{2011 FOF Awards} The envelope, please…

The Academy Awards may have been given out on Sunday… but, today, we present you with the 2011 FOF Awards. As part of this FabOverFifty annual tradition, thousands of you tell us your favorite things from the past year, from beauty to fashion to technology. Then we narrow the results to three finalists in each category and have a run off! At long last, the big winners:

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FOFs are loco for coco…Coco Chanel that is. Chanel No. 5, voted the No. 1 fragrance by FOFs for the second year in a row, was launched by Coco Chanel in 1924. A bottle of this ubiquitous, musky-jasmine fragrance is sold every thirty seconds, generating sales of $100 million a year. Clearly, Coco has FOFs to thank.
(Runners up: Amazing Grace by Philosophy, Beautiful by Estee Lauder, Angel by Thierry Mugler)

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See ya later, washcloths! This electric, facial-cleansing brush has tickled the fancy (and faces) of FOFs for it’s ability to deep clean our pores. This past year, it won the FOF vote for best beauty product discovery.“I thought I had good skin until someone convinced me to buy the Clarisonic Classic. It went from good to amazing in days,” says Kari Soljyntes of beauty blog, Faboverforty.com. “It’s like a Sonicare toothbrush for your face. (It’s made by the same inventor!). It gets all the day’s dirt and grime off and lightly exfoliates. When you use it, your other skincare products work so much better because they penetrate the skin deeper. It’s an investment for my skin!”
(Runners up: Olay Regenerist, Bare Minerals Products, Brazilian Peel)

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iPad, youPad, we allPad. FOFs are hooked on their iPads and using them for both business and play. “I hardly use my computer now,” says FOF Patty Smith. “I can do everything on [my iPad]–read magazines, books, check email, bank, Facebook, shop. I am never without it!” Another FOF, Corinne Garrett, a university professor and painter, uses it for business. “It beautifully showcases my artwork for clients, manages my calendars and holds all sorts of media,” she says.
(Runners up: iPhone, Kindle Fire, Nook)

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Aw, shucks you shouldn’t have! But, you did…and we’re thrilled! Thanks for voting us #1, FOFs.

(Runners up: Facebook, Amazon, Pinterest)

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Beating out Macy’s, Coldwater Creek and Kohl’s, FOFs chose Nordstrom as their favorite place to shop for clothing and accessories. “I love Nordstrom for splurges,” says FOF Pat Pelland. Another FOF, Mary Robins, found her mother-of-the-bride dress there. “I had great luck at Nordstrom. I bought it there, then compulsively went to every bridal store trying to beat what I purchased and couldn’t. Was delighted with the service and in-house alterations.” Others tout the lingerie department. “The fitters usually have a great deal of experience and they have an excellent return policy as well,” says FOF Kelly Yamauchi.
(Runners up: Macy’s, Kohl’s, Coldwater Creek)

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“Have you ever read a book and then gotten sad when you realized you were close to finishing it? asks FOF Deborah Martin. “Have you ever just fallen in love with characters and wanted to know what else was going to happen to them after the book ended? This is one of those books.” Deborah is not alone–The Help captured the hearts of millions of women, spending more than 100 weeks on The New York Times Bestseller list and selling over five million copies in 35 countries.
(Runners up: The Bible, Bossypants by Tina Fey, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins)

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Who said a movie can’t be as good as the book? Clearly not FOFs! “I loved both the movie and the book. We’ve come along way,” says FOF Annette Brinkerhoff.
(Runners up: Bridesmaids, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Midnight in Paris)

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Beating out French macarons, greek yogurt and gluten-free foods–PopChips are the official FOFoodie favorite of 2011. These all-natural snacks, made from popped “kernels” of potatoes, clock in at just 120 calories and 4 grams of fat per bag. “Yum!” says FOF Mary Beth Schriver. “All-natural sweet potato Pop Chips–a great snack–and good for you!”
(Runners up: Greek Yogurt, French Macarons, Gluten-Free Foods)

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This one was close! Vitamins beat out massage (just by a hair) for the product or service that most improved your health in 2011. “None of us get 100 percent of everything that we absolutely need,” says Dr. Tanya Edwards, a Family Physician who consults at the Cleveland Clinic Center. Dr. Edwards recommends that all FOFs take at the very least–a multi-vitamin. “Our standard American diet is grossly lacking in so many things.” (Read about other vitamins Dr. Edwards recommends for FOFs, here.)
(Runners up: Massage, Yoga, Weight Watchers)

{Best of 2011} Our favorites from this year, revealed.

Drum roll, please… We’ve compiled a list of our 15 favorite beauty products and gadgets, fashion accessories, books and more that we’ve featured on FabOverFifty in 2011. The best part? You can win them all. Find out more here.

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1. PaloVia at-home laser, $499: PaloVia, how we love thee. Let us count the ways. First, you replicate expensive in-office laser treatments so now we can do them in the comfort of our homes (for a much lower cost). Second, you’ve been proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes. And third, our members said you really do work(!)–read all their rave reviews, here.

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2. The Baking with Dorie app, $7.99: Our favorite FOF cookbook author now has her own app. Based on the idea that we all have different cooking styles, the app has four different ways to view each recipe. Have cookbooks gone the way of the dodo? If this app is any indication–it’s certainly probable.

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3. A hand-painted scarf from Jill Kirsh, starting at $150. We ran a giveaway with Jill’s gorgeous scarves in October, and it turned out to be one of our most popular fashion contests to date. These scarves have it all–they’re one-of-a-kind and hand-painted in your most flattering colors according to Jill’s color matching system.

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4. The Makeup Wakeup: Revitalizing Your Look at Any Age, $15.64: Two of our favorite FOF makeup experts, Lois Joy Johnson and Sandy Linter, have teamed up to create a beauty book for FOFs. It’s chock full of product recommendations, step-by-step tutorials and cosmetic solutions (surgical and non-surgical), just for us!

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5. “Graham” leather stud bracelet from Gorjana, $55: Over 200 of you raced to enter our giveaway last month for these gorgeous leather wrap bracelets from Gorjana–reminiscent of the iconic Hermes double-strap watch, but at a price point slight less than $2,700. At just $55, we couldn’t believe they’re made from genuine leather and 18K gold-plated accents. Oh, and they come in over 30 colors. We’d give our right arm for this, and apparently you all agree.

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6. Victoria McGill Eye Defining Contour Strips, $9.99 for 16 strips: One of our most popular beauty giveaways yet–nearly 500 FOFs entered to win this product that promises a non-surgical solution to droopy eyelids. Anything to avoid going under the knife, right?

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7. BeautySleep drink, $21.90 for 6 bottles: A drink that helps you get more shut-eye? Sounded like a bunch of baloney to us, too. But, your raving reviews made us BeautySleep believers. How could we have been sleeping on this one until just now?

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8. Asprinpods, $28 for 10: A bestseller this year in the FabOverFifty shop, this genius keychain could save your life. Find out more.

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9. FabGown by Goodnighties, $54.95: Another FabOverFifty shop bestseller, this night gown is made with the same material that pro athletes wear–so it keeps you cool, eases pain, improves sleep and looks great. “Thank you FOF for… such a great product!” wrote an FOF who bought one and reviewed it. “I love this fabric – it’s like magic and I’ve never slept better!” Read more 5-star reviews.

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10. Alpine Rose 3-Step System by Dermelect, $193: We run weekly beauty product tests on our site but one of our most favorable responses yet, was to this product trio by Dermelect made with cell extracts from the resilient Alpine Rose. “After 10 days using this, I stopped wearing my foundation,” wrote one FOF in her review.

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11. Wheat Belly book, $15.96: You couldn’t stop buzzing about an interview with Dr. William Davis we published in November. His groundbreaking new book suggests eliminating wheat from your diet to lose weight. But, does it actually work? “I have downloaded his book.. and read it. I have lost 14 lbs and I can boast, I am not hungry,” commented one FOF on the story. “Dr. Davis gives great advice and I can attest to the diet actually working. Bravo, easiest diet I have ever been on.”

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12. Locket from Stella Saves the Day, starting at $88: Over 200 FOFs entered a giveaway last month for a custom, embroidered locket from the Etsy shop Stella Saves the Day. “Love the retro look of the locket, but with a a new spin,” wrote FOF FabulousMimi. We couldn’t have said it better, ourselves.

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13. Tarte ReCreate anti-aging foundation with Wrinkle Rewind technology, $37. FOF Beauty Guru Tracy Brown, of the BlingingBeauty blog says she splurges on this foundation from Tarte. “As we age, our skin has so many more needs. Look for foundations that contain anti-aging properties such as this one.” If there’s such a thing as an FOFoundation–this is it.

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14. Brazillian Peel, $78: Remember the episode of Sex and the City where Samantha gets an impulse peel, her doctor leaves it on too long, and she ends up looking like a boiled lobster? This is virtually impossible with Brazillian Peel, a chemical treatment that actually turns itself off. Then, it “brightens, tightens, and smooths your skin” Revolutionary! (Plus, FOF Founder Geri Brin is a huge fan.)

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15. Bras by Le Mystère, starting at $36.99: The line for Le Mystère bra fittings wrapped around the room at the FOF Beauty Bash this year. No surprise here–these bras are comfortable and gorgeous. “It gives extra support under fitted clothes and light fabrics without feeling like you’re wearing a mattress,” says Today Show style expert and FOF Charla Krupp about the bras.

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