Too Much Black!

The other day when I was giving a presentation, a woman asked me the question, "How can I stop myself from continually buying black?" She had prefaced the question by telling me that she has tons of black clothes in her closet, and she always intend to buy other colors when she shops. But then she always comes home with black.


Me, in all black, with my friends Shelley and Corrinda. See how pretty Corrinda looks in pink!


I had built a good rapport with the group, so I casually answered her, "Have someone follow you around the store with a stun gun!" It's a problem for a lot of us. As women, we just naturally gravitate toward black and have a lot of it in our wardrobes whether we intend to or not.And black is everywhere in the stores. Sometimes it can be hard to find anything but.

On the other hand, we're asking for it. Stores give us more of what we keep buying!

Advantages to black?

• Of course, we think it makes us look skinny.
  
• It's easy.
  
• Stains don't show up.
  
• It goes with almost everything!
  
  
  My friend Brenda and me, neither of us in black!
  
  Disadvantages to black?
  
• It can be intimidating.
  
• It can be a little depressing.
  
• It's predictable.
• You might look skinny, but a wardrobe full of black can be a little boring.
• And...it doesn't look that great on everyone, me included!

I'll admit I sometimes have the same problem as the woman in my workshop. I've made a New Year's Resolution to buy less black. The key as with any resolution is to be deliberate. Go shopping with a plan. Look through magazines for colors you like. The last idea, which isn't a hard one for me since I love to shop, it to know that it's okay to come home from a shopping trip without a purchase.

All in the Name of Beauty

I specialize in professional dress, but grooming is an important aspect of image. Today I thought I'd talk a little about beauty tips and products.

The best skin care advice I've ever gotten is to wash your make-up off every night not matter what time you get in. For years, I didn't really think it made a difference and I was pretty sporadic, but when I got engaged I knew I wanted my skin to be perfect for my wedding. I started the ritual, and voila! It really makes a difference.

Before I started really taking care of my skin, I never invested much in skin care, but I've found some products that I love and want to tell you about.

Mary Kay Oil Free Eye Make-Up Remover: This works like a dream and doesn't leave your eyes all oily. The trick is to leave the remover on your eye lashes for about 30 seconds before you wipe if off. My only Complaint is that this product doesn't come in a bigger bottle!

Mary Kay Satin Lips Lip Mask: This is also amazing. I get crazy chapped lips year round no matter what kind of lip balm I'm using. The lip mask is kind of like a scrub. Put it on, let it sit a couple of minutes. When you take it off, all of the dry, dead skin comes off. Your lips are absolutely, beautiful, soft and kissable!

Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with pomegranate oil: After 45 years of searching, I've finally found something that helps my chapped lips. It's all natural and feels great. You still need to put it on fairly often, though...something I'm not great at. And unfortunately, it doesn't have sunscreen, but it's good stuff.

Kiehl's Lip Balm: This one has SPF 15. I don't like it as much as Burt's Bees, but it's great for outdoor sports. It also comes in a couple of tints, so you can cut down on bulk in your parka pocket and skip the lipstick.

Mary Kay Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20: I've just started using this and am very happy with it. It's great for weekends and travel when you don't have a lot of time to put make-up on.

MAC Eye Shadow in Sumptuous Olive: This is also a new find. It's really a fun color, kind of an iridescent green. As creepy as this sounds, it makes me feel like a bug, albeit a very glamorous bug! MAC also has a good concealer.

Bath & Body Works Shower Gel (Pleasures Line): I hate shaving cream! There are too many reasons to list, but I found this makes a great substitution. It's super concentrated and really easy to use. Of course it doubles as body wash. Just pick your favorite scent-smells great!

Premier USA Miracle Mask Noir: Okay, this is from one of those annoying kiosks in the mall. I usually just walk on by, but the guy was really cute and ever so charming. They claim that the mud is actually from the Dead Sea with tons of minerals you can't find anywhere else. It's actually more fun to use than the peel off masks. You leave it on for about 10 minutes, and then you use a magnet to take it off. (It kind of feels like science class.) The down side is that this stuff is expensive. I recommend buying it on line, http://www.premierdeadsea.com/Miracle_Noir_Mask_p/a10.htm so you're not roped into buying a bunch of products.

Pevonia Care Cream: This is a natural spa quality line that I'm considering for my next foray into new skin care. (It's also unfortunately expensive, but I'm not getting any younger!) The care cream is wonderful for treating any super dry patches or irritations that may occur from time.

It seems the older one gets the more products hat are necessary, so these are just a few of my favorite products. I've never found foundation or eye cream that I absolutely love, so if anyone has any tips, I'm open. Feel free to leave comments:)

Political Candidates Dress Strategy

I wanted to take a few minutes to comment on the attire of the U.S. political candidates' attire on Saturday night's New Hampshire debate. As I strongly believe in the power of image--using one's clothing and image to convey messages that one wouldn't normally say out loud, hopefully you can pick up some pointers that might help you with your success.

I want to preface these comments by saying that with the fate of our nation in these candidates' hands, image shouldn't be on the forefront of their minds. They have image consultants (or should) to think about and advise them on these matters. And image alone isn't going to ensure success to anyone, however a successful image only helps. It never hurts!

I hadn't really paid attention to what the candidates were wearing until the Democrats came on and my husband commented on Bill Richardson, "He looks rumpled!" It's true that his clothing looked a touch disheveled. While he was an extremely credible candidate, the rumpled suit could have been sending out non-verbal messages that he doesn't pay attention to detail and that he's unprepared. His image advisor should have made sure that all of his clothing fits perfectly!

John Edwards looked like a million bucks! I did notice that all of the candidates were wearing black suits and Edwards' suit was beautiful and could not have fit him better. He was wearing the requisite white shirt. Black and white is the strongest contrast possible, an indication of ultimate authority. And lastly, he wore the blue tie, as did most of the others on stage. Blue is a color that indicates loyalty and trustworthiness. Of course no candidate is going to look credible standing up verbalizing these statements; however, it's important for their clothing to do it for them.

Barack Obama took a risk! He stood out wearing a red tie. Red is psychologically perceived as a power color that evokes strong emotion, creating excitement and intensity. I thought the red tie was a great choice. It showed he had the confidence to do something different. Also, and this is just a personal opinion, I find Barack to be a bit monotone when speaking, so the red only helps him make his case.

Last but not least, we have Hillary. As sharp as she is, she made several mistakes with her image. Luckily, she went with the black suit per status quo. I find it interesting that her suit appeared to be the darkest shade of black on the stage. (It wasn't really a positive or a negative and probably something only an image consultant would pick up on. I'm sure it was just a matter of the fiber content and the weave of the suit that made it appear so dark.)

The biggest problem I had with her attire was the shamrock green top. Not white, not red, not blue, but green? What was she thinking? Admittedly, it was a strong contrast against the black, but green is usually associated with nature, purity and tranquility. Furthermore, the pure shade she wore is not traditionally appropriate for business. Shouldn't she be going for power? I know that she's been accused of being too harsh, but wearing bright green was not the right way to counteract the perception.

The next mistake Hillary made was wearing a rounded, jewel neckline that actually had a T-shirt feel to it. It did absolutely nothing for her. In such an important appearance, the fabric of the sweater and the round neckline simply appeared too soft and casual. While I don't believe that women have to lose their femininity and look just like men, Hillary should have opted for a blouse with a pointed collar. The firm fabric of a blouse and the angularity of a collar would offset the beginning of lack of tone in her neck. I know this sounds picky, but in a tough race amongst men, she could gain more authority and credibility by the status quo of a collar. The fact of the matter is that it's a non-issue among men, because they always wear a tradition shirt with a collar.

The last mistake Hillary made was with her necklaces. They were too close to the neckline of the sweater. And because it appeared she was wearing several necklaces, the way they laid appeared a bit messy and distracting. She could have gained a more powerful look by wearing a longer, bold, single chain with a strong pendant on it. Even a strand of traditional pearls would have sent out a stronger message.

Truly, none of the candidates will be elected because of what they wear or don't wear along the campaign trail, but in the biggest race of their lives, making sure that what they're wearing is appropriate at all times can only strengthen their message and free up their minds for the real issues at hand.