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The Real Housewives of USA at 50
By Lois Joy Johnson, June 5, 2013 06:02 AM
Super-glam is the current new normal for women 50+...unfortunately. All across the country women are getting spray tans, hair extensions, wearing false lashes, decolletage, body hugging dresses and high heels 24/7. They feel guilty about not getting Botox, fillers, laser treatments or a facelift and spend a lot of time wondering if they should. I blame Bravo's Real Housewives (past and present ) for pushing our high maintenance buttons. Lisa Vanderpump, 52, Adrienne Maloof, 51, Kim Richards, 47, LuAnn de Lessups, 48 and Carole Radziwill, 48 would have been out of place on any small town street five years ago. Now they look and sound like a lot of smart, evolved, ambitious women our age who work from home, work totally online, are semi-retired, really retired or just hanging out and plotting their comeback...these are the new housewives. It's time we noted the difference between entertainment and real life. Dialing up the beauty and fashion to reality show levels is so not us. All we need is a little home improvement, not a total renovation. So stop faking it and start making it.
UPGRADE YOUR SMILE FOR CURB APPEAL. Just whiten your teeth! It takes ten
Cindy Ord
years off your face. Twenty minutes at the dentist doing the Zoom Whitespeed ( zoomwhitening.com) can brighten your chompers eight shades and it has comfort settings for the squeamish (so says my husband, the dentist). At home try the Pearl Ionic Teeth Whitening System ($195, ionicpearl.com), the first device cleared by the FDA to erases stains top, back, front, bottom and between teeth in under an hour. Those with super sensitive teeth, a thinner wallet and time to spare can do Crest 3D Whitestrips Intensive Professional Effects ($64.99, pgestore.com) for a gradual but noticeable lightening. For a two second fix just whip on a blue-based red lipstick like MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo ($15, maccosmetics.com) or Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids Lipcolor in Fire Red ($7.49, ulta.com) to counteract the yellow. Done.
PRIME LIKE A PRO. Get better-looking skin (and improve the cosmetics you already own) by simply applying primer under makeup. It evens out the surface so foundation glides on evenly and looks more like authentic skin less like a paint job. It makes even serious coverage of discolorations and brown spots easy. Try CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer ($14.99, ulta.com) or Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer ($12.99, ulta.com). If your goal is a sheer no-makeup look use a BB cream as a primer but choose a light reflecting formula to give dry, thin, menopausal skin a fresher glow.Try Vichy Laboratories Neovadiol Lumiere BB Cream ($41.99, cvs.com).You won't even need blush or bronzer.
WORK HARDER DO LESS. Why waste snooze time when you can repair brittle, over-processed, dry hair while you toss and turn or watch old movies at 3 AM? Work a generous dab of a fast-absorbing, non-greasy intensive conditioner through dry hair before bed. Then shampoo out and style in the morning. Try Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Overnight Hair Rescue ($38, sephora.com) or L' Oreal Paris Everstrong Overnight Hair Repair Treatment ($8.99, ulta.com) and Pantene Pro-V Overnight Miracle Repair Serum ($5.39, drugstore.com). get younger-looking hair by dawn. 
So get back in your jeans and flats, embrace the super-real you because the Barbie trend is about to boomerang.
For more beauty and style tips check my book The Wardrobe Wakeup, Your Guide to Looking Fabulous at Any Age by Lois Joy Johnson ($15.78, amazon.com)
Photo Credits: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills at table, Real Housewives of New York, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Also of Interest
- Martha + Michelle's Summer Makeover
- Wedding After 50? 3 Things You Need to Know
- Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being
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