Makeup Matters! Harvard Agrees.

Although I've been preaching this for 10 years, there's finally a formal study backing up what every image consultant already knows - cosmetics can affect how intelligent, confident, approachable and successful women appear. It helps to have professors from Harvard and Boston University lend credibility to what is often dismissed a matter of fluff or vanity. I'll be the first to suggest that women shouldn't be judged by this additional grooming requirement, but this article from the New York Times gives us plenty of reasons for taking the extra time to apply makeup, and applying it well. 

Wearing White this Summer? Four Tips for Looking Cool and Polished.



 Chico's Shirt/Jacket
Hey, it's a two-fer in cool cotton!

I’ve just returned from a conference in Orlando, where the temperatures soared to over 95 degrees each of the four days I was there. Thankfully, I packed mostly light clothes, including several white items. Nothing looks fresher and cooler than white as the temperature rises, yet the pitfalls to wearing white and still looking polished and professional are many. Let's review:

• Many higher-end summer whites are linen or linen-blends. While linen is cool and comfortable in hot weather, linens will wrinkle if you simply look at them wrong, and can be a complete mess by lunchtime. You’ll do better to look for a light cotton blended with spandex, a forgiving stretchy combination that’s comfortable, cool and more wrinkle resistant.

• Whites clearly show quality. While we can “cheat” quality considerations in dark clothes, whites and light colored items clearly show issues of workmanship. Because poor construction and cheaper fabrics will be obvious in light shades, you may need to spend more on these items to keep a polished appearance.

• Whites show everything! Vinaigrette splatters from your lunchtime salad, a stray ink mark from your pen-wielding colleague, and a smudge from the car door -- whites are hard to keep clean. A second problem is the yellowing caused from reused dry-cleaning fluid at your local cleaners. Always read the fabric labels in your professional garments to ensure you can meet the cleaning demands, but be extra cautious with whites. Washability helps! And if you must dryclean, expess your concern about yellowing and insist the cleaner uses fresh, unused fluid when cleaning your garment.

Yikes! These are form-fitting!
Better have a great bod or
some great Spanx underneath.

• Sheerness matters! Especially with white summer pants, we can usually see internal fabric seams, but also panty lines and cellulite bumps. Check out your backside carefully to determine the need for Spanx -- I know, you’re trying to cool off and I’m recommending Spanx... just know that everyone checks out your caboose and then think about the impression your hindsight is making!

Have favorite white piece in your wardrobe? Know a great source for white this season? Let us your comments!

A Closer Look In The Mirror

Take a close look at yourself in the mirror. A really close look. Do a few things on your face need some attention? Sometimes there are obvious things that we don’t even see anymore, but others see them every time they look at us. Hair growing in the wrong places can be problematic. Things like skin tags and raised moles can also be distracting. As we age there are more and more issues that crop up in regards to our appearance. Now is the time to address these issues. If you have heard Kathryn during one of her presentations you know she refers to our faces as our “money makers”. Is your face making you money? There are many options to deal with these issues, so don’t let your face become a distraction. Use it to make you money!

Let’s start at the top of your faces with eyebrows. If you watched the Royal wedding last week, you saw a perfect example of some eyebrows that need a little attention on the Archbishop of Canterbury (seen above in the photo) who performed the ceremony. Men, do not, we repeat, do not allow your eyebrows to become out of control like the Archbishop’s! Maybe he can get away with it, but you cannot. If you need help, look on YouTube for many tutorials. There are also many products on the market to help tame those caterpillars. Here’s a link to some great manscaping tools for all parts of the male body. For women the problems can range from too bushy to non-existent eyebrows. Any salon can wax your eyebrows and give you great arch. You can also pluck with tweezers. Just be careful with both of these not to overdo it. If you need fuller eyebrows due to over tweezing, look for eyebrow kits to help fill in that area. Avoid the pencil drawn on look and go for a powder eyebrow kit. The look is much more natural. Also ladies, if you color your hair, make certain that your brows match your hair color! Many times we color our hair lighter, but forget about our dark brows. This can be very aging. Your hair dresser can make your brows match if you just ask her!

Moving down to the middle of your face let’s take a good look at your nose and ears. Is there anything growing out of your nostrils or your ears? If you can answer “yes”, get yourself a nose and ear trimmer today! Many models are available at any drug store and most are less than $20. If you have this problem, chances are no one is going to tell you, but there is a huge “ick” factor associated with hair coming from the nose and ears. No excuses, just fix it today!

Next in our journey down the face is the mouth area. Men, first and foremost, we do not recommend facial hair in the professional work place. However, if you insist on facial hair, it must be well groomed and maintained to the highest standards. Also keep in mind that if your hair growth is a different color than your beard growth it can be quite aging. Avoid this by using any number of products available such as Blackbeard for Men to keep your beard color and hair color the same. For women, unwanted facial hair can be an embarrassing problem. Most times unwanted hair growth in older women is a normal condition that comes with aging. Sometimes it's because of genetics and is passed down through generations. But sometimes it’s caused by a medical condition such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). If you suspect this, consult with your physician. You do have options to remove this unwanted hair from above the lip or on the sides of the face. For the upper lip you can tweeze, wax or have it permanently removed with lasers. Waxing is probably the easiest way. This method takes care of the hair for about 4 to 6 weeks and can be done at any salon. If you have hair on the side of the face, you can use a precision groomer. You can also have all of it permanently removed with lasers. Laser hair removal can be costly and takes approximately six to eight sessions. The energy of the laser destroys the hair bulb. This method must be done by a licensed professional who is trained to do this procedure.

Skin tags or raised moles can appear as we age. If these have begun appearing on your face, consult with a dermatologist. There are many procedures that can take care of these problems. Just don’t ignore them.

Now go take that close look at yourself in the mirror. Be certain that your face is your “money maker” every day!

Finding Time with Ionic Technology

Last week I met with a group of women in the consulting industry. The training topic was professional presence and the group was highly intelligent and incredibly hard working. Most of these women work at their clients’ offices, live out of hotels and generally perform in high pressure, no downtime situations. Keeping a great professional image is a challenge. One of their biggest complaints: Not enough time to get ready in the morning!

This is a common excuse I hear in my business – “I know what to do for a good image, but I just don’t have enough time for it!” While getting up earlier is a simple solution for this issue, I’m sympathetic. So, here’s a really easy way to find 5-10 extra minutes in your morning.

The Ionic Difference!

If you bought your last hair dryer more than 2 or 3 years ago you probably don’t know about ionic technology. Approximately 90% of dryers sold today are touting this feature with promises of faster drying time as well as a sleeker and shinier head of hair. Did I say “faster drying time”? OK, here’s some potential value to my busy, busy clients!

Does it really work? The theory behind ionic drying is that these dryers use negative ions to rapidly shrink water droplets which speeds up drying time and does less damage to the hair. Thanks to my daughter’s recent science fair project, I have proof positive that this works.

Combining her science project's requirement with a teenager's obsession with her hair, my 13 year old put my Conair hairdryer through a head to head test with a new Helix (featuring Nanosilver) ionic hairdryer. Using her 11 year old sister as a test subject, she measured the amount of time it took each dryer to completely dry the hair, which, by the way, was approximately 16 inches long. After several trials (this was a real experiment, after all), the average drying time for the Conair was 17 minutes, while the ionic Helix dried hair in an average of 8 minutes – less than half the time!



Science Project Board



I’ve been using the Helix dryer for the last month and I love it. I’m in and out of the bathroom faster and my hair looks healthier. Looks like switching to an ionic dryer is an easy way to buy some extra time in your day!

Have some time saving morning tips? Let us know!

Class Reunion Prep -- Part 2

You’ve made the big decision – you will definitely attend your class reunion! Congratulations! Now, let’s get serious. Events like this are the perfect time to take a long, hard look in the mirror and assess your image. Here are a few things to consider as you prepare to wow!

• Less of Me. Assuming you have a few weeks or months of lead time, why not take this opportunity to lose a few pounds? Reunions provide an excellent motivator to look better. Weight loss will not only boost your confidence but potentially help you be more recognizable to those long-lost friends! Set a realistic, achievable plan that you can continue long-term.

• Low hanging fruit. Get a great haircut a few days before the event. Get your teeth whitened (this alone will make you look younger!) Ladies, get a manicure and a pedicure. Men, if you have experienced hair loss, crop what you have left to a very short style – you’ll look younger. If you are going prematurely grey, get it colored (women) or get it blended with Touch of Grey (men.) These are all very easy ways to look better, healthier, and more vigorous.

• What to wear???? This is the topic we women will obsess over. Typically there’s both a casual and more dressy event, so planning two complete outfits that make us look as good as possible from all angles may require days of worry and numerous shopping trips. Speaking as an expert observer of dressing blunders, let me point out the risky areas when it comes to dressing up for these kinds of social events. 1) Don’t squeeze into clothes. 2) Don’t dress like you’re 18. 2) Don’t overdo the bling – you are not a Vegas showgirl! Depending on your figure and which class year we are talking about, gravity takes a big toll. Therefore, 3) don’t show cleavage if you are saggy, don’t show arms if saggy, don’t go strapless if it means part of you rolls over the top. And please, 4) check your rear view (everyone else will) –you may need Spanx to hold it all together! 5) Don’t immediately reach for the little black dress – it’s predictable! Use color to your best advantage and stand out a little!! In contrast to women, men tend to have the opposite problem when it comes to dressing for these events – not really caring! Guys, come on, go out and get something new and stylish that fits you perfectly. Use this as an image turning point by committing to dress better in all aspects of your life. It will change your level of success, believe me!

• Have a drinking plan.  Many of us (okay… me) have at times used alcohol to steel our nerves in potentially uncomfortable social situations like class reunions. Others of us might just see the opportunity to celebrate to excess! In either case, there’s a huge risk of embarrassing ourselves as sloppy, mean, physical (or any number of other negative drunk stereotypes). Don’t give people something to talk about! Plan to limit your alcohol consumption, and have a tall glass of water after each drink to slow you down and help keep you clear headed.

• Have a gracious exit plan.  Ever get stuck talking to someone, unable to escape a painful recounting of their entire life story? This happens a lot at reunions, so you better have a good method of dealing with these situations. Here are a couple of tips: First, be careful what you ask about. One of the worst questions you can pose goes like this, “So, what have you been up to the last 25 years?” HELLO, prepare to be bored! Plan your inquiry carefully and you’ll be better able to manage the time you spend with people. As we mentioned in Part 1, more specific questions such as “How do you spend your free time?” not only allow people to choose what they want to talk about but also manage the scope of the response so it doesn’t go on and on. Finally, practice a gracious exit by identifying a good moment to wrap up your conversation. Give a big warm smile and say, “It’s really been so great to talk with you tonight! I’ve loved catching up!” Shake hands or hug and move on!

So there you go! Attending reunions allows you to connect with your past, but more importantly offers opportunities to reestablish or make new friends! Have fun.

Are You "Class Reunion Ready"?

Ok everyone-the dreaded class reunion season is just around the corner! Who has one scheduled this summer? Show of hands please! Who is just a teeny apprehensive about going? We are here to help!

First and foremost, just get over yourself and all the insecurities class reunions can bring up. No one is the same person they were way back then including you. Decide to attend and decide to have a great time reconnecting with old friends. It’s well past time to toss all those insecurities out the window. There’s something about being with high school friends that brings all of that baggage to the surface, but try to remember, everyone is feeling the same way. Go with a great attitude of happiness and security about who you are today and delight at seeing everyone who is there. Your attitude will shine through and others will appreciate you!

Here are a few other suggestions to help overcome potential stumbling blocks you may encounter along the way.

“Honey, wanna go to my class reunion”? When your spouse won’t know anyone there, the answer probably depends on them. Do they enjoy socializing? Are they outgoing? Do they want to go? If the answer is “no” to these questions, then you may be better going alone or with a group of friends. Let’s face it-you will have a better time if you aren’t worried about your spouse sitting alone waiting on you to be ready to leave. However, by all means take your spouse if this is something they enjoy! They may learn something about you they never knew before!

“Should I know you?” We’ve all been in that situation even in our every day lives. It is awkward and uncomfortable for everyone! In this situation, it’s best to either read the name tag or ask for a name. You can say something like “it’s been so long but it’s all coming back to me now!” Try to reference something you remember about them from high school. Make a joke about yourself and your bad memory. With Facebook, you now have access to so much more information on the front end than ever before. You can “creep” (as my kids call it!) on high school friends before going and perhaps recognize them when you see them in person. However, if you don’t recognize someone, don’t stress over it. Everyone understands this happens, especially at these types of events.

“Where do you work?” That question can make some feel judged for their choices and/or accomplishments in life. Perhaps a better question to ask is “how do you spend your time?” or “what do you like to do in your spare time?” You are asking more than just “where do you work” with those questions and you may learn some very interesting things about others. They can tell you about their job if they choose, but they can also tell you so many other things about themselves. Once again you can use those “creeping” skills on Facebook to learn about your classmates beforehand and be ready with some potential conversation starters. You may find that you have common ground with someone that you never knew existed!

This is just a start to get you “class reunion ready”! We will address more potential stumbling blocks in our next blog including the biggie-what to wear! Stay tuned!

Become Your Own Chief Energy Officer

I know we all get things forwarded to our email inbox that we sometimes take the time to look at and sometimes not. But this email was forwarded to me last week and I found it so interesting, especially since this was my latest blog topic! What great timing! I want to share these excellent tips with everyone on “Becoming Your Own Chief Energy Officer”. Thanks to Greg Campbell of Walmart ISD for sharing the information. The tips came from The Energy Project (www.theenergyproject.com). Check it out for loads of tips and great information!

Becoming Your Own Chief Energy Officer

Top 10 Rituals for Performing at your best

1. Choose specific times and days to do at least three cardiovascular and two strength workouts each week.

2. Eat energy rich foods, focusing on proteins and complex carbohydrates, every three hours. A typical day should include three smaller meals and two snacks (each 100-200 calories).

3. Begin preparing for sleep at least 45 minutes prior to going to bed by quieting your body and mind. Sleep at least 7-8 hours per night.

4. When you notice yourself feeling like you’re a victim, separate the facts of the situation from the story you are telling yourself. What is the most realistically optimistic story you could tell here without denying or minimizing the facts? Put another way, how would you respond to this situation at your best?

5. When you feel triggered – pushed into negative emotions–take a deep breath and “feel” your feet. Whatever you feel compelled to do, don’t. Buy time until you feel able to truly reflect on how you’d like to respond, rather than simply reacting.

6. Designate specific times throughout the day when you ask yourself: “What energy quadrant am I in?” If you find yourself on the negative side of the quadrants, ask yourself: “What do I need to do to move myself back over to the positive side?

7. Before you go to bed, identify the most important task you could do the following day. Do the most important thing first thing in the morning by scheduling a minimum of 45 minutes and no more than 90 minutes for this task for 60 to 90 minutes. Treat this time as sacredly as you would a meeting. When you are finished, take a renewal break.

8. Set aside designated periods of time each week to reflect, strategize and focus on the big picture.

9. Set aside regularly scheduled times – at least five minutes for each one – during which you meditate or engage in a deep breathing exercise in order to develop and train the “muscle” of absorbed focus.

10. Check in with yourself once a day to reflect on this question: “How aligned is my behavior today aligned with my deepest values – the person I want to be?” If you’ve fallen short, what change do you need to make going forward?

So there you have it. We hope you find this insightful. We would love to hear your feedback and thoughts!

Displaying Personal Energy

As a leader in your company or organization, it is vitally important that you demonstrate and sustain personal energy. Why is this so important? What are the steps to take to ensure you constantly project personal energy? Watch Kathryn's latest video blog for all the answers! We would love to hear your feedback.