Now that stores are starting to safely reopen, or at least for curbside pick-up, you might be itching for some new beauty products to up your everyday routine. Why not grab one of these Black-owned beauty brands at Ulta? According to a report by Crunchbase, just one percent of venture-backed founders were Black in the last five years. That statistic doesn’t get much better for women at less than nine percent. Now more than ever is the best time to support these businesses and pick up some stellar products at the same time.

Use those Ulta points on some new foundation and concealer from Uoma Beauty. Shop ultra-pigmented, super-rich eyeshadow palettes from Juvia’s Place and setting powder and liquid lipstick from Beauty Bakerie. If you’re looking for haircare, you’re in luck. Pattern and Mixed Cheeks will help you get the curls of your dreams, and make styling easy with accessories and tools. Don’t skip over Kreyòl Essence’s Haitian Black Castor Oil that you can use on your hair and scalp, as well as skin and body.

Shop some of our favorite products, below, and check out all the brands’ full Ulta offerings while you’re at it.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Image: Ulta.

Juvia’s Place

Founder Chichi Eburu created Juvia’s Place to be representative of African culture and art. Shop ulta-rich eyeshadow palettes and inclusive complexion products.

Image: Ulta.

Beauty Bakerie

Beauty Bakerie CEO and founder Cashmere Nicole started her one-woman company back in 2011 and has not slowed down since. Shop kitchy “baking” powder, lipstick, sponges, eyeshadow palettes and much more.

Image: Ulta.

Uoma

Sharon Chuter, founder and CEO of Uoma Beauty, launched the #PullUporShutUp challenge to hold corporate brands accountable. Her own brand is one of the best out there with 51 foundation shades, lipstick, concealer and eyeshadow.

Image: Ulta.

Pattern

Actress and singer Tracee Ellis Ross launched her haircare line just last year to give fans their absolute best curls. Shop all the curly-hair products plus hair accessories and tools.

Image: Ulta.

Mixed Chicks

Another curly hair brand is Wendi Levy Kaaya and Kim Etheredge’s 16-year-old brand. We love the deep conditioners, plus shampoo and detangling products.

Image: Ulta.

Kreyòl Essence

Entrepreneur Yve-Car Momperousse’s Haitian Black Castor Oil is a favorite for hair, scalp, skin and body.

Do you reach the middle of the year and wonder what happened in the past six months? It can be a shock to discover that your resolutions are lying in shreds or have been forgotten.

What about the plans you had to start new creative projects when you retired? Surprisingly, those plans have fallen away even though you are now retired. Don’t worry. This is normal, but there are easy ways to get yourself back on track.

Assess What is Important

This is a good time to assess your retirement goals. Sometimes we make plans, but circumstances change, and your plans are no longer relevant. In this case, let those plans go together with any guilt.

For example, that painting workshop in Tuscany may have been a tad overambitious for your present circumstances. Put it aside, and look closer to home for an alternative. No blame and no hard feelings.

You Have Time

I know that you would not do this to yourself, but there are people who will procrastinate, thinking they have all the time in the world. There is not enough time! Yes, there is.

The time is now. If you are physically and mentally capable of doing what you want to do, then you will find the time. Still not sure? Here are a few steps I took to free up more time for painting.

Now Dig Deeper

You have now assessed you goals and plans. You have thrown out the impractical ones, and what’s left is a list of current activities that you want to start with. Now what?

Focus on the One Thing

Many will disagree, but I find that if I focus on just one or two critical goals then chances of success improve considerably. Maybe it is the 80/20 principle at work? Focus on the 20 % that works and get 80 % returns.

A Quick Example

When I was trying to decide on a career change into full-time painting, I was nervous about the loss of income. I was worried about not being able to sell paintings. So, in 2009 I resolved early in the year to produce paintings for a Christmas market.

I had to paint in my spare time, but that was all I had to do. Produce 10 high-quality paintings in as many months. The end result was a successful market, and I felt more confident about embarking on my art career. The market was one important but doable part of the much bigger goal of a career change.

Be Patient

Being patient sounds trivial at first, but I have seen so many people scuttle their plans at the slightest provocation. Frustration with a spouse, a neighbour dispute, traffic or some household chore can spark a bad mood and an excuse to put off what you need to do now to further your creative pursuit.

The other approach is to lose patience with yourself if your art does not go to plan. You may blame your lack of talent or skill and drop the project, when in truth you have all the talent required. Now you simply need a bit more patience with yourself to persist and learn the skills over time.

Remember that giving up guarantees failure, while persistence is more likely to guarantee success.

Find Your Space and Claim It

A dedicated space to work in and come back to later is important. Packing and unpacking your materials can become a hassle. Cue another excuse to stop altogether.

If you have a room or shed you can use, then lucky you. My first studio was the corner of our bedroom. Fortunately, my wife was supportive and encouraged this option.

Amazingly, I could create many paintings in only thirty square feet. Look up innovative ways to make the most of a little space. Pinterest is a great resource for ideas like this.

Read More Non-Fiction Books

I had to add this idea because books are my mentors. If you are not fortunate enough to have a real live mentor to paint with, for example, then I am sure you will find a book to help and inspire you.

Many great artists, leaders and entrepreneurs have put their struggles and triumphs within the covers of a book. How lucky we are able to read about them for only a few dollars!

Take Action

This list is short and practical. But even if it were a one-item-list, nothing happens if you do not take action. If painting is your thing, then put some paint on the canvas. Don’t just buy a canvas. Get the paint on.

If writing is your thing, then put words on the page/monitor. If it is quilting, then sew some material together. Momentum is what you need.

That is it. Will you be able to get your creative plans back on track?

Free Book

To add a little fun to your quest (because that is what we are on) I have a free e-book to give to you. My new book, An Artist’s Survival Guide, has been published on Amazon. I am offering the e-book for Free to Sixty and Me readers. To claim your book simply visit this page. I hope that you enjoy it.

What are your personal retirement goals? Have you ever been on the brink of giving up on creative pursuits? Let us know and share any tips you have to make success possible.

Marion and Roger, a pair of Brits from 40 miles west of London, boarded the ship carefully. They’re in their 70s, and both are intrepid travelers.

Marion is short, round, lively, and loves a good biscuit. Roger is tall, thin, and has to be reminded to eat. This is just one of many trips they make during the year, leaving their comfy cottage for the world’s wild places.

Another couple, Irwin and Joan who are in their late 50s, climbed aboard, assisted by the crew, who gathered around the loading area to welcome us aboard.

Karen and Frank, a couple from Sydney, retired and experienced sailors clambered aboard. Two young men from Montana, then me as a solo traveler.

The Katharina, one of two gorgeously-appointed ships in the SeaTrek Bali fleet, had brought us all by motored dinghy from the Coral View Resort in northeastern Bali. We’d all just come from Borneo to see orangutans, which was another part of this same journey.

We had no idea what was in store for us. Good thing. Why spoil a lovely surprise, one that keeps unfolding for eight long, lovely, incredible days in one of the most gorgeous places on earth?

The following week we were fed like kings and queens, introduced to remote islands where no other ships visit, moored off the coast in the quiet, warm waters to watch the moonrise and the sunrise (both spectacular).

We tracked Komodo dragons, met villagers on isolated islands where the tourists don’t go, watched amazing dances and paddled or swam salty crater lakes.

Could this be you? Of course it could. Why not? Here’s how to make paradise happen.

Decide to Go Remote

Put your remote down, and for once consider a journey to the other side of the world in person rather than National Geographic.

I’ll address Indonesia in this series because I just got back from four weeks in that country. For once, don’t choose something close, predictable, and the reliable default. If not you, then who? If not now, then when? Indeed.

Turn the Long Flight into Part of the Adventure

Sure, it’s a long set of flights. So, stop over in Hong Kong, or Singapore, or Tokyo. Take a few extra days to rest up, sleep in and head out for a while as you take your sweet time to arrive in Denpasar, the country’s airport.

Do Your Research, Ask Around and Figure Out What You Want to Do

I’m going to discuss SeaTrek Bali as that’s the operator I used, plus a gem of a hotel in Ubud, Central Bali, called Alam Indah. There are many options available depending on your personal tastes.

The reason I chose SeaTrek was because each day we woke up somewhere new. We had a full range of options of daily activities – including nothing whatsoever, which Marion periodically enjoyed thoroughly – and the food was wicked good.

You can snorkel, SUP, hike, swim, sunbathe, and in my case, sleep on the top deck and star gaze. Oh my, what a sky.

Each of our fellow passengers had a wholly different trip from the rest of us, which appealed to me very much. You never feel as though you are loaded up into a cattle car and shuttled around. On board, it’s your trip and yours alone.

Do Something You’ve Never Done Before

Never tracked a Komodo dragon? Now that’s a story to take home. It’s safer than you think, and the hike to see them is a very easy walk. Marion had no issue with this, and she was no athlete. There were days we could hike hard, and days to do nothing. Or anything in between.

Get REAL Rest and Relaxation

Not far offshore, all wi-fi is gone. What a blessed relief. For eight gorgeous, fabulous days you are beyond the beeps and belligerency of marketing calls, scam calls, and all the other interruptions we have come to take as perfectly acceptable. Three of us read a lot.

Accompanied by the quiet offshore breeze, the occasional flop of a fish, we’d lie in the shade and nap. When’s the last time you took a lazy, happy nap just because?

Do It Today

Don’t wait until Someday, which is a day that never ever comes. The moment you start planning, the trip has already taken place. And yes, there was a terrorist attack, but that was a long, long, long way from where SeaTrek operates.

There are 18,000 islands in this huge country – and in all ways it is a paradise worth exploring.

Not only that, but with the Indonesian Rupiah at 1360 or so against the American dollar, your pennies – or pounds, as it were – go a very long way. Taxis are pennies on the dollar, food is so cheap it’s almost criminal.

I will be writing more about Indonesia and this trip to offer a sense of what’s in this magical place, what might be of interest to investigate, and what I found that was worth traveling halfway around the world to see. Stay tuned!

Have you been to Bali or other parts of Indonesia? What were your favorite places to share? What do you like best about this country? Please share your experiences with the community!

Several years ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that affects millions of people around the globe. Most of them are women. So far, there is no cure.

I had enjoyed a successful career as a natural medicines therapist and teacher, but fibromyalgia forced me to stop working for two years, reassess my life and embrace a new normal.

I eventually left my old career behind and retrained in organic horticulture, teaching part-time in schools until recently.

My illness taught me so much, and I want to share some of my most important insights. Here are a few suggestions for living with fibromyalgia or another life-changing illness.

Reassessing My Values

Illness forced me to reassess my values. Health is now my number one priority, before career, relationships, finances and all else.

I’ve developed a habit of asking myself “Will this be beneficial to my health and well-being?” If not, it is not for me.

Practicing Gratitude

I have kept a gratitude journal for many years, and it has helped me appreciate the good times and the not so good.

I am blessed with a warm home, running water, fresh air, food to eat, great family and friends, time in Nature, beautiful sunsets and daily miracles.

Try keeping a diary of the blessings in your life for one month, and notice any changes in your perception of life.

Learning to be Proactive

A wealth of information is available online for specific health conditions. Joining a support group will invite new friendships from others who understand the challenges of your medical condition. You can then exchange tips on self-help techniques and coping mechanisms.

Cultivate a Good Relationship with Your Medical Team

Writing down a list of questions before visits to your doctor or consultant will ensure more positive outcomes.

I have copies of all my medical records, including blood tests, X-rays and other investigations. This keeps me informed of my progress and allows me to remain proactive in any treatment plan.

Natural Medicines

Reflexology, massage, acupuncture and herbal medicine have all helped ease my symptoms. As a result, I no longer need pain medication.

Several natural medicines are now available through private health insurance, and some are integrated within the healthcare system. Please consult with your doctor or medical consultant about a possible treatment plan.

Embracing Creativity

I explored creative writing when I was in considerable physical pain, and it eventually led to a new career as an author and blogger! Writing about the early death of my mother and other major life events helped me enormously.

I have also dabbled in art, photography and decoupage.

Singing and gardening continue to be important ingredients in my healing regime. Ten minutes of pottering in my garden transform my day!

Avoiding Isolation

Chronic illness is life-changing, and it is so easy to slip into a major depression. Avoiding isolation is important for good mental health. Please share all your concerns with your doctor, family and friends.

Learning to ask for help is key to ongoing recovery.

Resting and Pacing

The most important lesson I have learned is to listen to my body and pace myself accordingly. If I do too much, it can lead to a flare up in my condition.

Do you listen to your body when it tells you to rest? Perhaps you could treat yourself more gently.

Remembering to Exercise

Exercise is considered beneficial for many health conditions. Indeed, the body releases natural chemicals during exercise that are both analgesic and antidepressant.

However, it is important to find an exercise routine that suits you.

Some vigorous forms of exercise did not agree with my joints; walking, gardening, aqua aerobics, chi gung and yoga have all helped me enormously.

Focusing on Diet and Nutrition

Eating small regular meals and avoiding processed foods helps me keep a better balance. I love to cook and make most of my meals from scratch. I also create a number of extra portions to freeze for days when I am feeling less energetic.

I have discovered that some foods exacerbate my symptoms, including sugar, yeast, caffeine and alcohol.

Supplements containing Omega 3, 6 and 9, and Magnesium have been incredibly therapeutic.

Once again, please consult your doctor before taking any supplements.

Do you think that it is possible to have a joyful and fulfilling life after the discovery of a life-changing illness? What tips would you share with others who might be living with fibromyalgia? Please join the conversation below!

When we start a new job, we often go through a training program, in which we learn the essential skills for the challenges ahead. New military recruits go to base training. But what about recent retirees? How do they get prepared for the next season of life?

The answer is, sadly, that there isn’t much formal training! Most new retirees might think, “How could I possibly need training when I’m just going to have fun and do what I’ve always wanted?”

Yet after the honeymoon stage of the first couple of years, retirees typically start looking for ways to create structure, meaning, and purpose in their days.

Resources like Sixty and Me can help at this stage, because they cover a wide variety of topics, such as finances, relationships, fitness, purpose, and mindset.

My specialties are posture, alignment, and fitness, and here’s my simple fitness prescription that covers all the bases! Keep reading for BASE Training for Boomers…

B Is for Balance

Balance is priority #1! According to the United States Center for Disease Control, every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall; every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall. The problem is that we often don’t think about balance until we notice it’s not as good as it used to be.

We may notice that we are less steady on uneven ground or using stairs. I encourage all of my clients, as early as their 40s, to start making balance an integral part of their fitness routines. Even if you are a new retiree, balance is your job!

There are many factors in balance, including our vision and the vestibular system in our ears. Once we are assured those systems are working well, we must turn our attention to the proprioceptive system.

Proprioception is our ability to sense where we are in space, with the help of the neurons in our joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons.

Here’s my gripe with most senior fitness programs. They don’t challenge our proprioceptors in the two most important ways:

• with dynamic three-dimensional movements that mimic real life, and
• at our training threshold.

In other words, the balance exercises don’t look like what’s going to keep you from falling, and they are not performed in a way that really pushes you to get stronger.

A Is for Alignment

Alignment awareness is a common denominator among those who stay relatively pain-free as they age. They may have practiced a modality that encouraged mind-body awareness of body position and posture, such as yoga, stretching, tai chi, or Pilates.

I’m not saying that every person needs to do those modalities, and they are certainly not a guarantee against injuries. That said, these modalities increase our body awareness, and awareness is the first step to address imbalances that can cause pain.

After doing hundreds of posture assessments, I’ve learned that we are all asymmetrical. Each of us has some quirk, such as one foot that pronates more, or a slight leg length difference, or more muscular development in our dominant arm and shoulder.

Mindful alignment and posture practices help us course in correct stance throughout the day to create less wear and tear on our joints and less pain. This helps us stay more active for the long haul.

S Is for Strength

We know we need to do strength training for our muscle mass and bone density. It helps us look good, feel good, and be strong on the inside. It also increases metabolism, which helps us maintain a healthy weight.

There are three mistakes most boomer women make about strength training:

• They don’t do it.
• They don’t lift enough weight, and
• They aren’t doing functional movements that challenge them in three dimensions.

Many are afraid of getting hurt. And many can just get in a rut doing the same things they’ve always done, and not push themselves further. (I can relate, and I do not judge you for this.)

Obviously, you need to work within your body’s capabilities. That said, as a beginner, do 10–15 reps of each strength training exercise. When you can easily do 15 reps twice, then increase your weight until you can only do 8–10 reps.

E Is for Energy

Without energy, how will we do the exercise, mental fitness, relationship building, and community involvement that keeps us engaged and fulfilled? Many of my boomer clients, and younger ones too, tell me that they want to feel more energized.

There are universal and personal sources of energy. The universal sources of energy are the physical ones that all humans require: quality sleep, movement, and food. The personal ones are unique for each person and center around what brings them energy, joy, and peace.

For many of my clients, being in nature ranks very high for experiences that give them energy. We also have to say no to the things and people that drain our energy and cause stress.

Stress management and energy management are like sweeping the floor. It’s easier if you don’t bring in the dirt on your shoes in the first place!

Most of my clients come to me for help with alignment, balance, and strength, but I always address sleep, diet, and stress management too. These are the energy sources that enable us to do the movement and exercise.

What’s Next?

BASE training for boomers is simple, but it’s not necessarily easy to implement all of these at once. Start where you feel the most motivation. All ships rise in a high tide, so when we improve one area, we improve in all areas of life!

If you’d like personalized and professional help for your BASE Training, please visit Joan’s website and contact her for a complimentary consultation.

What are you already doing for BASE training? What’s your next priority? Which of these four majors gives you the most difficulty to begin or master? Please share with our community.