Beyond just enhancing our features, makeup and hairstyling have the ability to sculpt, accentuate, and illuminate our unique features.

Something many of my clients find the most transformative from my colour clinics is understanding the ways in which they can use their hairstyles and make up to transform their confidence. We’ve all been there – gone to a hairdressing appointment and left feeling on top of the world (or in some cases ready to run and hide!). Understanding your face shape and colourings means you can play with the hairstyles that would accentuate your features in the best possible way, and the colours you may want to try out.

Face Shape and Colour Analysis

Imagine your face as a blank canvas, understanding your face shape is similar to knowing the contours of your canvas – it lays the foundation for creating harmonious makeup and hairstyles. From heart-shaped to oval, each face shape offers its own set of opportunities to play up your best features.

Our colour clinics take this concept a step further, helping you discover the hues that complement your unique skin tone, eye colour, and hair shade. By mastering these fundamental principles, you'll be able to play with makeup looks that enhance your natural beauty and hairstyles that frame your face beautifully.

The Art of Makeup

Makeup is more than just a cosmetic; it's a form of self-expression. Whether you prefer a natural, barely-there look or a bold, statement-making style, the key lies in understanding how to play with the colours available and with confidence.

From the perfect nude lipstick to a mesmerising eyeshadow palette, each product becomes a tool in your artistic arsenal, helping you play with makeup in new ways.

I love helping my clients walk away from a colour clinic with me with a fresh face of make up that they love, in the colours that make them shine. They can have a go-to look for every day, and then more glamourous options understanding the lipsticks, eyeshadows, blushes and bronzers that will make them glow.

Framing your Face with your Hairstyle

It is important to understand your face shape if you want to have hairstyles that will accentuate your look. You’ll also want to think about your lifestyle when choosing a hairstyle that suits you best. You may want to go all out with a layer-filled look, but if you only have 5 minutes every morning, then this may not be the best option.

As general tips, those with heart-shaped faces may gravitate towards hairstyles that add volume around the jawline, balancing out the broader forehead. Meanwhile, individuals with oval faces have the flexibility to experiment with various lengths and textures, embracing versatility in their hair journey.

As a personal stylist, I believe in the transformative power of makeup and hairstyles. Beyond just providing a service, it's about fostering a collaborative journey of self-discovery and empowerment. By incorporating face shape and colour analysis into my consultations, I ensure that every client receives a bespoke experience tailored to their unique features and personality.

By embracing the principles of face shape and colour analysis, you can unlock the full potential of your beauty and express yourself with confidence. Remember, the most beautiful thing you can wear is your smile – but a killer lipstick and fabulous hairstyle certainly don't hurt!

If you’d like to boost your confidence by understanding the colours and styles that help make you glow, click here to find out more about my Colour and Style Clinic. 

Let's talk about work/life balance

It’s one of those things that not many people are happy with.

Scenario 1 - the career professional

You’re working in a role that you are bloody good at…BUT.

The hours are long, the stress is off the charts, and you’re giving more and more and more.

And getting less and less and less in return.

Those one-off late nights have turned into early mornings AND late nights. Plus you’re probably checking your emails on your phone at the weekend - or worse… taking your laptop home.

You’re working your tail off and your work/life balance is at an all-time low.

Something's got to give.

Scenario 2 - the entrepreneur

You left that corporate life behind you to create a better work/life balance with more focus on your home life and freedom to LIVE.

Using the skills you developed in your corporate life to start your own business doing the things you love without the politics, daily ‘huddles’ and stress… BUT.

The hours are long, the stress is off the charts, and you’re giving more and more and more.

And you’re not getting as much as you expected in return.

Those one-off late nights have turned into early mornings AND late nights. Plus you’re probably checking your emails on your phone at the weekend - or worse… working on your laptop during ‘family time’.

You’re working your tail off and your work/life balance is at an all-time low.

Something's got to give.

There’s a theme here!

This is the reality for many people when they escape the corporate life and start up on their own. Those same stressors and habits follow them and their work/life balance is STILL not healthy.

That’s because it’s not easy to make the transition and new businesses don’t bring in great revenue immediately. You’ve got a lot to learn and even though you’re now your own boss - you still need help and support.

Work Smarter Not Harder

In the first stage of your entrepreneurial life it’s so easy to waste time AND money building up clients and becoming visible in a crowded market.

Maybe you’re new to business and lack visibility, or you have no Customers/Clients and no clue where to find them.

Maybe you’re a technophobe or unsure how to create engaging content. 

We’ve all been there. Me included!

However, I learnt the hard way so you don’t have to and I’ve put together a FREE client attraction masterclass that will guide you through…

• The 10 Biggest Mistakes New Solo Entrepreneurs Make - These cost you time, money and effort and can often lead to a loss of confidence - learning how to avoid them is key!

• Why A Personal Brand Is The Foundation That Keeps On Giving - The greatest houses, hotels, shops and businesses have the best foundations - learn how to create yours!

• Why Niche Isn't A Naughty Word - in fact it is the quickest and easiest route to gaining clients/customers.

You can watch it here https://www.sallyinkster.co.uk/Registration

What do you wish you'd known before you started your business?

When you start a business you usually come from a point of 'Being good at something'! This can cause a problem - There is so much more to running a business than just doing our job!

You may have come from a corporate company and decided it would  be in your best interest to freelance your skills. You may have a job you hate but a hobby you love and so you start a business hoping to monetise that hobby!

According to Durham University in 2020 6 million new small business's started.

4.6 million of those were sole Traders.

When you take into account that statistically 60% of those will fail in the first 3 years it’s good to put the work into knowing your stuff.

This will help us to be one of the 40%.😁

Identifying your Personal Brand right at the beginning of your journey puts you on a positive  trajectory.

Looking back I wish I had understood that I would have to become 3 personalities, within that Personal Brand.

These are the three personalities...

The Entrepreneur

• Has the ideas
• Creates new services, packages, products
• Has the vision
• Pulls things along
  

But an entrepreneur can mean you have too many ideas, too many thoughts and get excited by a shiny new object too often!

Apps on my phone that have helped me in this mode are...

• Blinkist
• Fiverr
• Upwork
• Pizap
• Canva
• Pocket

The Manager

• Is the pragmatist
• Creates order from the chaos
• Doesn't see opportunities, just problems to fix
• Is absolutely necessary for a business to survive and succeed

Apps on my phone that have helped with this...

• Canva
• Trello
• Hubspot
• Kajabi
• Dropbox
• Buffer
• Hootsuite

The Doer

• Loves to control the workflow
• Loves getting things done
• Gets instructed by the entrepreneur and the manager

Apps on my phone that have helped me in this role...

• Canva
• You Tube
• Pexels
• Kajabi
• Zoom
• Social Media Platforms (Find your party)

For the balance to really work you need

• 10% Entrepreneur
  
• 20% Manager
• 70% Doer

Would you find it helpful to have some clarity around your personal brand to help with the 3 people you need to be?

Book a Free chat with me Here.

Love Sally x

Sally Inkster

Finding Brand YOU!

What's a personal Brand?

''It's who you are, your values and beliefs and the ENERGY you bring to all you do''

**Image credit - Sally Inkster**

Let’s be honest, shopping for clothes can either make or break our day. When you have a plan, find what you need, the temperature is just right, and you feel confident within the pieces you have selected, a clothes shopping experience can be amazing.

For many of my clients, they have less of a fabulous result when they go shopping. They don’t have time for it so rush through the shopping, ending up with clothes they don’t love, don’t work with their current wardrobe, and ultimately waste money on garments they won’t wear.

For some, the feeling of overwhelm from the multitude of options can consume them. They can either rush around the stores and feel there’s “nothing for them”, or they spend hours trying to find the right pieces, but just don’t know where to go.

Finally, the most often feeling is that they just don’t know what will suit them from the shops, and feel they don’t know what to buy.

A personal shopping experience brings a specialist by your side to help you transform these downward spirals when shopping, and make them enjoyable and cost effective. Gone will be the countless pieces in your wardrobe that you never wear, but don’t have time to return!

That’s why we love helping people who feel this way with our online or face to face shopping experiences.

When you come to One of a Style for a personal shopping experience, what can you expect? Great question, here’s what we do here.

Personal Shopping – what you can expect from face to face shopping experiences

A personal shopping experience is one that we go through together, in person. The experience gives you the opportunity to have a full day or half day with one of our style experts to discover the shops, styles, and pieces that work for you.

It starts with a consultation, we get together online or in person, to find out what your wardrobe delivers, and what you may need to complement the outfits you already have and love.

Our experts will create a list of inspirational styles and will browse brands and collections beforehand, so when we get together for the shopping experience, we have clear ideas of what you need and what to look for.

We use our insights, knowledge, and experience to recommend stores that align with your personal style, your wardrobe requirements, and your shape. Because we already understand and know what is on offer across a variety of stores and budgets, we don’t have to try out loads of options, we have them in place already, and can take you to them for a new and welcome experience.

We may guide you to try a few new things, so you can step out of your comfort zone, while remaining true to your personality. We will also enable you to try on pieces, play with outfits, and have a style expert to hand to give you feedback on looks as well as how to style those garments for future looks.

You will walk away knowing that the pieces you have purchased will not only feel and look great, but they will work for you within the wardrobe you already have.

A personal shopping experience will feel like you have an expert there to hold your hand, give you new discoveries, and make shopping a more pleasurable experience. You will also be given advice and feedback for future shopping when you go out on your own, so you won’t fall back into the overwhelming and costly experience it may have been before.

Online Personal Shopping – What to Expect from an online shopping experience with One of a Style

You may think that online personal shopping would mean you miss out on that personal aspect, but we make sure that our online and face to face experiences feel as personal and engaged as one another. There are some differences, of course, as we are not there with you in person during the experience, but we are able to give a guiding hand throughout your experience.

With our Curated Online Shopping Experience, you will still get a real, accountable stylist (and no AI) working for you! We are here to make sure your shopping experience will be enjoyable, so having someone there to help you makes it all the more easier.

After an initial briefing call to discuss your goal, budget and needs, we create a bespoke lookbook just for you!

You will see different outfit ideas with links to the places to buy those exact items, so you can quickly and easily get what you see and like, with an approachable example of how to style them. No longer will an online shopping experience of urgency for one garment mean it only works for one event or outfit!

If you perhaps don’t love an exact piece, we have multiple options within your lookbook to try out, such as different colours, and patterns that still align with your outfit preferences and personal style, based on the briefing we have together.

You can go out, with the informed decisions and items that work for you thanks to these elements, and to add on that personal experience, we can organise a Zoom Fit Call, to show off your pieces once you get them, and see how they fall, and get an expert insight into the looks.

While the one-off experience can be so beneficial for you moving forwards, we understand that the trends that come into play, and the seasons come around, which may mean you need further support. This is why we offer our curated online shopping sessions in a one-off, bi-annual, or quarterly option.

Shopping should ultimately be a joyful, useful experience that makes your wardrobe more fun and useable. If shopping for clothes feels like an overwhelming experience for you, and holds you back from enjoying your wardrobe, we can help.

Whether you choose to have someone by your side in person, or via an online experience, each option provides a personal and bespoke solution to your clothes shopping experiences. 

As accessories go, you can’t get more diverse than the handbag. From clutches to briefcases, backpacks to crossover body bags, you can discover a huge array of styles, colours, patterns, and designs to add to your outfit. But how can you find the perfect handbag for your style?

In this article I’ll share with you my top tips to finding the right handbags to suit your needs, personal style, and lifestyle.

Matching your handbag to your lifestyle

The first important part about shopping for your perfect handbag is to match it to your lifestyle, and how differently the handbag will support your needs throughout the day, week, or month.

Let’s think about being a working mother – your working bag will require space for your laptop, folders, documents and needs to look professional; while when you are picking up the kids, or having family-time over the weekend, your bag needs to hold snacks, drinks, nappies, games and a lot more – without damaging your shoulders!

I understand that lifestyles are hugely varied, but in this article I will share insights from a variety of clients I have worked with in the past, and the handbags I recommended to them based on their needs. You can mix and match the ideas below based on how your lifestyle looks.

Handbags for work

If you are a professional working person, and tend to commute to the office, your bag needs to reflect your needs. I like to recommend to the clients I work with who have to go to work, with commuting to and from the office being a big part of their lives, a large enough shoulder bag to carry their essentials.

The Briefcase

While you can find a classic black leather briefcase style bag with plenty of zip up space for your purse, make-up when you need to do touch ups, as well as large enough for your laptop, stationery, and so on. In the mid-range price, this Aspen Leather Shoulder Workbag by Osprey is perfect, or a designer option could be this Mulberry City briefcase (in black or charcoal). 

But if you want to add a little flair to your outfit for work, you can do this through a colourful and enticing briefcase – with all the bells and whistles you need, but a touch of fun. This vegan leather Luca Laptop Bag by Flanella Smith is available in lemon yellow, sage green or navy and is a fab way to bring that colour pop to your classic corporate outfit. 

Day bags

If you prefer something a little more casual that will fit all of your work essentials within it, then you could invest in a “day bag”. These bags have more pockets than the briefcase, and perhaps have the hand held and over the shoulder option for a little change up to the outfit. I love this Chloe Medium Edith day bag which feels very 70’s in the styling, whereas this Michael Kors day bag in cream works beautifully for a chic look, with the added bonus of two sections within the bag.

Bags for Mums

Mums need a little more robust, larger bags than those for the work place as we need to be able to bring quite a variety of things with us to locations we are visiting! From snacks to nappies, the bags need to make sure we’re able to quickly take care of our little ones, without losing our personal style along the way.

Large satchels

Satchels are a great option for Mums on the go, as they remain stylish and offer a large amount of pockets, zips, and variety. When you place the satchel as a cross body option, this also helps make sure you’re not leaving all of the weight to your side, and you can easily run after children or pick them up without worrying about your bag falling off your shoulder. The 15 inch Batchel by Cambridge Satchel is available not only in the classic brown leather colour, but also red, black, navy, green, blue and many more – so the world is your oyster when choosing the colours that match your personal style.

This large DKNY satchel with three compartments is a dream for Mums with more than one child, or for going out with kids and the whole family for an event. Pop the snacks in one area, your purse, phone and personal items in another, and then toys in the middle! 

Backpacks for Mums

If you need to have both hands free or prefer to have the weight of your bag over both shoulders, you can’t go wrong with a backpack – it’s a classic for a reason. This Aurore backpack by Aruku has a beautiful tiger pattern inside and is a fun, good-sized bag for a Mum – and has the extra bonus  of a safe zip section by your back. 

However, if you prefer more compartments and organisation in your backpack, look for an option that has multiple zip areas or even separators. This Tiba + Marl Elwood woven backpack not only has 2 front zip-up pockets, but it also comes with a batching purse and internal padded laptop sleeve, two large internal elasticated pockets and a smart phone pocket – the organisation options are endless!

Handbags for special occasions

Now, I’ve talked about the day to day lifestyles we lead, but what about the one-off special occasions or date nights? This is where you can reduce the size of your bag, and up the level of personality!

Clutch bags

Clutch bags are great for evening events and events that you are attending that need minimal extras to take with you. These bags are often just big enough for a phone, your small purse, and maybe a lipstick for when you go to powder your nose. However, what they don’t have in size, they have in a huge array of patterns, fabrics and colours! From animal print zip up clutch bags to pastel clutches with metal accents, or even a glitter rainbow clutch – you’re in for a treat when looking for a clutch bag – but remember, check that it will be the right size for your essentials before investing! 

Small crossbody bags

If you need a little more space, and  a way to pull in your outer wear as you travel to your event, a crossover body bag is a great option, and also comes in a large range of patterns and colours. While I love my classic black – because it goes with everything, I also occasionally bring a little fun through the colourful collections I have. You can add a little flair to your crossover body bag with changing up the straps – some designers, such as Elie Beaumont – offer this as an addition to your bag, so you transform your outfit in a snap.

You can also play with the way you style your crossover bag and flip it – to just one shoulder! The great thing about the size of most of the crossover body bags in fashion is that they don’t take over the outfit, like this small yet stylish chain mini crossover bag in dusky pink by Tommy Hilfiger, as it has the chain styling for a bit of an edgy look. 

Do you love your handbags, or are you just beginning to take an interest in them? I hope some of these options inspire you to invest in this diverse and fun accessory.

If you’re unsure on the best pieces for your lifestyle, whether it’s accessories or your wardrobe, I’d love to help – I offer clients a completely bespoke personal service including personal shopping and style coaching, and I’d love to help you!