5 Easy Steps to Becoming Beautiful

Too often I hear my clients, friends and women in general talk negatively about themselves, saying things such as "My hips are too big", "I need to lose about 20 pounds" or "My clothes are horrible." Not very uplifting, is it? Yet that's the kind of self-talk that many of us have running through our minds as we compare ourselves to the unrealistic expectations that have been created for us by the fashion and beauty world. And when we compare ourselves to the celebrities, models and imagery that we are bombarded with, it's only natural that we think of them as the 'ideal' of beauty. Do we need to run out and have liposuction, a breast enhancement and Botox? No, what we need is a re-frame!

Now let's talk about the ideal of beauty. You were born beautiful and you grew up beautiful. Whether you felt it or not is another story. But when we can step away from our self-talk and our unrealistic expectations that do nothing but set us up for failure, we can begin to see our beauty unfold in an amazing way! Follow these steps and you'll begin to see yourself in a whole new light:

1/ Quit comparing yourself to celebrities and even your friends! I know, celebrity style is everywhere and every magazine thinks we want to look just like them. Well guess what! We don't, and we couldn't even if we tried. Holding ourself against such unrealistic expectations (heck, even the celebs don't look like the pictures in the mags. Photoshop works wonders on a few extra pounds) can erode our self-esteem and undermine our confidence. And it's just plain silly, so stop it right now!

2/ Take a good long look in the mirror and take note of what you see. If any negative thought comes into your mind, replace it with a positive one of gratitude. If you start to think, "I wish my hair were long and luxurious just like Jennifer Aniston's", give yourself a re-frame: "I am grateful for my fabulous short hair that enhances my face and makes styling quick and easy." Does Jennifer Aniston have gorgeous hair? You bet, but yours is pretty darn fabulous too! And if you're not happy with your current style perhaps it's time to try something new.

3/ Notice what's great about you and play it up! Do you have the most beautiful blue eyes? Then wear a blue shirt that makes them pop! How about a great complexion or gorgeous long legs? Try a beautiful new shade of lipstick or wearing a short skirt. Take note of what's good about you and put your attention on that. When you play up the positive and focus on what you love about yourself, the rest just fades into the background.

4/ Dress for the body you have right now. Wear clothing that fits your body, shows your shape and helps you to create balance. Are you a size 16? Great, then get yourself an outfit that flatters you to the hilt and strut your stuff! Are you a size 6? Then I'll give you the same advice. Hint: No matter what size you are, don't hide behind big, baggy clothes. They'll just make you look bigger and will give you a frumpy look that's not flattering on anyone.

5/ Wear clothing that makes you feel incredible! I mean it. When you get dressed and put on an outfit you LOVE that really expresses who you are, it's magical! You just feel more like you - but the best part is how it can boost your confidence! When you look in the mirror and see a chic, pulled-together woman you can help but say "YES!" to yourself. And when you say yes to yourself, the world says yes to you!

Looking great and feeling beautiful are about so much more than just the clothes you wear. I want to see you not only look fabulous on the outside, but on the inside too. Because when you feel fabulous and look fabulous it impacts everyone around you! You radiate confidence and the world is a different place. So, are you ready to see how beautiful you really are?

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Think Pink...and Purple...and Red...

Fall is in full swing and that means it's time to pull on our fall colors. But do you know what they are this season?

Sure, fall's palette, as dictated by the forecasters of color, Pantone, include some very trad fall tones icluding golden glow and woodbine. But did you know that Living Coral, Purple Orchid and Lipstick Red were some of the season's hottest hues?

Now, how to wear them. Well let me first say this. My goal, as Your Signature Style Coach, is to help you understand how to get the best look for YOU. While that means occasionally following the trends to a T, it most often means interpreting them in ways that best suits you.

For example, Living Coral is a gorgeous shade but it's not going to be the most flattering shade of pink on many of us (myself included). So what I recommend is to find your best shade that's in a similar hue and wear it as if it's the hottest shade of the season (after all it is, for you).

The easiest color for women to wear in this fall palette is the Lagoon. Pronounced 'the color for 2010', this vibrant shade of turquoise flatters most skintones and is a gorgeous shade on anyone.

I'd like to pass along some of my best color tips to help you wear color with confidence this season:

1/ If you're not used to wearing much color, take baby steps. Start by wearing a mid-tone or bold hue in your accessories such as a necklace or a scarf. Once you're comfortable with it, try a jacket or a top in your favorite bright and see how it can boost your mood as well as your skintone!

2/ If you're used to wearing a lot of black and you want to incorporate color, be mindful of the effect black has when paired with a bright. If your coloring is light and you wear black on bottom with a bold top, the overall effect may be too harsh for you and be overwhelming. Try pairing a bright color on top with chocolate brown, caramel or khaki - even denim - for a more flattering look.

3/ Don't let the trends dictate the exact colors you wear. Use them as a starting point. Say you like the purple orchid but you love a deeper purple more. Wear what makes you feel great is my philosophy because when you love what you wear it shows in everything you do.

4/ Experiment with your best basics, such as black. Find a deep color like the chocolate truffle that can act as a stand in. Who knows - you may very well find an alternative that looks much better on you than black!

5/ Color is the easiest way to update your wardrobe. If you're wearing your old stand-by LBD, make it pop with some vibrant accessories in a current shade and no one will know it's been in your closet for 5+ years!

6/ Find your Signature Colors! Select 2 or 3 of your best brights and use those throughout your wardrobe, in your home, in your marketing and you will feel like your life is personalized to you!

Wearing color with confidence can help you to step out in style!

Don't know what colors best flatter you? Email me to find out how you can discover your 40 best colors and nail it every time! michele@onechicmama.com.

How To Win On Fashion Penny Auction Sites

Note: The following is a guest post from the lovely Millissa Mathai, Editor in Chief, Haute Mimi. Enjoy!

If you're a die hard fashionista then you are probably going crazy for fashion auction sites like Oohilove and Jojolie, which allow you to bid on authentic designer bags and accessories and win them for 90% to 99% off their retail prices.

Unlike Ebay these sites do not let you manually place a bid. Instead you purchase bid packages and every time you press the "bid" button, the price of the item increases slightly from a start of $0 or $1 and the time remaining on the auction also increases slightly. Rules differ by site but if you can master the game, you will be able to reap the rewards of buying coveted designer items for a few dollars.

Now that fashion auction sites are becoming more popular it is becoming even harder to snag that to-die-for bag for dirt cheap, but don’t worry we've got you covered with some insider tips from the fashionistas at the premier online fashion auction site LuxeWin (http://luxewin.com) on how to maximize your chances of winning that item you have your eye on!

Tip #1 Review the Fashion Auction sites and Choose the Right One for you
The sites differ in many ways, including the types of fashion items offered (LuxeWin is more Contemporary, Oohilove is more Luxury, JoJoLie is more Classic, etc.), the cost of purchasing bids, the auction rules, the number of Free Bids that you get, the number of bidders per auction, etc. Focus on the one site that has the products that you want and the right mix of factors to increase your chance of winning.

Tip #2 Study the Bidding Patterns of Prior Winners
Each site allows you to view past auction wins. Note the user names of frequent winners. These “whales” often win because they are willing to throw a large number of bids at a particular auction item, so you don’t want to get into a bidding war with them if you can avoid it. Conversely, you will see that some winners are able to win using very few bids and at very advantageous prices. Was it time of day, type of item, time overlap with another auction that ran long? Look for patterns that will give you the advantage.

Tip #3 Use your Free Bids
Sites generally offer new players from 1 on (Oohilove) to as many as 5 on (LuxeWin) Free Bids for registering. Use them before considering the purchase of a Bid Pack. Clustering them in one auction is usually more successful than spreading them out across multiple auctions.

Tip #4 Don't Bid Untll the Last 10 Seconds or so
Do not waste your bids early on in the game. Wait till the auction clock reaches the last few seconds to start bidding. Keep in mind that waiting too long can cause your bid to not make it to the site’s server on time due to your internet connection and other factors, so generally 5 seconds or so is as late as you may want to be.

Tip #5 Start with Beginners Only Auctions
Most sites have them and reserve them for those bidders that have not yet won an auction. The auction item is usually of lesser value, or a Bid Pack, but there are fewer bidders and no “whales” to compete against. Here’s where you can test strategic approaches against other newer bidders.

Tip #6 Select which Auctions to Bid on Carefully
If you’ve studied the pattern of prior auctions, you should see that there are certain days of the week, times of the day and types of items that are less competitive. There will be a lot more bidders for the Jimmy Choo Bag than for the Rachel Leigh Earrings. Don’t bid on items that you really don’t want but don’t throw away your bids hoping beyond hope that you will win a $1,500 item with just a few bids either. Work the system to your advantage.

Tip #7 Be In It to Win It
Don’t participate with a few bids in many auctions but rather concentrate your bids on the very few that really matter. You have got to be willing to put a sizable number of bids behind your involvement in an auction to ensure that you outlast other bidders. Buy plenty of Bids in advance to make sure that you don’t run out mid-auction.

Tip #8 Consider Using the Bid Concierge To Bid For You
Enlist the help of a bid assistant to help you win the auction. You can input the price at which you’d like the Concierge to start bidding for you, the price at which you’d like the Concierge to stop bidding for you and the number of bids you would like for it to place. Many of the “whales” have learned to use the Bid Concierge effectively. On many high value items, the highest bidder frequently engaged the Bid Concierge to secure the win.

Tip #9 Keep the Faith and Have Fun
Don’t expect to win right away or to win without purchasing bids. The Free Bids give you a chance to get a taste of the action and a feel for how it all works without risk. Winners buy plenty of bids and are willing to commit when they select an auction they want to win. They don’t win every time, and didn’t necessarily win in the beginning, but they continued and developed strategies that have paid off for them. You can be a winner too if you learn how to work the system to your advantage.

Happy Bidding!

Relief for Your Feet

Whether you've had an evening to remember or have spent the day with a client chances are your feet are aching about now. Wouldn't it be great if you had a spare pair of shoes in your purse to relieve your feet from the stress and strain of high heels and platforms? As gorgeous as they look, there comes a point where you need comfort. Kushyfoot's Flats to Go (just $8.99) will give you just that!

These great faux leather flats provide instant relief from being on your feet all day while being compact enough to fit into their own clear pouch that tucks into your purse or briefcase. With a unique, 3-dimensional wavy sole that cushions and massages the foot as you walk, these are perfect for indoor and outdoor use, and also make a great driving shoe.

My advice? Keep a pair stashed wherever you can because after a long day in heels your feet are gonna be very happy to slip into Kushyfoot's Flats to Go!