Eye Makeup: Take A Picture

Okay let's step it up a bit. Start practicing with your eye makeup, everyone needs something around their eyes, I don't care how beautiful or natural you think you are. If you want only a tiny amount, use color matte super thin and light foundation around the eye setting it with a powder to match your skin tone. Finish with mascara. Everyone needs some practice. My favorite eye products are from Bobbi Brown. If you need to experiment and practice, use a less expensive brand like Maybelline. I am a fan of the gel eyeliner in a small pot that comes with its own brush, for high end brands, just buy the recommended brush for the brand. Gel eyeliner stays put but you have to work quickly. I set it with a color shadow over it. My favorites are black, navy, deep browns with contrasting taupe or a peachy color on the brow bone. 

Take a photo of your eye to see if you have your eye makeup the way you want it, or to try and experiment with different looks. Take the weekend and start taking your own picture and play with colors and products. Mascara? I love YSL and Napoleon Perdis. Less expensive brands you could try are from Almay or Ulta. 

I have more advanced secrets when I feel you can handle the information. So go for it. I will be checking on your progress :)

Retro Fashion: The 1970's

I do not want anyone worrying too much about what they wear, but it is time to give up the retro fashion past a certain age, except with a few exceptions. But if you are asking me to provide you with that age, then you are already passed it.

Here are some fashion do's and don'ts if you want to incorporate retro fashion into your wardrobe; probably keep it to yourself on your own time and not so much if you work in a bank, or stuffy office atmosphere where the old ladies would be upset:

Don't do this:

If you are passed 50 and dress like p*rnography movie producers people will think you are p*rnography movie producers and that's not the point of retro dressing

Do this:

Age-friendly 1970's style

Grow Old Gracefully

...and why not? Hopefully you do not fall victim to publicity agents paid to say their celebrity clients are not aging, or are aging gracefully and look gorgeous with firm jawlines at 70 years old. The only reason they may look great for their 70th birthday is because they got all their facelifts at ages 40, 50 and 60.

If you can afford plastic surgery, you are only pleasing yourself, which may be enough. But you are not fooling anyone and can never look 20 or 30 ever again. Face it, and face your face squarely in the mirror.

If you were plain and ugly in your 20's you will still be that way when you get old with or without plastic surgery, only a few years might be erased from that jawline or eye area. Which is okay, just don't think the masses that you pass by everyday will wonder, gosh, who is that gorgeous young chick? That will only happen in your own mind, and don't let it.

What if you were gorgeous as a young person? Well, sorry, it will fade, such is the curse of being beautiful. Case in point, yes, I thought Jacqueline Bisset was a pretty young star, she has aged like all us mortals, you can tell she has had a facelift. No plastic surgeon can restore your face, they can only patch up what has aged. 

Plain Jane at 35 and still a Plain Jane at 75. Doctors cannot make you pretty. Joan Rivers should've have stopped at the first nose job, kept her hair a darker blonde, and called it a night. All that money wasted on her face when surgical tape under a wig for performances would have worked just as well.

Remember, after your nose job, other points of your face will be emphasized. After Angelina's first nose job, you can see her mouth protrudes and the lower chin/under-bite is more prominent.

So what is the solution? If plastic surgery makes you happy then go ahead, but remember, it is only in your mind that you somehow will look young. If someone is rude enough to make fun of how you look just because you accept growing old without spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on your face, then say nothing and politely walk away from those people. Also keep in mind, plastic surgery is not an exact science. Doctors can botch it up and you have to suffer through corrective surgeries.

Remember no matter how much a person spends on their face, we all age, so decide on how you will spend your energies, time, money, and you can look great at any age, it just takes a little STYLE.

Red Carpet Class

I love watching the annual awards shows, yet prefer BAFTA over the Oscars. The Oscars are so overblown and are just one giant commercial to market all the Hollywood films to foreign markets. But if you are a betting person, take note that the Oscars copy from BAFTA, since we are in bed with Britain with movie making.

Here are red carpet style tips using a few celebrities at BAFTA that you can learn from and avoid:

Oprah was sewn into this Stella McCartney number and she shouldn't have wasted the time. It's old lady. Ditch the satin belt, ditch the old lady lace, and it might have potential, it should flow loosely, with gathering just under the breast. Oprah should have also chosen a less expensive designer so she could have afforded someone to do her hair, she looked messy. A nice upswept hairdo would have worked better.

Another style mistake, why spend so much money on couture and skip the hairdresser? The low scraggly ponytail  and flat hair was a crime with the pretty dress. I'm also not a fan of no purse. A pretty girl in a pretty gown should be carrying a small purse that sparkles in her hands.

More tiresome cliche from this obnoxious couple. Angelina is filled with so much plastic in her face and body she can hardly move. Maybe for her next pre-cancer surgery doctors can fix her mannish jawline and under bite. Brad could care less what his wife does or how they look since he's in it for the free booze and it shows. So, take note men, take an interest in what you and your wife look like when you go out on the town. Then maybe you won't end up looking stupid.

Drink Your Water?

I know, we hear it all the time, to drink a million gallons of water per day, but all this happened since most people no longer drink tap water, but expensive bottled water. But take a moment to think about what you are doing, not all of us can, or should, be drinking gallons of water everyday. Many people have health conditions where a lot of water taxes the system. Even in normally healthy persons, it flushes out vitamins, nutrients, minerals, that your body needs. A lot of water is not good for anyone, in my humble yet expert opinion. 

So what do you do? Some diet companies think they can sell you with a farce, a fairytale, that somehow water will make you thin, as you drink away at your work desk all day stopping for that giant hamburger at lunch time. Okay, let's get real, moderation is the key to life. Even with WATER, yes, small sips, not a gallon at one time. I prefer various brands of bottled water. I use filtered tap water for cooking and boiling it for coffee or to simmer and steep herbal tea on the stove top. Even if you are exercising heavily, drink water at regular intervals, in small doses, not all at once, it is too hard on your system. 

By the way, I never drink water from those bacteria-laden tubs called water coolers you see sitting around offices and some idiot wants you to join their stupid water club, no thanks. I can splurge for my own personal bottle of water, I kind of don't want the flu or germs from that stale yellow stain from the water jugs and that collect inside and on that disgusting water spout.

If you hate water? Honestly there are good-tasting brands, like Evian or Iceland, but there are a lot to try. And I love FRESH squeezed lemon or lime, but orange would be good too, or kiwi, in my daily dose of water, you get the message, right?

So get to your daily dose of water and exercise, you won't regret it.

Equestrian Touch

Whether you are a horse lover or not, bringing horses into the home adds a bit of style and unique design that might not be expected normally. I realize this is supposed to be a barn, but this is my idea of a perfect home for me and my horse!

Trunks, boots, and horse statues are not only for the barn, bring them indoors for a comfortable casual snack area:

Don't pack away those pretty tote bags or shopping bags you get from the store, decorate with them, especially if they have a unique design or pretty color:

Feng Shui Fun

Sometimes if a room doesn't work, something is wrong or out of place and you can't figure it out, it could be a Feng Shui problem. Really, I have found Feng Shui to be basic design rules that work, and work well. It means balancing a room, no highs and lows like a rollercoaster, balanced furniture, large pieces as focal points small accents pieces to add interest. Think rounded corners, not sharp edges. I don't like a lot of mirrors in any room, they are distracting, and sometimes cheap looking and looks like the room decorator got lazy. For a room to appear larger using mirrors, you must not see your direct reflection in them. 

Home office: The desk should be placed facing a window or a door. If your back is to a door, try putting the desk at an angle, so part of the door or a window is in view.

Bedroom: Place the bed against a wall facing the door. The bed can be at an angle, but you should be facing the door when sleeping, not in direct line with the door, off to the side, as you don't want your body to block the actual doorway...that is unsettling...I think you know what I mean, as in "feet first" directly in front of a door is a big no-no.

Kitchen: No mirrors, put everything away, clean counter tops work best, simple design. A few items can be out on the counter or on shelves that are nice pieces.

Bathroom: The biggest mistake is focusing too much on decorating, having too much clutter. It should be minimal functional design, a pretty soap dish, hand towels, real flowers, or a pretty candle.

Here are a few examples I think you will like that are simple to duplicate:

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