Last week in the media there were pictures of celebrity women wearing black to the races – not something I have ever seen before in April. Leaving aside the freezing conditions this winter, it’s no excuse for all those gorgeous girls to look like they were attending a funeral!
What were they thinking? What example to set to others who look up to them for their spring fashion fix. Spring should be about colour and the expectation of sun and brighter things to come not lengthening the winter dark drabness we have all endured for months.
Black is not a “happy” colour to be seen in, and it certainly stood out for all the wrong reasons!
Girls get a grip and get into some well needed colour.
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In the press recently there was a big article on the hormone Oxytocin and how it relaxes the body if only we can tap into its wonderful pleasurable powers.
When we go on holiday we all know how calming it is to sit and watch the sea – it’s no coincidence that blue sea and sky can induce a state of peacefulness. We absorb colours through our eyes as well as our skin so colours have vital impact on our well being.
So how can you tap into some instant oxytocin without getting on an aeroplane?
Wear blue! It’s that simple. Make sure it’s a shade that makes you feel good and when worn against your face, gives you an even and healthy glow and not a washed out pasty look!
Blue is also the colour of communication so wear it if you deal with people on a daily basis or have to make an important speech, or even for a job interview as it will also calm your nerves.
Having just returned from a wonderful holiday in the Caribbean it struck me every day just how beautiful the bright colours are that people wear over there. It obviously has a lot to do with the sun coming out on a daily basis providing intense heat and a wonderful light.
On dark skins warm bright colours look stunning. I often meet women with these skin tones who prefer to wear black which simply doesn’t do them justice. The warm shades of orange, red, turquoise and bright greens highlight deep shades of complexions and makes the skin even and glowing, whilst pastel colours can make the skin look patchy.
With our much paler western skins the sunshine can cause us damage and sunburn on the beach is not a good look, particularly with a bright pink bikini! The best colour to wear if this happens to you is green as it will tone down any red on the body.
Turquoise is THE best colour to wear to bring out a tan so choose a shade to suit you.
Recently I had a bad bout of the flu. I am usually fit and healthy and felt knocked sideways with a high temperature and totally restricted to bed and a closed door!
Its easy to take our health for granted when well. I had a lot of time to reflect on how we use colours when we feel healthy but how important it is to use colour to heal us when we feel sick.
When our energies are low and we feel miserable the right colours can boost our moods, and allow us to feel better not just physically by affecting our energy fields (or auras) but by making us look better too by lifting our complexions when pale or washed out.
So when I finally surfaced I started to wear lots of orange. I feel most comfortable in this colour as it resonates with my energies and is also one of my best colours against my face. I did start to feel brighter and slowly healthier again as orange is a stimulant and helped me to get my appetite back too.
Green is another wonderful colour that helps balance the body when feeling unwell. Purple is a lovely colour to recuperate in and red will put some adrenalin back into a tired and worn out body.
If you are bed bound or dont want to wear colour then make sure you get some bright coloured flowers or plants in your room to look at – we absorb colour through our eyes as well as our skin in a powerful way that affects our moods.
Keep bright and happy this summer with colour!
How great to get a call from a producer of the Lorraine Kelly Show asking me to appear on their Friday morning fashion slot. I went up to ITV earlier this week and filmed in the studio with their gorgeous stylist Antonia and talked a bit about celebrities and their colours and who looks particularly good. The Queen always wears lovely colours and favours blue which really suits her as its the colour of diplomacy and efficiency. She really is the Queen of colour blocking! Kate Middleton looks stunning in bright bold colours which highlight her fun loving personality. Recently she has been seen in alot of dark shades possibly because she wants to be taken seriously in her public role.
So, after a stint in the studio, it was off to Oxford street to find some lovely ladies and put them into colour. One lovely blonde lady (wearing black!) looking for an outfit for a party so we put her in electric blue which she looked amazing in and seemed to like. Then a fabulous woman looking for something to go on a hot date with her husband so we chose bright pink which she loved and very romantic in!
Just goes to show that wearing colours really can brighten your mood as well as helping you to look your best.
I had a truly great day and the producer, and all the crew made me feel so at home so thanks to all of them too!
In the Mail newspaper there is an article on “The ladies in red who look ready for bed”! It talks about how men find women their most attractive when wearing red and scientists believe this to be because of its passionate associations. Red signals danger in nature and therefore causes excitement.
I have written a lot about red because it’s a colour that demands attention. Outgoing, sociable people like to wear red as it enhances their personalities and red particularly suits warm golden based skin tones when its bright or in its more muted form with orange mixed looks fabulous on the darker, bronzed based complexions. Cooler shades of burgundy and plum look striking on the pale and dynamic winter looks whilst pinks will be preferred by the introverted summer types.
Red does however come with a danger warning! Physically it has the power to give us more energy and raise body temperature due to the increase in adrenalin when we wear it and see it. Colour is absorbed through our eyes and skin so its important to remember its power.
People with high blood pressure should not be encouraged to wear a lot of red and used in large spaces it can encourage aggression and in some cases over eating.
So my advice is to use red with care! Make sure it’s the right shade for your colouring and personality and when you want to make an impression whether it be romantically or dramatically then wear red – it will not only get you noticed but you will not be forgotten!
Is yellow your favourite colour? If so, you are likely to be happy, cheerful, bright and enjoy life. So why do so many women dislike wearing it? Yellow is the most unpopular colour choice with my female clients who often reject it until I show them how flattering it is.
Whenever I wear yellow I always get compliments from women who comment about how brave I am and often congratulate me! Time and time again this is the one colour that women shy away from and as yellow relates to self esteem I think it can also reflect their level of self confidence. Psychologically it can be exactly what they need!
The reality is that many women have yellow (or golden as most prefer to call it!) skin tones. So yellow and any colour with yellow in it ie lime and bright greens, orange and corals, will look lovely against these complexions, evening out the skin tone and making it look healthy and glowing.
The key is to wear either warm or cool shades to suit your skin.
- If you have a warm, yellow-based skin tone then most shades of yellow will suit you; butter, daffodil, lemon, banana, gold and cream.
- If your skin tone is bronze based then the mustards and golds will look best with golden yellow being the most striking particularly with brown and green eyes.
- Cool skins beware; pastel shades suit the softer paler colourings, and acid yellow is the most striking shade with strong, cool winter features, but this colour doesn’t sit naturally with blue-based skin.
It is also important to mention that yellow is also considered the colour of the intellect. So come girls, don’t be shy and show them whose the brightest of them all.
With Spring right around the corner and those gorgeous bright colours starting to appear all over the high street, the colour to be seen in this season is Tangerine, or put more simply – Orange!
For those warm skinned ladies indulge. Spring skins will look fabulous in peaches and corals and Autumns deeper tones look stunning in burnt orange. If you are a cool toned lady then keep this colour away from your face but dont miss out- accessorise in all areas; belts, bags, shoes and nail polish!
On the style front you can choose to colour block the orange with browns, taupe, beige and greys with cream and white coming into the fore with the warmer weather.
If you havnt yet had time for a fashion moment, put some beautiful orange roses in your home and enjoy the stimulating warmth that orange brings into your environment.
Orange is the colour of sociability and confidence so use it in abundance this spring!
Looking good is big business for men these days which has been proven by rocketing sales of male grooming products over the recent years. First appearances at work are vitally important and what you wear says so much about you in an instant. So it’s really important that men as well as women look their best knowing that they are looking healthy and attractive in clothes that suit them and their colouring.
Men don’t have the resources that women do – the make up to camouflage bad or ageing skin. So in most cases it is even more important for men to get their colours right. This can be done easily with shirts and ties for work and t-shirts and jumpers for leisure wear.
I recently advised a male client to try buying a new suit in blue and not his habitual dark greys. Often men and women buy dark colours other than black thinking that they are being kinder to their complexions but a lot of these colours do in fact have black in them and this includes navy blue!
The blue suit worked a treat and the report came back incredibly positive. Apparently changing colours had people commenting on how my client looked “so well and years younger” a great result!
We all enjoyed a fabulous Book Launch Party on Saturday night, with all my dearest friends and family and special contributors to the Book, particularly Davina Mackail the Dream Whisperer! Janey Lee Grace sadly couldnt make it but her lovely pa Fiona was on great form. The cake was made by Andrea Davies who is truly a gifted baker and it provided a wonderful centre piece for all my books!
Thanks to everyone who attended and particularly to Sue Blake pr guru extraordinare who couldnt make the party and was badly missed.
Thanks finally to everyone who bought the book, it went to Amazons no 2 spot on the bestsellers Beauty and Fashion site which was fantastic.
O-Books have been great publishers and lets hope the book keeps selling all over the world and helps people everywhere to get into their true colours!