Monday 27 April 2015

WHAT MAKES YOU SHINE?

Reader Tash has some ideas on how to grab life and make it awesome… do you dare?

Tash says:
We hear a lot in life about 'making the best' of yourself, but how is that done? The only way is to find something unique about yourself, something that makes you shine! Break the monotony and dare to be remarkable! Today is the first day of the rest of your life, so make it count!

Finding a look that fits your personality can take time. Don't rush things… give your look time to evolve! Whether it's a smear of your favourite lipstick or a cool belt, try things out, experiment, learn to be your own shining star! Some clothes just make you feel comfortable in your own skin… if you feel special in a sky blue dress, go for it! You're beautiful, don't ever doubt it. You can push the boundaries and try different looks until you find what feels right for you, but don't be pushed into a look that feels awkward or wrong, no matter what your friends say. Maybe they've spent ages giving you a makeover, but if you show up at the school disco in a bikini, pillar-box red lipstick and electric blue eyeshadow, you are trying too hard! Stand up for yourself and make sure your friends stick to your rules… you need to feel confident, not terrified! Sometimes, finding just one detail that people associate with you can be enough to give you a signature look and link with your personality…

Why not try:
- lots of cool badges on school bag or lapel?
- a single, slender plait in your hair, whatever its overall style?
- a series of fun, funky belts?
- a flower in the hair?
- one particular colour you always include in your look?
- an armful of cute, jangly bracelets?
- a favourite perfume or body butter you always wear?
- cool trainers, Converse or cute ballerina flats?
- a big smile?

Whatever you pick, wear it with style and etch it into everyone's minds that you have that spark. Go ahead - knock 'em dead!

Illustration courtesy of reader Ishika: many thanks!

Cathy says:
Great suggestions… in time, we all find the right style for us, but experimenting is definitely part of the fun - and who says you can't change your style to suit your mood, too? COMMENT BELOW to tell us about your fave style statements!

5 comments:

  1. My signature look is my hair. I tend to just throw on a T-shirt, hoodie and jeans (or maybe those trousers with the chains that I like) so aside from a few items of clothing, my style is fairly unremarkable if you put aside the fact that all my clothes are unisex or men's clothes. But my hair is bright blue. People recognise me for that. If my brother was looking for me when I was still at school, he'd ask people "Have you seen that girl with blue hair?". I wore it in anime bunches in S5, in a mohawk in S6, let it grow out for my first year of college then got it chopped short and that's how I'm keeping it. Hair is the best way to express yourself because it's a part of you, not like clothes that can be taken off and changed. Plus there's so many colours and styles out there to try!

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  2. It's taken me forever to find a style that I actually like, and feel comfortable in! I think I'd call it adaptable-alternative. I do dress a little alternatively with my leather jacket and tops from the Blue Banana, but I do also adapt so that when I work I look smart, even if it means I've just thrown a blazer on top of my Star Trek t-shirt and galaxy print jeans! :)
    I used to wear a lot of brightly coloured eye-shadows when I was at primary school, and I looked like something out of a 1980s space music video or like I've walked off the alien audition set for Doctor Who! Nowadays, I'm happy with my mascara and a little bit of lippy, if I wear make up at all, but I do dye my hair quite a lot. I'm currently purple, but I was dark blue before that!
    I tend to style myself as it comes, and just wear whatever when I first roll out of bed in the morning with whatever form of bed-hair I happen to have! :)

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  3. Totally agreed, Tash!!! My personal signature is pretty florals or pastels with a cute hairclip, maybe? And it's not just about your look that screams you. Everything you do, the way you talk, the way you hold yourself, the way you walk...it all reflects your personality. So don't ever let anyone tell you that you're not amazing. Because we all are unique individuals and we are beautiful in our own ways :D

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  4. I always used to think I wanted to have a cool, gothy style, but I tried it out and I just looked weird. Wearing black makeup with my skin tone made me look ill. Then I started taking inspiration from my parents. In my favourite charity shop I found a short blue kilt like what my mum used to wear for her highland dancing, and some paisley print skirts that my nan would love. Nowadays I wear a mix of trendy and unique...I'll wear a trendy midriff top from New Look with a 70's skirt and a 50's polka-dot neckerchief. I see it as turning a trend into something specifically for me. It's defiance; I'm misusing everyone else's overused ideas so it suits me and not them

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  5. RED LIPSTICK and my favourite docs, white and heeled. Black boots,skinny jeans, cloche hats and berets, hermes scarfs, anything vintage... And my legendary green jumper!!!

    I have a few different styles that I like, 1950s (I have four dresses), woodland vintage (all browns and greens and golds), sweet punk (really just two tartan hairbands, but I'll get there) goth romantic (one of my 50s dresses and a black lace top) and my usual, skinny jeans, boots, and a nice top. I recently bought a top, olive green and longish, with a dictionary definition of beautiful: "A person whois reading this". Me in a top!!! Méabh

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