What fun! You have been invited to a wedding / christening / posh do. After the initial euphoria, panic sets in. Too late, you have accepted, and Cinderella will have to go to the ball.
Colour Me Beautiful, consultant Shauna Cathcart is here to help you decide how to go about it.
Consider the occasion carefully and do your research before you let the credit card fly in all directions. Is it:
* Indoor / outdoor?
* Sitting / standing up?
* Daytime / evening?
* Glam / relaxed?
* Show-off / play down?
Under no circumstance should you walk into a boutique/department store and announce that you are looking for an outfit to go to a wedding. If you do, you'll end up in coral head-to-to !
Even if it is in your palette (for the warms) head-to-toe coral (other known alternatives are periwinkle and aqua) is not a good look, particularly if it comes with matching a accesories.
* Be yourself
Be yourself. Don't become all frivolous and flowery if, at the best of times, you feel better in a neat suit (i.e. you are a classic).
Or don't put yourself in that well co-ordinated suit if you feel more comfortable in trousers and a top (you might well then be a natural). Dressing according to your personality will help you have more fun in the process.
If you have not consulted it yet, Chapter 4 of 'Colour Me Confident', available from Shauna, deals with the issues of Style Personalities. Once you know and understand your Style Personality, putting your everyday and "special event" wardrobes together will become second nature.
* Ignore fashion
Ignore fashion. Just because it's 'in' it doesn't mean that the garment you are considering is going to be right for you.
As well as colour and the price you need to check things like scale of the pattern, where the waist is, the length of the dress/skirt and whether these are right - or wrong - for you.
The baby-doll look is popular now, but do you want to look pregnant? We always advise that you should wear clothes that are comfortable - a little looser is a lot more flattering than a little too tight.
* Standing or sitting
If you are going to be standing up for the whole occasion, you MUST wear shoes you have worn before which have been put through the test.
If the occasion takes you into a garden, choose a stack heel or wedge which are unlikely to sink into the ground as you step on the lawn. Stack heels are big this season, and the choice of style and colour is yours for the taking.
* Warning: Linen is a fabulously cool fabric to wear in spring and summertime, but if you are going to spend a fair amount of time sitting down, you may want to consider its crease factor.
* Plain or patterned?
You need to consider whether what you are buying is going to be a one-off or something you'll want to wear again and again.
With so much pattern around you'll have a field day choosing yours. Make sure the size is in proportion with your scale.
Patterns can be great to 'hide' bits you don't want to show off: a patterned top or dress can help disguise round tummies.
If you are wearing a pattern, keep the accessories plain; i.e. with a patterned dress, choose a plain coloured bag and shoes. Think about the costume jewellery too.
Of course if you are a creative, you will ignore all this and do what you fancy on the day !
A plain coloured outfit will be more versatile as you can change your look simply by swapping accessories.
* Buying clothes need not be a chore
Buying clothes should not be a chore. It is about having fun. Once you know what suits you and what colours and styles you should go for, shopping will be that much easier.
It might be worth taking an afternoon off work mid-week (less people around) and go to a high street / shopping centre where you can enjoy a more leisurely experience than at the week-end.
If you still feel it is all too much for you and the stress of finding what will make you the belle of the ball drives you insane, why not book a colour and/or style consultation with Shauna. It is her job to make your life easier .
* Make your make-up last all day
If you have the time and resources have your eyelashes and eyebrow tinted. The eyebrows could also be shaped professionally - it will "open" the eyes.
Apply a Skin Adjuster before you apply your foundation (Morning Light or Satin Mousse). Mint (green) tones down high colouring whilst Neutral (yellow) is colour me beautiful's best kept secret giving you an even skintone and ensuring your skin is primed and ready for your foundation.
The other colour me beautiful best kept secret is the Eye Base. Apply and let settle before you start blending your eye make-up, and you won't have to retouch your make-up all day and night.
Don't forget our Lip Base. It will secure your lipstick / lipgloss for hours on end.
If you need to refresh your make-up techniques, go see a colour me beautiful consultant who will take you, step by step, to your perfect make-up application. If you are a bride, or need a special pre-event treat, ask Shauna if she'll come to you to do your make-up on the day.
