Love Your Look Tips and Hints

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/89963527/cupcake-thieves-leave-13yearolds-with-nothing-to-cheer-about

Young entrepreneurs Meg & Macy (13 years old) were fundraising for their Cheerleading club's travel expenses.  They organised a cupcake bake sale and had successfully sold $160.00 of cupcakes when a women came up & asked them how much they would charge to make 60 cupcakes for her nieces birthday. 

This was an exciting fundraising opportunity for Meg & Macy.  So they listened intently as the women kept asking them questions.

 She distracted their attention away from their table, and while she had them distracted she stole their $160.00 and ran off laughing at them!

I GOT SO MAD!

Meg and Macy's story really resonated with me on multiple levels...

• When I worked in a retail job I had the same experience as Meg & Macy. A group of people worked together to distract me and then stole stock.  It's the most horrible feeling, being tricked and having your trust violated and you blame yourself too.  As a Mum, I don't want these young women being scarred for life by this experience!

• I Want to Turn Around a Bad Experience Into a Great Result & Memory for Meg & Macy. As a Personal Style Consultant I'm like a Fairy Godmother for my clients and I want to be Meg and Macy's Fairy Godmother in this situation too.

• Encourage Meg & Macy's Entrepreneurial Initiative.  I want to encourage the girls so they remember a positive result to their initiative & hard work & don't get put off being entrepreneurs in the future.

•  My first Entrepreneurial experience was fund raising as a teenager, just like Meg & Macy.   I was a member of the NZ Secondary Students Choir.  To raise funds I created & managed a three part harmony singing group.  We used the money we earned from our gigs to fund our choir trip.  We travelled to Hawaii and won the top award at the Pacific Basin Choral Festival.  An unforgettable life experience.  

•  But I still remember how hard it was to fundraise.  Every $160 towards your total counts, it's a big deal for Meg & Macy to lose that money.

• Those early Fundraising experiences led me to become an entrepreneur as a adult, starting my current business Love Your Look in my 20's which has run for the past 15 years.

  Because of My Own Experiences I Know That

How One Change In My Perspective Helped Me Transform My Life!

I'm sure I'm not the only person who has found themselves 'stuck' in an area of their life.  A lot of the time I find myself trapped by self-imposed fears. Paralysed from taking action, sandwiched between "Fear of Success" and "Fear of Failure".  Actually, fear of change... full-stop!

When I'm in this mindset I find myself stuck in a narrow 'safe zone' between fear of success and fear of failure.  The responsibility of 'choosing' to commit to a new course of action seems too much of a risk, and just too hard.

Have you experienced the  feeling I'm describing?  If you have you'll know it's not a pleasant way to live.  Having the opportunity to choose to act to bring about a change in our lives feels like a burden and a responsibility, not the gift it actually is.  Choosing to change feels like something we HAVE  to do or SHOULD do, not something we GET  to do.

Life Changing Experience

From 2011-2013 I had an experience that totally changed my perspective on whether choice was a burden or a gift.  I was chronically ill, physically disabled and sometimes unable to walk, throughout this two and a half year period.  At the same time I was also battling Endometriosis which meant trying to function while battling debilitating pain. (For the benefit of anyone who's fortunate enough not to have experienced Endometriosis it's like trying to lead your normal life, while in the late stages of labour).

During this time I had many choices taken from me due to all the things my body could no longer do e.g. sometimes my legs didn't work for a few days and so I couldn't walk, I had convulsions out of the blue and basically no control over my sick body which required three naps a day to get through to bedtime.  

You get the idea.  I was just living in survival mode in every area of my life.

The Bizarre 'Upside' Of Being So Sick

I was surprised during this time to discover that being so sick was bizarrely liberating as it took away my self-imposed pressure to succeed (yes, you're right, I have a horrible tendency towards perfectionism).

When my body was so sick my expectations for myself and of what I should achieve each day dropped.  This is something I noticed when we were dealing with the 2010/2011 Christchurch earthquakes too. When we had no water, no power, no sewerage I was much kinder to myself and felt quite free and proud of what I did manage to cope with and achieve.  (Yes, there is a lesson there...Let's not wait for a natural disaster or debilitating illness to be kind to ourselves!)

Being Robbed of Many of My Choices - Ignited a Deeper Spark of Determination

Being so physically disabled robbed me of many of my choices, but I found this ignited a deeper spark towards the things I really DID want to achieve e.g. the passion for my business is to help women look great and feel confident...what if I couldn't do that anymore?  What if I couldn't choose to do that anymore?

Having the threat of the choice being taken away from me took away the fear of success and failure.  I began to appreciate what a gift it is to GET to choose.

What I Learnt

The good news is ... I got better!  I was totally blessed to get my health back at the end of 2013, and recover completely from all my disabilities and the endometriosis. (Thanks to all my friends from The Revival Fellowship who prayed for me & Deidere from DP Herbals).  Now I feel amazing.

Once I got well I found my entire perspective on choice had changed.  I didn't take the ability to choose and to have choices for granted any more!  'You don't know what you've got until you lose it' is so true.

Now I realised... I GET to choose!  What a privilege!

Yes I might not succeed, but that's ok.  I GET  the OPPORTUNITY to TRY!

This whole experience has help me so much in my battle with perfectionism and fear of failure that I wanted to share it with you.

I started making some changes (previously the word 'change' used to send shivers down my spine).  My thoughts progressed something like this...

• I've got a healthy body back...I get to choose to use it
• I get to choose to...GET FIT
• I get to choose to...MOVE MY BODY & EXERCISE

As my coordination came back I decided I wanted to run again.  I joined Summer Starter training because I wanted to run 4km.  You can imagine how grateful and proud I felt when I eventually reached that goal thanks to Extra Mile Runners (starting with week 1: run 30 seconds, walk 4&1/2 minutes five times, three days a week.  Extra Mile Runners taught me Baby Steps!)  I joined Les Mills gym again & discovered how much I love BodyBalance.

Achieving this goal increased my confidence to try for other changes,

• I get to grow my business
• I get to organise inspiring events for women

Even in areas I really struggled with...

• I get to Declutter & Organise my paperwork (Thanks Kikki-K!)

You, of course, will have your own areas of your life that you have always wanted to transform, and they will be different for every person.

Be Inspired to Transform Your Life

Here's what I learned...

• I GET to...go for my goals
• I GET to...change old bad habits
• I GET to...choose new habits that I always wanted to develop
• I CAN CHANGE!
• I GET TO CHOOSE  to TRANSFORM MY LIFE!

and GUESS WHAT...YOU GET TO CHOOSE TOO!  

Getting to Choose is a privilege, such a privilege...What will YOU CHOOSE?

P.S. You Don't Have to Get Chronically Ill to Transform Your Life!

TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE EVENT: Friday 10th June 7-9pm, The Collect, Manchester Street, Christchurch (Session 3: The 'Love You' Series)

Come & be inspired to TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE!

• Style and Health & Wellbeing Experts
• Fun, girls night out, food & drink, prizes, practical life changing tips
• "Transform Your Wardrobe: Transform Your Life" Joanna Giles, Personal Style Consultant Love Your Look
• "How to Create a Healthy Lifestyle for Lasting Change" Brittney Purdie, Health & Wellbeing Coach, Brittney Purdie Health & Wellbeing

Buy your tickets now at www.loveyourlook.co.nz

Early Bird Special ONLY $35.00 until 3rd June (Full price $40.00)

If not NOW...when?

If not YOU...who?

Hi Everyone,

Here’s a quick style tip from Johanna Nicholson to help solve the morning cry of "I've got a wardrobe full of clothes, but nothing to wear!"

Welcome to the world of capsule wardrobe magic.  You'll be able to create 20 outfits, from just 11 items.  This trick will enable you to wear a different outfit to work every week day, for a month.  It's also brilliant for travelling, as just 11 items will give you a different outfit to wear each day for 20 days.

Here's how it works.

Turn separates into multiple outfits by creating a capsule. 

The formula is 2+2+5=20.

All you need is two outer layers and two bottom layers that mix & match, five tops and two necklaces or scarves the same colour as the bottom layers to ‘bring the bottom colour up’ and pull everything together. 

Wear each top with each outer and bottom layer combination (4 looks per top).  As you change the bottom layer, choose the necklace the same colour.

Twenty looks from eleven items.  Magic!  You could even fit it all in your carry on baggage. 

Hope that makes your mornings easier...

Would you like some help putting your own capsule wardrobe together? Just email me at jgcosmetics@gmail.com or ring (03)385 5485,

or See the Capsule Wardrobe Formula demonstrated at our next Style Workshop or book in for a Personal Shopper or Wardrobe Plan Makeover for help to create your own!

Enjoy & have a great day,

Joanna

Appreciate Your Body in 2015 & the Magic Dress

Hi everyone,

Happy New Year!  It seemed appropriate during this time of New Years resolutions to share a positive resolution that’s been on my mind lately. I hope it will give you a positive start to the new year too.

This year, rather than creating resolutions based on your dissatisfaction with your body (you know the kind, this year I’ll start that diet, go to the gym 7 days a week, create my perfect body and then I’ll be happy etc) how about creating a resolution that you will be content with your body as it is right now, and appreciate everything your body does for you.

This is a resolution that’s going to make you feel great from day one, right through to day 365!

 Are you one of the lucky people that has a body that can walk, talk and hug loved ones?  Does your body take you where you want to go and allow you to do the things you want to do each day?  Do you take all these abilities for granted and spend your time disliking your body and complaining about all the things you don’t like about your body?  Your body shape, size, wobbly arms, cellulite...and so the list goes on?

How does this negative thinking about your wonderful, functioning body make you feel?  Not great?  Then make a resolution to STOP criticising your body and start appreciating what it can do!

Read on to discover the surprising benefits of appreciating your body, instead of trying to change it and check out ‘The Magic Dress’ from CC Collections.

Two experiences have led me to begin appreciating my body and what it can do.  I hope my experiences help you too.

What I learned from Anorexia

As a teenager I suffered from anorexia nervosa and was very fortunate to survive to share this with you.  I have a naturally petite build but when I had anorexia was two stone lighter than I am now.  My body couldn’t function at this weight, my periods stopped and I would pass out in the middle of the road while biking home from school.  My brain wasn’t functioning properly either and my world shrank to the point where all I thought about all day every day was food and stopping myself eating it. 

I hated my body and myself.  It was a terrible way to live.  As the mental illness with the highest death rate, I feel very blessed to have survived it and to have had my mind healed so that after six months I was no longer trapped thinking this way and fully recovered.

That experience eventually led me to work as a Personal Style Consultant and Makeup Artist, helping other women to look great and feel confident so that no one else would suffer from hating their body and the way they looked like I had.

Serious illness leads to serious appreciation

A more recent experience has given me even more appreciation for what my body can do.  In mid 2011 I was struck down with a serious illness that left me with seizures, took away my health and fitness and left me so exhausted and weak that I couldn’t even grate a carrot or stand up in the shower.  Periodically, with no warning, my legs would stop functioning and I wouldn’t be able to walk for a week at a time. 

It got progressively worse for two and a half years until after much prayer the cause and solution were discovered.

 I’ve now been back to full health for just over a year.  Do you think I appreciate my body and what it can do a lot more now than I did before I got sick?  You bet I do! I even get excited that I can grate a carrot!

I no longer have to stop and think can I walk to that spot and still be able to walk back again?  I don’t have wait at the bottom of Halswell Quarry while everyone else climbs to the top and enjoys the view.

I learnt two wonderful things from experiencing this illness

1. First of all, we are not our bodies.  My body wasn’t working properly, but I was fine on the inside.  I learnt that I don’t need functioning legs to be happy.  I could still see, hear and talk with my loved ones and have fun.  I learnt that I can be perfectly happy, even with a body that’s not functioning properly.  I guess everyone learns that as they age, I just got to learn it in my 30’s and 40’s.
2. The other thing I learnt when I recovered was not to take what a healthy body can do for granted.  Sure my legs have varicose veins, but who cares when they can take me on a walk around the park, a bike ride with friends or climb up high to see a beautiful view.  I was ridiculously excited to help a family member shift recently because I was actually able to lift things and vacuum and be useful again.  It felt amazing!

The surprising benefits of appreciating your body, not trying to change it

I’ve always told my clients, you are perfect just the way you are.  If you don’t like how you look in a garment, it’s the garment’s fault.  The garment is the wrong shape or size, not you.

When women say to me “I’ll book a Personal Shopper after I lose weight”, I tell them don’t wait until you have the ‘perfect’ body.  What you’re saying is that you don’t deserve to treat yourself well until you change yourself.  You’re saying “I’m not worth it now.”  Value yourself now!  Appreciate your body now!

Interestingly, over the years I’ve had many people come back to me and say “The new clothes from my shopping trip don’t fit me anymore.”  Why? Because they felt so good in their new clothes that they started treating themselves better, leading to a happier, healthier lifestyle and the weight loss that had been eluding them for so long.

So this year make the resolution to start appreciating your wonderful body for all the amazing things it allows you to do every day.

 To help you get started feeling great about your body pop in to CC Collections and try what I affectionately call “The Magic Dress” City Collections Flared Panel Dress (Black and White 7455Y BLACWH) and (Aqua/ Black Tribal 7454Y AQBLTR).  I think every one of my clients that has tried this gorgeous dress on has ended up buying it (and I bought it too). It’s cut really well and is incredibly flattering, so treat yourself, twirl around in it and be grateful that you can.

 If you would like to start treating yourself well in 2015, learning from the experts so you can love the way you look, just email me at jgcosmetics@gmail.com or leave a message on (03)385 5485 with a couple of days/times that would suit you to talk and the best number to call you on. 

Happy New Year!

Joanna Giles (BA)

Personal Style Consultant

Love Your Look

Choosing Capris for Your Body Shape

Hi everyone,    

Holiday season greetings to you all!  Wishing you all the chance to relax and have a fun break with your friends and family.  In the spirit of heading away on summer holidays, I’ve decided the best gift I can give you is to help make your holiday packing experience easier & less stressful.

So in this tip I’m giving you some great tips on choosing capris to flatter your body shape so you can feel comfortable and look great while on your summer holidays (and smile rather than cringe when you see yourself in your holiday photos).

I’m about to pack myself as I head off to the North Island with my hubby and kids for our national church summer camp.  Can’t wait...

Have a wonderful holiday season and make the most of living in our beautiful country.  See you in 2015!

In this special Holiday Season tip learn:

• How to choose Capris to suit your body shape
• My hot picks for flattering Capris at CC Collections right now

How to Choose Capris to Suit Your Body Shape

1. Do a quick body outline analysis.  We’re just interested in your skeletal frame or build, so ignore your size and proportions for a moment and just focus on your body outline or silhouette.

Mentally draw around yourself with chalk.  Look at the shape of the lines left behind. Are they straight lines? Does your figure go pretty much straight up and down?  You don’t really go in a lot at the waist or out a lot at the hips?  In fact as you don’t really have hips your widest point is probably the very top of your thigh bone where it joins your hips? Do you tend to turn side on and check your tummy in the mirror when trying clothes on, and never really look over your shoulder to check how your butt looks? (If this isn’t you and your ‘chalk lines’ are curvy to 3.)

2. Straight Body Outline
If this is you, congratulations you have a Straight body outline, which means (whether your a size 6 or a size 26+) you have good legs.  So choose slimmer cut capris, fitted at the hips and cut either straight in the leg, narrow in the leg or skinny and fitted to the leg.
Stay away from wider, relaxed fit Capris, as these will make you look shorter and wider than you actually are and make you feel ‘frumpy’ or ‘dowdy’.
CC Collections does a fantastic range of capris and trousers for Straights that they call Cleo.  Try Cleo Capri Bengaline Elastic Waist Twinlakes 4135Y, Elastic waist Bengaline 6/8 pant City Collections 7352Y CHERED, Elastic waist below knee length pant City Collection 7350Y Black

Mentally draw around yourself with chalk & look at the lines.  Is your body outline curvy?  Does your figure go in at the waist and then out at the hips?  Do you have more of a curvy hour glass figure, with a smaller waist and ‘child bearing’ hips?  Do you try something on and look over your shoulder in the mirror and ask yourself, ‘does my butt look big in this’?

If this is you, you have a beautiful curvy figure outline.  Curvy girls have beautiful upper bodies and busts, but often find choosing capris and other lower body garments difficult. 

You are looking for styles that fit well at the waist, and then are more relaxed through the hips and thighs.  Also look for a slightly wider leg line. Stay away from ‘skinny’, fitted to the leg styles.  The best way to check this is to look at the cut of the capris on the hanger from the side of the leg to judge the leg width. You’re looking for a slightly relaxed, rather than fitted fit.

I tell my curvy girls to look for styles ‘with hips built in’.  Styles designed for Straights will be too fitted at the hips for you and will gape at the small of your back. 

CC Collections does a fantastic range of capris and trousers for Curvy figures that they call Eliza.  The garment tag says “Relaxed through hips and thighs”.  Some of my favourites at the moment are Button on leg mid calf Capri Twinlakes 6818Y, Curvy fit elastic waist 6/8 pant Twinlakes 6302Y, Diamond Cut Out Leg 6/8 Pant Twin Lakes 6304Y

Have a great holiday season. 

If you would like some expert help in 2015 just email me at jgcosmetics@gmail.com or leave a message on (03)385 5485 with a couple of days/times that would suit you to talk and the best number to call you on.  Then, so I can help you best, I can give you a call to ask you a few questions about what you’re struggling with and give you some options of how I can help.

Enjoy the holidays...

Joanna Giles (BA)

Personal Style Consultant

Love Your Look

To Look Great and Feel Fantastic All Year Round
Contact Joanna Giles at 'Love Your Look' at jgcosmetics@gmail.com

Hi Everyone,

How did you go starting to spring clean your wardrobe? 

Hope it went well and you’re starting to feel more organised for the new spring/summer season.

Today we’re going to learn

• how to dejunk the items that you don’t or can’t wear
• how to create a shopping list to fill the gaps in your wardrobe and
• my hot picks for beautiful outer layers at CC Collections to make your favourite pieces work even better this season. 

Enjoy!

1. Dejunk the Items You Don’t or Can’t Wear

 Here’s a trick if you find this challenging... (and I do understand that “Oh no, but I can’t get rid of them” feeling as I have the same problem with hoarding paper because “I might need it again one day”).  Bundle up the items you’re nervous about dejunking, put them away somewhere that is not easily accessible and write on your calendar a date in 6 months time to get rid of them.  If you have survived happily all spring and summer without them then you’ll be able to take them to a charity bin, consignment store or (for items suitable for work) a Dress for Success drop off point at Maxwell Drycleaners with a clear conscience. 

A word of warning though, don’t be tempted to open the bundle before you take it to it’s final destination!  Trust me, this is always fatal to your dejunking efforts.

2. Write a Shopping List of the Items You Need

 Now’s the time to take another look at your favourites pile.  Ask yourself the following questions to identify the ‘gaps’ in your new season wardrobe.  This will create your shopping list of items that you actually need and will make your wardrobe work.

• What outer layer (cardigan, jacket) did you wear with that top last spring?
• Which tops work with that favourite jacket or cardigan (outer layers)?
• Which trousers, skirts or capris (bottoms) did you wear with those tops?
• Do this with accessories and shoes too

Anytime you can’t find a bottom, top or outer layer in your wardrobe to go with a favourite item you’ve just identified a ‘gap’ in your wardrobe.  Buy the items to fill those gaps and you’ll be able to make all your separates work as outfits.

3. My Recommendations of Beautiful Spring “Outer Layers” to Get Your Started

• These knit cardigans are perfect over tops or dresses, with skirts or pants. For the broader shouldered French Knitwear Bolero 6031Y is stunning. If you have a curvy waist and fuller hips try French Knitwear cardigan 6032Y.  Both are available in lots of colours.
• These new season jackets are just gorgeous. Try the stylish Black or Deep Royal Button Front 3/4 Sleeve Jacket 7356Y if you are broader shouldered and suit a tailored jacket or the beautiful drape Jacket Printed Dry Knit 7414Y if you suit softer rather than boxy tailoring because of your curvy waist and fuller hips.

Have fun spring cleaning and restocking your wardrobe. 

If you would like some expert help (and make it a lot more fun) just email me at jgcosmetics@gmail.com or leave a message on (03)385 5485 with a couple of days/times that would suit you to talk and the best number to call you on.  Then just so I can help you best, I’ll give you a call to ask you a few questions about what you’re struggling with and give you some options of how I can help.

Enjoy the beautiful spring weather...

Personal Style Consultant

Joanna Giles (BA)

Love Your Look