I have a confession to make...

I strongly dislike being seen without make-up...by anyone. Well, anyone other than my family that is. I've never liked the fact that I felt kinda insecure without make-up and even more, what would people think if they saw me without it??? Well, heaven forbid!  Let's just not even GO there! However, there's been this tugging at my heart for a few years now, that I needed to "go bare" for awhile. Get away from that ugly notion that folks might gasp if they saw me without make-up! I've never felt like I was an insecure person, so what's my deal then, right? Hmm, not sure.

A few months ago, I received a magazine in the mail. I skimmed through it and happened upon an article titled, "A month with no make-up".  "Holy Toledo! She's brave", I thought to myself. Yet the more I read, the more I resonated with what she had to say. I had been wanting to do something like this, but just never had the guts. But this, this article, this woman's story changed it all for me. It challenged me to set aside my fear and jump in, ALL in.

So, I commissioned my mom and said, let's do this, but bigger! I know other women struggle with this, why not challenge them too? Well, here we are, just a few months later and I'm standing on the edge of what I feel in my heart is going to be something amazing! For me, I know that God is up to something and although I'm shuttering at the thought of no make-up for a month, I'm excited to see what's in store for us all in the next 720 hours or 30 days.

As I milk every last drop of foundation out of the bottle and prepare to stash my make-up bag for 30 days I wonder how I got here? How'd I get to this place of insecurity? I'm anxious to find out...

What about you? Do you hide behind make-up? Maybe it's baggy clothes or revealing ones? Maybe for you, it's something else? Whatever it is, would you consider joining us on this quest for freedom from hiding, shame or fear?

There's power in doing it together!

Join us tomorrow night, Thursday May 31st at 6:00 pm for a "No Make-up Launch Party". Robyn Coffman, a local Board certified Women's Life Coach and Counselor will be joining us to talk about the challenge of "Feeling comfortable in your OWN skin" and you'll have the opportunity to sign up for her "Beyond Skin Deep" self/group study. (see the flyer below

We want to be there to cheer you on through this adventure, to support you! If you feel like you might be tempted to sneak some make-up on, we'll even store your make-up bag for you until July 1st if you'd like, but that's voluntary. And why not invite your friends to join us too!

I'll be posting Monday-Friday on this blog about my journey through this 30 day challenge. I'll share my fears, my experiences and all that I'm learning. So, check back on Friday for my first blog day! And you can find the link on facebook too!

T-Minus less than 24 hours to my first whole day without make-up! Talk to you soon!

JoAnne~

co-owner of SMARTgirls Resale Fashion

If you'd like to find out more about the woman's story that inspired me, you can do so on her ministry website that was birthed from her experience at http://www.truecampaign.org/index.php

Color/Tone: The Basics

Hello Smart Girls!

Color is one of the most under considered aspects when shopping. Most women believe as long as it fits right, it’s perfect. Let me ask you this though, have you ever picked up an outfit that fit you like a glove but no matter what you paired it with, how you wore it, or what mirror you looked in it just doesn’t look as good as your thought it would? More than likely the culprit behind your “not so stellar outfit” is the color. Color is one of the most important things to consider when choosing outfits or pieces to place in your wardrobe. Color is unique in the simple fact that it can affect if we look larger, smaller, taller, shorter, tired or rested, older or younger, thus the reason color is so significant.

Finding “your colors” and considering said hues on your next shopping excursion will definitely result in a much more flattering closet! So let’s find your colors! There are a couple of things to consider when looking for your tones which is ultimately what we are doing. The first thing to figure out is are you a warm or a cool tone?

How to Know What Tone You Are

Warm- Your natural hair color will be golden/strawberry blonde, honey/golden brown, chestnut brown, auburn, or yellowish gray. Your skin will be a milky white or ivory and flush easily. If you have an ethnic background your facial color is most likely a light golden brown.  

If you are in the WARM category you should most likely choose warm yellows, peach, apricot, corals, and tomato red, off white, ivory, warm browns, apple to olive green, moss green, and gold.

Cool- You will have little to no honey yellow, gold, or red in your hair, skin, and eyes. Your hair will usually have a smoky hue such as ash blond or ash brown, dark brown, black, gray or salt and pepper. You can have very pale skin, beige, pink/rose beige coloring, olive with gray/ green cast, cool brown or black skin.

If you are a COOL undertone you can choose blue- based colors chalk white, blue, pinks, cherry red, pale gray, black, light green to medium green, and silver.

(Based on color charts from A Recipe for Your Best Personal Style)                

There are also a FEW lucky individuals who are known as neutral skin tones. These blessed folk can wear almost any color from the warm or cool categories. An easy way to tell is the jewelry test, gold looks the best on WARM tones while silver looks more flattering on COOL skin types. If you can wear both and they look equally flattering you are most likely a NEAUTRAL skin tone. Be mindful however that this is not an exact science; experience is the best way to figure out your colors and what looks best on you. These guidelines will nevertheless, help you in your journey towards the best wardrobe for you!

Once you find your flattering colors and weed out the disagreeable ones, pair this knowledge with the fitting/shopping guides in the last blog and you will all be informed, efficient shoppers in no time!

Until next time stay smart girls! :)

Your SMARTgirls Fashionista,
    Katie

Style: The basics

Hello SMARTgirls!

You hear so many people tell you what is in, what is hot, what you need to wear this season, and the colors to choose. Now, this is all fun and great, however, if you don’t have the basics down you are going to be wearing all the wrong styles and all the wrong cuts. Following trends is a must, but knowing what looks good on YOU and what clothing choices make YOU feel amazing, that’s your prerogative when developing your style.

The number one thing to remember is you are dressing YOUR unique body, not the lady in the magazine.  What makes her look like a princess may turn us into a toad. So let’s look at the main questions we need to ask ourselves.   

Question 1: How tall are you?

                Shopping in the correct department is a must if you would like clothes to fit you properly. If you have trouble figuring out which section to shop in let these guidelines help you.

Ø  5’4” and under is petite. So if you see the petite section head for it, the clothing will usually have the size and a “P” after it. Pieces in this area are cut shorter, narrower with smaller openings and adornments to fit a petite women’s body.  You have options with sizes 2-14 with the occasional size 16 piece.

Ø  5’5”-5’8” is average. You can certainly shop in the misses but do not try to go into petites, even though it looks like it might fit, it is cut to be most flattering on someone with smaller features.

Ø  5’9” and up is tall. Tall women can mostly shop in misses. Length of pants is usually the main concern for you, however pay attention to the listed inseam or the letters S=short, R=regular, or L=long. If you are over 5’9” chances are long pants are your best option.

·         Side Note: The Junior’s section is not an okay option unless you are under the age of 25; even then it’s a little shaky. The cut, coloring, and the sizing are very different from misses. The clothing is cut for people with less curves, smaller busts, hips, and smaller thighs. If you like a younger style misses usually has better cut and colored options for those of us with more mature figures.

Question 2: What size/shape are you?

                This is always an uncomfortable topic for us women. But having this knowledge is essential to looking your best. Use the following guidelines to accurately assess what your body shape/size is, the sooner you figure out what shape were dressing the sooner you will start looking and feeling great!

From Calculator.net

Banana, or straight (rectangular)
Banana-shaped women's waist measurement is less than 9 inches smaller than the hip or bust measurement.
Apple (triangle downward)
Apple-shaped women have broader shoulders and bust, and narrower hips.
Pear, Spoon, or Bell (triangle upward)
Pear-shaped women's hip measurements are greater than their bust measurements.
Hourglass Shape (triangles opposing, facing in)
Here, the hip and bust are almost of equal size, with a narrow waist

Now as we talk about what clothing/cuts look best with what general body style you are, you will know that you can apply those aspects to YOUR wardrobe.

Having these two pieces of knowledge in your corner can help you tackle the main struggles of dressing for your body and style. Happy shopping!

Your SmartGirls Fashionista

Hello Fashion Lovers!

Hello everyone!

     With my first official SMARTgirls' blog I would like to say WELCOME! On this page I will be writing about outfit tips, do's and dont's of fashion, the latest trends, and the basics of personal styling!

     To tell you a little bit about who I am, I worked for SMARTgirls about a year ago, my name is Katie. I moved away to be with my military husband but am missing the shop and my wonderful friends every day! I am now currently a struggling stylist haha, building my client list and wishing for warmer weather!

   Feel free to ask any questions you have and let me know if there is anything you would like to see me write/ video blog about. The new and more informative blog is coming to you within the week. Have a beautiful day!

                                                 -Your SMARTgirls Fashionista!