I think
many of us can identify with the woman in one of my makeup classes for women
50+ who recently blurted out: “You wake up and feel like you’re still 30-something
and then you look in the mirror and think, ‘What the blink happened?’”

Yes, a few
changes have happened over the years,
but as a 60+ makeup artist who is passionate about helping women over 50 look
and feel their confident best, I’m always especially excited to offer solutions
to the array of interesting challenges that sometimes seem to pop up overnight,
like:

• How did that brow hair turn white overnight,
  and how do I tame the wiry ones?
• And how can I possibly use eyeliner anymore
  when I have issues with watery eyes?

With these
specific challenges in mind, I’m including below nine of my pro makeup artist
tips for those of us 50+. They can really make a difference and are demonstrated
in the video above.

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!

How to Tame Unruly Brow Hair

I especially love this first tip because it’s a money-saving one!

If you have a few unruly brow hairs, instead of purchasing a
separate brow gel product to keep them in line, simply take a spoolie or an old
mascara wand that you’ve cleaned, and spray some hair spray on it then comb the
hair spray through your brow hairs to keep them in place.

How to Save Money on Eyeliner
and Make It Easier to Apply

Another money-saving tip is to use eyeshadow as your eyeliner. But
just a caveat to be aware of – not every eyeshadow will work well as
eyeliner. You really have to test out a few to see which will be long-lasting
and what will work best for you.

To make it easier to apply, try using a thin, firm, angled eyebrow
brush or a flat top brush. The flat top brush picks up more product than many
other brushes so it will make your application both easier and faster.

Create Waterproof Eyeliner
from Eyeshadow If You Have Issues with Tearing or Watery Eyes

When you use eyeshadow as eyeliner, you can make it waterproof by
adding one product to the mix. One option is Makeup Forever’s Aquaseal, or you
can go with Inglot’s Duraline.

To create your waterproof eyeliner, simply put one drop of either
of these products on the back of your hand. Dip your brush into your eyeshadow
and then into the Aquaseal or Duraline, and apply the product as close as
possible to your lash line.

IMPORTANT: Make sure to wash off your brush immediately or
it will harden.

How to Make Your Eye Lashes
Look Longer and Fuller

I know eyelash curlers can be a bit intimidating, but they can
really make a huge difference in how long and full your eyelashes look. How
you use the eyelash curler can also make a difference.

Start as close to the base of your lashes as possible without
pinching your eyelid. Then, lift your elbow up so it’s horizontal to your eyes
and hold for 5 seconds. Stair step up your lashes, lift and hold for another 5
seconds, and keep doing this until you reach the top of your lashes.

How to Create Glowing Skin

To create beautiful, glowing skin, you have to remove the dead
skin cells which accumulate on your skin and make it look duller. Since your
skin cells don’t turn over as fast as they used to, exfoliating twice a week
can definitely bring about a glowing skin effect.

Using a foundation with a dewy finish (as long as you don’t have
oily skin) can also help create a soft, beautiful glow.

Create a Soft, Glowing Blush

Many women experience skin dryness with age. So, using a cream
blush rather than powder can add a beautiful, soft, seamless look. But since
many cream blushes come in a stick formulation, this is a tip that can help
with the application.

Simply take a bit of your favorite moisturizer, dot it on the back
of your hand, apply a little blush to your finger and then add a tiny bit of
the moisturizer to your finger as well. This will help the blush glide on
effortlessly and add some additional glow to your skin.

Where you put the blush is also important, since you have to work
against gravity. So, apply the blush slightly below the top of your cheekbones – starting at your ear and coming forward at a slight angle.

How to Get Rid of Shine on
the Nose

If, like me, you put powder on your nose and 10 minutes later it
looks shiny again, try this trick: apply tinted eyeshadow primer to your nose
instead of foundation.

It helps prevent the oil on your eyelids from causing eyeshadow
creasing and smudging and will help prevent the oils on your nose from coming
through and creating shine as well.

Finally, Two Tips for
Creating a Flawless Finishing Look

Many of us are used to automatically applying powder to our entire
face. But consider only applying it to where you need it most (like the T-zone
which tends to get oilier) as too much powder can start to look cakey.

Also, consider using a setting spray to set your makeup. But
rather than spraying it onto your face, spray it onto a slightly dampened makeup
sponge, and gently push the sponge into your makeup.

What are your biggest makeup woes? How do you handle them? Do you
have any favorite makeup tips you can share? If so, please do! What other makeup
challenges do you have that you’d like help solving? Let’s have a discussion
below!

Ariana Madix’s Season 8 Reunion Dress

Vanderpump Rules Season 8 Reunion Fashion

Ariana Madix’s season 8 reunion dress has her looking like a modern day Cinderella. Except for below  this blue ballgown dress she traded in the beloved glass slippers for actual slippers, as she captioned in her Instagram post. Which in my opinion is literally a modern day Cinderella. And what’s even better is that we don’t even need a fairy god mother to look like Ariana, just a magical link to shop. But hurry before the clock strikes midnight stock runs out!

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here To Shop Her Blue AIIFOS April Dress

Photo & ID Credit: @ariana252525

Originally posted at: Ariana Madix’s Season 8 Reunion Dress

While death and
taxes are the two certainties in life, no one ever expects their child to die
before themselves. Yet life comes in different flavors.

Here is a great
example I always consider.

A Sample Scenario

Mrs. Lee’s 40-year-old
son, Jason, was diagnosed
with stage four cancer of the blood. Even with a bone marrow transplant from
his older brother, Jason died within six months of being diagnosed.

It was swift, and it left his family reeling:
not only from grief and tragic sense of loss but confusion and uncertainty as
to his wishes for his own estate.

Jason’s girlfriend had moved in with him less
than a year prior to his diagnosis. Two weeks before his death, she asked him
if they could get married, which they did.

Mrs. Lee was very concerned as to the motives
behind Jason’s girlfriend’s request.

Jason died without having made a will, a
situation known as intestate. If you were to die intestate that would make
your estate subject to the intestacy laws of the state you were living in. The
state then gets to decide what to do with your property, your bank accounts,
and everything you own.

In the case of Jason, if he had died before
his marriage, all his assets would have gone to his next of kin. Since he had
no children, his mother and father were his closest relatives.

Getting married just before his death,
however, made his new wife his next of kin. She is now entitled to the lion’s
share of Jason’s assets.

Was that what he
really wanted?

Why You Need an Estate Plan

Even in our day and age many people still die
without having written their will. But an estate plan can save a lot of grief
to those you leave behind.

An estate plan has these 7 benefits:

Efficiently Provides
Income for Any Dependents or Beneficiaries

If your spouse, dependent children, or aged parents relied on your income while you were alive, how will you provide for them when you’re gone? What about providing for a disabled adult child, if you had one?

You will want to set things up well to provide
for them through a stream of income or a lump sum payment.

Minimizes Disputes
Among Family Members

A will and a good estate plan should
communicate your wishes for how you would like your estate to be divided. This
does not necessarily negate disputes and ill feelings, but it should minimize misunderstandings.

Can Impact Your
Taxes – While Alive and Upon Death

Having set a good estate plan will leave more money to your beneficiaries after taxes. From rollovers of various tax-sheltered accounts to various trusts and charitable donations, there are numerous strategies you can put in place while you’re alive to minimize the amount of taxes you may have to pay upon your death.

Ensures Sufficient
Liquidity in Your Estate

You can set up your estate plan to pay for outstanding taxes and fees without your beneficiaries having to come up with the cash from their own pockets or being forced to sell parts of the estate quickly.

Minimizes Costly
Government Involvement

Dying without a will means the government may
have to step in and manage your estate. And it will cost your estate money to
have the government administer it.

Maintains the
Viability of Your Business

If you are a business owner, you must make
plans for the succession of your business, if that is your intent, and particularly
if you are a key part of the business.

You should groom a successor and maybe even
affect an estate freeze to pass future growth in the company to your
beneficiaries in order to minimize taxation upon your death.

Provides Peace of
Mind

Death is a very stressful and painful time for
loved ones left behind. It is not fair to leave them with an estate that was
not well planned. They may end up making poor decisions as a result of having
to deal with the estate at the same time as grieve your demise.

It does not matter how old you are, every
adult needs an estate plan put in place.

The fundamental questions you should ask
yourself is: How do I want to be remembered when I am gone, and who do I want
to share my legacy with?

A good resource in preparing your estate is Blake Johnson’s You Can’t Take It With You: The Top 15 Estate Planning Questions Answered in Plain English.” Blake Johnson happens to be an estate lawyer and he cuts through the jargon to help you plan your estate efficiently.

If you live in Canada, an excellent book I read early in my career is You Can’t Take It With You: The Common-Sense Guide to Estate Planning for Canadians.

Part 2 of this series
will cover what makes for a good estate plan.

Who will administer your estate when you’re
gone? Do you have dependents that you need to provide for? Have you thought
about creating an estate plan? Do you think that’s an important step to make?
Please share your thoughts and stories in the comments below. 

Many years ago, I had the pleasure of working with Elizabeth Kubler Ross. As you may know, in her book, On Death and Dying, Elizabeth described the 5 stages of grief: anger, denial, bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance.

Like most people, for many years, I thought of Elizabeth’s framework mostly in terms of its impact on the lives of people coming to terms with a terminal illness.

More recently, I have come to realize that the 5 stages that Elizabeth described can be applied to so many situations. For example, the stages that we go through after a divorce follow a similar pattern.

Now, after 8 weeks in Bali, I can see that these same stages apply to my yoga journey. Over the last 2 months, I have cried, hidden myself away, begged my teachers to take it easy on me, temporarily given up and, finally, learned to love myself just a little more.

It has been an amazing ride and I’d love to share with you a little more about my journey these last 8 weeks. I hope that my experiences will give you the confidence to give yoga a shot. If I can do it, you can too!

Please don’t be discouraged when you read about the beginning of my personal journey. As you will see, by the end, gentle yoga became a vital part of my life. In fact, I can’t imagine going for even a single day without it!

At the same time, everyone is always so positive about the benefits of yoga that it’s hard to get a feeling for what is normal. As a result, many of us, especially older adults, are left wondering whether we are the only ones struggling to get in the groove.

Here are the 5 stages that I have gone through over the last 8 weeks as I learned to make gentle yoga a part of my life.

Denial – “I Can’t Be This Out of Shape!”

I always thought that I was fairly active, compared to other people my age. I walk at least 30 minutes a day. I swing my kettle ball around every morning. I even take the occasional Jazzercise class at my local gym.

Unfortunately, none of these activities really forced me to come to terms with my aging body. When I walked, I did so at my own pace. I was constantly distracted by the beauty of the world around me. When I swung the kettle ball, I did so only for as long as it was comfortable and easy.

Then, after 30 years on the sidelines, I started doing yoga again and all of my pride came crashing down around me. Just 20 minutes into my first 90 minute class, I remember thinking, “This can’t be. How can I be this out of shape?”

I don’t say this to discourage you. Quite the opposite. As I will explain a bit later, I eventually pushed through these feelings and I have never felt better about myself. Instead, I am mentioning how I felt because it may help to immunize you against similar feelings in the future.

In my experience, the time after the 1^st class is the most dangerous. If you aren’t mentally prepared for a little disappointment, you may quit before you have a chance to get on the path to health and happiness.

Anger – “I Can’t Believe I Let Myself Get This Out of Shape!”

After about a week in Bali, my focus shifted a bit. Instead of saying to myself, “I can’t believe I’m this out of shape,” I found myself thinking, “I can’t believe I let myself get this out of shape.”

It’s a subtle distinction, but, one that was quite painful for me. I started to think about all of the decisions that I had made in the past – what I ate, how much I exercised and how I treated my body.

Fortunately, I had a great yoga teacher, Eka, who helped me through this stage. He reminded me that yoga is all about learning to accept ourselves. It is also about learning to own our decisions and our unique background.

No two people step into a yoga class with the same body. We all have unique challenges and opportunities. Part of the magic of yoga is learning to understand (and eventually love) your own body. If you don’t, nobody else will!

Bargaining – “Please Take it Easy on Me”

After about 2 weeks, I had decided that, no matter what, I would not quit. I was going to do yoga for the entire 8 week trip.

Unfortunately, I’m embarrassed to say that I did something almost as bad (at least in my mind.) I started to let my age become an excuse.

When I went to a new yoga class, I would walk up to the teacher, tell her that I am in my 60s and excuse myself for not being able to do all of the poses.

I let myself believe that I was doing this for practical reasons. I mean, shouldn’t everyone let their teacher know about their limitations? When it comes to medical conditions, absolutely! When it comes to age-related excuses, not so much!

Looking back, I’m honestly not sure what I was expecting. Was I looking for sympathy? Did I want more attention? Or, was I simply giving myself permission to take it easy?

As the founder of a community dedicated to helping women to break aging stereotypes, none of these options sits well with me.

Depression – “I’m Never Going to Be Able to Do This”

About half way through my trip, I started to believe that I was never going to “succeed” at yoga… whatever that means. I was still feeling stiff, despite doing yoga consistently for weeks. Most of all, I was frustrated that I couldn’t do all of the yoga poses that I saw all around me.

In a moment of desperation, I did what any rational woman would do. I walked down to a local café, ordered a glass of wine and a big piece of chocolate cake and called my son for advice.

Now, Nathan isn’t a yoga instructor, but, he’s one of the wisest people I know. He reminded me that yoga is all about connecting with your own body. It’s not like taking a martial art, where your success is measured by how you progress through the belt colors. It’s a personal journey.

He reminded me that the only important question is “What does my body need today?” The instructor is a guide, but, you are in charge of your practice, just as you are responsible for your happiness.

Acceptance – “The Journey is the Goal”

Over the next 4 weeks, I spent a lot of time thinking about the advice that I received from my family and all of the wonderful yoga teachers that I had the opportunity to work with. And, of course, I continued to do yoga every day.

Eventually, I started to realize that I win just by showing up and putting my heart and soul into my practice.

As I sit here, cup of steaming green tea in hand, it’s hard for me to relate to the emotions that I felt in my first few weeks in Bali.

Did I achieve my goals? Yes and no.

Physically, I still have a long way to go. There are many poses that I would still love to be able to do, not because they look good, but, because they are additional tools to help me connect with my body.

Emotionally, I couldn’t be happier with the process that I have made. Learning to reconnect with my body has exposed hidden wells of strength that I could have only dreamed of a few months ago.

Yes, I have more energy. Yes, I feel less stiff and more flexible. But, more importantly, I feel more like my true self than I have in decades.

It’s only been 8 weeks, but, I can see that gentle yoga will always be a part of my life. I can’t wait to see what the next 8 years will bring!

Have you started your yoga journey yet? If not, what is holding you back? If so, did you go through any of the stages that I went through? Or, was it all smooth sailing for you? Please join the conversation!