Looking Slimmer ... the Mango way!

It is nice to see that brands such as Mango recognise that we don't all have a flat stomach.  I was searching for a maxi dress for a client's holiday this morning and I saw the one below for sale at Mango; it was their refreshing suggestion to complete the outfit (with shapewear pants) that really caught my attention :-)

According to their website, their high-waist sheer panty stylizes, redefines the silhouette and reduces one size.  They are currently sold out; what great customer understanding!  

They also do a brilliant range of clothing for curvy ladies called 'Curve' (size 14 - 22); get inspired by their Summer Lookbook.

One of the casual looks from Mango Summer 2014

40+ style ... Winser London

It's not often that you find a brand which caters for work, and the weekend, with such stylish clothes.  And even better, when the soft fabrics used by Winser London clothing is perfect to skim over your curves, or give them a little camouflage, i.e. their miracle dresses!  

Their sale prices make it a great time to pick up a few investment pieces to last you for years; some of my favourite looks on their site currently are:

Silk Cashmere Brend Waterfall Cardigan

Winser London Flared Jersey Dress

And from their Sale items:

Wrap waist jersey dress, in ivory, now £99

Cotton Overshirt, Winser London, now £49

Draped jersey skirt, now £49

Silk Peacock Dress, now £150

No more pins ...

If you have an ample bosom you will know, only too well, that shirts and blouses never seem to be designed to accommodate your voluptuousness!  We've all been there, thinking we've made a good purchase and then just before we set off for work we notice that the gap in our shirt is showing the world our bra.  Not a good look, as it makes you look like you're wearing clothes that you are literally bursting out of!

Quick, reach for a pin to close that gap!

So a trusty pin is added to the inside of your shirt, which often involves a stabbed finger in this complicated procedure & ultimately damages your shirt.


To stop this from happening, choose stretchy jersey fabrics to wear under your jacket.  Find your best shapes & colours at www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk:

Athena top from www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk for £38

Or purchase a shirt from the brilliant www.pepperberry.co.uk for curvy, really curvy, or super curvy figures, that won't gape and is fitted to show off your waist, or pop into their new recently opened store in Belfast, opposite Castlecourt.

Shirt from www.pepperberry.com for £35

Thank you Kettlewellcolours & Pepperberry; no more pins required!

The accessory every woman needs to look younger ...

If you've noticed the skin on your neck and décolleté becoming a little more wrinkled, then the quickest way to disguise it is to invest in a scarf in your best colours.  

If you need some inspiration on how to tie yours, check out this video on youtube, and if you're a Classic style personality you'll love MaiTai's Picture Book Blog.

If you need more ideas, Pinterest is always full of stylish ways to wear your scarf:

If you're struggling to find a colour you like, Kettlewell Colours will have several to suit you.

Forget Botox ...

If you don't like the lines on your forehead, the quickest way to get rid of them, and look younger, is to get a fringe.  It's a quick way to update your existing hair cut & can give your whole look a new lease of life!  

If you have an oval face, the perfect face shape, choose a wispy fringe rather than a full fringe - you don't want to hide perfection. 

Make sure you use a product like L'Oréal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Oil to give your fringe a sheen, so the eye is attracted to it instead of any 'experience lines'!
 

Some beautiful fringes courtesy of Kate Moss, Helen Mirren, Jane Fonda, Cameron Diaz, Nicole Kidman & Penelope Cruz's super shiny locks!

The perfect camisole for larger busts

If you have a larger bust you probably stay away from camisole tops as underwire bras often don't give enough support, or cause lumps and bumps to appear where they shouldn't be!

Panache have given us the perfect solution, a camisole top with a built in bra.  It's available up to size 38H, has adjustable straps, comes in black or white, and the best part is it costs £26!  (Try buying a good bra & a separate top for that price).

You'll find it for sale on www.figleaves.com, www.simplybe.co.uk, www.fashionworld.co.uk, and ebay.co.uk, to name a few.  However, I've found the best range of sizes available at www.saintbustier.com.

Panache camisole top with built-in bra

If you don't like your arms on show (or want to create a slimmer illusion), wear a Uniqlo linen shirt open on top for daytime, or a chiffon shirt for night time glamour.

The Camisole with Inbuilt Bra is a wardrobe essential. We love it because we've never had the ability to wear a cami without our bra straps showing before! It has all of the support of a well fitting, large cup bra hidden inside a fabulous soft jersey camisole that's incredibly comfortable.The length of the camisole is perfect too as it's long enough for all heights and doesn't ride up whilst being worn. Machine washable and fully adjustable - this camisole is a practical must-have for every busty woman. - See more at: http://www.saintbustier.com/camisole-with-inbuilt-bra.html#sthash.zPs4kJR1.dpuf

The Camisole with Inbuilt Bra is a wardrobe essential. We love it because we've never had the ability to wear a cami without our bra straps showing before! It has all of the support of a well fitting, large cup bra hidden inside a fabulous soft jersey camisole that's incredibly comfortable.The length of the camisole is perfect too as it's long enough for all heights and doesn't ride up whilst being worn. Machine washable and fully adjustable - this camisole is a practical must-have for every busty woman. - See more at: http://www.saintbustier.com/camisole-with-inbuilt-bra.html#sthash.zPs4kJR1.dpuf

The Camisole with Inbuilt Bra is a wardrobe essential. We love it because we've never had the ability to wear a cami without our bra straps showing before! It has all of the support of a well fitting, large cup bra hidden inside a fabulous soft jersey camisole that's incredibly comfortable.The length of the camisole is perfect too as it's long enough for all heights and doesn't ride up whilst being worn. Machine washable and fully adjustable - this camisole is a practical must-have for every busty woman. - See more at: http://www.saintbustier.com/camisole-with-inbuilt-bra.html#sthash.zPs4kJR1.dpuf

The Camisole with Inbuilt Bra is a wardrobe essential. We love it because we've never had the ability to wear a cami without our bra straps showing before! It has all of the support of a well fitting, large cup bra hidden inside a fabulous soft jersey camisole that's incredibly comfortable.The length of the camisole is perfect too as it's long enough for all heights and doesn't ride up whilst being worn. Machine washable and fully adjustable - this camisole is a practical must-have for every busty woman. - See more at: http://www.saintbustier.com/camisole-with-inbuilt-bra.html#sthash.zPs4kJR1.dpuf

How to make your lips look younger

As we age, our lips become less defined, but by using a natural lip pencil to outline your lips you'll instantly conceal that feathering effect.  

(Remember to also fill in the rest of your lips, so you're not left with a tell-tale outline when your lipstick wears off). 

Feathering on lips looks ageing

I use Colour Me Beautiful's natural lip pencil, but also love the ranges available from MAC, Bobbi Brown & No 7.  The secret is to ensure it's as close as possible to your own natural lip colour, as going darker will instantly age you.

Use a natural lip pencil (the same colour as your lips) to redefine them