Love is in the Air!

Everywhere we look there are reminders that in just two short weeks that special day to express our love will be here-Valentine's Day! 

While a bit commercialized, it’s a sweet and fun holiday to celebrate those closest to us.  And while we should let those we love know it all the time, sometimes we don't, so it’s a great excuse to do something special.

Aside from flowers and candy, jewelry is often on the agenda.  If you are looking for a special gift I found a recent collection from Ana Gutierrez at the Grand Bazaar Shops that is quite the treat!  The line is gorgeous and Ana is a designer with heart, giving back and keeping the environment clean are at the forefront of her business decisions.

If the evening calls for dinner, then aside from our favorite dress, makeup must be perfect too! Before actually applying any cosmetics though, preparation is the first step!  Starting with a clean face is so important.  As we age, our skin can become problematic, so washing without drying it out can be tricky.  In search of a solution, I recently discovered a face cleanser called Better Cleansing Oil by Dermasensa, a local Henderson company.  It leaves your skin moist, but not oily, and it rinses clean.  They have a great line of products and much to my happiness many of them are aimed at the over 50 age demographic!

Once you have a clean canvas to work with, here are a couple of my favorite makeup tricks for the lips and eyes!

As the creator of Fullips, a temporary lip enhancer, lips are obviously one of my specialties! Plumping my pout is the first thing I do before applying my makeup.  As we age that lip line can seem to disappear so using lipstick or liner can be harder to apply!

After I plump my lips, but before starting other makeup, I use an eye cream prior to concealer under my eyes.  A fun tip I learned at a product demonstration, if you have bags under your eyes, apply your eye cream with a slight smile.  Dab in a gentle tapping motion, smoothing the skin to the outside towards your temple.  This helps the skin be a little smoother to prep for the concealer.  Top with your concealer in the same way, gently tapping in an outward direction.

The last thing I do in my routine is my lip color.  Having used my Fullips enhancer and now with them nice and plumped up, I first use a lip colored liner.  Liner can keep your lipstick from bleeding and when lined just outside the lip line can add extra fullness too!  If you use a waterproof liner, your lips will still have shape as the liner will last even if your lipstick doesn’t.  If you blend the liner partially onto your lips, and then apply your favorite lipstick over it, again, even as the lipstick wears off, you will still have color.  Our lip color also tends to fade as we get older, so anything to keep our lips looking young, full and sexy helps!  The key is to blend, not fully color in your lips.

I hope everyone has a warm and loving Valentine's Day, but you don't have to wait until then to let someone know you love them!  Love to you all!

xoxo

Linda

The Benefits of Giving

Thank you to our guest blogger for January, a Seniorly Contributor!

The benefits of giving are numerous.  It has been scientifically proven to decrease depression, improve longevity, and foster social connections that can lead to better quality of life.  No matter how little you have to give, even a few dollars can make a huge difference in the lives of people in need. 

Discover the top ways that volunteering can benefit you and others:

Improving Mood

One of the major ways that giving impacts your mood is by fostering gratitude in your life.  In fact, “Barbara Fredrickson, a pioneering happiness researcher, suggests that cultivating gratitude in everyday life is one of the keys to increasing personal happiness.”  In her book Positivity, she writes that “When you express your gratitude in words or actions, you not only boost your own positivity but [other people’s] as well.”  So it’s really no wonder that you feel better and more motivated after volunteering.  The energy you put out into the world is reciprocated, leaving you feeling refreshed and grateful for all of the wonderful things you have.

Improving Health

Giving has also been proven to increase your overall quality of life.  According to good sources, “A wide range of research has linked different forms of generosity to better health, even among the sick and elderly.”  This season, consider making volunteering a family event, and get grandparents and grandchildren involved in activities that make a difference.  Volunteering may help aging relatives remain healthier for longer.  “A 1999 study led by Doug Oman of the University of California, Berkeley, found that elderly people who volunteered for two or more organizations were 44 percent less likely to die over a five-year period than were non-volunteers.”  If longevity isn’t a great reason to volunteer this season, I don’t know what is!  Get out there and give back to the community in some tangible way.

Social Connections

Last but not least, giving has been proven to foster social connections that are beneficial to all parties involved.  Whether you are serving food at a local soup kitchen or cleaning up a park with fellow volunteers, “These exchanges promote a sense of trust and cooperation that strengthens our ties to others—and research has shown that having positive social interactions is central to good mental and physical health.”  Elderly isolation can be a major concern, and volunteering can relieve this by sparking friendships that help elders feel more socially connected.

What’s more, giving can improve our opinions of others and coincidentally make us feel better about ourselves.  “When we give to others, we don’t only make them feel closer to us; we also feel closer to them.”  Writer Sonja Lyubomirsky writes in her book The How of Happiness, “Being kind and generous leads you to perceive others more positively and more charitably.”  This creates a positive feedback loop, in which the volunteering community supports one another and perceives everyone in their best light.

So take some time to give back to your community.  Chances are, it will not only spread love to those in need, but also improve your overall quality of life and lead to better health down the road.

Find more topics that matter to you at Seniorly.com >>

~

Seniorly.com is a free service for families seeking elder care communities for their loved ones in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and beyond.

We all need community. Seniorly can help you find yours!

In With the New...Off With the Old!

Happy New Year!  For many of us, kicking off 2016 means dealing with what we picked up in 2015, like those extra pounds!

By our age, we've all tried crazy fad diets that don't work, or we wouldn't be back in this same boat!  While there are no “quick fixes”, the best rule of thumb to shed those extra pounds safely and permanently comes down to common sense.

First, always check with your doctor before starting any diet, especially if you have a health condition.  A check-up to make sure your weight gain does not have underlying medical issues too, like a hormone imbalance, is important and helpful!

Aside from a check-up and counting calories, here are a few simple tips that can add up to big losses!

1. Don't finish what's on your plate.  Whatever you leave on your plate will not follow you to the scale.
2. Don't eat late.  The more hours between your last snack and bedtime, the better.
3. Substitute your side dishes.  Trade something like tomatoes for those buttered potatoes. You'll still be satisfied and you'll save unnecessary calories.
4. Cut back on sugar and cutout soda completely!

You'll also need to increase your physical activity, yes… exercise. Don’t dread it!  It can and should be fun.

1. Exercise with a partner! Neighbors, friends, or your significant other make exercising more fun. My favorite exercise partners are my grandchildren.  When your partners are 2 and 5, it means hula hoops, jump rope, dancing, chasing or being chased by them.  Children make wonderful partners because they're always anxious to participate.  Remember though, there's a big age difference, just because they can do something, doesn't mean we can or should.  Proceed with caution!
2. Walking is a great exercise! Increase the distance each day and you’ll be burning extra calories in no time! 
   • Note: when your body gets used to a routine it doesn't burn as efficiently, so every three weeks change your pattern or direction to keep your body and mind guessing!  Sports like tennis, golf, or swimming are great too. 
3. Stretch, it’s important!  Starting each morning with gentle stretching will keep you limber and help to avoid injury, especially before exercise.  Be mindful of surgeries or joint and back issues.
4. Sex....Partner and good health permitting, sex is great exercise!  It's good for your health and great for your relationship. 

A few minor adjustments and before you know it you'll find yourself starting 2016 with a great body and a lifestyle you can actually maintain! Look better, feel better!

Next month’s column will focus on favorite beauty tips.  If you have one you would be willing to share, I would love to hear from you!  Feel free to contact me at linda@fullips.com with you tips.  :)

xoxo

Linda

Celebrating The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

Here we are in the midst of the holiday season, the most wonderful time of the year!

 The music, the shopping, the festivities, and of course, the stress that often accompanies this fabulous season.

 As we all know, stress ages us and it's terrible for our health!  It makes us look older, and certainly "feel" older.  For our health, sanity, and appearance, keeping the stress level down is imperative, so all that holiday merriness does not go right out the window! 

 To look and feel our best during the season, here are some reminders for managing the craziness and looking great while doing it! We can make it to the New Year healthy, happy, and joyful!

• Don't sweat the small stuff.  Those cookies you were going to make from scratch...buy them!  That present you were going to wrap all fancy...put it in a bag and go.  Take the pressure off of yourself.  No one that loves you will care!
• Don't add anymore to your list and keep things simple.  There's already enough to do, adding more to your plate will lead to a lot less holiday spirit. Relax with a Gingerbread Latte, admire the decorations, lovely lights, and listen to the music.  Enjoy the season!
• Before that holiday party, grab a quick nap, but make sure to lie only on your back to avoid those dreaded “lines” on the face. Placing cooled cucumbers on your eyes really helps refresh them too!  Your beautiful outfit, hair, and make-up always look better when you're rested. 
• For your holiday attire, think color! It’s fun to go bright and festive. Bright colors can actually make you look younger and more vibrant! Local designer Bunker Bradley, and partner Roselyn Poon, have a great line for women called Cobra Couture, it’s fun, sexy and comfortable – they even have swing coats! You can dance the night away (great exercise), while looking and feeling good. 
• Holiday make-up tends to be bolder, so have fun with it! Red lipstick is very popular for evenings out during the season.
  • Tip: As we age, our lipstick also tends to bleed a bit more, so if this is a problem for you, there are many great products out there to help prevent this. One good, cheap trick is to use a double liner. First, line around the outside of your lips with a nude color liner, blend. Then just inside that line, use the same color liner as your lipstick and apply your lipstick as usual. The idea is to create a double barrier to prevent the color from bleeding. Practice before that special night out though—I have learned to never experiment with something for the first time right before a big occasion!
• Last, but most important, remember that time together is the best gift to others, and yourself. Isn't that what the season should be about? Go have a hot chocolate and enjoy the weather. Meet up with friends and just have fun with one other.  It’s good for your health, makes you smile, and overall makes you and the season even more amazing!

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and blessed 2016!

Hugs,

Linda

Timeless and Trending Beauty

As I write this column, I am in the midst of my Kissing Cancer Goodbye Campaign, a fundraiser I started to raise both money and awareness for breast cancer research. 

When I started my beauty business years ago, I simply sought to offer women something I had been in search of myself - painless aging!  

I could not have imagined that it would lead to hundreds of women opening their hearts and sharing their stories of tragedy, triumph, joy, and sorrow – all the many things that weave our lives into the complex and beautiful stories of who we each are.  In the emails I received, I have witnessed “beauty” in so many forms - and it has been both heartwarming and inspiring.  

This led me to recently pose a question to my numerous contacts on social media, “What makes a woman beautiful?” The answers surprised me.  

The question was given to men and women, ages 18-93. (Yes, my oldest friend on Facebook is my 93 year old Aunt Ruby - one of the most beautiful women I know!) 

As the responses came in, there were two things that both sexes gave as their top choices: a woman's smile and her eyes. Coming in a close third, was a woman's kindness.

Many expressed that no matter how gorgeous a woman was, without a kind heart, her outer beauty did not matter! While we all want to look beautiful on the outside, so much of how we feel and act towards others also helps to illuminate our outer beauty!

With the importance of eyes and smiles in mind, I thought I’d share the latest trend in eyes and lips! Much like matching shoes and a purse, the current idea is to have the eyes and the lips match - and your nails too if you want the full look.

While I have seen younger women take this trend to really fun color extremes, that look might not work for all of us. Blue lips as a senior is hard to pull off!

Remember you can always follow a current trend, but it may be better to tailor it to a softer look.

At 60 years old, I find that less is more.

One option for a fun, but softer touch is to use a very dark purple eye shadow on top of a neutral brown shadow. The brown provides a nice base and the deep purple is subtle, yet noticeable.

Apply the shadow as you normally would and add a touch more purple to the crease of your lid. Then, if you go over the whole lid with a quick swipe of a pink powder blush, it creates a subtle, sun-kissed highlight.

If you have green or blue eyes, this really makes them stand out even more! And with brown eyes, it adds a dramatic twist! 

For your lips, try a lip color with a hint of mauve. If you prefer a more natural lip color, you can use a nude lip color, but layered with a pinkish gloss.

The pinks and the purple will tie together beautifully and really make both your eyes and your lips stand out! Match your nails to your lips and you are trending!

I want this to be a space where we can all share ideas and tips, I would love to hear from you!! Please send your thoughts, ideas, tips or questions to me at info@fullips.com

 *Please note, this is a reprint as originally seen in my beauty column "Timeless Beauty" for The Vegas Voice newspaper in Las Vegas, NV

What Makes a Woman Beautiful?

When I started my business years ago I simply sought to offer women something I had been in search of myself…painless aging!  I could not have imagined at the time, the doors that would be opened to me by hundreds of women willing to open their hearts and share their stories.  Stories of tragedy, triumph, joy, sorrow.  All the things that weave our lives into the complex and beautiful stories of who we each are.  In the hundreds of emails I have received, I have witnessed “beauty” in so many forms, and it has been both heartwarming and inspiring.  It got me to thinking, what is it that makes a woman beautiful?  As I talk to all of these women I am instantly captivated by their beauty, and yet most I have never seen!

I recently had a wonderful lunch with a childhood friend who I have known for over 50 years.  We do not see each other as often as we wish, but when we do it’s as if it was yesterday.  We chat about the things that most women our age do, and it is space in time that is filled with laughter and memories.  After lunch, I was telling my daughter that my friend has not changed in all these years.  She wanted to know how that was possible?!  And it dawned on me…that while physically she is as beautiful to me now as she was when we were children, her smile, warmth, and elegance have truly remained timeless.

I was curious about what other people thought on the topic so I posed the question on Facebook.  Dozens of people, men and women, responded.  The replies were both honest and encouraging.  Of course there were some of the usual remarks from the guys you might expect.  Hey, I knew I had opened the door!  But many were surprising and said they looked for “genuine smiles” and “warmth” as measures of beauty.

This particular response by a friend, Deborah, was very representative of what most said:  

"For the physical trait I like to see people with "smiley eyes".  The inner characteristic that I find beautiful is warmth.  These are the people that just make you feel happy being around them.  They make you feel as if you matter to them. Funny, I immediately liked you when we emailed because of that...”

Her response summed up what I have found in my childhood friend – really beautiful women are those that make you feel joy, simply by being around them.  They make you feel as if you matter.

I have been blessed with so many lovely people in my life, those that I can honestly confide in and who I love deeply.  Friends and family who let me know I am as important in their life as they are in mine.  Even if time or distance keeps us apart.  When I look into their eyes, I see and feel something that goes beyond physical beauty.

While make-up can do magical things, genuine “Beauty” is not about physical appearances.  It is how we live and who we have become.  From our greatest challenges to our most joyful moments.  And it is in the confidence, strength, and warmth that we bestow upon others which makes us GORGEOUS!

Now go be beautiful!!!

Beauty or Health?

If you had to make a choice between the two, would you choose beauty or health?

The old saying, "nothing is more important than your health", rings so true these days! And while I hope 100% of us would answer in favor of health over beauty, unfortunately what we say and do are sometimes two different things!  In our quest for beauty, we often do things that are definitely not in the best interest of our health.

We pick up weight and go on crash diets; we seek out chemical or surgical fixes in the hopes of "perfection".  Even when we know what's best for us, we don't always follow that path.  As much as I try to be healthy, I can honestly say I know there are things I do that aren't good for me.  Like eating too much candy.  I should probably give up coffee too, but I love it!  And while I should exercise, I hate it with a passion. 

In recognizing my downfalls, however, I attempt to compromise.  The key I have found is no extremes!  Most of us cannot keep up with such a strict, perfect lifestyle and need some day to day exceptions.  So aside from eating candy, I try to eat well.  Lots of fruits and vegetables, with very few carbs.  With this I'm able to keep a steady weight and eliminate crash dieting.  I limit my morning coffee intake to 2 cups (okay maybe 3 on some days!), but ditch the cream and sugar that I'd really prefer. ;)  Knowing I will never, ever go to a gym, my "exercise" consists of running, dancing, and playing with my Grandchildren--hula hoops, jump ropes, it all counts!  And in the beauty department, I try to stay as natural as possible.  Is it sometimes tempting to look at all the ads in magazines for the latest "fix"?  Yes.  Is it worth it?  I don't think so.

I also try to remember that so many things are also out of our control--family history, childhood environments (talk about second hand smoke!), etc.  At almost 59, I do my best to stay healthy and feel young.  In this regard, Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy has been my personal life changer.  Yet not everyone wants or is a candidate for it.  Recently one of our customers shared that after battling Breast Cancer, and as a result of the estrogen risks, she could no longer take HRT and it led her to us, as she now needed a natural way to add fullness to her lips, (as estrogen loss can cause lip thinning).

I'd been thinking for awhile that I wanted our business to be able to give back in some way, and this customer gave me the inspiration that our little beauty product could do something positive-even if just in a small way.  We are hoping we can offer our Fullips lip enhancers to the very strong and beautiful women that have battled Breast Cancer and find themselves in this situation.  While we clearly recognize that thin lips are the least of anyone's concerns after facing cancer, we hope that if in some small way it could be helpful to those that would like to add it to their daily beauty routine, then we are happy to provide it!  to my attention (Linda Gomez) and we will arrange to get a set out! www.fullips.com 

We are putting aside 100 sets to distribute over the next three months to women who have faced Breast Cancer and feel like they would like to try these to avoid more chemicals, or because they are no longer HRT candidates.  If you, or someone you know, is in this position please email me at info@fullips.com to my attention (Linda Gomez) and we will arrange to get a set out!

xoxo, Linda

Lips are our Business!

Lips are our Business!

In light of the recent media attention Fullips has received, I decided we are long overdue for a post on the Fullips team's favorite topic - LIPS!

When I first started developing the enhancers for adding fullness to my own lips, I had just turned 50.  And because of the normal aging process, I noticed my lips were thinning.  While lack of estrogen is often a cause for older women, many women, of all ages, have naturally thin lips or simply want a little added fullness.  Fullips enhancers can certainly help with this, but here are some additional tips that can help as well!

1)  Stay hydrated.  Dehydration can cause lips to lose some of their natural fullness.  So being well hydrated is beneficial, not to mention to your overall health too!

A tip from one of our recent customers: "I have been an ER/Trauma RN for almost 10 years, so my knowledge about the human body is a little better then the average person.  I can tell you drinking a lot of water and taking vitamins/herbs is super beneficial in achieving the best results!  Coffee, tea, sodas, alcohol, etc...anything with caffeine will decrease the results tremendously, do to the diuretic effects of those products."

2)  Moisture.  Keeping your lips well moisturized, just like you would the rest of your face, not only keeps them fuller looking, but their overall appearance is better.  I personally love the Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment, but there are many great ones on the market.

3)  Exfoliate your lips.  Yes, while we often think about exfoliating our skin, we often forget that our lips can also benefit.  Use a very soft brush, gently.  In fact, Fullips packages include small exfoliation brushes with every order as a gift, I think it's that important!  Remember, nothing is nicer and more kissable than soft lips!

4)  Consider using a Plumping Gloss.  There are several good ones on the market already, and we will soon be adding our own as well.  Even if you prefer more color than you can get with just a gloss, or have your favorite lipstick, you can use a plumping gloss underneath your favorite color, still giving you the benefit of the plumping effect.  With any new plumping gloss, remember to always check the ingredients first to make sure you do not have any allergies.

5)  Hormones.  If your lips seem to have thinned due to age, and possible hormone changes, you might talk to your doctor about checking your hormone levels as a lack of estrogen can add to this problem.  (I use Bio-Identical pellets and love them!)  However if you are not a candidate for hormone replacement, then using alternative, natural options may be best in these situations.

6)  Liner.  When applying your lipstick, consider using a lip liner.  If you use a neutral lip color then you can take it just outside the edge of your lip line and it will still look natural.  Additionally, using the liner as a barrier, your lipstick is less likely to bleed.

7)  Find a Moisturizing Lipstick.  While I personally like the look of matte finish lipsticks, they can be more drying and your lips will not look as full.  However, if you have a special matte color you prefer, you could still try a plumping gloss under it.

8)  Lip Liner Illusions.  For a fuller looking lip using a liner, add a thicker line under your bottom lip in the center of your mouth.  It creates the illusion of more depth and fullness.


Bonus Fullips Enhancer Tips:

*For those that have a Fullips enhancer, here are some extra tips.  For those coming straight to our blog, the Fullips product was created to offer a natural and less expensive alternative for those wanting fuller lips, without the use of chemicals or invasive procedures.  Our enhancers come in 3 sizes and shapes for a variety of uses.

The Small Oval is my personal favorite!  It was developed to be used vertically, to target the middle of the mouth. In doing this, it takes the focus off the outside area where many older women, like myself, have more noticeable laugh lines and often get a turned down mouth look.  By drawing attention to the center of my mouth, and focusing on a smaller area, the fullness is more pronounced and distracts from the areas that I do not like.  It is kind of a smoke and mirrors thing, but it works! :)

The Medium Oval can focus both on the whole mouth area, and be turned vertically for targeting certain areas.  It can be used to do one lip at a time, and while that takes a little more practice to perfect, it is very useful if you have one lip that is smaller than the other.  If you are looking at just targeting smaller areas, like the center of your mouth, the small one is still the best.  But the Medium Oval tool provides options for both overall fullness and targeting.

The Large Round is our most popular seller for those looking to achieve an overall, fuller look.  It is best for doing the whole mouth area, but not as useful for targeting specific areas.  While some customers use it for one lip at a time, the size is best used for encompassing the whole mouth.  Generally, those with an overall larger mouth shape, and younger people, prefer this one.  Even though my 26 year old daughter in our demo uses the medium oval.  It's such a personal choice really.

Many people like to combine two sizes, like a Large Round for overall fullness and an Oval for targeting.  Or a Medium Oval for overall and a Small Oval for targeting.  It would be rare for anyone to really need all 3, but some prefer using all 3 for different effects on different occasions/events.

There are many techniques for using your fullips enhancers.  I use the tool for a longer period of time while using a gentle suction, while my daughter (as seen in the demo), prefers short quick suction "puffs".  It does take time to perfect the techniques, but the longer you use it the easier it becomes, and the better the results!  After you find what works best for you, you can incorporate it into your daily routine just like any other product, or you can use it just for special occasions, as it is temporary.  The key is to go slow at first, and then find what works best for you.

Hope these tips are useful! :)

Here is a demo with one technique using the Medium Oval:

 

A different technique, using the Large Round and Small Oval to target the upper lip:

 

Cosmopolitan Magazine Video Review:

 

Right This Minute Demo and Review:

 

Basic demo for general use: