Should I let my hair go gray? We all face that tough decision sooner or later. We can let nature take control all along, or when gray first appears, we can punt and color our hair “for the time being.”

By age 60, it’s no longer the time being. I find that women our
age talk a lot about whether it’s time to stop coloring and find out what we
really look like.

We might find out that our hair is a soft and beautiful white. Or
it could be a shiny silver. Maybe it’s not even completely gray yet. But it’s
likely to just be either dull or white.

A Brighter Gray

Since I write for the hair industry, I asked for guidance from a
couple of hairdressers who love their clientele in this age range.

Frank Shortino, a Wella artist and owner of Shortino Salon and Spa
in York, Pennsylvania, says his “gray reduction” is a popular color service for
women who want to cover up the years without exactly covering the gray. This is
much less time-consuming and costly than keeping up with full gray coverage.

“I just put a little gold into the hair,” Frank tells me. He says
the warm tones light up not only the hair but also the face. “It’s like putting
a pinch of salt into your food,” he explains. “This is just a pinch of color in
the hair.”

Recapture Your Rich Color

Despite any vision of plucking out gray one strand at a time,
going gray typically begins as a gradual loss of vibrance. If you’re a
brunette, for example, one day you might look in the mirror and realize that
the brown is more taupe.

Youth’s vivid color fades, which you notice if you have long hair
because you can contrast the top with the ends that grew out of your head perhaps
years earlier. With short hair, you may not pick up on this evolution.

Often, highlights are the first solution for women who just want
their hair to look the same as it used to look. Highlights add brightness and
disguise what’s going on up there.

But highlights do not restore brilliance. As the fading deepens,
the next step tends to be single-process color. You choose a shade that’s as
close as you can get to the color your hair was before it began losing its
luster. Photos from your earlier adulthood can help with this.

Once you get used to a maintenance schedule for single-process
color, your stylist may circle back to highlights – not instead of the color but on top of it to give your hair
dimension and get closer to natural-looking hair color, which is never exactly
the same color.

In the photos of Frank Shortino’s client shown below, the
difference from “before” to “after” is the vibrance. The shade is similar but
bolder and more youthful, aided by golden highlights. The cut further helps by
bringing out the wave, which builds additional dimension and movement.

Similar to Frank’s client is the chestnut look below designed by
Maria Mello, owner of Hair Ninja Salon in Brandenton, Florida. Caramel strokes
like these are a popular addition to many shades, acting as lowlights for
blondes and highlights for brunettes and reds.

For Maria’s client with longer blonde hair, a soft rose color
defines the accents. Highlights in rose, violet or blue are opening up more
choices for women of all ages.

Ready for Fashion Color Extravaganza?

Some of Maria’s clients really want to stand out, so she fills
that request by going full-speed with fashion color. Maria says she’s become
known in her area for these dramatic cherry, purple, magenta, and rainbow
looks.

“I always joke that it’s a great transformation and cheaper than a
sports car or plastic surgery,” Maria says. “I admire these women so much. One
told me that she’s done everything to please other people her whole life, and
now it was time to do something that makes her happy.”

Hair makeovers have Maria smiling, too.

“I love my job and especially this clientele, because I get to see
a woman’s face light up when we’re finished,” Maria says. “She finally sees
what I saw when she walked in the door – that she’s
beautiful.”

What color
did your hair turn with age? What are you doing about it? What hair color do
you enjoy most? Please share with our community!

Photo
credits: Images courtesy of Shortino Salon and Spa and Hair Ninja Salon.

Like many women my age, I don’t wear makeup to make an impression on other people. I wear it to look on the outside the way I feel on the inside. Most of the time, I go for a subtle look, but, there are times (like today) when I feel like being a bit bolder!

So, in today’s video, I would love to share with you a more dramatic evening makeup look. After all, you’re never too old to wear a smokey eye!

Let’s age beautifully, inside and out! Check out our own “Aging Beautifully” affirmation cards. They will inspire you to live your life to the fullest and enable you to find joy and passion in the decades ahead.

Do you still love playing with makeup and skincare? Why or why not? What are your favorite makeup products or brands?

Kristin Cavallari’s Eagle T Shirt

Very Cavallari Season 3 Episode 7 Fashion

Kristin Cavallari looked totally fly (like an eagle) in her t shirt with hubby Jay Cutler “relaxing” on the farm. I must say, I’m not sure if I want the little ducklings swimming around or her tee more, but I’m totally on cuteness overload. Which, btw, is something that has potentially never been said, in history, about a reality tv show.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Marissa Webb Eagle Logo Tee

Click Here to Shop her Uncommon James Necklace

Click Here to Shop her Studded Sneakers

Info: @KristinCavallari

Originally posted at: Kristin Cavallari’s Eagle T Shirt

While there’s plenty to love about winter – skiing, ice fishing, fireplaces, warm sweaters, the first
snowfall – there’s a lot more to worry about, especially for
those who are over 65. When battling the elements, it certainly pays to be
cautious.

Cold weather can exacerbate breathing issues and the
risk of slipping and breaking a bone is very high due to slippery conditions.
Even shoveling your driveway can carry substantial risk as thousands of people
of all ages are sent to the ER every year due to snow-shoveling injuries.

On top of all that, there’s also the risk of
developing hypothermia, which is especially high amongst senior citizens.
Luckily, there are ways you can mitigate your risks.

Try to Avoid Slips

This might sound obvious, but avoiding slips is
definitely harder than it sounds. Quite often, snow can cover up a dangerous
patch of ice underneath it. Even snow can be very slippery, especially if you
don’t have appropriate footwear. So, what can you do to avoid slipping?

Pay Attention

You should be alert in all
seasons, but it’s especially important in the winter. Put away the phone and
keep an eye out for potential ice patches on the sidewalk or parking lot.

Be especially wary of patches
that look wet when the rest of the area is covered with snow – they could easily be black ice.

Wear the Right Shoes

The shoes you wear can
make winter a breeze or a pain. When choosing the right pair, find ones that
fit you comfortably, are waterproof, and provide good traction. For additional
help, you can get some pull on studs to help you traverse the winter
wonderland.

Winterproof Your Walking Accessories

If you use a cane or
walker, you’ll want to make sure you winterize those as well. That might mean
changing out the heads for newer ones that have a retractable ice tip. For
walkers with wheels, you can generally spray some ‘liquid snow chains’ such as
Snow Grip to provide additional traction.

Improve Your Strength and Flexibility

You’ll be less likely to
slip if you have a good sense of balance and stable core. The good news is that
you don’t have to spend a lot of money at the gym or on a home gym. There are
dozens of safe exercises you can do with just a
chair and
mat. 

Layer Up

Cold temperatures can lead to frostbite or
hypothermia. Sadly, more than 50 percent of hypothermia related deaths are of
people 65 and over.

It might be tempting to try and save yourself some
extra dollars at home by keeping your house cold, but it’s better to just keep
your house at a reasonable temperature, especially if you live in an area that drops
in the negatives.

Once you’re outside, make sure to wear layers. It
might be tempting to wear just one heavy jacket, but layers mean you can more
easily regulate your body temperature.

Of course, you’ll also want to wear essentials like a
hat, gloves, scarf, and warm socks. If it gets very cold, make sure you cover
all exposed skin and use a scarf to cover your mouth in order to protect your
lungs.

Be Social

It’s all too easy to stay inside on cold days but
fight against the natural urge to curl up under some blankets. Wintertime often
leads to increased isolation for senior citizens. Combine that with Seasonal
Affective Disorder (SAD) and you have a recipe for depression.

To combat this, it’s important that you take the time
to get outside your house and find social activities.

Many towns and cities have events specifically geared
towards senior citizens, whether that’s ballroom dancing or bingo. If you have
family nearby, try and visit them a couple of times a month (if possible)
during these cold months. You’ll be happier and healthier for it!

Get Your Vitamin D

Winters mean shorter and cloudier days. The lack of
sun also means less Vitamin D, which can lead to a slew of issues including
depression, fatigue, weakened immune system, and more. As you’d expect, all of
this can be deadly in the wintertime as many colds and flus circulate during
the colder months.

Your body can produce vitamin D by itself, but it
requires sunlight. Since there’s not as much sun during winter months, you’ll
have to supplement your body’s natural production with foods and vitamins.
Surprisingly, there aren’t that many foods that naturally contain vitamin D.

The best sources are fatty fish such as salmon, tuna,
and mackerel. You can also get it from fortified foods such as milk, some
brands of orange juice, yogurt, and plant milk alternatives. Of course, if
you’re not into fortified food, you can also take a supplement.

Winter comes with its own set of challenges for
everyone, but it’s especially important for senior citizens to be vigilant.
With a bit of planning and awareness, you can stay healthy and happy until
spring rolls around.

What are some other ways you prepare for the winter?
We’d love to hear your thoughts! Let’s move the conversation to the comments
below!

Lady Gaga has done it again. The superstar and beauty entrepreneur just rolled out Haus Laboratories Le Monster Matte Lip Crayons in 12 shades and let me tell you, they’re even better than you’re thinking. When I first saw the lip crayons, I wasn’t immediately drawn to the packaging. Each lipstick is pointy and black, possibly meant to resemble Gaga’s claws? But don’t judge a book by its cover here because this formula is one of the best matte lips I’ve tried.

“What I love about this product is that it’s one swipe full-coverage pigment, it’s ultra-matte and wears very feather-light,” said makeup artist Sarah Tanno, Global Artistry Director for Haus Laboratories, in a statement. “It is the most comfortable matte lipstick…The 12 tones have been tested on all skin tones and undertones to make sure that we have an inclusive range of colors. From your everyday color, like Power Move to the perfect red Mastered.”

Image: Haus Labs.

She’s right. It really is comfortable for a smudge-proof lipstick. It goes on smoothly and dries down to what feels like a demi-matte. The colors are ultra-wearable. I was really into Dust (a nude pink) and Talk Dirty (a nude mauve) at first but ended up favoring the brightest shade in the bunch: Hot Rod (a neon pink). With no other makeup on and a pair of sunnies, I ran around all day and felt cute and put-together. And it stayed on through my latte.

Image: Elizabeth Denton.

The rest of the shades include Power Move (a soft rose), Fire Me (a dirty orange), Miami Tango (a red-orange), 1950 (pure red), Mastered (a cherry red), Greaser (a soft fuchsia), Rebel (a pink punch), Destroyer (a plum berry) and Pusher (a burgundy wine).

Image: Haus Labs.

Shop Haus Laboratories Le Monster Matte Lip Crayons on Amazon now.

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