix and some music.

On Sunday evening, I ventured in to sort my emails so that sifting through the junk mail wouldn’t take my time on Monday morning.

All of this reminded me of my school days. Back then, we had a headmistress who used to bring out the ‘recreation’ lecture at the end of each term. At the time, we were very dismissive of what she had to say, but I am more mindful of her message now.

She explained that the meaning of the word recreation has to do with re-creation. In other words, holidays are meant for downtime, for relaxing and re-creating oneself for the next term.

Working for myself in retirement, with a tenuous hold on the enormous global market, it is sometimes very tough to say “No” to what is on offer. I have burned myself out in the past as an entrepreneur, so I should know better!

The Therapy of Cleaning

I had such a great time this weekend, painting my small scullery off the kitchen from ceiling to floor, including the cupboards, having a real spring clean. (Yes, I live in the southern hemisphere where it is spring!)

The weight it took off my shoulders was far greater than any ‘spring’ cleaning of my email inboxes could ever have done! It was more therapeutic than any catching up on work would have been!

Look at It as a Detox or a Deep Cleanse

The lesson I have learned from all this is that even in retirement we need to remember to take breaks, holidays or time for re-creation.

If you are not sure where to start, you can begin by cutting ties with the Internet. Think of it as a detox or a deep cleanse. It is about taking a break; taking time to relax and re-energize yourself.

It is tough to take time out if you have chosen to work for yourself in retirement, but it is a necessity and simply a case of setting boundaries.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How do you manage your business hours and free time in post-retirement work? What do you do when you feel an overload? Please share your tips for taking time off to relax and just be.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

Thursday night was Ralph Lauren’s SS23 fashion show in Los Angeles, the first time the designer had a West Coast show. LA’s hottest stars came out decked out in classic Ralph Lauren, including Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. Although we were supposed to be looking at clothes, we couldn’t help but notice how glossy, shiny and stunning J.Lo’s Old Hollywood-style waves were. Not to mention, her subtle glam makeup and fall-ready nails. Don’t worry — we got all the scoop.

Lopez’s glam team came out to do their thing, with Chris Appleton on hair, as usual. “Dream shine this evening with jlo,” he wrote on Instagram and shine is right. We’re dying to know how her strands got so glossy. It could be his favorite Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray ($44.93 at Amazon), which wraps hair in a water-resistant barrier so strands are silky, glossy and frizz-free. He also enlisted Violet Teriti, a Russian hair/extension expert to add length and volume.

Source: Instagram

Makeup artist Scott Barnes was responsible for the glam, which consisted of bold lashes, glowy skin and a nude lip from his own brand — the J.Lo special. She knows what works and she sticks to it. She did switch up her nails, though. She traded in her nude and grey shades for a fall-ready wine color. Nail artist Tom Bachik shared his inspo:

“Last night’s look, pure Ralph Lauren. Makeup was clean and fresh. Hair perfection in glamorous waves,” he said. “Beautiful, classic, minimalist was the vibe and nails needed to complete the look. We went with Essie’s #424 Bordeaux to do just that! Short, strong, natural-shaped nails help the color pop. Paired with the Ralph Lauren black pinstripe dress and gold jewelry gave us timeless strength, sophistication, and style.”

Source: Instagram

You know what that means? Thanks to Essie, you can get J.Lo’s exact nail look for just $7 on Amazon.

Rational maturity begins when we accept responsibility for our lives and our thinking processes. Developing our rational maturity is a question of facing reality honestly. To do this, we have to make the effort to throw off the conventional wisdom and ideologies of the community around us.

We have to do the hard work of deciding what we think for ourselves. We have to become free thinkers, choosing what to believe and recognising that our belief system is a rational choice from many options – and our choice alone.

The Free Thinker

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was a leading philosopher of the Enlightenment. He was highly unpopular with the Catholic Church because his clarion call was that people should think for themselves, not blindly believe ideologies. The leaders of the Church took this personally.

Back then, their power and fortune lay in individuals’ and societies’ being forced to think alike and follow the ideology and mythology of the Church. They deliberately forbade their adherents to think for themselves.

The Church praised faith and declared it superior to reason, whereas free thinking was one of the foundation stones of the Enlightenment. Kant suggested that the majority of people are too lazy or cowardly to make the effort to develop their thinking.

It’s so much easier and more comfortable to accept the conventional thinking of society. This antagonism between these two ways of thinking has always been there in societies and is still there today. Rational maturity lies in choosing the way of the free thinker.

What Is Rational Maturity?

Rational maturity is not to be confused with genetically determined natural intelligence. Our community develops it through the parenting we receive, the environment, and schooling. We can develop it further by choosing to educate ourselves. This process is one that can, and should, be lifelong.

Neither is rational maturity the same as rational thinking. With rational thinking, we know what we want, we use logic to set goals, and we work towards achievement. This highly useful skill is necessary for a successful life, and it’s part of rational maturity, but it’s not the whole story.

Rational maturity follows from the first step of deciding to manage our own lives. We deal with our problems. We don’t expect anyone else to deal with them for us. We use our natural intelligence and our rational thinking, but we do so at our own command, not at that of anyone else. This doesn’t mean that we cannot be team players within contexts such as our family, our workplace, or community activities; it means that we choose to join the team and work in it to the best of our ability.

Rational maturity encompasses all these aspects. It all begins with personal choice. Our locus of control moves from the outside – other people and our environment, for instance – to inside ourselves.

Rational Maturity Is an Attitude Toward Life

Rational maturity is an attitude toward life. You could also think of it as wisdom. We accept life as it is and make the best of it, and we learn from experience. This means that instead of blaming circumstances and complaining, we simply accept them as a challenge that we have to deal with.

Instead of becoming a victim in life, we see anything adverse that happens to us as an occasion for learning. We chalk it up to experience. We accept that whatever happens is a lesson that helps us to become more mature.

Then we analyse what happened. We know what that “gut feeling” from our subconscious tells us. Instead of blaming other people, we consider our own behaviour. We know we should be honest about our own involvement in any incident. We recognise that there are always at least two sides to every story, and it is better to stand outside and above, rather than mindlessly take one side or another. We learn to see the big picture.

Why Develop Our Rational Maturity?

Why would we want to develop our rational maturity? The simple answer is that, whatever happens, a life guided by choices that are your own and that you take responsibility for will always be richer and more satisfying than a life of surrendered control.

A good book to read on this subject is Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters, (2021), by Steven Pinker. His view on the modern world is extremely interesting and enlightening.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you taken control of your life? Do you plan your life? Do you live life decisively? Have you developed rational maturity?

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

I don’t know about you, but my skin is already getting drier by the day and I even have some rough patches that I can’t seem to shake. ’Tis fall, I suppose. But I know that things have to change because I don’t want to have the skin of a scaly lizard during all of the colder months. The obvious next move would be to find a solid moisturizer that delivers deep hydration without worsening the irritation and flakiness. Enter: CLEARSTEM Skincare’s Hydraglow Stem Cell Moisturizer.

Backed by bakuchiol (a natural alternative to retinol), olive squalane and stem cells, the bestselling moisturizer will have your complexion looking smoother, healthier and younger in no time. Plus, it excludes pore-clogging ingredients and toxins that can trigger acne, so you know you’re putting only the best on your skin. 

Ideal for all skin types, the formula “trains your skin to look younger while you sleep,” according to the brand. Sounds like an impossible task, right? Well, bakuchiol promotes collagen production, which helps your skin look firm and youthful. It’s like retinol, except it doesn’t leave your skin aggravated and flaky. Plus, stem cells work to increase cell turnover so that your skin tone appears even and your complexion lacks visible signs of aging. Fine lines and wrinkles, who??

CLEARSTEM Skincare specializes in anti-aging and anti-acne formulas that yield noticeable, long-lasting results. So if you have acne-prone or mature skin (or both!), know that your skin is in good hands. 

Don’t wait any longer to shop the Hydraglow Stem Cell Moisturizer to counteract winter’s chilly breeze and keep your complexion wrinkle-free.

RELATED: This $9 Firming Collagen Moisturizer Is So Effective, Shoppers Have Stopped Getting Botox—& We Can’t Believe It’s Still on Sale 

Photo: CLEARSTEM Skincare.

Apply a dime-size amount of moisturizer to your face and neck in both the morning and night to see the best results possible. Speaking of results, so many shoppers can attest to this product’s miracle-working abilities.

“The moisturizer is rich and luxurious but does NOT leave your skin feeling greasy. I love that my skin can still breathe after I’ve applied it,” raved one shopper. 

“I love how hydrating this cream is! It’s not too heavy and makes my skin look dewy and full of life,” wrote another five-star reviewer. 

To top it off, another shopper wrote, “I’ve been using CLEARSTEM products for about two years and absolutely love everything that I try! But this moisturizer is life-changing, it makes my skin feel so soft and the glow is real!!”

There’s no question you’re going to need a secret weapon skincare product to take on winter’s wrath, so why not let it be CLEARSTEM Skincare’s Hydraglow Stem Cell Moisturizer? It’s as good as it gets when it comes to an acne and wrinkle-fighting formula that also hydrates and maintains a healthy skin barrier.