By Sheila Dicks

When temperatures drop it is time to think of how cold weather, chilling winds and dry air affect your skin. We naturally think of bundling up during those frosty months but there are a few other considerations.

1. Keep your face protected by using heavier moisturizers, especially if you have dry skin. Always wear foundation when weathering the cold to give your face that extra protection. Don’t forget the rest of your skin and use body washes instead of harsh soaps. Use lukewarm water and keep hot water off your face and body – it’s drying in the best of times. Moisturize after showering, while you skin is still damp.

2. During the winter the UV rays reflecting off the snow have an added ability to damage your skin. While skiing, snowboarding or enjoying any outdoor sports remember to wear a SPF of 15 or more. Don’t forget that UV rays can harm your eyes as well, so keep them protected with sunglasses.

3. Keep your hands dry and warm during the winter months by always wearing gloves and keep moisturizer close at all times and reapply often.

4. Winter is the worst time of the year to keep nails in good shape. To avoid brittle nails moisturize your cuticles before going to bed (I use olive oil). Always protect your hands with rubber gloves when you use cleaning products. Most cleaning agents are harsh and will seep into your nails and make them brittle.

5. Keep your lips protected from dry, cold air by wearing lipstick regularly (or a lip protector). Make a habit of reapplying lipstick so your lips are always covered and you will never have chapped lips.

6. Exfoliate your face and body regularly to smooth away dry patches and prevent them.

7. Visit a spa and get pampered. There’s nothing like a facial, pedicure or manicure to push off the winter blues.

Want to learn how to take care of your skin and prevent aging? Email me to book an appointment sheila@womeninstyle.ca

By Sheila Dicks 

Growing older doesn’t have to be a burden. Aging is a part of life and if we learn to appreciate our bodies and faces we will feel much more comfortable and live a much happier, stress-free life. It seems odd that some younger women are more concerned about how they look and dwell on flaws when they are at their physical best; when some older women, who are happy to be alive, feel good about themselves, accept their bodies and faces for what they are and rejoice in living.

If you are worried about getting lines and wrinkles and would like to feel better about how you look, the first step is to change your attitude toward yourself and aging. Start by evaluating the ideas and beliefs you have about aging and where you got them. If you see older women as unattractive then you are going to have a difficult time looking in the mirror at an aging face. Aging is the kind of thing that sneaks up on you and then one day – boom, you’re there. We all know women who are fifty and beyond who are very attractive and exude self-confidence (yes, they have lots of lines and wrinkles and a not-so-perfect body). Their attractiveness comes from feeling good about themselves and knowing they are more than the outside package. Self-confidence crosses all barriers, people notice and see the beauty.

 Aging gracefully doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take care of yourself.  It means keeping fit, using skin care products regularly, watching your diet and living a balanced life. Develop your own beauty and accentuate your positive qualities.

 As we age and our faces change, we must change the way we care for our skin and how we wear makeup. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Always use a moisturizer. A good moisturizer will help your foundation glide on and will keep your skin more healthy.  Choose a foundation that is the same color as your skin, is moist, goes on evenly and is one you can see your skin through.  Don’t forget to blend around the jaw line.
2. If you have dark spots a good concealer and foundation will hide it. If you have a lot see a dermatologist who can lighten them.
3. Powder is used to absorb excess oil and reduce shine.  If you have been plagued with oily skin all your life you might notice that as you get older your skin is less oily and you have fewer lines than your dry to normal-skin friends. Use powder sparingly since too much will accentuate lines.
4. Use eye shadows sparingly and only use shadows that have a matte finish.  Iridescent or shadows with a shimmer attract the light and will make wrinkles more apparent.  This is a time when less is more. Use earthy tones that create depth and apply the dark shadow to the outside of the lid making sure the lines move upward.
5. Eyebrows change as we age and become unruly and sparse. Use an eyebrow pencil and feather strokes to fill in the bare spots.  Keep your eyebrows a lighter color than your hair and in good condition. Remember, eyebrows frame the eyes; so to open your eyes and keep them looking bright depends largely on how well you care for your eyebrows.
6. U se blush to create a soft look. Blush shouldn’t stand out – use just enough to create a glow.
7. Use a lip liner to prevent your lipstick from bleeding into the fine lines around your mouth. Lip products that have an emollient that will keep your lips soft.

Use makeup to accentuate your positive qualities and make yourself feel great. Don’t focus on covering lines and wrinkles pay attention to your positive features.  Let the beautiful you show through.

©Copyright 2004 -2011 Sheila Dicks

By Sheila Dicks

You’re in a style rut if you if your wardrobe makes you feel boring, if you haven’t bought any new pieces you love in a long time, if a lot of what you own is a fad from the past, if you’re still wearing the same outfits from 15 + years ago, if your wardrobe is 95% black or if you’re not getting complimented on how you look. A wardrobe that never changes can get dreary and that dullness can seep over to other areas of your life.

The opposite is also true. A wardrobe full of clothes you love to wear and looks great on you is a wonderful boost and a fabulous way to start your day.

If you feel your wardrobe lacks excitement here are some suggestions to add style and pizzazz to your dressing. Before you get started remember for best results make subtle changes over a period of time. Rushing in and making drastic changes could leave you feeling uncomfortable with your new look.

1.

Start by buying a few fashion magazines to get an idea of the current trends. You won’t need to buy all the latest trends (that could create a larger problem) but just add a few items to your wardrobe. For example, adding a pencil skirt or pair skinny jeans to your wardrobe is a great place to start.

2. Add a couple of different stores to your shopping expedition. You might find an item you like that you would have never seen if you hadn’t got off the beaten path. If you always buy a certain brand, try a different one.

3.

Use color and accessories to spice up your wardrobe. In your accent pieces (i.e. camisole or scarf) pick up the new colour of the season. The latest styles in handbags, shoes and necklaces will bring your look into the current season.

4. Make sure you have the 10 Essential Wardrobe Pieces that make dressing so much easier. Download Here

5. Get help transforming your wardrobe. Hiring a fashion stylist to update your wardrobe and get you on track could be one of the best investments you’ll ever make. Not only will you save money by not buying clothing that is too big, the wrong colour, too small, itchy, rides up – clothes you’ll never wear, you will also save loads of time.

As you get out of your style rut, act slowly and remember some things do not change. In particular, the cut of the clothing that is best suited to your body type will not change and your best colours will remain the same for many years. Use what you know about the styles that are most flattering for you when you decide to change your look.

By Sheila Dicks

We all know the benefits of wearing makeup – skin looks smoother, eyes look brighter and there’s an overall healthier look. Despite the benefits, many women are still a little hesitant to wear makeup for several reasons: they believe they don’t have time, they think they’re too old or they don’t know how to apply it. Whatever the reason, when you’re not wearing makeup your outfit loses its pizzazz and you don’t look pulled together. Therefore, to enhance your style, makeup is a must.

Although correct makeup application is the key to a fresh look all great looking makeup starts with beautiful skin. To nourish your skin from the inside out start by paying attention to: Getting the proper amount of rest – skin repairs itself while we sleep; eating the right foods and nutrients – skin stays healthy from the inside. It is also helpful to reduce stress, stop smoking and limit sun exposure. Stress ages the skin; smoking and sun exposure causes irreparable damage.

When you have taken care of your skin from the inside follow these steps to keep your skin looking younger from the outside:

	Basic Skin Care: Makeup looks best when applied to clean, smooth skin. To attain this you’ll need a basic skin care regime in which you moisturize twice daily, exfoliate twice a week and use anti aging products.
	Foundation: Now that you are taking great care of your skin great looking foundation is easy and can be applied effortlessly because it glides over smooth skin. Choose a foundation with sun protection in a shade the same colour as your skin.
	Colour: For optimum results the makeup colours you choose should harmonize with your skin, eye and hair colour. Also, your wardrobe colours have a huge impact on how your skin looks. The right colours make you skin look more youthful and lines and wrinkles are less apparent. If you haven’t been colour analyzed it’ll be worth your time and money to do it.
	Lipstick: Skin always looks younger when it is next to colours that accentuate and harmonize with it. Choose lipstick colours that match your skin tone and use a lip liner to create an even lip line.

Less is More: As we get older wearing less makeup looks better. For example, thick eyeliner is popular among young girls (not necessarily attractive) but for women over 30 it has an aging effect. “Less is more” also holds true for makeup in general. As you get older wear blush, powder and mascara to enhance not conceal.

By Sheila Dicks

Let’s begin by talking about elegance. What is it and why would you like to have it? A woman, who is described as being elegant is graceful, dignified; has good taste, good behavior and great style. Generally when we think of elegance we think of a refined lifestyle complete with fine china and expensive jewelry. However, elegance is more about poise, respect and grace. You can increase or refine your everyday elegance with these tips:

Always Choose Quality: Quality clothing not only looks and drapes better it lasts longer and holds its shape longer. Better quality clothing might cost more (although if you love to shop you can often find amazing quality items for less at consignment stores) but is certainly superior in the impact it has on your image. Good quality clothing has seams that are  finished, they have clean button holes, the patterns match, etc. You will spend more for fewer outfits but you will look so much better and want to wear them more.

2. Focal Point: A focal point is a point of interest that draws attention. Depending on your fashion personality that focal point will be different. For example, a leopard print top could be a focal point for the Dramatic Fashion Personality, a set of beautiful pearls could be a focal point for the Romantic Fashion Personality and a unique pair of cowboy boots could be the focal point for the Sporty Fashion Personality. Each one of these fashion personalities is different but all can achieve elegance by choosing a focal point.

3. Unclutter Your Closet: Elegance cannot be found in clutter, which means elegance won’t come out of a cluttered closet. If you want to be well-dressed and achieve elegance, uncluttering your closet is the most important first step.  If you’re thinking, “I don’t know how to unclutter my closet”. Your first step is to learn which styles suit your body type,  how to mix and match them and your best colors. My Style and Fashion E-course covers all three of those topics. It’s a good place to begin.

4. Always Wear Your Best Colors: No matter how well you’re dressed, if you’re wearing the wrong colors your whole outfit looks blah. That is why it is so important to wear colors that complement your skin tone, hair and eye color and not just wear colors you like. There are lots of colors in every palette – you’ll never have to choose a color you don’t like or be stuck to wearing a limited number of colors.  If you aren’t absolutely sure what colors are most flattering on you, having a professional color analysis is one of the best investments you’ll make in your wardrobe.

5. Treat Yourself Special: True elegance can only be achieved through good self-esteem. When you like who you are and you feel good about yourself that feeling of confidence is radiated to the world. Don’t confuse special self treatment with self-centeredness – they are totally opposite. Seeing yourself as special means treating yourself well – good food, exercise, friends, alone time etc.