Greetings!

Season is almost upon us. This is that glorious time of year we all cherish when the humidity is less and the traffic hasn't picked up yet.

I'm off to Boston for a few days to spend time with girlfriends. We've been friends since junior high (and none of us look a day over 39) and try to get together once a year for relaxation, bonding and general emotional good health.

Speaking of health, make sure your mammograms and yearly check-ups are done. Good health is precious and can't be overlooked.

Many readers of this newsletter have asked about when and where I might be doing presentations available to the general public. I can't spill too much information yet, but I can provide dates to put into your calendar now. I will be offering a series of 3 presentations in conjunction with other women business owners beginning in 2020. The dates are January 14, January 28 and February 11 and these workshops will be held in Fort Myers. Mark these dates in your calendar now and I will have more information for you in my next newsletter.

Enjoy the season. Stay healthy!

Christine

Because breast cancer is associated with the color pink and October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, the color pink is everywhere this month. Like all colors, there are both positive and negative connotations associated with pink.

The positive attributes to pink are

#1 It's a very feminine color

#2 It's a gentle, soft color

#3 It's a color that garners sympathy

The negative attributes of pink are

#1 It can be seen as a weak and ineffective

#2 It can be seen as "girly" and frivolous

#3 It can be seen as safe and uninspired

So when is the best time to wear pink? If you want a softer look for a severe conservative business suit, add a pink blouse. Pink is a great color to wear to an afternoon tea or social event. Don't wear pink if you want to be taken seriously or if you are leading an important meeting.

D o you know your best shade of pink? In general, let your hair color be your guide to choosing the most flattering pink.

If you have very dark brown or black hair, wear magenta, fuchsia or hot pink.

Demi Moore looks great in a strong, vibrant pink. Sandra Bullock would also look great in that shade of pink but she choose to "go pink" with a fab pair of shocking pink heels.

If your hair is blonde or very light brown, choose a softer shade of pink. A magenta or hot pink shade will overpower you so opt for rose or mauve instead. Look how great these blondes (Reese and my client Leslie) look in a soft baby pink.

If you are a redhead, opt for a coral pink - you need a touch of warmth in your colors to compliment you warm hair color.

L ook how harsh and heavily made up Julianne Moore looks in fuchsia and how natural and youthful she looks in a strong coral. Debra Messing looks great in this lighter salmon color.

If your hair is a strong gray such as salt and pepper or steel gray, you will likely look best in the brighter pinks such as magenta or hot pink. If your hair is a lighter shade or if you have hints of blonde still showing, go for the softer shades of rose or mauve.

Choosing a pink to complement your skin tone is important as well - perhaps more important than matching to hair color. But I can't determine skin tone without seeing you so if you aren't sure and would like help in knowing EXACTLY what your best shades are call me and we'll schedule a consultation.

 https://imagemattersswfl.com/pages/contact-us

POSING SECRETS FROM THE EXPERT

My friend, Megan DiPiero is an unbelievably talented photographer. I use her for all my before and after photos and head shots. Megan has given me permission to share her posing strategies with all of you. Whether you are having professional photos done or just want to look better in your "selfies" or candid group shots - these tips will make you look better.

Don't we all want to look slimmer, shapelier and younger in our pictures? Stupid question, right? How is it that celebs look fabulous in every red carpet picture you see? True, the thousand dollar dresses, personal stylists and trainers, and PR crew they have at work carefully editing out the duds DO help. But stylish celebs have also learned and practiced the key secrets to posing that make the most of what they've got when they're strutting the red carpet.

As far as posing is concerned, the first place to start is at your base-- your feet. Your stance changes how your body appears.

To achieve the desirable hourglass shape in your hips and waist, place your weight on your back foot, and place your front foot with bended knee slightly forward. Why does this work? Because what projects towards the camera becomes larger. In most cases, that means we want the caboose away from the camera. It also helps to turn your body, which as we'll see next is another slimming trick.

Now what can we do to whittle down that waist even more? The trick here is to turn your body 45 degrees to the camera. The more you turn, the smaller the slice of body the camera captures. Just don't overdo it. 45 degrees is perfect. 

Next, let's look at arms. What happens if your arms are at your sides? In effect, this doubles the size of your midsection. The eye sees a giant block of color and thinks big. For that shapely look, we want a slim middle. By separating the arms away from your body (even just a little bit), the eye will see space and the middle is made smaller. Try varying it up with asymmetrical hand placement to spice up your portrait poses. Plus, as a bonus, you'll get that triangle shape that the fashion world adores.

And now for my favorite tip... chin forward and down.  This trick will do just that in one fell swoop! I always tell my clients it's a "looks good, feels weird" pose. Let me elaborate on the amazing difference this small trick will make.

I want you to project your head FORWARD.

Now what was that about putting the chin down? Remember what moves towards the camera appears bigger and what is away from the camera appears smaller. By bringing the chin down, your eyes come towards the camera, making them appear larger. And aren't large, doe-like eyes, just so gorgeous? This is your go-to move for portraits and head shots.

Thank you Megan. Call or contact Megan for your next photo shoot. You will be ecstatic with the results.

https://megandipiero.com/blog/posing-secrets-of-the-red-carpet