Holiday Hacks: DIY Gift Wraps

As a creative artist in all things life, there is not anything that I “can’t not touch.” Seriously, I have to fluff up even a can of tomato soup in some ingenious fashion before serving!

It’s all about presentation. Whether food, design or gifting, it’s what you’re serving – be on point. I literally take great pride in my gift bestowal! My favorite thing to do is to give someone an unexpected gift – and you know at this age that is hard to accomplish. So let this show a little personal effort and heartfelt touch. It truly means so much to the gift receiver. 

For the holidays, I go for two different styles, depending on the recipient of course. 

The Natural Moment

I always love working with natural flowers and branches, but in the winter season, you are limited. The Natural is so easy and always a crowd-pleaser! Use eucalyptus or a pine branch as a centerpiece base and add on some dried flowers. I always save roses from bouquets just for that reason. They lay flat easily on the package. Of course, the key is the wraphia, which comes in several shades. Try and keep a roll handy in the kitchen drawer to have for last-minute “surprise” gifting. Craft paper is also a good staple to keep on hand and to create a clean canvas to place any of your holiday design ideas.

Gold and Bold

To go for a more glam look, go Gold and Bold! Not only does this scream “holiday,” it’s bright and cheery while setting the mood. You can’t help but smile!

Any metallic works, I’m just into gold right now but silver is a perfect option too. Take any of your extra little shiny beads or ornaments that you have leftover from the holiday and attach to a vibrant colored large ribbon. I love to add a little keepsake medallion or anything to make it personal.

I hope this gets your creative juices flowing for some amazing gift wraps! Please send us your best DIY Holiday ideas! Happy Holidays!

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Afraid of Retinol? Meet its Source: Vitamin A

Retinol has been the gold standard for a more youthful appearance for years! But is it safe or the best option for you? 

The first time I used an aggressive Retinol product, I didn’t have a clue. I put it under my eyes and woke up looking like I was severely sunburned. It took almost a week to recover. I learned my lesson and always sought professional advice from there on.

“Retinol is effective, but it can take you to a bad place if you are not careful.”

–Dr. Mona Gohara MD

What exactly is Retinol? 

It’s a form of Vitamin A under the umbrella of Retinoids (there are different versions; like Retin-A/Tretinoin) that you need a prescription for but you can purchase most Retinol products over the counter or at your dermatologist’s office.

What does it exactly do for your skin?

  • Attacks fine lines and wrinkles
  • Events out skin tone
  • Brightens skins texture
  • Firms and tightens skin
  • Refines and reduces pore size

Women are spending up to $10,000 annually on Retinol products. My advice is to tread lightly and consider the more organic, natural approach – Vitamin A!

French women, dating back to Josephine Baker, have always used vitamin oils and serums – they claim that is why french women have such beautiful skin! When it comes to glowing skin, Vitamin A is your superhero! You get all the benefits in a more natural, organic approach. 

Benefits of Vitamin A for skin: 

  • Generates radiant glow
  • Smooths out hyperpigmentation (sun damage)
  • Helps tighten and firm skin
  • Heals breakouts
  • Normalizes cell functions


With all of these benefits it does for your skin topically, the vitamin itself is essential for a healthy life balance.

Some of the foods enriched with Vitamin A are:

  • Carrots
  • Sweet potatoes 
  • Kale
  • Spinach
  • Broccoli

So simple and healthy to apply to your meals!

So whether it’s internal or external, you simply can’t go wrong with Vitamin A! Always, of course, consult with a professional.

Here are some of my top picks for Vitamin A skincare products. These are brands that truly do what they say they will with immediate results.

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Peri Who? Why Don’t We Talk About Menopause?

No one, I mean no one talks about it unless you are in it. Like it’s this secret club that you have to suffer just a little to find out what the hell is going on. 

Of course, I’m talking about Perimenopause and its symptoms. What actually is happening is that your ovaries gradually make less estrogen. It’s almost like puberty in reverse. It can begin as early as your late thirties. Basically, it is the beginning of the end of having a monthly period. 

We are so fortunate that today’s science allows us many options in choices for our bodies. Back in the day, the only option was a hysterectomy. So unnecessary! 

I’ll never forget one of my most memorable hot flash horror moments. I had a major business pitch for my company at the time in NYC at the legendary Yale Club. I was doing a presentation for one of the famous Koch brothers. In the middle of a sentence, I felt it – it’s like a heat snake crawling up your arms up to your chest, then neck and ultimately your face. I truly was praying that he was color-blind and didn’t notice the bright shade of tomato all over my face. However, I did carry on and didn’t miss a beat and was successful in the investment. 

So why aren’t we talking about it and helping each other? Here are some symptoms and simple words of advice and wisdom.

Perimenopause & Menopause Symptoms

  • Weight gain – lack of metabolism makes it harder to burn calories!
  • Hair loss – 80% of women will experience some hair loss.
  • Mood swings – Your body and brain are reacting to hormonal swings
  • Hot flashes – Increasing changing hormonal levels cause your body to flush. This includes night sweats.
  • Anxiety – Don’t stress. Remember, “they can’t hurt you if you don’t let them.” 
  • Insomnia – Stay on top of that thermostat.

Resolve

  • For hormonal skin breakouts and to strengthen the skin barrier, here are two science-based brands for women:
  1. Liv & Grace
  2. Sonia Roselli 
  • Hair strengthening and growth: 
  1. Nutrafol
  2. Ren-Jord
  • HRT: Hormonal Replacement – This is an individual choice! Please consult with a trusted medical advisor because of the many risks of cancer.
  • Diet and Nutrition – Eat lots of proteins and omega 3’s while avoiding fatty acids. Try and cut back on saturated fats, sugar and alcohol.
  • Exercise regularly – Even if it’s just a simple walk .

Most importantly: Lets try and learn to accept who we are and love ourselves. Be sure to share one of your funny hot flash moments with us!

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Why Cabbage is a Girl’s Best Friend

Dating back to 4000 B.C. cabbage is the oldest known vegetable. Used in early European and Indian cuisines, it became a staple luxury of fine dining within its vegetable relatives, including cauliflower, kale, chard and arugula. Globally, we are ingesting 69 million tons of this nutritious produce annually. 

This edible is considered  a “superfood” for the following: 

  • Packed with vitamins C and K
  • Cancer Preventative 
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Contributes to bone strength and health
  • Reduces blood pressure
  • Great brain food
  • Natural detox from toxins

There are so many ways to prepare cabbage or kale, whether you steam, eat raw, braise, pickle or sautee – you can’t go wrong!

I first discovered the “outdoor” cabbage while in NYC in the winter. I was so drawn to the purple and pinks in the garden boxes along the avenues. I’m now obsessed with the whites!


The botanical name is Brassica and it works so beautifully for your winter outdoor planters or borders. The colors truly enhance as the temperature drops. So much to like about the cabbage family. I like the simple ways to create health and beauty into our lives. 
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Slow Down Aging Skin

Almost 1.3 million women in the US alone approach menopause and most of the time your skin is already showing the signs. While the average age is 51, your skin can start reacting as early as your mid-thirties.

The intrinsic part of aging skin is losing elasticity and collagen. Combine that with extrinsic damage, i.e. UV rays from the sun, and your skin is in big trouble. 

Women’s skin thins out and becomes dehydrated with gravity pulling and no collagen reinforcements. In order to rebuild our skin barriers, one needs good product choices that will hydrate and bring back moisture to the skin for a more healthy, youthful appearance. 

My recommendation is a product by Sonia Roselli, her best seller, Water Balm. Here is an example of what happens with no hydration:

Clearly, you can do the obvious recommended steps like

  • Drink tons of water
  • No excessive behaviors like smoking or drinking alcohol
  • Keep your body active (i.e. exercise)
  • Get some sleep (8 hours is preferred). Good luck with that one!

These all help, however, to get the results you deserve be proactive and get this product now! 

Here are the benefits:

  1. Plumps up skin
  2. Full hydrates and radiates skin
  3. Works like a “real life” filter
  4. Evens out skin tones
  5. Diminishes fine lines
  6. Feels good on the skin

You have to try this game-changing product! We are happy to offer a 20% off opportunity so that you can start looking and feeling younger right now. Use WORTH20 at checkout for 20% off.

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Lashes Over 50

It’s no surprise to me that the false lash business is well over 1 billion dollars. Women have depended on them for centuries. False lashes date back to Ancient Egypt and in 19th century Paris, they welcomed lash extensions with needs and implanting red hair. OUCH! The first lash patent was in 1911 and it wasn’t until the 1950s that the synthetic lash hit the market. 

Marilyn Monroe’s kit from 1950s

It’s been a makeup artist’s trick for years to “open” the eye and create a sexier look. In today’s modern makeup world, real women are doing it for themselves. There are a lot of easy tricks you can use to help create a healthy, youthful appearance.

Firstly, try a lash lengthener that you simply apply with a brush. I recommend Lash Spell. Having a longer lash works better to apply falsies.

As I’ve gotten older I prefer a more natural enhanced look. Simply cut ⅓ of the lash and apply to the edge of the lash line outwards. I recommend using KISS – Looks So Natural False Eyelashes.

The game-changer for me was discovering the Duo Brush. This is so light you don’t even feel them and so easy to remove. 

If you’re not already wearing lashes – go for it! It will give you the confidence of looking sexy without really trying.

You’re welcome🧡 

Hair Pieces are Trending for Women over 50 (#ESO50)

You don’t have to be a celebrity these days to get that amazing-looking hair. Whether you don’t have the time to do it or you are going through a hair change, hair pieces are the answer!

Y’all I have been wearing “clip-in” pieces for years. My hairdresser introduced it to me and it truly has become a game changer. If you don’t already realize it, every woman you see on TV or film is wearing some version of it. 

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Now, “real hair” pieces are more expensive, but so #worthit. If you are just needing a simple “pony” or clip-on “top doo,” go to Amazon – They have the latest trends for hair pieces and extensions. Ladies, get on top of this! Your hair is your crown. 


3 Easy Pieces…

#1 – The Ponytail

It’s helpful to your hair and scalp not to put too much heat or dry hair products on it. This is an easy attachment to the back of your hair and just go. Such a great young and professional look!

#2 – Half-Up and Half-Down

I use this look often. Pull your hair up on the sides and place the piece at the back of your crown. It’s elegant and so easy to maintain.

#3 – Natural, Tousled Look

Easy peasy! Wearing hair down, clip this wrap-around piece under your natural hair. Allows such volume and texture. 

Be sure to send us all your beauty pictures to @WorthBeautyCompany on Instagram and Facebook.

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The Dreaded Elbow: Fighting Sagging Skin Naturally

“If your elbows faced forward, you would kill yourself,” says one of my favorite authors, Nora Ephron. 

Now personally, I remember recently I passed a bathroom mirror and somehow saw my grandmother’s elbow attached to my arm. How did this happen and where did my elbow go? As women, we have to be smart and get ahead of the big fight with gravity and collagen loss. By the time we are 50, we have lost more than 35% of our internal water content. Aging skin is not able to sustain hydration which looks dry and wrinkled.

According to Beverly Hills MD, it’s a hormone called DHT that pushes those signs of thinning and loose skin. There are so many surgical options:

  • Laser
  • Radiofrequency
  • Fillers
  • Microneedling
  • Chemical peels

Ouch! For me, I’m sticking with these natural alternatives: 

Here are some of our favorite drugstore brands that are affordable and easy: 

  1. The Better Skin Co
  2. Gold Bond 
  3. Crepe Erase

You’re Welcome🧡

Breaking Down Old Fashion Standards: Wearing White After Labor Day

In honor of this week’s NYC Fashion Week, I thought we should address the “no color” in the room. White symbolizes perfection and balance, so add it to your ensemble to make you feel harmonious.

If you know me at all, then you know 80% of my wardrobe is some version of white. It’s my “go-to” safety net for a confident look. After my pink and green preppy days at Ole Miss, I went into a decade or so of black everything. Now I’m going into what works. What feels light and comfortable and at the same time, feeling like Diane Sawyer with the crisp, arched collar of confidence and elegance. 

Traditionally, the “no white” after Labor Day started in the 19th century. The wealthy elite used fashion to separate the “haves” and the “have nots” that way. Well, it’s the 21st century and those rules no longer apply!

“White as it all. It’s the perfect harmony.”
-Coco Chanel

To me, it’s the perfect canvas classic. Can you even count how many choices of white shades there are in paint? You can accessorize with any color or texture. Who doesn’t love comfy winter whites? It’s like your favorite blanket, whether cashmere or wool.

Betsy Wallace Taylor, the owner of Shop Alice, says, “a crisp white shirt and a pair of white jeans are perennial. It goes with everything! Just update on a yearly basis” 

What is your favorite look in whites or creams? Send us your best fall white looks on Facebook and Instagram!

2022 Must Have Fall Fashion Trends

The suit scene continues to be about the cross-over. From the firm adoption of the oversized “boyfriend” blazer to the vintage vibe of a three-piece suite to the street style version with a track pant and baseball cap. As our culture becomes more gender agnostic and work, play, evening and day styles merge, the blurred lines between masculine and feminine and a mash-up of business-like tailoring with sexy undergarments and street gear continues to evolve and has hit the suit scene hard in 2022, with autumn as no exception.

Let’s face it – the suit is not a new concept. Versions of suiting have been around since the 1800s and the term “suit” was derived from the French term Suivre which means “to follow”. So the jacket follows the pant or vice versa – a matching set in both color and fabric composition.

So what’s so hot in 2022?

The three-piece Gelso woven suit (items sold separately) from The Frankie Shop with vintage broach and silk tie blouse.

The Waistcoat (aka Vest)

With the popularity of the American TV series Bridgerton, it was just a matter of time before suit styles adopted this posh addition to the already popular two-piece suit. This 4-5 button sleeveless layer with its waist-length notched hem, is in full flourish. This piece is sexy and badass at the same time. Wear it without a blouse to expose those still summer-tanned arms or leave the bottom buttons undone for a mid-riff revealing look that says “I may be #eithersideof50 but am still confident in my own skin”.

Keep the jewelry light and layered and understated to preserve that subtly sexy yet sophisticated vibe. The addition of a bow blouse and colorful accents are for those who aren’t afraid to stand out. Play with accessories like a brooch or tie, for a look that will have them calling you “boss”. A baggy or pleated matching trouser is the ideal complement to what could be your next, most versatile piece in your wardrobe.

Waistcoat with delicate jewelry from the bottom of the box and a monochromatic shoe and neutral bag.