FASHION

Make better scents

You’ve worn scents for years, so why would buying one now be different? Because YOU are. You need something that flatters the multifaceted woman you’ve become — as well as your new body chemistry (hello, hormones).

The July/August issue of More, the lifestyle magazine for women over 40, reveals a new scent strategy to help you find the perfect fragrance, and wear it proudly.

Our sense of smell starts to diminish after the age of 35, and we can accidentally overdo it if we’re not careful. Three to four spritzes are plenty.

Go for something longer-lasting as scent fades faster on drier skin. An oil-based fragrance or one that’s alcohol-free will stay put. Layering with a lotion from the same product line also boosts longevity.

Avoid spicy or musky scents. Stick to fragrances that are fresh, like citruses or florals, or try the less-intense versions of your favorite scent, such as a body cream or a splash.

Try a fragrance before you buy it. Wait a week to see if the scent works well with your body chemistry.

Branch out a bit, and let go of perfumes you loved years ago. Experts believe most of us have several selves to project, so rotate between two or three fragrances to coordinate with where you are and what you are doing.

GARDEN

Handy how-tos

Some handy how-tos from the August issue of Fine Gardening magazine:

• Fix a hose: Don’t throw away a leaky hose if it’s a good-quality one. Fix it with a repair kit from the hardware store. The kit reattaches the two ends of the hose that remain after the punctured section is cut away. You can also buy brass and plastic fixtures to replace leaky male or female ends of the hose.

• Remove sap from your skin: Rub a dab of vegetable shortening on the pine sap.

• Stake a tomato: Drive a sturdy stake into the ground a few inches from the plant base. It should be at least 3 feet tall — taller for indeterminate tomatoes, also called vining tomatoes. Tie a soft cord or cloth from the stake to the plant stem. Don’t tie the cord directly under any branches with flower buds, because the weight of the fruits may cause the stem to snap.

• Read an N-P-K label: Fertilizer packages are marked with three numbers, separated by hyphens — for example, 10-10-10 or 34-0-0. Those numbers represent the percentage of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), the three major nutrients in the fertilizer, in that order. The N-P-K label helps you choose a fertilizer that contains what your specific plants and soil need.

• Prevent dirty fingernails: Scrape your fingernails on a bar of soap before you go out to work in the garden. The soap behind your nails will keep dirt out.

HEALTH

Early osteoporosis

You know calcium is important for building strong bones. But did you know that the fight against osteoporosis, in which bones lose their density and are more prone to fractures, actually starts in childhood? The disease, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), has been called “a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences.”

Bones are like a bank account saving for your kids’ education, says the NIAMS Web site: The more calcium kids put away when they’re young, the longer their bone strength should last as they get older.

Proper nutrition and plenty of physical activity are key. Encourage your kids to drink lots of milk. But they can get calcium from a number of other foods, too, including cheese (even the cheese on pizza and cheeseburgers); yogurt; dark green, leafy vegetables such as kale; broccoli; almonds; and tortillas. Other foods, such as tofu and many cereals, breads and juices, also have calcium added. A diet filled with these foods will make for strong and healthy bones.