Confidence!

I'm always a little behind in my magazine reading around the holidays, so I just got to December Elle, with Michelle Obama on the cover, interviewed by Oprah inside.

This is what we should all have—the confidence and pure joy Michelle Obama has in her photo shoot. This not a willowy thin model. You may know who I'm thinking of, the one with the perpetual scowl who now lives on Pennsylvania Avenue. This is a normal-sized, healthy, happy and confident woman who by the nature of all that magic mixing together, is absolutely beautiful. Stunning.

Is this a life lesson? I hope so.

Matte About This Lipstick

I rarely tackle Beauty in the blog. Not that it isn't Fashion, but I thought I'd leave Beauty to the experts. New beauty products are constantly introduced, many promising miracles. Some work, some don't.

A generous friend once gifted me with La Mer, one of those miracles-in-a-jar that sells for $130 an ounce. I was loathe to use it as I was afraid it would work too well. Well, La Mer was lovely; I managed to stop at one jar. I still believe it isn't which moisturizer you put on your face as long as it's something.

The paint box is another story. These cosmetics really can perform miracles, albeit temporarily. This is where habits are hard to break. I usually switch products only when they stop making my favorite. I always feel I could benefit from lessons. Those so far have left me running from the makeup counter to the ladies' room, kleenex in hand. These might be something I actually need to pay for...

This is all a long-winded intro to a recent discovery. Zara has introduced their first lipsticks—12 "velvety-matte" lipsticks ($12.90 each) and 8 "ultra-matte" liquid lipsticks ($9.90 eacht6).

I'm not a fan of liquid lipstick but decided to give one of the velvety-mattes a try. The lipsticks popped up as I perused Zara's sale online; they're not carried in my local store. You might want to check yours. 

 
I've never had luck with matte lipstick. I've hated the chalky way it goes on and sits on your lips. I'm not even convinced matte lipstick is the way to go. Aren't we supposed to look all dew-y and kissable? I picked this one as it reminded me of my dearly-beloved and late-lamented Mahogany lipstick from Biba.

Well, surprise, surprise. It does look matte in the tube but goes on smoothly. It actually feels creamy. It's a bit scented, but not unpleasantly so. That dissipates as it quickly dries. It stayed on for ages—through a cup of mid-morning coffee and into lunch. I could probably have gone without a touch-up, but I liked that creamy feel so went ahead with one. Unlike some other lipsticks (matte or creamy) it didn't bleed into my lips (and my lips are pretty old). Check, check, check. So it's that miracle of science—a creamy matte.

You might want to take a flyer on this one. I'd like to know what you think.

A Few More Ways Not to Look Old

 
It's a new year. Why look old?

One of the ways to look old is to dress young, too young. Too young means ruffles (except around a hemline), puffed sleeves, puffy anything else (except a puffer coat), Alice in Wonderland headbands, midriff tops, clothes that fit too tight, etc.

Too old can be outdated eyeglass frames, shoes that look more comfortable than stylish (it is possible to have both), baggy clothes, items beginning to show wear (pilled sweaters and scuffed leather), and wearing what no one is wearing anymore.

Some of us reach a point where we feel we have enough clothes and better things to do than try to keep up with the fickle finger of fashion. That's when your look can become frozen in time. Trust me, you will not appear timeless.

Another hard truth is sometimes you just have to let go. Something you have always loved may have its moment and then be gone. Tough as this may be, you must put it away for a while.

 
For example: the kimono jacket.

I've always had a few in my closet, folkloric or Boho or Asian. A collar-less, no-button, slightly oversized T-shape jacket in an interesting woven or embroidered fabric This was my go-to what-to-wear for an evening event where dressing up was expected and creativity was okay. A kimono was easy to pack in a suitcase. It folds flat! With a black top and black pants (satin, silk or velvet depending on the season) it became an instant evening look.

Then kimonos got popular.

Suddenly they were everywhere...

...but not where I wanted to be.

When I first noticed they were in the stores again, I was happy to join in. I added several fanciful new ones and wore them often. At first I felt ahead of the game, then right in style, then just one of the pack. When kimonos were everywhere at every price point and on everyone, I put mine away. Perhaps this was a little act of fashion snobbery on my part, but I didn't want to hang on too long.

   

It's hard to keep up with how fast fashion changes. Even classics come and go. They are called classics for a reason, but they're not always "in style". When was the last time you saw anyone wearing a twin set with pearls? Yet those are certainly classics.

As we get older we learn not to get rid of the good stuff because it will come back. Belts come and go. A good belt will not deteriorate waiting for its time again (though your waistline may). Delicate jewelry is in; then it's out; now it's in. Just hold onto it. How much drawer space could it possibly take up?

Part of not looking old is being current. If you sense its time has come and gone, give it a rest.

If you love bell bottoms, but no one is wearing them, put 'em away. If you like velour track suits (I'm just saying), but no one is wearing them, put 'em away. If you love kimonos, but the look looks tired...well, you know what to do. 

It's knowing what to wear when that means you are staying on top of things.

Coming Attraction: Frida Kahlo in Brooklyn

Frida Kahlo didn't clean out her closets, and that's a good thing. Traveling from London's V&A, Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving will be on view at the Brooklyn Museum of Art beginning February 8, 2019 to May 12, 2019.

Frida, the painting

Frida, the person

This will be the first U.S. exhibit of Frida's clothing and personal possessions, locked away since her death in 1954 and only discovered in 2004.  I was fortune to see them some years ago on display at Casa Azul in Mexico City, the beautiful family compound and her home since childhood.

The courtyard of Casa Azul

Frida Kahlo's work was intensely personal. She was a prolific painter and confronted every triumph, tragedy, fear and longing in her art. Frida was a dramatic personality and lived life to the fullest while in almost constant pain. Injuries from a bus accident when a young woman never healed, and multiple surgeries never helped. She had a tumultuous marriage to the also charismatic Diego Rivera. Then there was that affair with Leon Trotsky...

A rather odd couple...

Some of Frida's iconic looks

Frida often chose garments that represented her culture and country, yet she was a very modern woman. She smoked. She wore cat's eye sunglasses and used Revlon cosmetics. Coincidentally Revlon is a sponsor of the Brooklyn show.

 
Frida's art, her life, and her style are sources of endless fascination and scholarly analysis. She continues to be celebrated and homaged This show at the Brooklyn Museum of Art should be all that—and a feast to behold.