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

With A Slip of the Lip

With A Slip of the Lip

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! J 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 that 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 feeling 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!

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! www.fullips.com 

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!

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!) If you are not a candidate for hormone replacement, however, 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 matt finish lipsticks, they can be more drying and your lips will not look as full. If you have a special matt color you prefer, however, 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. 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 2, like a Large for overall fullness and an Oval for targeting. Or a Medium for overall and a Small for targeting. It would be rare for anyone to really need all 3, but some prefer using all 3 for different effects.

There are many techniques for using your fullips enhancers. I use the tool for a longer period of time but 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-and the medium oval http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoeDyo0iDdc

Cosmopolitan Magazine Video Review http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVmTosU5Tdk

Right This Minute television show Demo and Review- http://www.rightthisminute.com/video/device-allows-you-create-full-lips-ease

Basic demo for general use-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkG2IZ-bNk8

Demo for a second technique and the large round and small oval fullips enhancers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8YbfYL5H3w

And of course, you can always find more information on our website @ http://www.fullips.com/

Surviving the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

It has been awhile friends! If you're anything like me, the holiday season seemed to sneak up much too fast this year! Getting into the holiday spirit took a little longer this year than usual and when I stopped to figure out why, it was clear, I just kept adding to my never ending list! So I decided to write up a quick post on the one thing I'm sure most of us can relate to this time of year: Stress!

As we all know, stress ages us and it's terrible for our health! It makes us look older, and certainly "feel" older. We stress over the little stuff and the big stuff, finances, family issues, the list goes on. But for our health, and our sanity, we've got to try and keep the stress level down.

Not of course an easy task to master! Amidst the flurry of getting the tree and the lights up, shopping, wrapping, and the insane amount of holiday parties squeezed into one little month, naturally that's just when the heat decides to go out, light strands blow, snow piles up in the driveway, and with kids screaming in the background after 8 hours of shopping, all the merriness goes right out the window! Hmmm...did I even mention work? So...in honor of the annual fun, here are my top 4 tips to get through the season in one healthy, happy piece. And to be able to bring in the New Year with more joy than stress.

*Don't sweat the small stuff. Those cookies you were gonna make from scratch for the party, buy em. The present you were gonna wrap all pretty with ribbon, throw it in a bag and go. Take the pressure off yourself. No one that loves you will care, and they are all hoping to do the same thing!

*Don't add anymore to your list! It is tempting. Just one more party, one more "quick" trip to the mall, one more whatever. Start checking stuff off the list and keep things simple. There's already enough to do, and adding more to-do's will simply lead to more stress and less holiday spirit.

*Grab some quiet. Even for an hour. Go grab a peppermint ice cream or Gingerbread Latte and *breathe* in the beautiful weather (though that may vary depending where you live!) and admire all the decorations around the city. Chances are you haven't even noticed all the lovely lights and music playing everywhere. Enjoy the season!

*And last, but most important, take any of the extra time you save by doing things the simpler way, and spend it with those you love. Give the gift of your time this year and gift it to yourself as well. Isn't that what the season should be about? Wouldn't you rather go have a hot chocolate and listen to the laughter of a child? Wouldn't you rather meet friends for a coffee or movie and just enjoy each other? That would be better for your health, make you smile more and overall make the season better for you and those you love!

Wishing you all a very happy and blessed 2014! With much less stress, good health and a lot more peace!
Hugs,
Linda

Apparently “Grand-Mothers” Shouldn't Talk About S-E-X?

Well, apparently Grandmothers should not talk about sex or so I've recently been told. It seems that in my last blog post (ways to exercise that did not include going to the gym), I may have crossed the line for some by mentioning the word sex as a form of exercise.

For those of you that did not see it, there was nothing pornographic about it, my comment simply read, "Sex! Well, I don’t think I need to explain or go into detail here, but if you have a partner, this can certainly be great exercise and good for your relationship too ;)”

 Most of my baby boomer posts have been about inexpensive ways to look and feel our best while aging gracefully, and the feedback has been positive. However, this time I was very surprised to get private messages telling me that they were shocked or surprised that I would suggest having sex as a form of exercise! (one actually said, "You are a Grandmother after all!") Well, my Grand Daughter is 3 and doesn't read this blog, but that is really beside the point!

 Really?!? So Grandparents shouldn't have sex? Or should they just pretend that they don't? Is it an age thing? Or is it a perception thing?

Now, maybe being married to an Ob-Gyn and being very comfortable talking about things openly has clouded my view. Perhaps there is an age in which the idea is taboo, is there a cutoff I didn't know about? Say 50? Maybe it's 40? What about parents? Is it ok for them to have sex or is it just not ok to mention it in any way?

(By the way, I wasn't asking anyone to "envision" this, I simply suggested that sex can be a good form of exercise and I still believe it can be, but I do apologize if I offended anyone, that was never my intention.)

 I have been married to the same man for 34 years and I stand by my position that it is both good exercise, and makes for a very healthy relationship. Now, I understand that as we age things change, perhaps the loss of a partner which changes things, that is a different situation and someone may choose to not pursue that avenue with someone else later in life. However, it is important to point out that if there are health issues keeping you from fully enjoying your sex life, you should talk to a doctor. Many of these things can be addressed and age does not have to be the end of a healthy and satisfying sex life.

Since I decided to go down this road again and address it, because, frankly it was bothering me that I got such negative responses, I would like to mention a great website and a great blog for anyone interested. There are lots of great suggestions and information for those baby boomers that are still sexually active, or want to be!

The first website is www.grandparents.com The family and relationships section has great information and the website is a great resource for grandparents in general.

And the blog http://betterthanieverexpected.blogspot.com/ has been done beautifully by Joan Price, an author who has written many books on the subject of sex and aging.

And here is a great article that talks about the health benefits of sex far better than I could ever pretend to.
http://articles.philly.com/2013-10-21/news/43222496_1_health-conference-maroon-5-betsy-crane

 

Again, if I offended anyone by suggesting that baby boomers and yes, even Grandparents should be enjoying a healthy sex life, then I’m sorry.

In all honesty, however, I’m not the least bit worried about people loving other people; I’m far more concerned about all the hate in the world today.

Hugs,

Linda Gomez
www.fullips.com