Becky Redpath shares her top styling tips that will have you looking and feeling fabulous…
I’m often asked to share my tips for quick and simple changes that will immediately have an impact on the way you look, and of course when you look good you FEEL good which is great for your confidence is.
So here are 5 of my Top Tips that are guaranteed to have you looking younger and slimmer.
1 Introduce Colour to your wardrobe
Adding colour to your wardrobe is the quickest and cheapest facelift there is!
The right colours for your skin tone will have you glowing. You will look younger and any facial lines or dark circles will be diminished, while the wrong colours will make you look tired and drawn. Most importantly people will comment on how well you look, rather than something specific you’re wearing.
Very simply you either have warm or cool colouring. Warm colours are those with a yellow undertone, and these are the colours you would see if you were to take a walk in the countryside on a sunny autumn day – rich shades of gold, orange-brown, yellowish-green (khaki), burnt red, camel and beige.
Cool colours are those that have a blue undertone and are the colours typically associated with a crisp stark winter’s day – pure white snow, holly berries, a crimson sky, icy shades of grey, blue, pink, fuchsia, purple, burgundy, slate-grey, black and white.
Take the Skin Tone Test
You can establish if you have a warm or cool skin tone by following this simplified colour analysis procedure.
- You will need: Good natural lighting, a large mirror, a hairband to tie your hair away from your face, a white shirt or sheet, and a cream shirt or sheet. (matt fabric only)
- Ensure your hair is off your face, and your neck and décolletage should be free of clothing and jewellery. Remove all traces of make-up.
- Look in the mirror and hold the white fabric under your chin – then repeat with the cream fabric. Look at the clarity of your eyes and see if you can see them light up.
- If you are warm, the cream fabric should give you a warm glow, while the white will make you look drawn. If you are cool, the white fabric should give you a glow, while the cream colour will make you look drawn.
2 Avoid the makeup pitfalls that will make you look older than you are
- Lipstick – Dark colours will make your lips appear thinner. As we age our lips loose fullness so unless you have a pout like Scarlett Johansson, avoid plum, burgundy and deep red. Corals and pinks are more flattering.
- Foundation – Always match your foundation to your jawline. When you test it the foundation should practically “disappear” on your skin. If you can see the colour it will either be too light or dark for you.
- Blusher – If you have applied foundation you must wear blusher, otherwise your face will look flat, and lifeless. Smile into a mirror and gently apply blusher to the apple of your cheek in small circular movements.
- Eyeliner – Avoid heavy black eyeliner on your lower and upper lid. If you are over 35 it is also ageing and will make your eyes look smaller.
- Eye shadow – Glittery eye shadow has a nasty habit of emphasising any fine lines on and around your eye. Choose instead matte shades in neutral tones of taupe, brown and caramel.
3 Get your skirt length right
It’s difficult 
to imagine how something as simple as getting your skirt length right can have such a big impact on the way you look, but believe me on this one, it does!
The most flattering skirt length finishes just on your knee where you leg indents slightly.
Any longer and you risk looking old and frumpy, and any shorter and attention will be drawn to the widest part of your leg, and your legs will look bigger than they actually are, as these pictures below illustrates beautifully.
4 Make the most of accessories
Accessories are often neglected by women which is such a pity because they are an inexpensive way of adding wow factor and personality to all your outfits. Eleven well-chosen items are all that are required, and they take an outfit from drab to fab in seconds.
When choosing or buying scarves, always purchase a scarf with at least three or four colours in the pattern, and ensure it contains the colour of your top and the colour of your skirt or trousers within it. This pulls your outfit together, and you will look chic and polished.
5 Take time for you
Life can be so busy that taking time out for you is often way down the list of priorities. However giving yourself a day to focus on you can be really worthwhile and pay dividends when it comes to boosting your confidence.
It’s amazing how a simple makeup routine, a change of hair colour and style, and some clothes that are perfect for your body shape can take years off you all in a matter of a few hours.
Becky is the founder of Look Great Feel Fabulous, Style and Image Consultancy. She helps her clients become the best version of themselves using the 7 Steps to S.T.Y.L.I.N.G. for Confidence and Success Formula™ which is an easy to follow process that makes looking stylish straightforward and fun.
