Make-up, no make-up, or a no make-up make-up?

I stopped wearing make-up in my 3rd year of university. I was really pretty then, and young, and I had such confidence that I could still look pretty without painting on my face. And I was right about that. I was photogenic and the whole idea of wearing make-up to me was simply unnecessary. Mind you I spent a fortune on my skin care products instead of cosmetic though. And 25 years later I am still make-up free but I can see signs of aging on my face (and body) these days which are not pretty at all. Is it because my confidence level has dropped or is it about time to visit the cosmetic counter for some colours and grooming?

It is not easy to be a celebrity. The medical breakthrough has helped models and celebs to keep up their looks but at a cost too huge to bear. Take a look at the new Bridget Jones and Meg Ryan for instance, who are they kidding after the make-over / plastic surgery? It is high maintenance and just impractical to say the least. Why can't we all accept aging as a natural progress and thus age gracefully like Susan Sarandon and Meryl Streep? 

I believe there are underlying reasons for those who decide on taking drastic measures in their appearance. A loss of identity, lacking of security, low self confidence, and possibly a fear of abandonment. Do I miss my old self when I was all pretty and attractive? Do I miss being the centre of attention wherever I go? Hell yes I do but there is no way I would pay to have my face or body parts altered. The results aren't just worth it! Am I going to be 20 again in reality? Will I ever relive my past experiences? No. I am 46. Period.

I want to look my age. I want to look stylish too. Having my colours done and a style consultation have put my mind to rest figuratively speaking (and that is the trigger to my pursuing the profession of an Image Consultant). I know what my best colours are and what my preferred style is based on my personality and body shape, as well as my budget and occupation, I can now create outfits at a blink of an eye and shopping is no longer a go-to hobby. As for my face, I would always prefer to go bare but my moisturiser but my job requires presenting my best self so I spent my birthday (in March) at the Bobbi Brown counter stocking up my essentials. It is like learning how to walk again after a stroke and the myriad of products / techniques of application is just overwhelming. It will take me a while and some serious practise but it will become a habit once I accept my new look.

Timing is another thing. The introduction of no make-up make up is spreading like wild fire in the fashion scene. A low maintenance luxe is not only relegated to 2o year olds. I like the idea of natural make-up. My skin care regime includes exfoliating 3X a week (in general), cleansing in the morning and before bed, and toner immediately after to minimise the pores. Moisturiser is a must on clean face. I would always go for products of quality, either organic or with essential oil as part of the compositions. Here are a few brands I personally recommend:

Aesop

In Essence milk cleanser

Neal's Yard Remedies

The body shop-Vitamin C range

Ivory soap
Keratase (the red series for coloured hair)

As a matter of fact, I always have different products stand by on my shower caddy. I get to decide on which products to use on the day according to the weather to suit the needs of my skin. Spring is the season when I need to be more flexible in my beauty routine especially in a city like Hong Kong, with such a high humidity and unstable weather, my skin knows what it requires and I have to be super careful especially when I am stuck in air conditioned environments most of the time.

And who says it is easy to be a woman? 

Newness is a myth!

It seems that everyone wants something new at different points in time. A new dress for a date, a new handbag to match with the new pair of Jimmy Choo, a new hair style after splitting up with a boyfriend, etc...so newness equates a brand new start, a new beginning to a more satisfying life in the immediate future, or simply a sign of reward to ourselves having overcome an obstacle without the guilt.

To me, it is just an excuse to splurge on something we want (not need), as if the new whatever is going to sort everything out and everything will be okay after we make the purchase. How ridiculous is that? What separates something new from old is that the former is still sitting in the shop, sealed and folded in the stock room and that it becomes old the minute it is paid for and placed in a bag with the shop logo nicely engraved on it. Have you ever wondered why some of these items have the price tag still on them after taking up space in your wardrobe and usually forgotten?

An individual item, be it a top, a jacket, a dress or a scarf, is not new until an outfit is created with it. I could be wearing a pair of old jeans, combined with a great top and a vintage jacket I found in a charity shop and the look is new to me and to the world. Shopping your wardrobe could be the key to creating something new without spending a dollar. A new jacket won't be 'new' if the colour clashes with the rest of the ensemble, and a pair of trousers which fail to flatten my body shape can't be 'new'. Talking about a fresh start...

It's that time again when a new season means a new wardrobe to some. Would you consider shopping your closet this season instead of the stores? I am not saying you can't buy anything new to add to your wardrobe but I hope they are something you didn't already have in your existing wardrobe, not duplicates or anything similar. Don't use 'new' things to self-medicate, to cover up or to forget. Deal with the problem or situation in a civilised way and shop consciously the next time you have the urge to splurge.

Ageless Beauty

Aging begins the second you were born.

You must be dead if you don’t age.

Theoretically it makes sense but why is it so difficult to accept that in reality?

Some might even bail out by committing suicide in midlife to avoid the irreversible aging process.

I could very well be one of them who take the extreme measure. Read on to find out why…

It is not about the number and I am explicitly unabashed of revealing my age to anyone who asks. My concern is that I am single, with no siblings and live alone, I am terrified by all the physical ailments that show up when I am no longer fit enough to do things or go traveling. I definitely don’t want to live like a handicapped having to rely on others just because.

The official age for retirement is around 60-65 but the statistics tell us otherwise. We human never really ‘retire’ as long as we keep learning, being interested in life, and growing in mental attainments. I can’t stress enough how my desire to try out different personal interests keeps me out of the pitfall of self-destruction. Starting style-proud is one of the many ways to stretch my comfort zone, be 100% focused on my midlife career, and of course to help others to be their best authentic selves both on a physical and intellectual level.

I can’t imagine not learning something new everyday. In fact, I haven’t stopped learning since after graduation from university and it is not surprising for someone who is a typical scanner. From nutrition to public relations, from aromatherapy to writing, and now personal styling, I have been acquiring new knowledge everyday, and that I believe is what keeps me going most of the time when life seems too hard.

Embarking on this new phase of mine as a personal stylist is not surrendipity. I used to be so pretty and attractive in my twenties and for 15 years I have been telling myself that it was history and that I should forget about the good old days when I was the centre of attention wherever I happened to be. I believed that it wasn’t possible to be pretty again as I put on so much weights from taking steroids or that I could age with grace. Inspired by the photos and movies which show women of timeless beauty in their 60’s such as Coco Chanel and Edith Piaf, I decided to be the gorgeous woman I could be as I age and at the same time, help others who are lacking the self-esteem and confidence to be the woman they truly are, with or without make-up. Botox is out of the question. Nothing could be more attractive than being simply you.

By becoming a personal stylist, I get to know myself on a much deeper level. Change is a constant of growing older and I can see that I went through some pretty dramatic phases so far in my 40 odd years of living. Some of the changes are manifested in the way I see myself and hence the way I dress. My personal style has evolved quite significantly over the decades as it is reflected in the content of my wardrobe. My appearance is vital in expressing myself visually, and it is indeed empowering when I am comfortable in my own skin. Self-confidence is one of the main ingredients to being extraordinarily beautiful. I want to help my clients to embrace themselves for who they are too by being more confident and feeling good.

Beauty is not about being young and trendy. It is about confidence and self-assurance. This is what I wish to see in my clients who choose to be beautiful everyday. We have developed over the decades a wealth of knowledge and experience, and by knowing what suit us and how to achieve that, we can be comfortable in our own skin and that is beauty.

“Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than the belief that she is beautiful.” ~ Sophia Loren