Celebrate the Holiday Season With a Little Bling!

What better way to celebrate the Holiday season than by spoiling yourself with a lovely piece of jewelry?

Jewelry can be made out of any material on earth and can adorn any part of your body. While the focus has been on jewelry that is made from gems and precious metals, there is also a growing demand for jewelry that focuses on design and creativity.

This ‘art jewelry’ is more highly prized for its form than for it’s material value. In addition, there’s plenty of less-costly costume jewelry made with less valuable material, yet makes a fine addition to anyone’s wardrobe. Fortunately, no matter the depth of your pocket, there is jewelry to suit every budget.

Choosing jewelry that enhances your looks is fun and exciting, but it can also be confusing and overwhelming. So keep the following in mind to make the right selections that compliment your unique style: 

If warm colors go well with your skin tone, choose jewelry in shades of yellow, rose gold, or bronze. If you find that cooler colors suit you better, then choose white metals, such as silver, platinum or white gold.

Another element to consider when selecting jewelry is your personality.

Are you a romantic gal, or is elegance more your style? Are you drawn more to the natural, bohemian look, or more to western dramatic designs?

Most of us are multifaceted, so our wardrobe - and thus our jewelry - should reflect this aspect of ourselves. If you have lovely, well-manicured hands, wear only one beautiful ring (in addition to a wedding ring, if you wear one). If your neck is your best asset, wear a necklace as the focus of your image, but make sure to wear tiny earrings.

Do not wear yellow earrings with a white metal necklace unless the necklace includes both yellow and white metals (my personal preference!). Remember to make a statement not a showcase. Focus on one piece of jewelry. More is definitely not better!

 Also, it’s important that you to take care of your jewelry. Polish your silver pieces and make sure to check clasps and mountings regularly on all your jewelry. Be gentle, or you might lose important pieces from your favorite earrings or necklace. In French, there is a saying, "Dis-moi quels bijoux tu portes et je te dirai qui tu es." Or in English: "Tell me what type of jewelry you wear and I will tell you who you are." Thus, it is important to remember that the jewelry you wear is an integral part of your image. Choose pieces that improve your image and are appropriate for you. Remember that your image is your first form of communication as well as your first business card. So choose your jewelry well, and enjoy wearing it!

Happy Holiday Season!
Michéle

Look Great Face-to-Face in Cyberspace!

It is wonderful to be able to speak with people face-to-face on Skype, Face Time et al. For me personally, it has been a boon as I am able to consult with clients all over the world. Clients love it as it is much more personal than communicating via phone or email. However, it does have a downside: the camera is not kind to everyone.
 
I’m sure you too have noticed that webcams have no pity on wrinkles, pale complexions and sagging jaws. In fact, it seems to me they highlight these aspects! How cruel is that! Webcams certainly did me no favors. I was horrified how unflattering they could be! This led me to test drive different places in my office to find out which spot would create an optimum background. Then I tried different kinds of lighting and camera angles that would be the most flattering to my skin. I am an image consultant after all, so clearly I would like to give my viewer the very best first impression possible.   
 
Remember, you must look good to yourself if you want to look good to others! So, a little effort beforehand is really necessary. Put on a bit of makeup and make it a little brighter than usual. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the difference it makes when on camera. Also, pay attention to your clothes. Choose clothing with solid colors. Reds and oranges are best. Wear earrings as they make you appear dressed up and ready to go. Be sure to sit up straight and smile! Think cadid camera! 

Test the lighting. The last thing you want is to look like a Shar Pei dog or Frankenstein. Stay clear of lighting from below your face. And forget back lighting. What we all need is gentle lighting. Natural light is best if at all possible. Face a window or use a simple desk lamp to light up your face. This enhances your appearance and gives shape to your face. If you’re using a desk lamp, turn off the other lights in the room and close the shades.
 
Now that lighting has been dealt with, look for the best camera angle for your face. If you use a laptop, raise it to the level of your hairline. Center yourself in the middle of the screen and angle it slightly forward. Computer cameras have wide-angled lenses which exaggerate things that are close up like the nose!  So put a little distance between you and the screen.
 
Be aware of the background. You want the viewer to focus on you, not what’s happening behind you.
 
Finally, we all make the same mistake. We look at ourselves when we should be looking at the camera. Remember we are talking to another person and not to ourselves! LOOK AT THAT LITTLE LIGHT ABOVE YOUR SCREEN.
 
As you can tell, I’ve given this matter a lot of serious thought and had to do quite a lot of experimenting before coming up with what works best. I encourage you to do a dry run with a friend on the other end of the camera before your next video call. Again, if you are an Apple owner, you can also use photo booth for a test.
 
Oh! One more thing, you do not have to face the camera. Try positioning yourself slightly sideways as it can make quite a difference.
 
Now let the cameras ROLL…

 

 

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Effortlessly Transition From Day to Night

It’s that time of the year again when our agendas will soon be filled with festive events to attend straight after work. Now is the perfect time to examine your wardrobe to ensure you have a few indispensable items that will enable you to make an effortless and glamorous transition from day to night.

With the right dress, the right accessories and fresh makeup, you can be out your office door on your way to a party or dinner in just about 20 minutes.

An elegant and simple dress that is feminine but not revealing is a perfect choice. For those in warmer climes, a pretty summer day dress with spaghetti straps can be worn with a well-chosen cardigan that can be removed before leaving the office. Of course a great choice would be the LBD--the little black dress, a requisite closet item. If it is sleeveless, wear it with a blazer and flats and come dinnertime, remove the cardigan and swap the flats for stilettos.

Absolutely essential is a complete redo of your makeup. (Keep an emergency skin care travel kit in your office drawer.) Remove all makeup, tone and moisturize your skin and then re-apply your makeup. Since evening indoor lighting is subdued, accentuate your makeup a little bit more.

Next is your hair. With your head down, brush it thoroughly to add volume. Personally, I prefer my hair to move freely. However, of you prefer to be ‘bien coiffé’ use a light hair spray.

A stunning pair of earrings that suit the shape of your face and complement your attire will boost your look to evening status and create a great impression. Should you choose to wear chandelier earrings, limit other accessories. A necklace would be a definite no-no. If you opt for a dramatic cocktail ring, wear no other jewelry except discreet earrings.

Another indispensable closet item is a sleek clutch bag. Pop it in your chic tote bag before leaving home. In it, you should have one credit card, your driver’s license, a $50 bill, red lipstick, a hand mirror and a handkerchief or tissues and, your cell phone, of course!

As for shoes, high heels but ONLY if you are able to walk straight and tall. Otherwise a pair of elegant low-heels or flats. No stockings if your legs are in great shape or wear black sexy ultra sheers. They are always flattering to one’s legs.

Choose your coat carefully that day. It should be as elegant as the clothes underneath. Remember making a great exit is as important as a great entrance. And with your beautiful red smiling lips, high heels, a clutch and erect posture, heads are sure to turn.
 
Relax and embrace the festive spirit.

Michèle

Office Attire

At last fashion designers have realized working women are an untapped market and are designing clothes for us. Needless to say this makes me very happy! Especially as I believe it is vitally important that we wear appropriate attire to work that is both stylish and elegant.

Interestingly, strictly business attire seems to have disappeared. Only four percent of women in the United States say they wear strictly business clothes, while 31% claim to dress casually for work.

Being an Image Consultant, I naturally take great care about how I dress. It is imperative that my clothes fit perfectly and that they enhance my good features and camouflage my flaws. Unless my outfit needs to be uplifted in some way, my jewelry is minimal. As for makeup, it is religiously applied every morning. And it has to be flawless.
I know I do a better job when I am dressed for the part. Even when working from home, I dress professionally as I know my voice would project differently over the phone if I dressed down.

Here is a checklist of do’s and don’ts for you to keep in mind before heading out the door to work. I highly recommend that you place a full-length mirror next to your front door and look yourself over very carefully from the feet up. Details count!

Do:
·       Shoes - clean and in immaculate condition. No scuff marks or worn-down heels! Make sure they go well with what you are wearing.
·       Legwear - needs to be invisible. Only if the skin on your legs is smooth and you have no visible defects can you go barelegged to work!
·       Pants – check the hemline. It should NOT touch the ground.
·       Skirts/dresses - not too short, not too long, not too tight. Sit in front of a mirror and check out what others see.
·       Tops - fitted yet not revealing.
·       Hair and makeup - pulled together. A hint of flawless makeup.
·       Accessories - good quality and discreet.
·       Finishing touch - a coat or jacket will tie your entire outfit together.

Don't:
·       Fragrance – wear very little. Your clients and/or coworkers could be allergic.
·       No cleavage.
·       No sleeveless tops - unless your upper arms are super toned.
·       Handbag – Keep it neat and tidy. A messy one shows you are disorganized.
·       Jewelry - less is better. Save the chandelier earrings for evening.

Last words…

Invest in high quality well-tailored pieces. The higher up you are on the work ladder, the better quality your clothes should be. Dress for the job you want, not the job you are in.

Find your signature piece of the season–whether it is a piece of clothing, a piece of jewelry, a handbag, or a scarf–your colleagues will admire you for your great style.

Finally, remember a good business outfit is all about fit, color and silhouette!

Knock ‘em dead!
Michèle

About Michèle Belgian born Michèle Benza is a European certified Image and Stylist Consultant. She founded her eponymous image consulting and posture business in 2003 as it combined her experiences as an owner of fashion boutiques, an esthetician and Pilates instructor.  Michèle's unique blend of European flair and elegance combined with her focus on posture helps clients achieve unparalleled results. Her greatest pleasure while working with clients is witnessing their transformation as they embrace their style and new-found confidence.