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Following on from my posts on Dressing For the Office Christmas Party, Top Tips to prepare a fabulous festive outfit and What to wear – Christmas Day, I am sharing a fabulous post by Kim Bolsover of Improvability.co.uk, a fellow image consultant and mentor. I love her practical advice and sane approach to dressing for the festive season. After all, there will be enough mad dashing around and her marigolds and brandy approach is right down my street.
Two easy ways to help you sparkle and still feel comfortable at Christmas
By Kim Bolsover
You don’t have to end up looking like the proverbial tree to sparkle this Christmas!
And you don’t have to add glitter to your make-up, nails or frock to sparkle either!
If you look good, and KNOW that you look good, your eyes will sparkle, your smile will sparkle, you will sparkle – and that just can’t be faked.
Your eyes are the windows to your soul and anyone meeting you for the first time will gaze into your eyes to see what makes you tick, whether you’re happy or sad, whether you’re an academic or an athlete (or both), whether you’re going to have something interesting to say or not, whether you’re sincere or not.
Because this is how we make our minds up about who to talk to, and who to avoid.
‘The experts’ tell us that it takes about 35 seconds to make a good first impression – who in the name of Tinky-Winky are these bloomin’ experts anyway?
But I reckon it takes women a lot less than that.
A quick up-and-down glance and they’ve got you sussed out.
They can tell, for instance, that you’ve just broken up with a partner, who in the room you fancy, who fancies you, and (quite probably) where you shop for your underwear!
Here are two easy ways to help you sparkle and still feel comfortable at Christmas.
If you really want to push the boat out and try something new, I’ve added a bonus Step 3
#1 Wear something that you’re already really comfortable in;
-a pair of dark trousers
-a light-coloured blouse or top
-a warm (but smart) cardigan or soft jacket perhaps?
#2 Add one accessory that you’re already comfortable with
a pretty necklace and / or earrings
-a touch more lipstick than normal
-a sparkly handbag
-add a glitzy buckle to those oh-so-comfortable court shoes that you can wear all day without needing surgery
-a sparkly bracelet
-or why not fluff your hair up?
BONUS Step #3
for the Dramatics and Romantics, or for when you want to push the boat out!
If you’d really like to SPARKLE at Christmas, then add something to your look that you wouldn’t normally go for
– Wear eyeshadow for a change
– Wear a slightly stronger coloured lipstick or wear your normal colour and add a dab of lip gloss in the middle of your lips for sparkle
– Throw a scarf around your outfit – it doesn’t matter how you tie it or where you wear it, just try it
– Wear a belt
– Try a scarf as a belt instead
– Add beautifully-applied nail polish
– Treat yourself to a professional manicure
– Add a large, sparkly ring (try the supermarkets for an inexpensive way to try these out)
– Wear tights with a sparkle, or a pattern
– Wear stockings!
– Wear those high, sparkly shoes that you’ve just never had the gumption to take out of the box
– Add a sparkly wash-out colour to your hair
– Add hair accessories
Can I suggest a pair of Marigolds and a large brandy for this one?
Have a furtle* around in the bottom of your wardrobe;
You might be surprised what you find.
Turf out** your undies’ drawer.
Scrabble** around in your jewellery box; you’re bound to uncover some goodies that you’d just forgotten you had.
Hope whatever you choose to wear brightens up everyone’s Christmas this year!
* to furtle – to rummage around
** to turf out – to throw out or eject
*** to scrabble around – to furtle!