What's your secret to staying young and active?

Who: Sharlene Marlow, 70, a makeup artist who operated A Touch of Beauty on Lorna Road in Hoover before retiring nine years ago. She and her husband, Charles Marlow, live in Hueytown. They have three daughters, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Her friend Kay Wilson of Hueytown nominated her.

What are you wearing? A purple pantsuit from Parisian that she bought for a family trip to Opryland several years ago; Aerosoles shoes from Stein Mart; earrings with purple stones from Stein Mart; her wedding ring; and a dinner ring her husband gave her last June to celebrate their 40 years of marriage.

Who does your hair? "I fix my own hair. I even cut my own hair. My husband can thank me for that because we don't ever have to pay anything for a beauty shop."

Since you were a makeup artist, what's one application tip you care to share? "I put a daily cream under my makeup called, Ageless by Baker's Best. I got it through the mail as a trial thing. Your skin feels like velvet when you put it on. It makes your makeup go on so much smoother and with no lines or anything in your face. A lot of ladies put on the makeup and have that line under their chin. Have you ever seen it? When you put on makeup, you have to make sure you ... don't leave a line."

You said that you have a closet that is 33 feet long and 5 feet wide. Did you design the closet or did it come that way with the house? "Yes ma'am. I designed it myself."

When did you have the closet done? "I had it done nine years ago."
Now do you have that many clothes for a closet that size? "Oh, yes ma'am. It's full. I have it from my living room to my bedroom, that's how long it is. Everybody that sees it, they say they can't believe there's a closet that big."

If you have a closet that big you must be dressing up a lot. "Yes I do. There's a woman in my Sunday school class who says, ÃI can't hardly wait until you come to church on Sunday so I can see what you have on."'

Describe your style. "I love real dressy clothes. I dress up and I have a lot of belts that I like to wear. I probably could dress up every day for six or eight months and not wear the same outfit. It's not that I buy that much, I just add to my clothes to update my wardrobe. Maybe once a year, I'll buy a few things to add to them. What I don't need, I'll give it to someone else."

What's your secret to staying young and active? "I exercise three days a week and I stay busy doing things all the time. When you get older, people think you are supposed to sit down. I don't. I stay busy all of the time. I decorate my church all of the time. It's a big job. So I keep busy."

Where do you like to shop? "The Galleria. I love to go over there. And that new Leeds outlet, I like that."

Is there anything you won't wear? "I don't like sweatshirts and sweatpants. If women like to wear them, that's fine. I just don't like them."

Do you have a fashion motto? "I think a woman should always look her best whether she's in her home or if she goes out shopping."
Is there someone's style that you admire? "Laura Bush. She always dressed so beautifully. She was very becoming. She always looked nice."