Once upon a time, I wrote a mid-week blog titled: “Wednesday Discoveries.” In case you missed them, I have included some of the most popular discoveries–and one very practical idea from Janna.

THE PRETZEL KNOT

Brrr…time to pull out your winter scarves. Here’s a stylish tying technique you are going to flip over. It’s called the pretzel knot. I first learned about the pretzel knot from my fashionable blogging friend Elaine Parisi (OMG Lifestyle Blog).

Use a long, rectangular scarf or pashmina to create this very flattering look  that brings an elongating “V” to your face. Remember my blog about losing our necks in our scarves (Hey, Where Did My Neck Go?) Ha. You won’t do that with this technique.

Knot the scarf and embellish with your holiday pins.

Use lighter weight scarves in the spring.

Booty Problem.

This idea came from Janna’s assistant, Diane Jordan. She was having trouble keeping the bottom of her pants tucked inside her booties.

Diane pins a band of wide elastic on the bottom of each pant leg.The pins are undetectable, but keep your pants smoothly tucked inside your booties. Great idea!

This works for cowboy boots and UGGs, too.

Red Lips Coming At You

Do you ever find that your lipstick color looks too bold or too saturated? When you put it on, does the color overpower your face so  much that all you see are LIPS?

I recently received a free tube of lipstick. It was RED…I mean RED. When I put it on, I felt like ‘siren lips.’ I asked Janna how calm the red tone so it appeared more subdued.

She gave three recommendations:

• If a color appears too bold, simply blot. (Perm papers are ideal for blotting, because they do not leave the residue a tissue does.)
• When a lipstick seems too opaque, applying a bit of gloss over lipstick adds shine. Matte surfaces, especially for mature women, should look velvety, not dry.
• If a lipstick is too dark, add your lightest color lipstick over it (or even a bit of cream concealer), to lighten.  

“In the Color 1 system we believe once you own several lipsticks that are the correct color and ideal clarity for you (red, raspberry/pink, coral, orange), these colors can be mixed together to produce other flattering shades. Thus creating your own personal lip palette.”

Janna. Diane, and Elaine, thanks for sharing.

I am very much in agreement with the late Mr. George Bernard Shaw:

Thanks, George. I couldn’t have said it better.