Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog

Book Review: Staging a Comeback: Revival for Women Over 45 by Christopher Hopkins -- The Makeover Guy (of Oprah-fame ).

Although this book was primarily written for women over 45, there were so many things I wish I had known when I was 25. Although his transformative makeovers were of women belonging to the baby boomer generation, there is a plethora of information on fashion, makeup, personal style, and hair for women of all ages.

When I say transformative, see for yourself.

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Happy reading.

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au-then-tic, adjective

not false, or copied; genuine; real

not counterfeit or copied

Some days you get it just right. From the clothes you put on to how your home looks to the kind of work that you do, you're comfortable in your own skin.

And then there are the times when nothing seems "to fit." There's a disconnect between who you really are and how you're living, what you're wearing or the kind of work you're doing.

What would you say, in moments like that, if someone offered you a guide? Wouldn't life be easier if you were given crystal clear insight into what makes you tick and how you can use that knowledge to live an authentic life in everything you do just by answering questions?

You have the opportunity.

Style Statement by Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte is a powerful take on style and authenticity that cuts across all aspects of your life.

Through their consulting business McCarthy and LaPorte have helped hundreds of men and women discover and apply their unique style statements. With the release of their book, they're handing you the key to discover your own.

What is a style statement? A two-word phrase that defines where "your essence meets your expression." The first word, your foundation, represents 80% of who you are. The second word is what motivates and distinguishes you.

Karen Hamilton, publisher of The Best Kept Secret, a newsletter and resource for women over 40, spoke by phone with CarrieMcCarthy recently at Carrie's office in Vancouver.

Karen: How did you and Danielle create and develop this idea inthe first place?

Carrie: I'm a former interior designer. I found I was becoming more of a "dictator" than a designer. Clients would ask me, "What's the new, hot style?"

I didn't want to create projects that were about me; I wanted to get to know my clients more. So I developed a questionnaire and called it a Style Statement. It became a very successful and popular tool.

I was introduced to Danielle and did a Style Statement with her. We just clicked. Eventually we launched our business.

Karen: What are the benefits to someone having a personal style statement?

Carrie: Life has more ease. There is clarity and ownership of who they are. When you're authentic, choices are made with more confidence.

Karen: Take us through the process.

Carrie: In our consulting business, interviews are done on the phone. We have clients all over the world, even as far away as India and Australia. A session lasts 90 minutes. The first 45 minutes is spent in an open-ended question and answer session. We then take a 15-minute break while we review the material that was generated. Finally, we call the client back and give them their definition – their two word Style Statement. We look at the science behind it and discuss how the client can use that information.

The book takes you through the same process.

Karen: Tell us about the two parts of a Style Statement.

Carrie: Over the years, we've compiled a list of 40 words that are foundation words – your 80%. We found early on that 99% of people fit one of these words.

The 20%, the second word in the Style Statement, is your edge.

Karen: The women who will be reading this are primarily in there 40s and 50s. By this stage, one would think they have a pretty good handle on what they are all about. Will they be surprised by what they learn about themselves as they read your book and work through the questions?

Carrie: We found that most of our clients fall into one of two camps.

The first group are men and women who are totally blown away by what they learn about themselves. They often liken it to going for therapy.

The second group we call the "tweakers". Their Style Statement becomes absorbed in their lives and it becomes more absorbed as time goes on.

If you apply it and pay attention, you will get the benefit.

Karen Hamilton: Once we determine our Style Statement, how do we use it in our lives?

Carrie: We help you with this by giving you a tool called the Lifestyle Map. It shows people how they can use the spirit, look and feel of their Style Statement words in their homes, in their work and in their look. The map is a foundation for creating wish lists and to-do lists in your life.

To learn more about Style Statement, Carrie McCarthy or Danielle LaPorte, visit their website.

Karen Hamilton is the publisher of The Best Kept Secret, a weekly newsletter for women 40+. She is also a freelance writer with publishing credits in national newspapers, both local and national magazines, and several websites. Like the proverbial Seinfeld of the perimenopause set, Karen writes a weekly column about the minutiae of midlife in her humorous column found at The Best Kept Secret blog.

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• How to prepare for your baby by detoxifying your home.
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• How to keep your home toxic-free.
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• How to de-mold safely (and you don't even need to use clorox).
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• How to choose fruits, veggies, fish, and the healthiest food for your kids.
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• How to make sure you and your baby practice safe beauty practices.
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• How to choose healthy and safe toys, including choosing a pacifier (clear silicone pacifiers are the safest).
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• How to keep your garden and outdoor spaces healthy.
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• How to improve your indoor air (open your window at least five minutes a day).
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• How to keep your pets healthy and safe, and learn how to make anti-flea sachets.
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• How to renovate safely.
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• How to take action outside and beyond the home.

Total Beauty and Healthy Child are both committed to helping reduce our carbon footprint and creating a healthier environment. As I have said before, don't overwhelm yourself. Start small. Every Green step is a step in the right direction...and don't forget to enter to win an eco-friendly Subaru from Total Beauty.

Have a healthy day,

Beckie

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Oh, my dear readers, about once a week, usually on Sunday, I have Catholic guilt about the superficial aspects of beauty blogging, specifically Girl-Woman blogging about the olfactory joys of a whiff of perfume or the best way to conceal those dark circles under your eyes when I should be writing about saving our world or how to muddle through the current economic crisis. Ah, but I am not nearly smart enough to even come close to those answers, so I will stick with what I do best.

To add to my accumulating Catholic guilt and just in time for Mother's Day, My Beautiful Mommy, by Dr. Michael Salzhauer, a child's companion to mommy's mommy makeover surgery was released. The book, on first glance, made my skin crawl. So to be fair, I went to the book store to look at it and read it from front to back before allowing further skin crawling or biased opinions to seep into this post.

Yes, mom's having a tummy tuck apparently because of you, darling -- but don't be scared when you see mommy all bandaged up like a mummy! Dang, mom's just getting more beautiful! And thank you, Dr. Schnozzer --oops, Dr. Salzhauer for helping Cody understand Mom's nose job.

"My Beautiful Mommy" is aimed at kids ages four to seven and features a plastic surgeon named Dr. Michael (a musclebound superhero type) and a girl whose mother gets a tummy tuck, a nose job and breast implants. Before her surgery the mom explains that she is getting a smaller tummy: "You see, as I got older, my body stretched and I couldn't fit into my clothes anymore. Dr. Michael is going to help fix that and make me feel better." Mom comes home looking like a slightly bruised Barbie doll with demure bandages on her nose and around her waist. The text doesn't mention the breast augmentation, but the illustrations intentionally show Mom's breasts to be fuller and higher. "I tried to skirt that issue in the text itself," says Salzhauer. "The tummy lends itself to an easy explanation to the children: extra skin and can't fit into your clothes. The breasts might be a stretch for a six-year-old."

Brains on Compassion: I am sure the doc's intentions were good, but I truly have mixed emotions about this book. On one hand, my liberal mind can sympathize as to how difficult it must be to explain a mommy makeover to a child. If the mom is dead set on transforming her bod surgically, then by all means, help prepare the child in the best way possible. On that same hand, the child of a mom that needs reconstructive surgery as a result of an illness would surely benefit from this book.

Brains on Dumb: On the other hand, as some critics have already noted, mommy's explanation that her nose job will make her look "not just different, my dear — prettier!" does send the wrong message. This just makes my stomach roll, because will this be our legacy to our daughters and granddaughters? To achieve beauty, darlings, at all costs?

Jamie came home to attend a wedding this weekend and I wanted her opinion on this book. She read the post and said, "That's a stupid book." Profound words from a 24-year-old woman.

How do you girls and women weigh in on this one? I would love to hear your opinions.

Have a relaxing and healthy Sunday,

Beckie

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The book details the same 8 step plan for energy and vitality and energy eating plan recipes that Dr. Klauer recommends for her high profile, hard charging Manhattan clientele.

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• Daily aerobic exercise no matter how busy you are.
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• Add protein to every meal.
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• Eliminate processed carbs.
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• Eat a healthy breakfast.

The Part Avenue Nutritionist's Plan includes Dr. Klauer's advice on:

• How to break the bad habit of constantly dieting.
• Which foods will help you live longer and look younger.
• Getting the most out of high protein snacks (Organic Valley Stringles cheese, which I just purchased -- not too bad; Cabot's Reduced Fat Cheese.)
• How much water do you need. (Dr. Klauer suggests drinking a minimum of 2 to 3 liters of water a day, which can include mineral water. Pellegrino contains 120mg of calcium per liter.)
• What to eat every day (berries, leafy green veggies, yogurt, fish, tea, olive oil, nuts).
• What vitamins you should take (Omega 3, if you don't eat fish; Calcium with vitamin D; and Vitamin C, when your immune system is taxed).
• Fitness test to determine your level of fitness.
• Striving for nine servings of fruits and veggies a day (a serving equals one cup of uncooked veggies or 1/2 cup cooked veggies).
• Which energy bars are actually good for you and which are no better than candy bars (The good bars: Larabar, Gnu Bar; Clif Bar; Luna Bar; Everyday Nutrition Bar; Dr. Klauer's product).
• Why age 40 is the fork in the road (how lifestyle changes in young adults could delay cognitive declines).
  
  

The recipes, like the Selenium Salad and the Omega-3 Cake, are not only nutritious but give your brain a boost, too.

Selenium Salad
Serves 2
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic
vinegar
2 bunches of arugula
Dressing of extra virgin olive oil and
balsamic vinegar
2 tuna steaks, 1 inch thick
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest
of 1 lemon
1 Brazil nuts, slivered

1. Mix the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar together. Pour the mixture over the tuna and refrigerate for 3 hours.
   
2. Wash the salad greens and dry them. In a salad bowl, toss the greens with the dressing of olive oil and vinegar.
   
3. Grill the tuna over medium heat about 4 minutes on each side. Remove the steaks from heat and pour the lemon juice over them.
   
4. Arrange the salad on plates and place tuna on top of each salad. Top with lemon zest and slivered Brazil nuts.

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• Of the thousands of anti-wrinkle products being sold, which ones work?
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• Are expensive skin care and makeup products better than inexpensive ones?
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• Are there any miracle skin-care ingredients?"

"Photo Finish Foundation Primer: ($36) is a colorless, silicone-based serum that has little going for it other than being a decent lightweight moisturizer that makes your skin feel smooth, and that can help ensure a semi-matte finish when paired with a matte-finish liquid or powder foundation."

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