Fresh Visage Please

For some, a pick-me-up is shoes, jewelry or food. For me, it's a beauty treatment.

It's been a tough year for most of the people I know. In many ways. I'm not immune to it; I've had a bit of a wild ride so far this year. That, paired with a glance at iCal and a milestone birthday just down the road, and I decided to take some action. As a creator of a skincare line, I know there's only so much a bottle of product can do. For preventative as well as immediate results, you need to see a dermatologist. And so I did. I wanted to check in with my skin and re-assess my routine looking for things that should be done differently as I age. Mostly, though, I wanted to look fresher and less tired with less makeup. Two hours later, after a microdermabrasion session and 14 some odd little Botox pokes and I have achieved just that.

I wanted a confidence booster and a fresher look and am happy to report that it worked wonders. The microdermabrasion technician used a wand with a light, sandpapery tip that simultaneously scrubbed and sucked up the debris. Didn't hurt at all and my skin was instantly vibrant. The Botox was to stave off the vertical lines between my eyes and subdue my forehead lines back to what they were like when I was in my 20s. Dr. Ruggero from Marianna's in Boulder was a Botox artist. After taking an extended amount of time to assess my health and needs we agreed on a light treatment that only needs to be done 1-2x/year.

I love the results in both outward appearance of smoother, more even skin and in myself--feeling some extra confidence everywhere I go.

12 Basics Every Woman Should Know

The twelve basics every woman should know about fashion. Link here. I talked to the writer, Sally, a few months back when she was working on this piece for MSN. She was putting together

The Dirty Dozen: 12 Fashion Mistakes You May Be Making

and wanted some expert input into the basic things women can do, some of which don't cost a thing. If you're eyeing Pre-Fall's luxurious layers and Fall's jewel tones then be sure you have these bases covered first.

Dressing Your Age and Some Encouragement

The number one question I get from women is "how do I dress my age but still feel and look youthful"? It's a hot enough topic that a reporter contacted me to discuss just that and her article is printed this month in the Baltimore Magazine, Forever 21 by Jessica Leshnoff. She did a really nice job at getting multiple points of view and it's a quick, informative read. Enjoy.

Speaking at the Wildflower Group Meeting: Meet the Style Coach

Whenever I work with a group I am reminded that we all need encouragement, some good advice and the confidence to see it through. Joan Rogliano's Wildflower Group was the perfect group to discuss just that. I met Joan through a client and her amazing assistant Shae booked me to speak at one of their meetings. I agreed to present to this wonderful group because they have a unique mission--to empower women (esp. those coming out of divorces) and help them own their own home. Beyond just real estate, this group is a class act looking to support and encourage each other as well as create new community bonds. I presented my top tips and how to build a wardrobe and had a great time, so much so that I spoke for too long! Thank you, Joan and Shae. If you want to learn more about them, go to Joan's website.

The Best Dress: Pregnant or Not

Even though the lovely Angelina and Jessica Alba were snapped wearing this fantastic long, sleeveless, caftan dress by Rachel Pally in dove grey and orange, respectively, while pregnant I enjoy it perfectly post-natal (uh, 3 years post-natal). While incredibly long and flowy, it's made of jersey cotton so you can trim the bottom to be a custom length on you. It's forgiving, allows you to look amazing with very little effort and is so comfortable--see more about it here in the video.

And ever since Ms. Jolie-Pitt wore the dress, it is generally sold out everywhere except at this really great store online, Shop Rapunzels (great customer service).

The Color of Inspiration, Style Reminders

Many of you know that I recommend you keep a style board of color combinations, outfits, pics of your style muse(s) nearby so when you feel like giving up and throwing on just the basics you can instead have inspiration at the ready. I recently saw these on Jezebel, it's from a fashion spread in Vogue, India. I am as awe struck as they were by the colors and the beauty of the model. Amazing inspiration and I wanted to share it with you.

The model is:Lakshmi Menon

The Photographer is: Prabuddha Dasgupta

Handbag Answer from the Style Coach

Question came in: I have a Juicy bag with torn piping. I have had a really hard time trying to get it fixed. Nordstrom said that they can't do it and all the leather repair places here in Salt Lake say they can't do it. Artbag.com wants $150 to repair it, but it's only a $200 bag. The article says it's easy to do. Where can I get it fixed without breaking the bank?

Answer: I've done some investigating on this one. Find a reputable shoe repair place and ask them, they often do handbag work and are really good at leather and detail work. Additionally, you can ask where Nordstrom or Saks (depends on where you live) send their bags for repair, and go there yourself. Nordstrom is probably quoting you so much because they don't want to do it and accept the liability of it not turning out perfectly. Be open to a creative solution from your repair place of choice.

Another option is to take a picture of the bag and send it to someone pretty senior at Juicy and see if they have some ideas--curious to see how they handle the situation.

Lastly, you may have to look for a new bag...

Let me know how it goes!