Halloween Colours – Orange or Black?

Until last year I always said that there was only one day in the year when I would wear black - 31st October!

OK, so I know some of you hate it, but I adore Halloween and always dress up the house with spooky cobwebs, ghosts and witches galore. Yes, I do go out trick or treating with the kids!  So last year it was out with the black lace, high black boots, hat and raven curls, lots of black eyeliner and a dramatic carmine lipstick.

But alas, no glamorous witch awaited me in the mirror, just an incredibly raddled old crone!  I was so shocked. Then I realised; this is the magic of colour.

I am used to my Spring colours making me appear ten years younger, but hadn’t realised that the Winter colours of Halloween would make me look fifteen years older. What’s more, those fifteen years have not been kind ones!

So, this year the witch has been relegated to the back of the fancy dress cupboard.  Dramatic witch be blowed; I’m going as a cute and pretty pumpkin in my double-star tangerine!

Take your choice! 

 

 

 

Why your face is more important than what you say

Recent research has shown that in social (and business) media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Linked In, the majority of people make their contact decisions based on your photograph, not your words. No – they really do, look up tricitypsychology.com for the background.

Our triangle of communication is head, shoulders and most importantly, our eyes. Interestingly, while the top of our heads can be cropped, we can never lose our chin and a bit of neck is essential. While the photograph doesn’t have to be fully face-on, our eyes should always be at a point roughly two thirds up and we need to smile. A smile makes us appear friendly, happy and competent (and therefore much more attractive in every sense) and it is a great disguise for any little ‘marks of maturity’ (wrinkles!) we may have earned.

Remember that the right lipstick makes your teeth look whiter and your eyes brighter, while too much eye make-up will draw attention to itself.

Take a look at your profile photo and see if it’s sending the right message!

 

‘Think Pink’ – The Courage to Look Good

Sometimes we forget the quiet courage that goes on around us. Last summer I met my neighbour Denise who told me she’d just found out that she had breast cancer and was due to have a mastectomy.  Our neighbour Claire had also found out she had breast cancer, so they’d agreed to support each other.

Over the next few months I watched these two powerful women go through their treatments. Denise had to have a full mastectomy and chemo; Claire got off ‘lightly’ with a lumpectomy and radiotherapy.

They always seemed to be smiling and never appeared to lose faith or courage or succumb to bitterness.  Denise was never seen without her makeup, even when she had no lashes for mascara and she kept on wearing the bright and cheerful colours of her Season.

This October I bought her the House of Colour ‘Think Pink’ nail varnish. It will look fabulous with her colouring and it also helps support Breast Cancer Care.  Both my neighbours are ‘clear’ now, which we all celebrate. I liked and respected these women before, but now I am awed by them. Their graciousness, generosity and beauty have been an inspiration to us all! 

Why can’t you dress like all the other Mummys?

Ouch!

Sitting over a cup of coffee with some Mums I realised this was a variation of a familiar question on many a child’s mind over the years and many a Mummys dilemma along with it – to listen, or not?

Interestingly, on reacting to her daughter’s request to ‘wear skirts’, the advice was later retracted in favour of the previously worn jeans, the problem? Apparently Mum hadn’t interpreted correctly the 'how' to 'wear skirts’, obviously missing some nuance involving the latest fashion trends!

As a Mother and an Image Consultant many things struck me about this conversation:

• Appearance does matter and it does make a difference to more than just the wearer

• Your appearance is noticed by others (I wonder if the ‘other’ Mummys are aware of their stylish credentials?)

• Children are actually only referring to the Mummys they see and notice.

• What one person thinks is often based on their personal likes and preferences rather than an objective opinion

On our Facebook page we recently highlighted an article in the Daily Mail stating how most people don’t find their style until the age of 57  Click here to read the article. I’m sure the average age of Mothers is increasing, but I wonder whether 57 is a little too late for most of us to impact the playground critics?

Style is personal and thanks to varying lifestyles, backgrounds, values, beliefs and budgets, we can all create our own unique and appropriate style, whether it’s one our children like or not may be down to their personal preferences however, rather than whether it suits us!!!

 

The Pitfalls of Judging People by Their Appearance

Recently I took my family to a Paralympic session of Athletics in the Olympic Stadium, which had a big impact on me. 

We saw several events, including Shot Put, Discus, Long Jump and the Men’s 5000m.  Absolutely incredible, watching visually impaired runners with their guides who needed to be equally or even fitter than the competitors, runners with one or two blades - how hard must it be to learn to walk again after experiencing the loss of a leg? They’d learned to master that skill and run faster than many able bodied people – it was both inspiring and moving.

While watching the competitors leave the stadium at the end of the evening it hit me really hard, we’d been watching the Discus events all through the evening when the competitors are sitting down to make their throw, but as the athletes with Cerebral Palsy walked out of the stadium some were able to walk unaided; some had supporters to help ensure they didn’t fall over.  If we saw them ‘staggering’ down the High Street, I'm sure we’d ‘write them off’, yet here they were, competing on a level we can only dream about. 

The insight for me came when I moved past this point of embarrassment and accepted that we do judge people on their appearance and always will.  There is too much variety in the world for us to hold everyone in the same space.

At House of Colour we are passionate about Empowering People through finding their own  Colour and Style to make the most of themselves so that the REAL person is seen before whatever masks or disabilities they may have. 

I wonder how my  perception of people might differ from now on?