Facelifts - Are LunchTime Lifts The Best Way To Go?

If you are starting to wrinkle sag or bag what do you do?  These days there are so many options available to you.  In fact, facelifts are becoming branded. Certain minimally invasive procedures are marketed directly to patients in a one-size-fits-most approach. Patients pick an operation — usually after seeing it touted online, on TV or in magazines — and are referred by a national organization to a doctor.

Two procedures sold this way are the Lifestyle Lift, which an ad in Family Circle describes as “revolutionary” and a way to “remove wrinkles,frown lines and sagging skin” in about an hour; and the QuickLift, which also benefits from nationwide marketing that promotes a short recovery and only local anesthesia.

Because these procedures, priced at $4,000 and $5,900, contrast with more extensive face-lifts requiring general anesthesia and usually costing more, they have become popular. 

But many surgeons think branded face-lifts are problematic.  They are concerned that patients may be so persuaded by advertising that they don’t seek a second opinion or investigate the full range of options.

In this new landscape, patients are encouraged to seek an advertised procedure rather than work with a surgeon to select from a menu of options. What’s more, some patients are now “looking not for the best doctor, but the one who has the magic wand.

If you are considering one of these quickie lifts, I strongly suggest you read more about these procedures.  You can start by reading yesterday's New York Times article.    

Real Cougars Are You Looking Older Than You Should?

My friends Deborah and JoJami at Fabulous After 40 say that too many women are looking older than their years.  Here is a small list of the mistakes that date us.  So many potential beauties have no clue that they are aging themselves without knowing it.

So just in case you haven’t taken a good lately, check yourself out.  And, be totally honest about rating your chic factor.

1. Frump ~ Are you stuck wearing your favorite old t-shirt and jeans? Time to trade them for something else. Believe it or not, it IS possible to look good and still feel comfortable. Just getting a cute running around  sports outfit that matches will make you look and feel better.
2. Yellow Teeth ~ Say no more… that’s a no brainer. Especially if you like to wear red lipstick, your teeth will even look more yellow! Ouch!  FYI. Those white strips at the drugstore work well, so no need to spend a lot of money.
3. Dated Sunglasses ~ Ask your kid or if you don’t have one, find one around to ask. They will tell you if you’re hip or not. Big is in, so you should have some that are large with wide sides.
4. Petite Purse ~ We are seeing alot of women over 40 out there with very dated looking purses. Ladies, wake up and get a fun new bag. Oversized is in and will perk up your outfit and hip factor instantly!
5. Ugg, its Uggs ~ If your wearing Uggs, just know that so is every other teenager out there. Yes, they are comfortable, but there are other styles and boots that will achieve the same thing. Stay clear. At your age you don’t want to be competing with the younger crowd.
6. Make-up, too much, too little, just right? ~ Here is what we are seeing: The bad: Too much eye-liner, frosted lipstick, blue eyeshadow. Too Little: Not wearing makeup is just as bad as too much. At least, please use under-eye concealer, a natural lipstick and  draw in your eyebrows. Just right: You should be natural looking but still wearing make-up.  That means foundations, blush, lipstick, mascara, eyebrows, etc….  Yes it’s work, but its worth it!
7. Chewing gum is not an accessory ~ When you chew gum in public it is not attractive and can ruin a great outfit! It will totally ruin any look you’ve worked so hard to put together.

I am starting a new service for all you Real Cougars - Marvelous Makeovers. I have assembled a team of the very best experts in anti-aging medicine, fashion, skincare, hair and makeup to help me.  Here are a few of the exciting things you can expect:

• the latest and greatest in skin rejuvenation
• lessons on how to properly apply makeup that is age appropriate
• creating just the perfect hair cut and color to enhance your new look
• shopping for a wardrobe that is both sexy and sophisticated
• balancing your hormones to feel fabulous
• access to the he latest non-surgical face and body treatments

I want to send out a big thank you to all my loyal Real Cougar supporters.  I love you and wish you all the most wonderful Mother's Day ever.   

Botox Move Over - Dysport Has Arrived

It hasn't been a good week for Botox. The Allergan blockbuster drug now has a brand new competitor,  The FDA has give final approval to Dysport, Ipsen's wrinkle-fighter and muscle relaxant. 

None of these drugs come without risks. Dysport will have to carry the infamous black box, too. That heavy-duty warning explains that the paralytic botulinum toxin can migrate from the site where it's injected. The FDA has received hundreds of adverse event reports to that effect, with some patients developing serious problems, such as difficulty swallowing or breathing.

In addition to revising the label's warning language, the drugmakers will also have to send "dear doctor" letters that enumerate the possible risks. 

Having said that, you might be wondering what are the advantages of Dysport over Botox?  Dr. Michael Salzhauer of Bal Harbour Plastic Surgery Associates says, "It will be priced lower than Botox, last longer, and the results will be visible sooner".

If you are thinking about zapping a few of your wrinkles, ask your doctor about this new alternative.

Real Cougar - Marilu Henner

I am excited - this Friday, May 1st Marilu Henner will be our special guest on The Real Cougar Woman Unleashed radio show. She has lots of great stories and tips on how to stay fabulous over 50.  You won't want to miss it.  Listen to the live broadcast, where you will be able to call in and chat with Marilu, or catch the podcast right here on this blog.

Marilu is well-known for her many leading roles on television, in feature films, and on the stage. Her breakthrough as an actress came in the late 1970s, when she starred as Elaine Nardo in James L. Brooks' hit TV series Taxi. She later starred in Evening Shade, a CBS sitcom that also starred Burt Reynolds.

She has been one busy gal appearing in more than 30 films with such leading men as Richard Gere, John Travolta, Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Keaton, and Tom Berenger.  But her first professional acting work came on stage as Marty in the touring company of Grease, a role she later played on Broadway. Ms. Henner has continued to take roles in musicals, playing to rave reviews following Anne Reinking as Roxie Hart in the 1996 Broadway revival of Chicago, and later as Annie Oakley in the national touring company of Annie Get Your Gun.

Ballroom dancing — as well as ballet, tap, jazz and modern— has been part of Marilu's life ever since her childhood in Chicago. Her love of dance goes hand-in-hand with her work on health and fitness. She offersonline nutrition and fitness classes at (www.marilu.com), hosts a new television series called Shape Up Your Life for the Discovery Networks, and has written a series ofNew York Times best-selling books on the subject.

So you see Marilu has lots to talk about.  Don't forget to listen this Friday at 11AM EDT. 

Real Cougars Changing the Aging Paradigm

Susan Boyle has spawned a flurry of commentary focused on how we stereotype people.  How all of us fall victim to the prejudices of ageism or look-ism, and how we should learn, once and for all, not to judge a book by it's cover.   

Many social scientists who study the science of stereotyping say there are reasons we quickly size people up based on how they look. Snap judgments about people are crucial to the way we function, they say — even when those judgments are very wrong.  SusanFiske, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Princeton says, attractive people are “credited with being socially skilled,and maybe they are, because “if you’re beautiful or handsome, people laugh at your jokes and interact with you in such a way that it’s easy to be socially skilled.”

Age plays a role in forging stereotypes, too, with older people traditionally seen as “harmless and useless,” Professor Fiske said. In fact, she said, research has shown that racial and ethnic stereotypes are easier to change over time than gender and age stereotypes, which are “particularly sticky.

In my humble opinion, the only way to change the aging paradigm is to conquer our fear of aging. The reason we are so critical of people who are fat, unattractive or aging badly, is the fear of becoming one of them.  Whether you admit it or not, the fear of aging is present in all of us.

So, the question becomes how to rise above your fear, how to rise above your ego and be happy with the skin you're in. That's what I have researched for my new book, "Don't Ever Call Me Ma'am..The Real Cougar Guide To Life After Forty".  The pages are filled with practical how-to's that are designed to tame the fear of aging and replace it with the anticipation and joy of what's coming next.

Real Cougar Woman Boutique

So many of you fabulous females have been asking me to put together a high quality line of Real Cougar products.  Well, I heard you and have started to do it. The Real Cougar Woman Boutique is now online and I hope you are going to love it. This is just the beginning and I will be adding new items very soon.  

The Real Cougar Woman Organic Anti-Aging Skin Care Line is wonderful. I searched for a very long time to find the most beneficial products.  I not only found the most amazing high quality line, but it's priced so affordably.  It was a challenge to get both but I succeeded. 

These products are specifically formulated to nourish and heal our over forty skin. Each one is made from specialty handcrafted formulas that are soothing, natural, non-toxic and produced right here in the U.S.A.

The natural ingredients include: Dead Sea Mineral Water, Green Tea Leaf Extracts, Lemon Verbena Extracts, Ginko Biloba Leaf Extracts and dozens more. Each one is selected to deliver the optimal  firming and toning benefits.  The eye serum is great for getting rid of dark circles and eliminating puffiness. You have to try them just to see for yourself how great they are. What women doesn't want to look 10 years younger?

One of my favorite fun items in the boutique is the yellow tote bag  It's light-weight and has lots of compartments.  It's perfect for Spring and I promise you will get noticed when you carry it. 

If you have favorite products that you think no women over 40 can be without, please drop me an email linda@therealcougarwoman.com and tell me about them. 

Real Cougar's Four Ways to Save Face

I can't remember the last time I had a facial, but from what I have been reading, there are lots of very fancy choices when it comes to cleaning, exfoliating and firming your skin.

According to the pros, choosing what we think would be best treatment for our face is not a good idea.  The aesthetician is supposed to do a complete skin analysis before recommending the best procedure for our particular skin type. I wonder how many times that happens?

It's very rare that a dermatologist and facialist agree on the best treatment.  But, here are four procedures they do think are best for maintaining healthy skin.  

EXFOLIATION  will brighten dull skin — often a problem among women older than 40.  Take off some thickness, and skin will appear smoother and brighter.

MICRODERMABRASION blasts away the dead-cell layer with a wand that either blows crystals or has a rough surface that gently abrades the skin.

GLYCOLIC PEELS also take away the outermost layer of dead skin. Make sure retinoids are discontinued four or five days before a peel, The same is true for salicylic peels, which are good for sun damage or acne-prone or aging skin.

EXTRACTION of blackheads unclogs pores, except perhaps for people of color who scar easily.

After writing this blog I think I will make an appointment to Spring clean my face.

Beauty Products That Are Overrated

The gals over at shine.yahoo.com had a discussion about the most overrated beauty brands and products. They weren't shy in expressing their opinions.  Here's some of the don't buys on their list.

Avon Anti-Aging Products: Most of these products are greasy and do not flatten or fill out or in any way diminish fine lines. Their ANEW Clinical Line and Wrinkle Corrector is overpriced crap.

Bare Escentuals: They have one of the worst powder foundations. It turns greasy and doesn't cover well.

Benefit: Completely overrated. A lot of cheaper equivalents can be found elsewhere that work just as well, proving that all you pay for is the fancy packaging.

Mac Eye Shadow: While the colors look great in the pan they rarely look as good when applied.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara: Racoon eyes need I say more.

Philosophy's Hope in a Jar:  It does nothing for parched skin and has a stinky smell like sweaty socks! 

Smashbox Lipgloss:  It's horrible!  Over-priced, grainy, lasts for 2 seconds, waxy and downright bad. 

Told you they weren't shy.   

Eartha Kitt - A Real Cougar Legend

Singer, actress and a legendary Real Cougar, Eartha Kitt has passed away. She was 81, and even though she was battling colon cancer, was still working on a PBS special that will air in February.

Kitt, a self-proclaimed "sex kitten" famous for her catlike purr, was one of America's most versatile performers, winning two Emmys and nabbing a third nomination. She also was nominated for several Tonys and two Grammys.

Her career spanned six decades, from her start as a dancer with the famed Katherine Dunham troupe to cabarets and acting and singing on stage, in movies and on television. She persevered through an unhappy childhood and made headlines in the 1960s for denouncing the Vietnam War during a visit to the White House.

Through the years, Kitt remained a picture of vitality and attracted fans less than half her age even as she neared 80.

When her book Rejuvenate, a guide to staying physically fit, was published in 2001, Kitt was featured on the cover in a long, curve-hugging black dress with a figure that some 20-year-old women would envy. Kitt also wrote three autobiographies.

Once dubbed the "most exciting woman in the world" by Orson Welles, she spent much of her life single, but was wined, dined and romanced by the rich and famous.

This was a Real Cougar who lived life to the fullest.  She will be missed.

White Teeth Instantly With Snap-On-Smile

White teeth are a must these days.  We have a laundry list of choices on how to get our pearly whites dazzling - the whitening strips, bleach trays, veneers and now there's something new - Snap-On-Smile.

Snap-On-Smile is a set of teeth designed to fit right over your own. Some of the Real Cougars using them say you can eat with them sleep with them, and they are easily removed when you want to brush.

Your smile is custom designed after an impression of your mouth is taken.  You get to choose the shape of the teeth and the perfect color for you. They cost between $1,500 and $3,000 depending if you want both the uppers and lowers.  

The company that came up with product say they should last anywhere from three to five years. To read more about them click here.