Merry Christmas!

Enjoy your holiday and let the kid in you come out and play!

Makeup Can Help...

"Makeup can make you look pretty on the outside, but it doesn't help if you are ugly in the inside"

Great quote to ponder this time of year...

Merry Christmas to YOU!

Merry Christmas to YOU! by mspsmartypants featuring calf hair handbags

Frye knee boots
heels.com

Valentino calf hair handbag
mytheresa.com

Metallic Red Large Ornament Garland Gift Wrap
crateandbarrel.com

A good looking woman (YOU) is always wearing a flattering color from her Seasonal Colors! 

Pamper yourself with a MSP Seasonal Color Analysis today!

Even Coco agrees with me (smile)...

How to have a stylish wardrobe (for once in your life)!

Stuck and don’t know what to wear?

The answer to your quandary is to build a better core wardrobe!

Are you wearing the same boring outfits over and over because you don’t  know what else to wear? Need some ideas of how to mix up your ‘same ‘ol’ wardrobe without spending lots of money?  I thought so!

Although focusing on our wardrobes would seem like a selfish act, it’s actually the exact opposite. In order for your family to get the best from you, you need to feel good about yourself. So, chisel out some “me time” and actually PLAN your wardrobe for once in your life! Because the truth is: when you feel good about what you’re wearing, you feel good about yourself!

More than likely your closet is way too full and yet you can never find anything nice to wear. How do I know this? Because way too many women keep buying clothes and accessories without having any basic wardrobe plan in mind.

A better wardrobe starts with a closet purge. You've got to get in there and see what's in your closet! Once you have de-cluttered (removed) and organized what's left, you can then begin to build a fantastic wardrobe! Remove from your closet what’s not being worn and then organize what’s left. (You know the saying: “You can’t see the forest through the trees”) well this holds true with your wardrobe too. To begin your quest for a better wardrobe, you must do a closet purge first. 

Statistically speaking, 9 out of 10 women have too many clothes in their closet. That’s a lot of closets in need of desperate help! Here’s what can happen when your closet is too full…has this happened to you? You are looking for the only black pants (out of six pairs) that fit you just right…you’ve searched your closet, dug through the dirty clothes, looked in the washer and in the ironing pile too—yet you still can’t find your favorite pants! Perhaps you accidentally hung them up in your husband’s closet? Later that evening, as you struggle to pull something else out of your way-too-full closet—Bingo! There they are! Your favorite black pants! They were in your closet all along.

Start with a basic wardrobe. By owning fewer pieces (yes, less clothes) you will actually be more stylish. It’s like magic, less clothes will give you more wear-able items to wear!

Your ‘STYLE RULES’ for building a quality wardrobe. Build your core wardrobe with items like... semi-fitted tee shirts (short, 3/4 and long sleeve) a variety of blouses/tops, selection of casual and dressy pants, solid colored dresses and skirts, casual and dressy blazers/jackets, other items (depending upon lifestyle and climate) winter coat, matched suiting. For a complete list of "Wardrobe Basics" join MissusSmartyPants.com for more specific style help based on your body type!

1. From now on, only allow new clothes in your closet that fit your body well--nothing else! (Nothing baggy, nothing too tight).

2.Your closet will only be filled with clothes that relate to each other. Nothing can be added unless it can help you create at least two new outfits.

3. Most of your clothing items should span multiple seasons to maximize their use.

All of these aforementioned ‘style rules’ will simplify dressing and save you precious time every morning!

An organized closet has fewer clothes in it (only the ones you really do wear) + everything is within view!

At MissusSmartyPants.com you learn which styles (based on your own body shape) make your body look it’s best. You also learn which basics will give you the most wearable options. Won't it be nice to be able to pull out something terrific to wear each and every day? You’ll be able to if you follow the basic wardrobe plan shared at MissusSmartyPants.com.

‘Wardrobe basics’ will save you money because you only purchase clothing that fits into your ‘wardrobe basics’ plan. No more wasting money on costly impulse purchases (even if the item was “on sale”)! Get a list of ‘basics’ and start (slowly) building the decent wardrobe (you as a grown woman) do deserve. Remember, basic pieces are investment items, so don’t be afraid to spend a little more on them since you’ll wear them over and over again. Also, have them altered, if needed so they fit you like a glove. You deserve great fitting clothes that flatter your body.

Your “Essential Wardrobe Basics” List:

When purchasing basic wardrobe items, keep your lifestyle in mind. For example, a business executive would do best to purchase a black pencil skirt in a fine wool, while a stay-at-home mom might prefer her skirt in a casual cotton fabric. You get the idea, base  these wardrobe suggestions below on your lifestyle as well as the climate you live in.

As you plan your wardrobe, decide what neutral color (one or two colors) you wish to base your wardrobe plan on. Then, select one or two accent colors. Accent colors are colors you know you look good in (you always get compliments when wearing) and love wearing. 

From now on.... you'll never open your closet and wonder why you have so many clothes, yet NOTHING to wear! (This might not be what your closet will look like...but you get the idea of how great it will feel to have only fabulous clothes in there you LOVE!)

A wardrobe plan and a closet with fabulous basics will make this happen! If you have style questions, email me at: missusmsp@yahoo.com

Love, Leslie AKA MissusSmartyPants

10 Ways to Get Your Style Fired Up Again!

  

1. Catch a flick. Movies are very influential on the fashion world. Costumes are used to set the mood, personalities, and time period. Take a moment and think of movies past and present. For example, ‘Flash Dance’ suddenly every teen girl wore tunics and leg warmers; ‘Annie Hall’ started the trend of dressing like Diane Keaton. Or ‘Legally Blonde’, a Tiffany heart necklace became the norm for every girl’s wish list.
 
2. Lace up your sneeks. Go to your mall and lock your wallet in the trunk!  Start window shopping (not spending) and check out all the storefronts. Observe the latest styles and trends and make note of the ones you love.

3. Become a couch potato. Watch TV just to see what the characters are wearing. Check out what “older” women wear…like the women on CSI, Oprah, The View, and Kelly Ripa. Find same-shaped celebs and copy their style!

4. People who need people. People watch. Admittedly, this is one of my favorite things to do! Go to the mall, a park or cafe and watch people--and more importantly what they are wearing. Critique what they are wearing and if you think it’s working…let them inspire you.

5. Sign on the dotted line online. Sign up for emails from your favorite stores. Even if you can’t afford to always buy from them…let them inspire you with new styles each season.

6. Go ask Alice. Or, any other trusted friend, sister or those whose style you admire. There is nothing like getting inspiration for your style from a real person.

7. Gloss over the mags. Take a look at the magazines. I’m not talking teen magazines. It can be any magazine from Redbook to Woman’s Wear Daily. A variety of magazines will show women of all ages. Look at what they are wearing.

8. Talk with your teen. No, don’t have THE talk!  Ask them for fashion ideas, silly! They may not quite get where you are coming from—heck we don’t get where they are coming from either! It’s worth a try--they are walking billboards for all the latest styles and trends!

9. Stamp your passport. Travel! Different cultures can inspire your style. See what is popular in another country. I remember going to Paris, France as a teen. The classy styles the women were wearing became “fashionable” years later here in the States!

 10. Don’t be a victim. Know when to pass on a style or trend. It is more important to dress age appropriate…don’t dress like your daughter or grandmother either! You need to be comfortable in your own skin.

Go to: http://www.missussmartypants.com/ For the more fashion tips and style help...Now's the time to revamp your style!

Must-Know Skin Care Information

Dear SYSters,

It's been several years since I interviewed this special guest about skin care on my BlogTalk Radio show, but it's such helpful information I felt I needed to share it again.

(BTW, my weekly podcast is now associated with FlyLady and Friends. Just put 'Flylady and friends' into the search box at BTR's website and search for my 'archived' or 'upcoming' MissusSmartyPants weekly podcasts).

My special guest was a bio-chemist and research scientist from the cosmetic industry. His name is Dr. Andre Hegi. He's so full of information (and quite honestly, hard to understand because he has a strong accent) but he's wonderful resource for helping you (and me) select the right skin care products.

Dr. Hegi has worked extensively in the cosmetic industry as a bio-chemist and research scientist. He’s retired now but continues developing exclusive skincare products for spas and plastic surgeons.

Dr. Hegi shared a wealth of product information on this past BTR show (link to listen is at the bottom of this post). Since he's Swiss and had an accent that was a bit hard to understand... I’ve have compiled a list of skincare suggestions based on this interview. You’ll find this list below helpful when determining what ingredients you want in your skincare products.

Dr. Hegi pointed out that the skincare/cosmetic industry spends millions on marketing and packaging—and not necessarily the product ingredients! There is a lot of “hype” when it comes to claims of younger, smoother skin in this business. However, there are new innovative ingredients available and every woman needs to find the right one for her skin type.

You don’t have to spend lots of money to get quality products if you know the desirable ingredients you want. Often neck cream, eye cream and face cream from the same brand ARE the same product but in different consistencies—so buying different products often ends up wasting your money!

The first ingredient on your skincare label most often is water (up to 90%) it is the active ingredients you want to look for (or avoid) that are listed below:

Dr. Hegi says AVOID:
Animal by-products from the fur & leather industry: mink oil, emus oil (only exception is lanolin)
Fishing by-products like shark liver oil, squalane (fish based)
Oil-based products like petrolatum and mineral oil
ONLY squalane from olive oil is desirable

Dr. Hegi says to look for the following active ingredients:
Peptides (firms skin): can also be called Oligopeptides, Dipeptides, Thetrapeptides, Polypeptides
Olive oil: contains fatty vitamins like A, E, D, F and squalane (an emollient)
Squaline: only if it is processed from olive oil.
Shea Butter: a good natural emollient.
Cocoa Butter: another good natural emollient.
Lanolin: and its derivatives are also excellent emollient. Lanolin is the only acceptable animal by-product emollient ingredient.
Vitamins: are essential to healthy skin. Look for vitamin C (also called Sodium Ascorbate, Ascorbic Acid among other similar names). Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) B5, Pantothenic Acid.
Oil soluble vitamins: vitamin A, D, E and F.

Dr. Hegi also pointed out some other interesting skincare facts:

1. Your skincare products should be based on botanicals (plant-based).
2. Skin cell turnover occurs every 28-35 days and slows down as you age. You want to increase your skin cell turnover for a more youthful glow.
3. Wash face 2X daily (morning & night) and follow up with a good moisturizer based on your skin type.
4. Weekly exfoliate your skin gently to increase skin cell turnover.
5. Look for products with Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or glycolic acid to reduce aging and improve skin’s texture.
6. For oily or acne-prone skin use a product with Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA)
7. For mature/aging skin use Retinoids (a vitamin A derivative) which encourages skin to renew it’s self.
8. For rosacea (redness and bumps) use primrose oil and vitamin F.

Here is the link to listen to this archived show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/MissusSmartyPants/2009/08/18/Missus-Smarty-Pants-Fashion-Rescue  

Again, you can now find my current weekly style podcasts here:http://www.blogtalkradio.com/search/flylady-and-friends/upcoming/mostrelevent/_/_/_/_