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belted AND BEAUTIFUL -

Whether it’s big and bold or small and neat, the belt is this season’s must have accessory.  The stylish, womanly look is back for autumn and winter, so make sure you’re ready to belt up and look beautiful! Follow these simple tips from colour me beautiful Europe’s leading image consultants, and you’ll soon be an expert at which belt is best for your body shape.

What a waist...
The trick with belts is knowing how to wear them.  Many women tend to hide their waist under loose, shapeless tops.  Don’t be shy - try the new season’s look and get ready to show off what could be your best asset.

A belt can often be a rounded tummy’s best friend as it detracts the attention from the tummy to the waist.  Knowing what size and style belt to wear is the key.  When we think of belts we tend to think of leather, but leather can be hard and rigid or it can be soft and supple.  Belts also come in soft fabrics, beads, ribbon etc.  Finding the one which is right for you will depend on your preferences as well as your body shape, proportions and scale.  So, get down to the high street, play around with the styles you fancy and find out which ones work best for you.

Hourglass
If you have a neat hourglass figure with all your curves in proportion you will be able to wear most belt styles; cinching-in your waist will show-off your figure even more.  However, you do need to think about where your waist is; if you are high or short waisted, for example, a wide belt will end up sitting under your bust where it shouldn’t be. Not a good look.

Petites
If you are petite with a fine bone structure, stay away from big belts as they will completely swamp you, this also goes for large buckles.  You need to stick to narrow and lightweight belts to complement your figure.  A pretty chain belt is a great alternative to leather and would suit your figure perfectly.

Tall
Belts are great for tall women as they will allow you to ‘break-up’ the long look.  If you have a long torso, wide belts are perfect; if you are short in the torso then try wearing your belt low slung to elongate the body.

Lean columns or rectangles
If you have a rectangular body shape or a boyish ‘lean column’ you don’t want to advertise the fact that you don’t have a defined waist.  Avoid wide and stiff belts as they will emphasise your ‘column’ shape and instead opt for a more subtle belt style such as cardigans or jackets with ribbon ties.  These will give you a little definition and softness around the middle.

If you are a rectangle and have a neat bust and no waist you could wear a belt that sits under the bust; adding more detail on to your top half or to your hips will help to give the illusion of a waist.

Buckle Up
An embellished buckle will draw attention to your waist and show your creativity, drama and romanticism.  If your not quite sure which belts work for you then treat yourself to a style consultation with a colour me beautiful consultant. 

Make-up tip of the month
Are your eyebrows the right shape for your face and are you grooming them correctly?  Untidy brows don’t give a good impression and will detract attention from the rest of your face.  Properly sculpted eyebrows will complement your features and give your face a well balanced look.  Your eyebrows deserve to look beautiful too!

1. If you have an oval face then you need to shape your eyebrows so that they slant upwards.
2. For a square face, you need to create a gentle arch above the centre of each eye, directly over the pupil
3. If you have a rectangular face shape, use a brow pencil to slightly extend the outer tails of your eyebrows as this will give the illusion of broadening out your face
4. For a round face, keep your eyebrows as straight as possible and whatever you do, don’t let the outer corner droop.
5. Finally if your face shape is an inverted triangle, you will need to slightly shorten the natural width of your eyebrows and shape them into a gentle arch.  This will help to reduce the width of your face whilst adding height.