Would you like to deal from strength when it comes to business? Many business women take courses to improve skills and constantly learn new lessons from their experience. All these things are empowering.

However, improving your image can empower you in more ways that you might expect. My clients often write to tell me how changing the way they look and dress impacts them in areas other than business.

For example, a client from California sent me an email a few days after her image workshop. She explained that the purpose of the workshop was so she could be certain she looked pulled together at all times.

This woman negotiates with power brokers in New York and L.A. and needed to come across as authoritative and self assured. When you’re not certain about your appearance, you don’t come across as confidently as you could. It is empowering to look in the mirror and know not only that you feel good about yourself, but that everyone you encounter will, too. This kind of ultimate self-confidence frees you to concentrate on the business at hand.

Here’s the note I received from this woman: “Everyone continues to remark how I look younger and prettier! Yesterday I went to my favorite designer-closeout store in Manhattan, armed with my trusty color-swatch wallet. One-third of the clothes we discarded together came from there. They were worn once or twice and always self-consciously.

“This time I found things I like but remembered that you warned me to stay away from certain colors.  At least 50 times I tried to will the color swatches into matching the color of the garment I was looking at and lusting for. That didn’t work! I bought only four garments. This morning, back home in the stark light of day, in front of the mirror I stand before always, they look even better than in the store! I saved SO much money and time!

“This powerful experience got me to thinking about other places in my life where it’s crucial to know just what I want, what works best for me personally—and then to simply ONLY buy that.

“The principle of the swatch card applies to men, houses, cars, daily habits, etc. I was really stunned at the realization. It hit me hard that if I just exclusively matched all potential houses/men/cars/habits against what I KNOW absolutely that I want, I would not have to waste any more time with the things that are wrong for me. This is so simple, but it was a powerful Aha for me. When I shopped in Manhattan, I was laser focused and got astounding results with very little investment of time. It was incredibly transformative!”

If you’d like to have a closet full of clothes that wow others and make you smile when you look in the mirror, you need to be laser focused when you shop. Here’s how:

1.  Take the time to discover the colors that make you look great. Don’t buy things just because they are in the “color of the season.”

2.  Educate yourself about the styles that suit your body type. That way, you’ll be able to quickly dismiss many of the garments that seem so enticing at first glance. If they accentuate your tummy, thighs, derriere, or whatever it is you want to camouflage, you’ll never feel happy when you look in the mirror.

3.  Before you shop, make a list of essentials that are missing from your closet. This will save you time and money because you won’t have to visit every single department in a store. 

4.  When you shop, never make a compromise with either color or style. That’s how you end up with a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear!

5.  Shop alone, unless you’re with your image consultant. Your friends may not have knowledge about your colors or styles, and they usually pick things that suit them, not you.

Life is simpler when you don’t waste your time or money looking at things that aren’t appropriate for you. Ultimately, discovering what suits you is liberating in terms of time and money, but also in emotional investment. It’s utterly empowering to be in charge of your life and have feelings of certainty with every decision or move you make.

When you know for an absolute certainty that you look good, it enables you to walk into a room and own it. That’s because the way you look and dress announces the outcome other people can expect from you—and you’ll know your image announces you’re the absolute best. 

Sandy Dumont is a speaker and internationally known image consultant who has been changing people’s lives for 30 years. She has presented on three continents and produced numerous books, DVDs and boxed sets on the subject of image. Contact her at 757-627-6669 or www.theimagearchitect.com.

Towering stilettos continue to be the rage, even though most women can barely maneuver down an office corridor in them. Some of the recent styles I’ve seen also look so weird that they make a power suit look powerless because of the obvious disconnection. Fashion is ostensibly meant to make a person look better.

I can honestly say that I’ve never had a client ask if I could make her feet look larger. Lots of women have asked me to show them how to make their feet look smaller, however, and it can’t be done with clunky gladiator styles or weird architectural shoes. They make the feet look gigantic.

Recently, a number of experts weighed in on the issue of whether or not high heels help or hurt women in the workplace. Fashion experts agreed that stilettos are tawdry and should be avoided. However, a limited number pronounced that all heels made women too sexy looking. So, are women to be relegated to good sturdy walking shoes that are matronly? The last thing women need is to go back to the “miniature man” look of the “dress for success” eighties when any hint of femininity was forbidden.

Heels might actually help women in the workplace because they are one way of leveling the playing field with men, who are generally taller than women. University studies have shown that tall people earn more and are thought to be more authoritative. So, it’s not a good idea to ditch those three-inch heels. Stilettos are another matter, however.

As to whether or not heels are too sexy for the workplace, it’s important to know that neither males nor females can get away with looking or acting overtly sexy in the workplace. However, lots of things are covertly or subtly sexy, and women’s legs are sexy simply because of their curvy shape.

Without a doubt, women wearing flats will look less formal, and consequently, less powerful than their counterparts in heels. If you’ve got a bad back or bad feet and can’t wear two-inch heels, there is a solution. Wedge shoes with about a half-inch platform and an additional inch of heel, will give the impression that you’re wearing heels. I wear these when I know I’ll be on my feet all day and call them my “cheater” shoes. The actual height of the heel is one inch, but with the platform, you’ve added additional height without hurting your back or feet. Even good sturdy walking shoes have a one-inch heel. As my mother used to say, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

Heels that are three inches in height or less will always look professional, unless the style is gaudy; and classic pumps never fail to give a serious and professional look. Towering stilettos, however, fall in a category all their own. They could cast concern that you might fall and hurt yourself, as runway models have experienced. Additionally, some versions do look more suited for a nightclub than an office.

Here are a few tips to consider when choosing shoes for work:

• Shoes should not be lighter than your skirt or pants.

• Simple pumps are the most professional style.

• Slingbacks and open-toe shoes are less formal than pumps and are not for formal business situations.

• Bright colors that don’t harmonize with your garments, and gaudy patterns are not for business situations because they take the attention from you. For example, if you are wearing a red suit, red shoes harmonize with it and don’t create a distraction, as they might if you were wearing a beige suit. Something is wrong if we are compelled to look at your feet.

• Avoid shoes with a square or very rounded toe, as they often make your feet look squat and clumsy. The most aristocratic foot is slender, so shoes with a pointy toe are the most elegant.  

Sandy Dumont is an internationally-recognized expert in the arena of color and image. She has conducted keynotes and workshops on the subject of image on three continents. Her books and products are available on her website www.theimagearchitect.com.

In his book Dressed to Kill, Colin McDowell admonishes women never to dress too closely by the book because it looks as though you possess no real personality of your own. He says that breaking rules is an amazingly effective way of feeling better about yourself.

Fashion magazines love to publish lists of what’s in and what’s no long in—obviously suggesting there are rules. Occasionally, I watch a TV makeover show, and I’m usually flabbergasted to see beautiful items tossed aside because they are said to be passé. Breaking the rules ought to be done more, but not just randomly. You must first know the rules before you can break them successfully. Ask the jazz musicians who mastered Bach before breaking loose; and the French Impressionists, who painted bowls of fruit before they abandoned the rules about what they “saw.” Here’s how you can break the rules effectively and make a positive fashion statement every time.

The new rule says to never match your shoes and handbag like your mother did. However, that doesn’t mean you have to purposely choose different colors for each. Most often, you’ll want to choose a handbag in a different color from your shoes only if your handbag picks up something else in your wardrobe—even if it’s only a necklace. It’s trickier to bring in a shoe color out of the blue than it is with a handbag. That’s because your feet are literally isolated from the rest of your clothing and accessories, so shoes in an unrelated color will tend to take the attention from the most important thing:  your face. Handbags are the ideal choice for a “shock of color.”

Put unusual colors together. That’s what top designers do. If you’ve got a red garment, add accessories in orange or purple. Whenever you use two unusual colors together, however, tie them together by repeating one of the colors somewhere else. For example, if you have a red skirt and a purple jacket, wear a necklace of chunky beads in the two colors. Or, wear a red flower or brooch on the lapel of your purple jacket.

Instead of wearing the “color of season,” brand yourself for a season with an entirely different color. Make sure it’s a color that makes you look better, and wear different shades of the color as well as a sprinkling of items in your chosen color. For example, when coral is the designated color for spring, choose fuchsia instead. The colors are actually related; they both began as red, but coral had yellow added and fuchsia and more blue added. Obviously, you don’t want to wear fuchsia every day, but you can wear a fuchsia hat, gloves, scarf, computer case, or jewelry. And, there are so many fuchsia shades from which to choose:  think magenta, hot pink, plum, and raspberry.

Don’t slavishly wear what is decreed to be in this year. Mid-calf and ankle-length skirts are being touted by the fashion industry at the moment, but that’s not to say you must wear them. A good “rule” to adhere to is avoid anything that doesn’t make you look better. Most women look stiff or rigid in long straight skirts because of the severe line created. Long skirts that are full harken back to hippie days and make you look as if you cling to the past.  Most often, mid-calf lengths look matronly. The most balanced, harmonious, and flattering skirt length is knee-length; that is, in the middle of the knee or just a bit above or below it.

Colorless or brown-toned lips have been foisted on women for years. That’s because there is no instruction needed in their wearing. They won’t make your small lips get noticed, and you don’t have to worry about touching up your lipstick because there isn’t much difference with or without lipstick. Take a leap of courage and go against this trend. Wear a soft fuchsia or orchid lipstick and notice how many compliments you get. You’re certain to feel better about yourself! 

Sandy Dumont is a speaker and recognized pioneer in the field of color and color psychology. Get a free copy of her book, Tattletale Looks, at her website:  www.theimagearchitect.com.

Artist and professor, Dr. Fran Ward has a background in education and the arts. She has taught from the second grade all the way through college level. She earned higher degrees at Dartmouth and William & Mary. In 1994 she earned a PhD in metaphysics and is currently a professor in metaphysics with the American Institute of Holistic Theology.

Fran Ward is a world traveler, even though she never left her home state of Massachusetts until she was 21. Her work opened the door to travel and working with students throughout the world, receiving a citation along the way from the American Institute of Foreign Study.

A competent artist, Fran also lectures and exhibits her art worldwide. Her passion is world peace, and in 2000 she received a World Peace candle in Gloucester, Virginia, from a Moon Circle group, which began her intense focus in this arena. One year earlier, for the first time in history, seven flames of peace were flown across the oceans from five continents and united into one eternal flame: the World Peace Flame in North Wales. The only other live flame allowed on board an airplane has been the Olympic torch. Lit by peacemakers, carried by military air forces and commercial airlines, the peace flames each represented the highest intentions for peace within their continents. The resulting World Peace Flame thus represents the combined aspirations for peace of humanity as a whole. It aims to inspire people everywhere that the individual plays a crucial role in creating peace, at every level.

Since that time the flame has been presented to many world decision-makers, installed in monuments across the globe, and many people have had remarkable, transformative experiences in the presence of candles lit from the World Peace Flame.

I met Fran Ward at a benefit dinner for the Peninsula Fine Arts Center in Newport News, and she told me she plans on winning a Nobel Peace Prize, so she expects to be on stage and in the spotlight in Norway. Thus, she decided to transform her image so she is ready for the event. Additionally, she is also resolute that she needs to look professional and represent her own country in the best light when she travels. “Americans are often negatively stereotyped abroad in terms of their image, so I want to counter the negative Ugly-American label,” she explained.

Fran already “knew” her colors and expected to learn the basics of style and accessorizing at the image makeover workshop. Because of her blue eyes and golden blonde hair, several years ago, an image consultant told Fran she had warm skin and should wear warm colors like peach, coral, lemon yellow, lime green, and camel. She was advised to never wear black. In fact, Fran looks fabulous in black, and she also dared to wear the once-forbidden color of fuchsia.

Early books on color insisted that a person’s eye and hair color were the key to color analysis. In reality, having hair that is “warm” (like Fran’s) doesn’t mean that your skin is also warm. Hair doesn’t get dark circles, furrows, or splotches in the “wrong” colors. Skin does. Fran saw for herself that while lemon yellow and peach harmonized with her hair, these colors weren’t flattering to her skin. Once she tweaked the makeup and clothing colors she wore, Fran’s skin glowed with the radiance of youth. She looked ten years younger!

The next step was to discover the styles that suited her. She is only 5’ 3” so wearing one color from head to toe makes Fran look taller. In addition, wearing earrings, a brooch, or a necklace causes the eye to sweep upward toward the face, so you’re perceived as taller than when the eye is forced down because of brightly-colored shoes, for example. Even the black button on Fran’s pants can drive the eye down from time to time, so it’s better to have buttons in an invisible color if you are short. Should she choose to wear a belt with an outfit, it should not be in a contrasting color, for the same reason. In order to appear yet taller, heels should be in the same color as the pantsuit or skirt.

Lastly, Fran’s hair needed a bit of re-shaping in order to have perfect balance. No cutting was required, only a bit of maneuvering with a comb, in order to show off her perfect-oval face.  In the before picture, her face looks longer than it actually is.

Fran loves to create masterpieces on canvas, and now she’s making a masterpiece of herself. She has a website, www.peacegrid.com, where you can participate in her goal for world peace.  

Sandy Dumont is speaker and expert in the field of  professional image. She has produced numerous books, videos, and DVD sets on the subject of image. Get a free book at her website, www.theimagearchitect.com.

They seem so trivial—not deadly at all. But when it comes to image, the devil is in the details. Don’t let those little details undermine your image without your knowing it. Many a product has been destroyed by bad packaging, so make sure your brand is classy and stands out from the crowd. Here are the seven deadly image sins that kill your credibility in a professional setting.

1. Dated, unkempt or dirty hair.

Women are more likely to have dated hairdos than men. If you still have a shag cut, you probably need an update. Generally, a classic bob looks fine, but update it with natural looking “pointy layering” so it frames the face. If you have naturally curly hair, make sure it doesn’t look like granny’s hair, and don’t let it dry in the car on the way to work because it will look flat and droopy. There’s no excuse for having dirty or unkempt hair. It reflects badly in terms of professionalism.

2. Bad makeup.

This includes the use of garish eye shadow colors such as bright blue, green, turquoise, or orange. Monochromatic shades of brown look the most professional, and the “smoky eye” will enable you to steal the scene. Black eyeliner encircling the eyes is a bad idea, since it makes your eyes look small and beady and can impart a mean or severe look. Foundation that looks thick and cakey should also be avoided, since it gives the impression you are hiding behind a mask. Lastly, brown-toned lipstick will make you look drab and tired—maybe even older. Try a soft fuchsia lipstick and notice the difference. Even your teeth will look whiter.

3. No accessories.

Wearing a nice suit without a single accessory is like a cake without icing. It’s good, but it’s not sensational or irresistible. Bold accessories make an impact and tell others you are at the top of your game. Dangly earrings and large wire hoops shout “teenager” and tiny studs are nearly invisible, so they don’t make a statement. Consider chunky hoops in any of their myriad shapes and sizes. A single strand of pearls (even priceless ones) suggests you are demure, while multiple massive strands of colored glass stones look polished and chic. Understated has been misunderstood and highly overrated! Lastly, check your glasses; they’re an accessory, too. Metal frames often make you look clinical; give frames with color a try.

4. Girlie colors.

Women love pastels, but according to fashion historian Fred Davis, they suggest you are a lightweight instead of a mover and shaker. Take a leap of faith and wear fuchsia instead of baby pink and notice how your presence increases. If you’re dedicated to pastels, then make sure you wear power accessories and styles to augment your perceived presence.

5. Girlie styles.

As with girlie colors, you’ll lose credibility. Soft ruffly fabrics are beautiful and appealing to women, but you’ll look wimpy next to a man in his sturdy fabrics with padded shoulders and dark power colors. Go for tailored jackets in substantial wool gabardine or cotton twill. You’ll never be considered a pushover again. Whatever you do, avoid cleavage and garments that are too tight or too skimpy. University studies say you’ll be label a bimbo in such attire.

6. Bad shoes.

Gladiator-style heels may be all the rage, but they make your feed look huge and clumsy, so you might be labeled clumsy. Good comfy walking shoes like Queen Elizabeth wears won’t do much for your career either, since they look dated and matronly. And forget five or six-inch stilettos. They may be sexy and “in style,” but they aren’t for serious professionals.

7. Bad body language.

Sloping shoulders suggest you’re defeated, burdened. or dead tired. Don’t slouch. Stand up straight and tall with squared shoulders and a “proud chest,” but then let your fingertips elongate so you don’t look too stiff. You’ll convey an air of supreme confidence. Avoid looking away or at the floor when others speak with you; instead, look people straight in the eye with your squared shoulders. They’ll take notice of what you say!  

Sandy Dumont is an internationally known image consultant residing in Hampton Roads. For more information about her Image Boot Camps, contact her at 757.627.6669.

If you want your hands to look attractive, there are a few things you need to know about nail color and nail shape. Square lines are masculine and round lines are feminine. Men’s jaws, pectorals, and buttocks are square; women are round in those areas. Square nails will make you look aggressive and even less feminine. Top Hollywood starlets have already noticed this, and currently the only “in” shape for nails is oval. And if you don’t ever have to lift a finger but have “people” to do everything for you, stiletto nails are the shape of choice for you.

Red nails (and red derivatives like orange, fuchsia, and pink) have conveyed the most status since nail polish was invented. However, since the advent of “fake” acrylic nails in the 70s, red’s status has slipped. It used to be that only VIPs and high-powered female executives could “afford” the upkeep and maintenance those luxurious-looking nails required. If you were a typist, long nails simply weren’t an option. And if you did your own housework, your nails wouldn’t last more than a couple of days before they chipped, split, or broke off, requiring you to trim the rest of your nails so they would match. And, of course, you can’t carry off red polish if your nails are short. But those days are over.

Today anyone can have long, luxurious-looking nails that remain perfectly manicured for days or weeks on end. Now that nails are egalitarian, not everyone lusts after long red nails. “Everyone” can have them now. Some women like black nails. But is it a good idea? Maybe not. Read on and find out for yourself.

Blue, green, black, and other nail colors may be enticing because you don’t want to be like everyone else. However, there’s a reason red nails dominated the scene for decades, and it’s the same reason blue, green, black, and other exotic colors didn’t get star billing. The reason is Simultaneous Contrast. Every artist knows about it, and you need to know, too, so you’ll be aware of the consequences of each and every color you put on your nails.

Simultaneous Contrast is the reason most women have noticed they don’t look particularly good in dark purple lipstick. It’s not just the Goth appearance of dark purple; it’s the fact that this color makes your teeth look yellow.

So, before you choose a new nail polish color, you need to be aware of the consequences of the colors you are wearing. Here’s the scoop on Simultaneous Contrast. In a nutshell, the eye demands equilibrium and will generate the opposite color on the color wheel and throw it out onto your field of vision.

For example, when you wear an orange top, blue color is generated by your eyes and thrown on your face because blue is the color opposite orange on the color wheel. Remember when your mother put “bluing” in the laundry to make whites appear whiter? Blue creates the optical illusion that white is whiter. When you wear the bright orange top, your face looks pale because blue will be thrown on your face by anyone looking at your nearby orange top.

The same thing happens when you wear red or orange nail polish. Redness is diminished and your hands look paler. Red knuckles are whitened and dishpan hands vanish. And, yes, red lipstick makes the teeth appear whiter, too.

Blue nail polish does just the opposite; it emphasizes red knuckles and dishpan hands because your eyes will throw reddish color on your hands when you look at the color blue or green.  Remember the purple lipstick? Yellow is opposite purple on the color wheel, which is why purple lipstick makes white teeth suddenly appear yellow.

Now that nails are egalitarian and any woman can have long elegant nails, you may decide against red nails because they aren’t so special anymore. If that’s the case, instead of choosing blue or black nails, go for the natural but elegant look of French nails. But go for oval tips instead of square ones. 

Sandy Dumont is the leading pioneer in the field of color an image. Get her latest video product on her website: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Lisa Forbes came along for a makeover because she wanted to look as good as possible for an upcoming job interview. But, most of all, she’s doing it for herself. She recently made a firm commitment to lose weight and has already lost 15 pounds. Lisa has an upbeat and delightful personality, and she loves to sing. “I sing all the time,” she said. “In the shower, in the kitchen when I’m cooking—nearly everywhere!”

Lisa has been a stay-at-home mom since shortly after her son’s birth. She lives in Virginia Beach and volunteers for her son’s Little League baseball team two days a week, but she hasn’t worked for several years. Now that her son is in the second grade, she has decided to get a brand-new professional look and go back to work.

Despite her outgoing personality, Lisa worked behind the scenes before in a laboratory doing water analysis. She has a degree in chemistry and is an environmental specialist who monitors and tests the state of wastewater. She has an upcoming interview for a job with the City of Norfolk as a storm water and run-off specialist.

Lisa has lived in jeans and T-shirts for the past few years and will be in the market for a professional wardrobe once she lands a job, so the makeover is part of her overall strategy. Lisa returned one week after the makeover for an after photo with her new interview suit. Lisa discovered the colors that make her look more attractive, but also colors that worked for her in a business setting. She looks great in both black and white, but the black and white top has large rounded swirls. Large patterns always make you appear larger than you are, and prints with rounded designs suggest a rounded body. They’re better for someone who has sharp angular features.

Lisa’s new suit is in a really good business color: taupe. An ordinary beige color would have blended too much with her hair and skin, and she would have blended into her clothing. With the taupe color, her face pops. Lisa discovered she looked fabulous in royal blue and purple, two colors that really show off red hair but also make the skin look glowing and healthy.

The Chanel-style jacket is perfect for her because it has no collar, which only adds bulk. When jackets do have collars, they should be pointed rather than rounded, because no matter where they are, those round lines do suggest roundness. All the lines of her jacket are clean and straight, suggesting a more sleek and slim figure. This particular style is especially slimming because the black trim at the jacket’s closing sharply divides her upper torso into three distinct parts. This makes Lisa look much more trim at the bosom area. Given a choice, Lisa could opt for a black jacket with taupe trim, teamed with either black pants or taupe ones. Going with one color from head to toe, however, is the ultimate trick for looking both taller and thinner!

Lisa has beautiful naturally curly hair, and she often wears it pulled back at the nape of her neck or pulled back at the sides, as you see in the photo left. I suggested she remove her hair clips and let us see her stunning hair since it falls beautifully and frames her lovely face.

I showed Lisa how to do the irresistible “smoky eye,” and she saw that it opened her eyes and made them look larger and more engaged when in conversation with others. She has beautiful skin, so I only added a tiny touch of foundation in order to even out her color; then I added a soft orchid blush. Violet-toned lipstick is the most beautiful on redheads because the blue undertones in the violet color contrasts wonderfully with red hair. 

Sandy Dumont is an internationally known image consultant based in Hampton Roads. Her specialty is transforming your image, so that you own the room when you enter it. Her latest product is a Video/Slideshow product “12 Days to a Brand New You” which is available on her website: www.theimagearchitect.com.

Cinderella, Pretty Woman and Liza Doolittle. What do these three fictitious characters have in common? They all transformed the way they looked and changed their lives. You may recall that Cinderella was transformed in the twinkling of an eye by her Fairy Godmother; and Julia Roberts’ character in the film Pretty Woman was transformed in one day, thanks to the credit cards of her benefactor at the most exclusive shops on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California.

On the other hand, Liza Doolittle, heroine of the classic film My Fair Lady was transformer over many, many months by the aristocratic Professor Henry Higgins. He coached her on every element of image from head to toe, including body language and elocution. It was a slow process because, whether he knew it or not, he was also changing her character and the very essence of who she felt she was. Going from scraggly street urchin to elegant refined lady isn’t achieved in the twinkling of an eye, and it isn’t achieved without a great deal of effort—and even greater personal growth. Liza Doolittle changed her image, and she changed her life.

If you want to transform your image, be prepared to transform your attitude about yourself, just as Liza Doolittle did. In the process you’ll increase your presence and your self esteem dramatically.

Where do you begin? It begins with obtaining a clear understanding of color and how it affects your appearance on two different levels. First, you’ll discover the colors that make you look more attractive. Second, you’ll discover the profound psychological effect that colors have on the perception others have of you. For example, black can cause many women to appear stern, so you need to discover how to “dilute” black’s severity so that you wear it instead of it wearing you.

One good way to do that is to avoid wearing black with harsh colors like orange, and that includes lipstick. Black and orange are great for Halloween but not for an elegant refined look. Pink, on the other hand is soft and feminine, so it immediately diminishes black’s perceived severity. A lipstick and blusher in pink tones will let you own black when you wear it. Add bold earrings and you’ll immediately take on the air of a self-assured and important woman of the world, à la Liza Doolittle.

You may be surprised to hear that we don’t choose colors or clothing from the results in the mirror. We choose them from the “heart and soul” which we sometimes call good taste and instincts. Neither will help you if your goal is looking better. The other place we make our choices from is habit, and most of us are buried in an avalanche of bad habits. You’ll be amazed at how many colors you “love” that don’t love you back in the mirror. Once you gain the awareness that color is the most important component of your image, you’ll take the time to discover the colors that can enable you to own the room.

It may be painful to get rid of perfectly good garments, especially those that were expensive; and sometimes it takes a while before you can do so. Don’t worry, it’s normal. However, like Liza Doolittle, once you’ve begun to leave your former self behind and become the person you were born to be, you will let go of all kinds of things, including expensive garments in the wrong colors! It’s truly better to be in a simple shell in a fabulous color than a designer suit in the wrong color because the wrong color can make you look tired, older, unfriendly, or even sick.

When I work with VIP clients, I fly out to their location once a month and stay for two days. It’s usually by the third visit that the client says, “I’m getting rid of everything that doesn’t make me look like the fabulous person that I know I am.” It’s not that they are slow learners; it’s just that it takes that long to go through the deep internal transformation that enables a woman to catch up with her powerful and extraordinary new image and persona. Knowledge is empowering and liberating.

It’s exhilarating to look in the mirror and see an image that makes you smile with satisfaction. It’s even more exhilarating to know that you own that image. Sandy Dumont is a veteran image consultant with 30 years experience helping women become more successful and empowered through the use of image skills. For a limited time only, get a free copy of her eBook “Seven Days to a Brand New You” at her website, www.theimagearchitect.com.

Stefanie Vanorsdale is an accountant for a commercial real estate company in Hampton Roads. Within the past few months, she underwent a major transformation. The most significant change was with her health, but she also changed her image dramatically.

Stefanie’s health was on a major downward spiral. She had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and was close to becoming diabetic. She had tried lots of weight-loss programs, but they didn’t work. She always lost a little weight and then gained it back.

In desperation, she took the advice of a dear friend and joined a group of people who were members of a Shaklee weight-loss competition program. They met once a week for twelve weeks, and each week there was a weigh-in and lecture. There were teams of four people in the competition, and Stefanie convinced her husband and two children to join her team, since the whole family needed to lose weight.

When she began the program, Stefanie weighed 232 pounds, and at 5’4” it was far too much weight for her small frame. The middle photo is of Stefanie after two and a half months. She had already lost her first 30 pounds. “I felt so much better, and so did my husband and children. We all looked better, too. The weight and inches started falling off, and I felt like a new person. Diabetes was no longer an issue, my blood pressure and cholesterol were at normal levels and I felt 20 years younger.”

As Stefanie’s health improved, her attitude changed. She didn’t want to dress in the careless way she had before, but she didn’t know where to begin. As luck would have it, the group leader for the weight-loss competition, Butch Cartwright, sensed that the group was ready to make changes with their personal appearance in order to reflect their newfound sense of personal pride and achievement. He asked me to show the group a few easy image skills, and Stefanie was one of the models for a Mini Makeover. She loved the way she looked with makeup and great colors and accessories. This inspired her to start making changes, so she came along for a makeover session at the completion of the competition. By that time she had lost another 34 pounds. “My team came in second,” she reported, “and we lost a total of 147 pounds. We joke that we lost the equivalent of a fifth team member, who we don’t miss!”

For Stefanie’s makeover session, she brought along several of her favorite outfits. She had learned at the initial Mini Makeover session that purple was a good color for her, but she discovered that large patterns of any kind should be avoided, so she decided to ditch the multi-colored floral print top, even though it was purple. Large patterns suggest “large.” Small patterns don’t necessarily suggest “small,” but at least they don’t make you look larger. Solids are best for looking slimmer.

After the Mini Makeover session, Stefanie got her hair cut, which was a good decision because her original haircut was very dated and looked a little “do it yourself.” Now that she was on the way to re-discovering who she was, she needed a new hairdo. The center photo is definitely an improvement, but the “flip” hairdo had a “flyaway” look and suggested her hair had split ends and wasn’t in good shape. It also made her face look fuller.

Using my trusty ceramic flatiron, I coaxed Stefanie’s hair into a smooth face-framing style that also slimmed her face and looked more sophisticated. Stefanie likes scarves, so I suggested she stick to small chiffon scarves with tiny patterns, like the leopard print you see in the photo. The small “pussycat” bow is just small enough to not get in the way when eating or working. It serves mostly as an accent item and can be worn as you see it, or it can be pulled to one side to give a perkier look. The scarf also pulled her outfit together, since it picked up the black of her slacks. The only time you want to introduce a third color into an outfit is when that third item contains one of the colors in the two basic items. Otherwise, your outfit can look disjointed or thrown together.

Stefanie’s look was completed with a foundation that matched her skin tones and a lipstick that harmonized with her purple top. A soft orchid-pink blusher finished off her new look.

Stefanie is literally a brand new person, and she is so happy with her new “self” that she has decided to become a member of the Shaklee team and help others discover the joys of shedding unwanted pounds and finding a new life like she did. 

Sandy Dumont is an internationally recognized image and color expert. For a limited time, get a free copy of her eBook “Seven Days to a Brand New You” at her website: www.theimagearchitect.com.

Dawn Boyer wears many hats, including teaching at ODU while working on her Ph.D. in education. She also runs her own consulting business, doing human resources consulting for small businesses that can’t afford to have HR on staff, including defense contracting companies. Dawn also helps people re-write their resumes more effectively. Another hat is doing business development for her husband’s company, Monster Clean.

With three teenage daughters in college, she is headed toward an empty next fairly soon. This coincides with attaining her PhD in one year’s time, so Dawn was interested in a makeover since she will be more in the public’s eye once she begins working on her own career full time. “I’ve put myself in last place for too long,” she said, “and I don’t know where to begin.”

Dawn confessed that she never wears makeup. I explained to her that when you have red hair, which is actually orange, the face always appears ultra pale, so redheads need a little more makeup than others. This paleness is due to a principle called “simultaneous contrast” which is performed by our eyes when we look at any given color.

Here’s what happens. Apparently, the eyes demand equilibrium, so when we look at a color, the eyes generate the opposite color on the color wheel. So when we look at orange, we throw the opposite color on the face, which is blue. Blue serves as an optical whitener and makes whites look whiter not only in the laundry, but also on the face. Now you know why Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore appear so pale. It’s their hair! Now you also know why blue is the favored background color for TV stations. It’s opposite orange and makes our eyes literally put a suntan on the faces of anchors.

And you know all those little springs of parsley, real or plastic, next to the meat in the grocery store? They are there for the same reason. Green is opposite red, so they make meat look redder and more appetizing.

It only took a tiny amount of foundation in the perfect color to smooth Dawn’s skin color. She immediately appeared ten years younger. Blusher “lifted” the face and made her look prettier and softer. Next came a little eye shadow in natural brown tones to give her eyes definition. Lipstick and blusher made her face pop.

However, even with the perfect makeup, once she put on the orange blouse, her husband’s favorite color for her, she paled out and disappeared into her clothing. Dawn’s emerald green blouse turned out to be one of her best colors, and it enabled her skin to look luminescent and youthful, unlike the orange blouse, which gave a harshness to her skin.

Dawn brought along several other blouses in an array of colors. Most of them harmonized with her hair but didn’t do a thing for her skin. Skin trumps hair color and eye color when it comes to color analysis. Dawn’s beautiful green eyes don’t get circles, the skin under her eyes does; and her hair doesn’t get furrows or splotchiness, her skin does.

Dawn’s long hair hadn’t been cut in months, and the ends were very stringy, so the overall appearance was unkempt. Her hair is very curly and she deemed it unmanageable, so she usually wore it pulled back tightly. Trimming the hair in the front so it framed her face gave her a preview of how her hair could look with a proper cut of two or three inches and a little straightening with a flat iron.

Dawn dresses casually for school, and most of her work is done from home, so her closet is filled with casual clothes. Nevertheless, I finished her look with a large pair of chunky hoops because her hair is long and full enough to support them. When you’re in business for yourself, you need to look like you mean business even in casual attire. Bold earrings convey authority, just as a man’s tie does.  

Image consultant Sandy Dumont has a passion for helping women discover how to bring out the best in themselves. She conducts corporation workshops as well as two-day Stiletto Camps for women who want to be truly transformed inside and out. Contact her at www.theimagearchitect.com.