Upgrade Your Look—Instantly

Upgrade Your Look—Instantly

Genevieve Monsma
Makeup, Skin

Years ago at a Bobbi Brown press event, Bobbi told us she considered a colorful scarf akin to makeup—that loosely wrapping pink or coral cloth around your neck was as face-brightening as blush. I agree and have relied on vibrant scarves on a number of occasions to make me look well-rested and pulled together when I felt neither. This week, I discovered another easy, instant, and uber-chic way to polish up my act stat: a vivid Evie Marques “The Jane” necklace. (Even better, unlike a scarf, it won’t exacerbate a heat flash. Hah.)

Want to Clean Up Your Act? These Two Gen X-ers Can Help

Want to Clean Up Your Act? These Two Gen X-ers Can Help

Genevieve Monsma
Skin, Makeup, Health

I’ve written before about my approach to greener, cleaner beauty: I aim to lessen my so-called chemical burden by slotting in formulas free of questionable ingredients when I can without compromising on performance. For me, this means natural deodorant (Schmidts), physical sunblock (Drunk Elephant), lipsticks (Kosas) and simple cleansing balms (Naturapathica, Emma Hardie, GOOP). What I won’t give up: self-tanner, Retin-A, most hair products, and traditional Eau de Parfum.

Where's The Joy?

Where's The Joy?

Genevieve Monsma
Skin, Health

I was at Book Club last week, and we got on the topic of bike racing. (I don’t ride bikes that aren’t stationery—this was someone’s else’s pursuit.) But one woman asked, in all seriousness, “When you compete in something that intense, it’s challenge after challenge after challenge: Hey there’s a steep hill, whoah now we’ve got rough, bumpy terrain, yikes here’s a hairpin turn. But where’s the joy? You’re riding a bike for hours at a time, yet you never coast and just take in the view.”

Can I Get An Amen?

Can I Get An Amen?

Genevieve Monsma
Skin, Health, Makeup

Last June I went on a press trip to Calistoga, California hosted by Perricone M.D., the wellness brand launched twenty years ago by Nicholas Perricone, M.D.. You know him: He’s the dermatologist whose bestselling book The Wrinkle Cure first introduced us to the skin-aging impact of inflammation—and he’s the guy who got us all eating salmon.

This Did Make Me Feel Better

This Did Make Me Feel Better

Genevieve Monsma
Health

We’ve been renovating our house since last September, and it’s been stressful. Yes, I know this is a privileged, first-world “problem.” And I’m grateful that we have the means to improve our home—I'm hopeful that it will be a wonderful place to live. (So #blessed, etc.) But this doesn’t change the fact that living through construction = elevated cortisol levels. The dust. The drilling. The nonstop country music. (I like Luke Bryan, just not when I’m on deadline.) 

How to Make Second-Day Hair Look Polished

How to Make Second-Day Hair Look Polished

Genevieve Monsma
Hair

This post is the third in a series on weaning myself off my blowdryer—and learning to like my natural waves. The first post tackled the importance of moisture, the second explained how to make a product cocktail to coax beachy waves, and this installment is all about what to do when you wake up the day after you’ve shampooed and styled…and your hair looks like an SOS pad.

Spend or Skip? Oralgen NuPearl 32X Teeth-Whitening Kit

Spend or Skip? Oralgen NuPearl 32X Teeth-Whitening Kit

Genevieve Monsma
Health

I’ve written before about why I believe everyone 40+ should whiten her teeth at least once a year—and I shared some of my favorite express whitening options. However, speedy options typically don’t come without some compromises: They may not get you quite as white as formulas that take one to two weeks to work. And they can increase teeth-sensitivity because of the accelerated whitening process.  

My Styling Cocktail For Beachy Waves

My Styling Cocktail For Beachy Waves

Genevieve Monsma
Hair

Earlier this month, I started a series outlining how I care for my wavy hair. As someone who has regularly straightened her hair for years (most of my adult life), learning to style my waves (and actually liking the way they looked) has taken time—like a year and counting. For a longtime beauty editor, it’s been a surprisingly steep learning curve. Thus, I decided to share the tricks and best products I’ve discovered along the way in hopes it will help those of you trying (or tempted) to go au naturel too.

Load More