Apr 11, 2019 | personal branding, Style, Style Personality, Uncategorised
The second installment in my style personality series looks at the Dramatics amongst us. Before we get too engrossed though, lets take a moment to remind ourselves what your style personality influences. It is that subconscious decision maker within each and every one of us that pulls us like a magnet to those new shoes, that new hairstyle or even that new car.
For our Dramatics, the “wow” factor is crucial. You will always make an entrance no matter the occasion and love nothing more than being noticed whilst being the centre of attention. Shopping is one of your favourite pastimes. Your wardrobe is brimming with clothes and accessories that make a statement, it consists of many different styles that you have bought on impulse without a thought as to whether you have anything to co-ordinate them with.
You spend time researching on the internet and within fashion magazines for shopping ideas and trends. You are not remotely concerned with clothing practicality, whether that be comfort or if they can be tumble dried, this simply does not enter in to your mind. Regardless of your colouring you like bold and strong colour choices, often changing your hair colour and style to create new statement making looks.Your home is full of the latest hi-tech gadgets and you are drawn to fast cars that also make a statement. Perhaps you like to take the odd risk too!
My one word of wisdom for all you Dramatics out there is to be mindful that not all the latest fashion trends will suit your body shape so just because it looks good on the front cover of Vogue that will not necessarily translate to looking good on you.
Celebrity examples would include, David Beckham, Katy Perry, Robbie Williams or Chaka Khan.
Dec 12, 2018 | colour, hair, Uncategorised
Being a naturally flat dark blonde, my hair when left to it’s own devices is a little non descript and dare I say “mousey”. Having not coloured my hair up until the age of 21 I started to experiment with the usual quick fixes, namely “sun in”, lemon juice and other lightening agents that were readily available on the high-street in an attempt to brighten and lighten my locks and give me a bit of a boost. It wasn’t until much later that I started down the highlighting route and I feel as if I’ve been on this merry-go-round ever since!
I put a stop to this earlier this year and experimented with my natural colour, thinking A. I would save heaps of money (as with naturally fast growing hair it couldn’t take that long to grow out hey)? and B. With 40 fast approaching I had multiple “platinum” shades coming through which I naively presumed would do the work of a highlighter and “lift” my mousey base. Fast forward 7 months and I was feeling more than a little drab as my natural colour zapped my every life force and just made me feel a little plain.
On a whim I bought a home hair dying kit, thinking I’m missing a trick here, surely it can’t be that difficult can it? I was persuaded by the lull of saving money and time spent at the hairdressers on a 3 hour appointment every 8 weeks. The result as you can see in the main picture was horrifying, I looked like a yellow parrot and as many of you will already know, warm undertones do not harmonise with my natural skin tone. Helped massively by the wine that I had consumed that evening, it wasn’t until the next morning in the cold light of day that I could really assess the damage that I had inflicted upon my hair. This is when the panic set in, but luckily for me I had a very sympathetic and accommodating hairdresser, Rachael Kennedy at Gronn eco-salon in Bury
http://www.gronn.co.uk
Rachael was a total star from the minute I contacted her and squeezed me in to her jam packed Saturday schedule to commence restorative work on my yellow locks immediately. Not only did she calm my heightened anxiety which after 12 hours of looking like a sunflower was alarmingly high but within 45 minutes she had worked her magic and I was starting to look and feel like me again. This, as Rachael described was stage one, a temporary improvement with an all over toner to remove the brassy tones which was going to need additional work to create a long lasting colour that was going to harmonise with my skin tone and eye colour. Another 3 hours with Rachael the following week and the cost of a full head of highlights has taught me a very important life lesson as the owner of a blonde crop!
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DYE BLONDE HAIR BY YOURSELF! Lesson learned, thank you Rachael Kennedy!
Sep 19, 2018 | Uncategorised
Size 10 or size 28, we should be able to adopt a more healthy attitude to what our body looks like and just what an amazing job it’s doing no matter what it says on the clothing labels we purchase. Over the years my size has been anywhere from a size 12 to a size 20 and everything in between. The difference now is that I do not need a smaller number on my clothing labels to feel good about myself. There are steps that you can take to reinforce a positive body image and as a result create a lasting feeling of body confidence and maybe even a little bit of self love….steady on!
- List all the fantastic things that your body is capable of. Instead of looking in a mirror and thinking about what you don’t like about your body, mentally acknowledge all that your body can do for you. Think childbirth, running a 5K or even fighting an infection. Instead of viewing our bodies as the enemy view it as a friend and pay it a compliment from time to time.
- Stop reinforcing negative opinions about yourself by saying them out loud. If you’re saying it out loud then you’re hearing all these negative opinions and underscoring the problem. Instead make sure you celebrate the areas of your body that make you feel good and from time to time talk out loud about these areas no matter how silly this might seem.
- Create a victory file for every time you receive a compliment or accomplish something you’re proud of. Make a note of it, no matter how insignificant and then review it regularly for an instant pick me up.
- Find an affirmation or two that when said over time can become part of your self belief. An example could be: “I can do anything I set my mind to”.
- Talk to yourself as you would talk to a true best friend. A lot of self loathing we do inwardly you would never adopt whilst speaking to a person you love, so stop doing it to yourself.
- Fake it until you make it. Even if you’re not feeling particularly good about yourself, practice a few tactics that will project confidence on to others. This could be in the way of making eye contact, adopting a good posture, communicating clearly and even accepting the odd compliment. Even if you’re not feeling confident right now, pretend until you get there.
The picture that I’ve chosen to go alongside this blog was taken this year on a family holiday to Filey. Did I feel fabulous on the beach in this bikini? No, not in reality, but I did feel like it was the best bikini available for my body shape and size and the rest I faked until my usual preoccupation of “not being good enough” to sport a bikini disappeared. Having shared this picture earlier in the summer on my Facebook page, I used the advice from suggestion number 3 and built a victory file filled with all the heartfelt compliments that I received from real women that were positively touched by me braving it in a bikini on Social Media. This one small act has had a profound effect on how I view my body from the inside out and I hope that by sharing some of my tips, It might go someway in helping you to find your own body confidence.
For anyone wanting to receive my monthly newsletter on all things relating to colour, style and make-up then please visit my website at http://www.styledincolour.co.uk and hit the subscribe button and I’ll be in touch.
Jul 9, 2018 | Fashion, Shopping, Style, Uncategorised
From statement making patterns to a more subtle Breton stripe option, there’s a stripe for everyone. Find out below how to introduce the trend in to your wardrobe.
The Breton stripe was pioneered by Co Co Chanel and is a timeless classic that will feature from season to season time and time again. It is quite simply a wardrobe staple that will never go out of fashion. When advising clients on the best stripe, you need to begin by considering your scale. If you’re 5ft 8″ tall or over then opt for a bolder statement making stripe. Conversely, for anyone 5ft 3″ and below then choose something a little more delicate that won’t over power you. There really is a stripe to suit every body shape and here’s how.
A diagonal stripe is fabulous for any body shape and works on anyone and everyone to break up problem areas and to disguise any challenges.
For people with a bigger bottom half and narrower shoulders then opt for horizontal stripes across your top half to create the illusion of a bigger torso.
For people who are petite and who would like to maximize their height, then opt for a thin vertical stripe to elongate the silhouette.
For people who are straight up and down with no waist, horizontal stripes of varying width can look fabulous (be careful with a larger bust and choose more of a uniform stripe in this instance).
For clients who have a larger top half than bottom half then consider wearing your stripes down below in order to draw all the attention to your most celebrated features.
Women who carry additional weight around their mid-section benefit form vertical or diagonal stripes.
Curvaceous bodies can accentuate their curves with horizontal stripes which will add focus to their hips and bust.
All that’s left to do now is to get hunting for those perfect wardrobe essentials. Happy shopping folks.
Jun 25, 2018 | face shape, hair, Style, Uncategorised
Clients will often ask me about their most flattering hairstyles so I thought this months blog should be dedicated to our hair and how we decide to style it. When considering a radical change for your hair there are a few considerations I always suggest before commiting to something new.
Do you have the name of a good hairdresser? One whose opinion you trust and someone who can cut your hair with good effect? If not, I suggest asking for a recommendation from someone you’ve seen whose hair you like. Even if it’s a stranger, bite the bullet and ask. No-one is going to take offense at you saying that they’ve got great hair so what have you got to loose! Next, consider your lifestyle and style personality. It’s no good opting for a high maintenance style if you’ve just had a baby and the likelihood of you brushing your locks is a reach before you even think about blow drying it! Style personality is crucial here too, as a classic myself, I would find it really difficult to cope with an asymmetrical style or one that forever looks dishevelled.
If you find it difficult articulating to your hairdresser the exact look that you want to go for then why not take some time before your appointment to collect some pictures of the types of colours and styles that you want to emulate. That way, there can be no miscommunication about what you want in terms of layering, feathering, low lights, highlights etc.
At Styled In Colour we concentrate on 5 fundamental face shapes, and each one brings with it a consideration for which styles will suit you best. Your hairdresser will be able to guide you on this in more detail but here’s an overview to assist with your initial research.
The Oval face is balanced, the forehead is slightly narrower than the cheek bones and it slopes inwards from the cheekbones to the chin. Most hairstyles will suit an oval face shape but additional considerations need to be made in relation to neckline and age and what the hair can easily do.
The Square face has a wide forehead and the cheekbones and jaw are all in line. The jaw is angular in appearance. Hairstyles for the square face are all about softening the angles and giving the appearance of width at the cheekbones. Width and volume to the upper part of the face work well. Curls and layering are great for softening angles. Avoid straight bobs and heavy straight fringes.
The Rectangle face is long and narrow with a square shaped chin. Hairstyles need to give the illusion of widening and shortening the face whilst softening the jawline. Any layered style works well. A fringe will always help. Add some fullness around the ears along with a softly layered crown. Avoid long straight styles with a centre parting.
The Inverted Triangles have a wider temple and forehead, narrowing down to a small chin. Hairstyles need to add volume and interest to the jawline. A one-length bob that finishes just below the ear lobe turned in or flicked out works well. Light and feathered fringes also work. Avoid short, cropped hairstyles that finish above the ears.
Finally we have our Round face shape, in which the cheeks are full and the edges of the face are rounded. The hairline across the forehead is often rounded too. Asymmetric partings and fringes work well. A light feathered style will break up the fullness of the face. Avoid big perms or rounded bobs.
It goes with out saying that the colour choices you make for your hair have a significant effect on what outfit colours harmonise best with it. If you are at all unsure then why not book in for a complimentary colour session in which we can work out your colour dominant before recommending what make-up colours will harmonise with you the best.
May 15, 2018 | Accessorize, Style, Summer, Uncategorised
With warmer weather and the promise of dryer days we can have a re-jig of our Capsule Wardrobes and remove all evidence of those dark and cold days by re-housing Winter boots, bulky sweaters and thermal jackets in to the loft to make space for all our Spring/Summer essentials. The school playground is a place where many of us find ourselves both morning and afternoon and why not add a bit of Va Va Voom to your look with the introduction of a colourful jacket, a rainy day mac in your best shade or even a statement umbrella (living near the Pennines there is always the threat of rain no matter what the month)!
There’s no time like the present to add a splash of colour to your outfit to lift your spirits and get your endorphins firing. By wearing colour it can have a direct effect on your confidence and mood and it can make you look younger, fitter and healthier when choosing colours that naturally harmonise with your natural colouring.
Whether it be a colourful new handbag, light-weight summer scarf, bright and colourful ballet pump or simple statement accessory you have many options for starting your day at the school gates with flare. I guarantee that this will put a spring in your step and a smile on your face no matter how many arguments you’ve had to referee over brekkie!
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