Friday, February 29, 2008

Fresh Air in a Sea of Black

I waited till today for this entry so I could post of the 29th of February. For all of you born on this day Happy Birthday and remember as the rest of us age you are still young.

I enjoy attending most events as I can always find something wonderful that makes it memorable. Many times it is something wonderful as an unexpected conversation or as simple as a great desert. This time it was fashion; and in the sea of black it was stunning and enjoyable.

The fresh air was taken right off the runways and into this event. Two smart amazing women took the bubble evening dress complete look and made it their own; one in black and the other in white. What made this even more fun was one had dark hair and other was…what else blond. The best was, unlike many women, who just wear the dress, they were able to take the entire runway look and make it their own. They looked stunning!

Heads turned when they walked by. Of course many loved the short skirts, but it wasn’t just the skirts that made head turners. It was the sassy approach these lovely ladies pulled off that made the look theirs. I had one glimpse when one of the women looked like she was posed for the latest fashion magazine. Well done ladies.

Each year I notice more and more color. It is wonderful. Who ever the people were that pushed for black to be the color for evening wear must have been color blind. This year one lovely lady in a flowing celery green evening pants outfit was wonderful, tall and blond; she was a breath of spring on a warm evening with a spectacular sunset.

Another white evening dress caught my eye. Although I only got a glimpse, the dress was wrapped like the look of a Greek goddess. The shoulder throw I didn’t understand and I think it took away from the great goddess look. White and flowing she walked through the room like mist.

Not to be outdone by the women, the men were bringing out the color for their evening look. I spotted many ties in a wide range of colors and patterns. I am beginning the think the usual black and white look for evening dress for men is a thing of the past. My comment is…it’s about time.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape you have always wanted and to, ahyes, become a fashion icon.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Ah…spring is in the Air…first a word about Jay

Before I get started on the word about spring, let me say a word about Jay Leno. Yes Jay Leno! Jay has been a staple in our home as a funny before bed. The news is always so depressing that we didn’t want that in our heads while we slept. So we enjoyed the craziness Jay would give us. I was very happy when the writers’ strike hit and Jay decided to keep doing his show. Then I discovered something. While the writers were out…Jay was much funnier! The comments about the audience didn’t happen and the jokes were GREAT! The audience thought the jokes were funny and the entire show had a lift to it. Oh my; now the writers are back the jokes are back to being flat! Jay has to keep wondering about the audience and the show is back to really dumb jokes. Jay it’s not the audience…it is the stupid jokes the writers are giving you. You were funnier on your own. After all didn’t you keep audiences’ laughing for years before the show? It is only my opinion, but could it be the audience thinks so also?

Now for spring…I know that I am ready for spring, including clothes. I received one of my favorite catalogues the other day and flipped it open to a mouth dropping visual. I know I had a problem with the PJ’s but I think those designers are now into regular women’s wear with the same laze-a-fare attitude. Again I must say they are forgetting that grown women are not 9 years old.

Cutesy little clothes that have zero sex appeal. Little bows around the waist….peter pan collars (ugh). And those wonderful mixed spectrum mod prints. What are these designers thinking? I stopped into stores where I know the managers and asked about business. Most answers were business was off. A couple of managers said it was probably the economy. Oh Pleeeeze…we all know if a woman likes the clothes they will find a way. Shoppers were sparse.

Most people can’t afford Haute Couture or even high end designers clothes. $3500 for a simple handkerchief hem summer dress isn’t quite in most of our budgets. But taking the designs from kids clothes and sizing them up for adult women doesn’t work. Yes I know many times during Easter Mommies and daughters do have similar dresses. That is because the designs went from Mom down to daughter with many changes but, like fabrics. Now it is going the other way???

However once you weed through all the less than appropriate clothes out there, you can find a few gems…more on the gems later.

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Spa Treatment – Skin Deep

Different procedures in plastic surgery are becoming big business. The surgery techniques of today are nothing like the procedures used 10 years ago. One of the newest techniques you are even seeing in advertising is a fill product that can take away the deep lines around the mouth and into the laugh lines.

This is a great product and procedure that many people are thinking of using. Why…because it is not permanent. With these temporary procedures if you don’t like the look you get, you only have to wait a few weeks or months and it is gone. And if you like what you see, then you just make another appointment to get the touch-up.

This, to me, sounds like a wonderful idea. We all have different problems that we would not like to see when we look in the mirror. As any of you that have read my books know, I had the plastic surgery to remove the extra skin after losing all the weight. But I had the procedures done by a plastic surgeon. The latest trend that I am seeing is spas offering the fill procedures.

Having a skin specialist at a spa that has taken a seminar on how to inject the fill product is a little scary. Yes the product is very safe, but getting that product into a vain or worst yet getting air into a vain what is called a vain embolism is really scary.

I think the idea of the product is great. Boomers can keep that youthful appearance longer. Might as well look good, as boomers, because of better medicine, food and our own desire to stay healthy, are going to live a lot longer than our parents did. Many of us will probably see 100. Procedures to keep gravity out of our looks are fine with me. But, it scares me that women might go to a spa and have someone without a doctor’s degree doing the producer. Ouch!

Plastic surgery today is great with better procedures and products, but only when done by a professional that has been trained in the “art” of plastic surgery. And it is an art.

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Learning Tricks from Even the Semi Pros

During lunch the other day I realized just how much I learned being a manufacturer for the hair and beauty industry many years ago. One thing was little tips on how the pros make the celebs (and you) look when make-up is done by a pro. Believe me without the pros, celebs would not look as good as they do when they are out in public. There are so very few celebs that actually do their own make-up. However; learning what pros or even semi-pros do is one step closer to the right make-up look each and every time.

What better place to learn then at your local department store that has a “We will do your make-up for you” department. Now I don’t mean you sit there and get your make-up done. I mean you stand off to the side and watch what they do. For Semi-pros these people are very good. They have been taught how the make-up from their line works and what they can do with all age groups. They don’t do what a pro does, like mixing up to 8 colors for the eye shade, because a client simple won’t buy that many colors at a time. But their techniques are very close to the pros.

One simple trick that I learned from a pro that I saw a semi pro use was the use of face powder to soften and make corrections on eye shadow. I don’t know about you but there have been times when the eye shadow just goes on too dark or to high on the eye. Nothing is worst then trying to get it off. I can remember washing my face and starting over because of a blunder on the shadow.

After watching a pro fix a blunder they made, I almost had to hit my head like the V8 commercial. Duh! Now why didn’t I think of that? Now I simply keep a pressed powder the same color as my base to go over to dark shadow or to soften the shadow line or to use as a blender when I use more than one color. NO, it does not take a long time. Just get a good chisel brush and blend, blend, blend and ‘voila’ correction made.

What is nice is you can use at the side and under the eye also, as it is the same as your base color. It is like an eraser only it doesn’t eraser it simple hides! What magic it can do.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene


Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Awash in Red

Red is an exciting color and lately all advertisements have been awash in red…however I still can’t figure out what red has to do with cleaning a sink or toilet. How do you mix that with candy I am not sure. But all stores and even the grocery markets are busting out in red.
Walking through the market, even for green vegetables is a place of red these days. The marketing department of the stores have simple out done themselves. Balloons are everywhere; probably in the balloon count of 300-500. Candy everywhere and those ohsogood chocolate dipped strawberries were out in full display. They even had hearts strung over the meat department and Valentines on the hams!


Flowers were all lined up for the grab and go person. The only thing necessary was to sign the card that was attached. YES sign it!!


Ladies if your guy is always forgetting this day, send him to the market for a quart of milk, he would have to be blind to come back without something.
On my round of errands, I noticed it wasn’t only the market…the UPS store…the bank…the tailor all had the Valentine heart everywhere. If you love red this is a great time of the year.

This is the day for love…isn’t it a wonderful holiday to celebrate and enjoy? The color of excitement combined with a day of love. What a powerful combination.

For all of you who were lucky enough to be born on this day
Happy Birthday! This includes my sister. Everyone is celebrating! WOW how lucky can you be! Have a wonderful birthday and enjoy all the hearts and flowers. This day is special to all lovers and to all who love.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network.
www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a Valentine fashion icon.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Doesn’t Graphite Belong in Pencils?

Before we get to graphite…

I send BIG cu-do’s to the Spanish Fashion industry. They are stopping the use of extremely thin models.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3351177.ece women were not intended to be shaped like boys. Designers…almost anything looks good on a post! Women have shapes!

Now to Graphite…

Good grief… here we go again…those wonderful designers, in their ultimate wisdom, have decided to try and change black yet AGAIN! They did this several years ago and they called grey the “new” black. Then pink was the new black. You know I have yet to figure that one out. Black IS black and women love the color no matter what time of year it is; a staple in the winter and an accent with summer whites for an extra classy look and brights for a sexy look.

What keeps coming to my mind is the colors are out shadowing the designs of clothes and fabric, which have much to be desired. I don’t know about the rest of the boomer population but I remember the last time mod was in fashion. And it wasn’t just a fashion statement. It was completely cultural. The mod phenomenon spread through most of the modern world, and was fueled by the music of that age. The designers wanted something new and fresh. Mod fashion was just that…fresh and different. There was always something within the mod look that could be incorporated into any age group look. I can still remember my Mother putting on a mod cap one day with her look. I must admit I had to do a double take…that wasn’t something I was expecting. But it worked!

Today, the designers seem lazy. We have a mixture of the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s all mixed together. So they make a color statement that Graphite is the new black.


What I have seen so far is graphite is one of those colors that drains the life out of colors it is used with. I think that is why they are pairing it with bright yellow, and sometimes black(?). So I can only say this if it takes the life out of other colors used in the fabric, imagine what it does to the color of your skin?

Boomers are the biggest group of buyer’s of fashion, and as I am observing we still are the best dressed. Other age groups don’t have the numbers of the boomers. If that is the case then why are designers pushing us aside? I can only think it is because we have evolved from the mod age when we would have worn almost anything (and did) to being fashion icons. We have style and an eye on beauty. We don’t like lazy designers. We like style and beautiful colors and wonderful fabrics. Hay designers…take notice we are still here and are hungry for great clothes in great colors.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network.
www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Monday, February 4, 2008

The Peacock Lady

I have a wonderful place to shop here in Southern California. This store is set up as a typical department store, where you can see over the top of the clothes and other items; except in the handbag area. There, they have walls for the bags to hang.

I was shopping there and as usual I couldn’t resist the handbag area. As I went up one aisle and turned the corner there she was, and I was face to face with a lady who certainly had an interesting slant on fashion. I must admit I had to stop and take it all in.

She couldn’t have been more than 5 feet tall. On her feet were checkered high-top sneakers. Her pants were multi striped blue and green. The throw back style and fabric to the 1950’s and they were slightly short. Not cropped, not capris, just short of being long pants. Her blouse was lace, long sleeved. (After all we are in the middle of winter) Over the blouse was the wildest fringed wrap or shall or whatever they call them. There were multi-colored threads going in one direction and metallic silver, gold and black going in the other. Tied in a knot and draped over her shoulders with the knot hanging just below her shoulders.

This might sound completely in fashion for a teen, but as I got to her face she was somewhere in her late 50’s of early 60’s. And to top all this off, her hair was short platinum blond with the center spiked straight up multi colored red, green, purple and blue. The first thing that went through my mind was a joke that I had read that morning that is going around the net…where this woman’s father encountered a young man with a multi colored Mohawk. The older man couldn’t help staring. Finely the young man said to him…”Haven’t you ever done anything wild?” To which the older man replied…”Yes I have, I once got very drunk and had sex with a peacock. I was just wondering if you were the off spring.” I had to laugh at that joke and smile at the women as we passed in the aisle.

I couldn’t help myself; I had to turn around and look again, and noticed she had several bags on her arm, silver, purple and plaid. She was having a great time shopping and talking on the phone as the same time. (Isn’t everyone?)

What a woman! She had her own slant on style and on the time factor also. She was thinking young and acting young. She embraced the idea: you feel, as you think. Boomers remember that idea. You feel as you think. What a wonderful idea as we enter the next phase of our lives. We have been the leaders in many things, now let’s be the leaders on how to feel and think younger than our years.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Do forget to listen to my radio show this Wednesday February 6th, or listen later at http://www.amazingwomenbbs.com or www.marlenesiersema.com click on the radio button on my site. The feisty redhead Liz Goodgold http://www.duhmarketing.com will be on talking about digital marketing. See you on the radio.