Style Confidence with Emma McIvor

Happy Christmas to all my lovely 2021 clients and friends. It’s been a challenging year but we’ve got through it.

One of the changes I made in 2021 was to come off social media but just recently clients were reaching out to me, asking if I was still in business! So it looks like I need to show my face every now and then 🤣.

So my challenge for 2022 is to get a better balance between social media and real life.

Have a lovely Christmas everyone and happy new year.

Love Emma xx

Ladies often ask me how to put together a capsule wardrobe. Well it quite easy but you need to understand your needs before you start.

You will then need to find your gaps and then finally you need the right combination of items to keep you from getting bored.

For the next few posts I am going to showcase some of my beautiful French designer items for the spring and summer season, now that the sun has finally come out, to give you some capsule outfit ideas.

If you’d like a private 1-1 personal shopping session online then put a lipstick emoji in the comments below. 💄

See you in my next post,

Love, Emma xx
www.style-confidence.co.uk

A client said to me ‘I really want to shop, during lockdown I have become so bored with my wardrobe.’

Normally this is not a problem, so what has changed? I could blame lockdown. Even I have retreated to lounge wear and flats; my clients would be horrified to see the frumpy combinations I reach for in the morning out of pure laziness and apathy.

If I'm wearing a long sleeve top, a pair of trousers or sweats and some footwear I only have 15 * 6 * 4 = 360 outfit options to choose from. Hang on! 360 options?? That’s almost a different look for every day of the year and that’s before I add scarves, necklaces, bags, belts... So why am I bored?

I'm not exactly tired of each item I’ve got, but I need something new! Something exciting, the joy of a new print or a colour; something that brings a new life to existing pieces I might have got bored with. The quest for upcoming trends!

I think I have sussed what is going on. During lockdown I have been submerged in Instagram to see what is current and what they all have in common are items in their wardrobes that I don’t have!

So, this is why I'm bored with my wardrobe. I don't have what the others have... During my training back in the day it became apparent that looking current is important to me. Therefore, when all of these ‘on trend’ pieces are missing from my wardrobe, I feel like my wardrobe no longer belongs in this decade.

As a style consultant my aim is for me and my clients to wear most of our wardrobe most of the time. I don’t believe in fast fashion: It’s wasteful and unnecessary but buying a few items that are current is a great way to make existing pieces in your wardrobe work for longer.

So check out what you already have – how old is it and does it still work for, not only your colouring, body shape and current lifestyle, but is it dated to the point of no return, or can it be built into a great outfit with a few current additions?

If you want help with your styling difficulties, then head to my website for further info on the services I have to offer to you can have a wardrobe that is up to date but not costing you a fortune.

www.style-confidence.co.uk
07791 949985

Are you guilty of abuse? Have you even looked at your foundation brush lately? Before I became a Colour Consultant I rarely took any notice of the quality, let alone the condition of my makeup brushes but I did wonder why when the makeup applied by the girls at the makeup counters, although often the wrong colour, always looked so even!

It wasn't until I became an expert in this area that I realised how important the quality of the brushes were but more importantly, how you looked after them. Dirty brushes harbour bacteria because the porous hairs absorb the oils and dirt from your skin and the makeup. This not only can lead to skin breakouts but you won't get a clean finish and blending will be very difficult. Grubby brushes, grubby face!

This picture is of my brushes, one clean and one a week old! Yuck! It's not until you see them side by side that you really notice the difference.

So how often should you clean them. I clean my brushes that use wet products every week and dry powdered products twice a month. Brush bristles are glued into the handle of the brush and if you use hot water it can damage the glue and your bristles drop out. The type of soap to clean your brushes needs to be gentle. You can use a brush cleaner like Real Techniques or a natural dish soap product like Mrs Meyer's Dish Soap, which is a much more cost effective option. Harsh soaps can damage and dry out hair of natural bristle brushes.

So here are my top tips for cleaning your brushes:

1. Use lukewarm water to wet your brush
2. Place a drop of soap in your palm (you can use a brush cleaning mit if you like)
3. Massage the brush into your soapy palm
4. Rinse and repeat if the bubbles are not clean
5. Rinse well and then shake. Then rub on a soap free wet hand to see if there is any bubble residue - rinse again if there is
6. Rub on a clean tea towel and then leave on the edge of the counter to air dry. Do not put anywhere too hot.
7. Never put them on their handle ends until they are totally dry to protect the glue at the base of the bristles.

Your brushes are the tools of your makeup bag - give them some love so they can do their job for you. Xx

One of my clients was at a turning point in her life. I’m going to call her Lindsay for the purposes of this anecdote, as her story is a very personal one.

She had just gone through a very tricky divorce, lost her father to ill health and the last of her four children had just left home for university, all in the space of 6 months. And to make matters worse she had hit menopause!!!!

Feeling totally adrift and lonely she realised that she had spent so long being a wife and mother she had let herself go. In the latter years of her marriage she had slipped into frumpy and dull without realising it. She said she put all her energy into her children for so many years she forgot not only about her husband, but more importantly herself. It was a horrible shock that her husband left her but in hindsight, she wasn’t surprised.

Lindsay wished her life were different. She was courageous and she took action. She had a friend who had been through something similar who had benefited from a colour consultation with me. So Lindsay rang me for a quick chat before booking an appointment.

When she walked into my studio she was small… I don’t mean physically, I mean emotionally. I really got the impression that she felt she didn’t have anything to offer the world. As I always do, we started with a chat and it very quickly became apparent that she was rock bottom. After some tears and cake we started the magical process of the colour consultation. She was totally amazed how beautiful she still was, once she had the time and space to appreciate her own reflection, in shades that made her shine, inside and out.

Having been in this business for nearly 5 years it never fails to amaze me how someone can be transformed by wearing the right tone and depth of a colour. I love helping women go from feeling frumpy to fabulous, whatever their age or life situation; it is a real privilege.

So, if you feel that you want something different out of life then do what Lindsay did and take action. If you’d like more information then my links are in my bio. # # #

My clients often worry about what to do with the clothes that no longer suit them. They feel guilty just chucking things out but these three beauties decided to take a different approach!

Debs, Helen and Natalie are long term friends. After they had had their Colour Consultation with me and because they had different colouring outcomes they decided to raid each other’s wardrobes!

The soft warm items that weren’t working for Natalie, with her lovely ice cool tones, looked great on Debs and Helen and vice versa!

So they swapped clothes to revamp their wardrobes without spending any money, had a laugh trying it all on and less fashion waste going to landfill!

Great result girls!
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I don't know about you, but I'm finding the second UK lockdown so much harder than the first. It's not that I am shut in exactly but more I have lost my sense of purpose without clients coming and going each week.

On the other hand, it has given me time to sit and reflect about work without the distraction of the good weather, garden and cooking of the summer.

I meet many women who come to me wanting reassurance that they are on the right track regarding their style and many think it means spending a lot of money to achieve it. It's such a relief for them to find out it is more about knowing who you are, how you tick and then learning a few techniques to put outfits together to look stylish, and what's more, one size does most definitely not fit all. We are all individuals and how we dress is a direct reflection back to the world of who we are and people will treat us differently depending on that message we give. That is why it matters to many of us. We directly impact others by our own choices. We can make someone else's day by mentioning how fab their hair looks or by just giving them a beaming smile, even with a mask on!

So, style is not about money, it is about attitude. Dressing with consideration and understanding can make all the difference to how you feel, even in lockdown.

Have a great day xx

We have definitely moved into autumn. All you lucky ladies that have warm colouring the shops always have loads of warm coloured jumpers to offer you.

However, I have cool colouring so can’t rock those autumn colours. I’m so chuffed to find this super cosy chic jumper in one of my best colours from my Captain Tortue boutique. It’s from our new Winter collection.

If you’d like a quick look at the collections DM me and I can send you the links. I’m now off for a hot chocolate by the fire - Autumn afternoon bliss!

Having spent lockdown in jeans I had forgotten how fab the perfect dress can lift your spirits.

This blush pink and royal blue Captain Tortue dress arrived in my collection two weeks ago and I think I’ve worn it for half that time already! Talk about fab cost per wear investment.

I love teaming it with trainers for that ‘run around mum’ look but would also look fab with some strappy sandals for the last few days of summer.

I am now thinking of how I can wear it into the autumn/winter... add denim jacket (blue or blush pink), a fitted cardi and long boots or a long line jacket or coat.

I love a piece that can do so many seasons. Be wardrobe creative to make investment pieces pay for themselves.

What’s your favourite item to take from season to season?

If you’d like advice about making your wardrobe work better for you send me a message or email.

[email protected]
Style-confidence.co.uk

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After a few weeks of agonising over the decision to re-open the studio I have decided to start taking appointments again. I have to say, it’s lovely to be back, colouring people in 🥰. If you’d like to know which colours truly make you shine come and have it done. All Covid safety measures are strictly ahead to fit your safety. Who knew masks would become a fashion item! 😜

My hangers are at the ready....my new season’s collection is on its way!🙈 I’m very excited to be launching my Covid Friendly personal shopping experience this coming week. You can pop in to my studio by appointment or you can zoom in with friends to see the collection virtually. Which would you rather do, get your retail therapy from the comfort of your armchair with a glass of wine or pop in and actually try things on? (I leave 72 hours between appointments to keep you all safe. ). Whichever you prefer, see you soon 💕