Shhhh…. I won’t tell anyone. This is a safe place to read about them and decide if you’re guilty as charged. You can spend as much money as you want on clothes and cosmetics, but if you’re doing one of these numbers, it isn’t going to matter.
      1. Wearing the same make-up for years and years: As time goes on, our skin and hair changes and likely if you’re doing the exact same make-up routine you were doing 10 or 15 years ago, it can definitely make you look older than you are or at least outdate you. You should lighten up your make-up colors with time, with the exception of red lips on occasion. And please make sure your foundation matches your skin tone! Getting a make-over is a great way to see how you should be wearing your make-up at any age.
2. Over processing your hair: How do you know if this is you? Well, I admit my picture is a bit exaggerated,  but if your hair doesn’t have any swing anymore or feels light as cotton, it’s probably over-processed. One great way to tell is by taking a picture of yourself in natural light. Take a good look at just your hair. Does it look damaged? Is the color still right for your skin tone? Let’s face it, we get used to what we seen in the mirror everyday, so go to a professional hairdresser and colorist and have them assess what color and cut you need to get your hair back into top shape! Spending money on a professional colorist is well worth it as store bought hair color definitely damages your hair a lot more.        Â
3.  Wearing the wrong shape clothes for your body type: One of the biggest faux pas women make is wearing clothes that are too big and shapeless when we feel overweight. If you’re top heavy and you wear the wrong neckline or too large of a top, you will carry the silhouette of your chest all the way down as long as your top goes, making the rest of you look bigger too. With a myriad of different clothing shapes available, don’t just pick the same one every time. Take the time to experiment with different styles and necklines. Look closely at celebrity and fashion magazines and pick out the women with your same body type and note what styles they wear.  If you just can’t figure it out on your own, hire a personal stylist.
4. Wearing the wrong undergarments: Your body can’t look it’s best if you’re wearing a misshapen bra that doesn’t support you or you’re showing obvious panty lines.  How do you fix this? Go to a nice store and spend time trying on different bras. Ask the salesgirls to assist you. Many times they are trained to help you find the right fit for your body type and get your bust measured! You may have been wearing the wrong bra and cup size for a long time! I’ve noticed that even when body weight fluctuates up and down, women keep buying the same bra size. You should also consider purchasing shapewear that you can slip on under your form-fitting tops and dresses to cinch in your waist line and give you more body confidence!
   5. Showing too much skin or tattoos: What’s considered the norm in recent years is certainly not news, but there is a time and place for all things. Use your good judgement. If you work in an environment that is not creative and uber casual like a café or a coffee shop, then showing off your tattoos is probably not a good idea. The same goes for showing too much skin. It’s fashionable to wear bare legs with skirts these days, but don’t wear them to work with a mini skirt. And the same rules apply to cleavage in the workplace. It is distracting and not in a good way as far as advancing your career.  A good rule of thumb is if it’s questionable whether it’s okay for business or work, it’s probably not!
We’re all crazy busy these days, and it’s hard to have objectivity with ourselves, so it’s good to have reminders like this every once in awhile. We need to take the time to evaluate what’s working and what’s not working anymore for us. Repeat after me; “Change is good.”
The choice is always yours, make it a good one!
~ Lani
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