Why?
Because Colour/Style/Image Consultants are generally perceived to be skinny, sharp suit and pointy stiletto-wearing, snooty ladies who exude confidence and world dominance!
Well that’s not me!
The irony is that as a teenager I probably could tick all those boxes. I was tall and gangly – not willowy - I wore National Health specs and was quiet and swotty. Not naturally clever, but studious.
As a young woman I lost the glasses and gained my freedom – contact lenses for my 18th birthday! Whooo hoo! As my shape developed I became willowy (and wanton) Fast cars, fast men. I had loads of fun. Until the reality of the situation came crashing down on me, that I was attractive not because of my personality but rather my looks. And my body. I yearned to be ‘fat and loved’, as I distinctly remember grumbling to a friend. I wanted to make people laugh, I wanted to be loved for me, my personality, not my looks. Oh, the irony!
More recently I became quite seriously ill and the weight gain began. There were several contributing factors. Not least being in toxic environments personally and professionally. My self esteem and confidence plummeted. The weight rocketed. I am now larger than I have ever been. In more ways than one.
Whilst I was ill I received a very badly executed terminal diagnosis. When you are faced with the very real possibility of your own mortality, you are never the same again. Everything takes on a new and very different meaning. You value things differently. You appreciate things you didn’t have time for before. Ironically life under Coronavirus lockdown has heightened my recall of that time. The opportunity given to us all in lockdown to slow down and take time ‘to smell the roses’, to watch nature unfold in front of our very eyes. To me this was a beautiful gift given to us all in lockdown.
Thankfully the diagnosis was proven to be false. I know and recognise every day that I am one of the lucky ones and my gratitude knows no bounds. So a gain in weight, whilst not the best thing for my health, is not the be all and end all. Rather I consider it a roadmap of my life. Who remembers that famous scene in Shirley Valentine when, embarrassed by removing her clothes and revealing her stretch marks on a romantic boat trip, Shirley’s new Greek lover (played by hunky Tom Conte) tells her “Don’t hide these lines. They are the marks of life.”? Shirley turns to the ‘audience’ and says, “Aren’t men full of shit?”
Thankfully I have come out the other side and no longer believe all men are full of shit, many but not all. As a single mum of two ‘gorgeous boys’, I worked hard to instil in them respect for women and have found myself a new partner who accepts my roadmap.
I am passionate therefore to instil self-confidence and self-belief in all women. I am a self-confessed nurturer and a giver. I seek only to support and empower other women, regardless of age, size or colour. I abhor injustice of any kind and part of my mission and my ‘why’ is to help all women to feel good about themselves. If I could offer my colour service free of charge to all women I would. I am so committed to the difference it can make to how a woman feels about herself. The transformation is like magic that she can see unveiled in front of her, either in person or online.
At the end of the day what counts is the size of a person’s heart. Not the side of their body. I want women to be proud of who they are. Proud to be alive. Embracing and celebrating who they are. For life is precious. We owe it to ourselves to appreciate each and every day. To be thankful, not bitter. To accept not reject. To discover and value our true colours. Curvy-licious or not!
Book a colour consultation with me and let me help you discover YOUR true colours.
