I've been asked to be an "Expert" on the starhub beauty blogger site. Head over there to find out about products that I am reviewing and answers to questions. 

I was just asked which was the best eye-make up remover..hands down it's the Lancome one. So many of my clients tell me they love it too!

 You might like to know that Lancome and L'oriel have the same parent company so the L'oriel one is very similar and MUCH cheaper. Though it does not have as much as the active ingredients in it, but if you are on a budget then that will be a great alternative.
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Clients thing that in a colour analysis they'll get a little swatch and then they'll know what to buy and what to avoid. Yes absolutely, but its about more than that. An expert colour analysis with an image consultant will also talk about contrast and show you how to wear your colours.
Take a look at the contrast between your hair skin and eyes. The bigger the difference the more contrasting the colours should be. If you have mousy hair and eyes that are blended then bright colours will overpower you. You might get compliments on your outfit but no one will say how lovely your eyes are!
In the pictures above you can easily see that the ladies with the deeper amd more contrasing complexions look much better with the darker colours.
Take a look at the model in the first picture. When I added more contrast to suit her complexion, not only do her eyes sparkle but she also looks like she got promoted from photocopier to boardroom.
Not sure about colours then check out the colour analysis services that I offer at http://www.sharonconnolly.com/colouranalysis.html

Catwalk inspirations for 2012

It might only be January but the shops are filling up with the spring and summer clothes collections. Yippee for us that live in warm climates!  My last post was about transitional dresses to carry you in between the seasons, also great, if like me you travel internationally to work.

Today let me inspire you with some trends from the catwalk.
Leather!
Many designers were showcasing leather. Sometimes paper thin with laser cut detail there were leather jackets, skirts, shorts and tops. If this in impractical for you in a warmer climate then perhaps chose something with leather edging or just a leather panel.
Black and White
When is it out? Never! But monochrome was really evident on many of the runways.
Black is quite difficult to wear for many complexions due to the high contrast so if you are blonde or mousy then vamp you’ll need a little more make-up. The feel and shapes are distinctively 80’s so if you were around in that era make sure your hair make-up and attitude are not dating you so that you can carry off this look.
Picture T-Shirts
A personal favourite of mine, I used to love doing this about 8 years ago with jeans and a pinstripe jacket. Choose a quirky almost childish T-shirt and pair it with a serious jacket to make the look very grown up. I had an amazing Felix the cat one in green, now I wonder if I still have that anywhere….

As always, be fabulous and if you are not then you know where to come for a consultation.

Mwah

 

Can't believe women still make this classic fashion faux pas

Spend some time this week looking at your knickers...so we don't have to!

Last weekend I went to a fabulous black tie event, surrounded by women looking just amazing and men looking so sexy in their tuxedos.  I just couldn't believe how many women had not selected the right underwear.

There are so many choices for knickers that look completely invisible that there is no excuse having the lines of your dress ruined by a VPL.  The problem was clearly on display all over ballroom at the black tie event but it's not just there.  I notice it a lot with women wearing trousers at work too.  The thing is that it draws attention to lumps and bumps that would otherwise go unnoticed.

This week spend time in your underwear drawer.  If you wear close fitting clothes you need to wear either a tiny thong or BIG pants so that we cannot see the knicker lines.  Marks and Spencers do some great invisible underwear so go and stock up and stop making fashion faux pax number one.

Supper Club Blooper - We DO notice the details

I just received an invitiation to one of the most glam happening places in Singapore - the advertising makes it look chic, exclusive and expensive.  Obviously lots of money have been spent on not just the place, but also the advertising and marketing.

But Supperclub you should know that we DO sweat the small stuff - take a look at the chipped nasty nails in the advertising - the the tagline of POSH - er I don't think so.  Take note and make sure you get the details right for you and your company.

Sharon Connolly, Image Consultant Singapore http://www.maximisegroup.com/
Be Fabulous

eBay : The Worlds Best Department Store

When was the last time you were on eBay…if ever. Let me tell you you’ve got to get on there! Particularly if budget issues are threatening to stifle your fabulousness this party season. In Singapore there are hardly any 16s and UK brands like Karen Millen and Coast have Armani price tags I have no idea why it’s taken me nearly 6 months for this epiphany but I suddenly thought eBay!



..and now I’m in bit trouble! I’m currently watching about 35 maxi dresses and I think so far I’ve bought 15. It’s a revelation. You go to the search box type in Monsoon 16 and it brings you up hundreds of dresses. Quite a lot of these are even brand new. Upon further research I found that there are certain buyers that sell excess stock and overruns and factory seconds. I found many “2009 Christmas” items that are on the current store websites at about 2/3 of the cost. The best bargains to be had are those that are being sold on second hand, worn once to a wedding or party and then you can snap up a dress that would have cost you over £200 for as little as a tenner. As a personal shopper I recognise clothes from previous seasons that I hadn’t been able to get in my size, or I just couldn’t afford at the time.


To be a savvy eBay shopper you need to;


a) do targeted searches, such as Coast Dress 16, LK Bennett Skirt 14, etc so you narrow down the selection presented to you.


b) Further filter for Buy it now, or Auction only depending on your preference


c) Make-sure you have a PayPal account set up before you start


d) Know what styles and colours will suit you, so you can bid and shop in a targeted way; this is where an previous session with an Image consultant is really going to save you money.


e) Know how the sizing works in your chosen brands, are then generous, or skimpy so you have more chance of a good fit


f) Set yourself a limit as to what you are willing to pay for an item and stick to it rather than getting carried away in a frantic last minute bidding war


g) Add plenty items to your watch list before bidding as you’ll often find the same dress from a few sellers so gather your preferences together before you commit to a bid.


h) You might also be wise to arrange delivery to work or a friend as its annoying having to collect signed for goods from the post office on a Saturday morning if you are not in when they arrive.

Make-up Tips for a great online profile picture

Following on from some of the comments I've been making regarding profile pictures with John Cassidy on Ecademy I thought I'd write a rough guide to photographic make-up.Most importantly : The camera flash removes 50% of your make-up, that means that if you don't wear any you will look 50% washed out and if you do wear make-up you need at least 50% more.

Here are my tips for women.

Avoid all shimmery products. The flash will reflect the light. Let the photographer use lights angles and reflectors to light your face.

Concealer is essential, particularly in the inner aspect and under the eyes. I'd put concealer on men in these areas too to deflect shadows.

Foundation is a must. Choose a matt foundation that is identical to your skin tone. Don't use too much or it will look very obvious. Foundation evens skin tone, concealer reflects light and covers, they are different products, you need them both.

You HAVE to set your foundation with powder to give you a finished look. Also you will probably be under lights whilst being photographed so the powder absorbs the shine and will need touching up.

The eyes will be the focus of any picture. Put a a little more product on that you normally would. Choose lighter colours to open up the eyes. Avoid pink, brown or wine coloured shadow as they can make your eyes look tired and sore.

Use a darker liner than normal and a slightly heavier line to define the lash line, dot powder over it to set it and stop it running under the lights.

Curl your lashes and apply plenty of mascara, false lashes, or just a few individual ones can really open your eyes and make you look more fresh faced.

If you are going for a heavier smoldering eye make-up then perfect the eyes first and apply foundation/base afterwards to maintain a clean fresh look on the skin.

Eyebrows are so important for framing your face. Ensure they are plucked, waxed and neat. They tend to disappear in photographs so make sure to fill in and define them with a matte shadow ( shadow application creates a more natural look than pencil).

Pink peachy blush colours are fresh no matter you age and essential to give your cheeks a glow. Apply colour on the apple of the cheeks.

Lipstick easily wears off during your shoot so use a liner and lipstick as well as a gloss, Choose liner and lipstick in the same tone. Unless it's a high fashion shoot you want to choose something fairly close to the natural colour of your lips to keep the attention on your eyes, or your smile rather than your lips.

For black and white portraits you will need more definition so apply more make-up in darker colours still. Black and white is all about shadow so you can use more tricks to contour, diminish and emphasize.

Bikini Bottoms to make your butt look smaller

Your Dilemma. You want a bikini bottom with a good coverage. Something that comes up far enough over your tum so you don't get a bulge and something that gives you good coverage at the back - Yes? Problem is that if you cover your bottom half with a HUGE pair of pants then your tush does not look tiny.

Answer : Choose a bottom with a coloured band, belt or tie sash at the top. The perception is that your bottom is only as big as the plain fabric under the band. I would also really recommend investing in good swimwear. Quality lycra is much more figure friendly. My favourite is Seafolly. See the range at www.cocobay.co.uk



Be Fabulous
Sharon Connolly