Image Voodoo : a post about being sexy

why are wristlets sexy?  I mean, these tiny almost useless excuses for purses, actually exude a cheeky sensuality.... Can you put more than a lipstick in one? no.  You could perhaps squeeze in a tightly folded dollar note but even that would be a stretch.

I have this little theory to share... now I know not everybody will agree with me but I'd like to share it just in case some of my dear readers find this useful.

This is going to be a very short and sweet post, golden nugget style.

and here it is :

*drumroll*..... There is something strange and mystical about pulse points....

Ladies, anytime we call attention to a pulse point by adorning it, we create *breathy whisper* magic.

So what is image voodoo with pulse points?  And how do we adorn our pulse points?  Surprise surprise we already do!  Imagine if we were to do it consciously and strategically.....

Wiki tells me there are 5 major pulse points on the human body :

1. Carotid - side of neck : aren't chokers and glittery necklaces just so flirty?  pick one for that special evening if you have a lovely long neck.
2. Radial - the wrist: Enter the wristlet! or the dainty little wrist watch or bracelet.  Chunky pieces give a little more oomph but make sure they're not too big for your frame.
3. Femoral - near the groin: Not much elaboration needed here... think string bikinis..need i say more.
4. Pedal - on the foot: There was a time when toe rings were the rage and very cute.  Now that they are not as popular, pretty beaded slippers and killer shoes that fall off and dangle just so.... when you're sitting with your legs crossed..... sexxxy.....
5. Brachial - inside of elbow or under the shoulder. : it is well known that shoulders are sexy... baring one shoulder is nice nice nice....

And there it is..my little piece on creating image Voodoo with pulse points.  Hope you enjoy this and have a great week ahead!!  Just a word of caution, it doesn't work quite the same way on men.

Keeping my fingers crossed ... its a secret but I am hoping to get hold of Dr. Ian Halsall my NLP guru for some Branding with NLP tips.  Stay tuned!  Here are some pics of us practising pulse points Voodoo!!



Dr.Ian baring a little wrist... .not one of his better moments....



A better behaved Dr. Ian.... and me, baring a little shoulder hehe...

Shy......not.....

His name is Shy.  Well, not birth certificate type of name of course.  We gave him that name.  We were so sure it was him.... shy, that he was... or so we thought - until it was his turn to get on stage.  I didn't recognize him, but yet I did.  It was Shy sure enough, but a larger Shy, a more entrancing Shy...yes, still Shy.  I could not tear my eyes away and I told myself then and there...I've got to find out how he does it.  You see, Shy is a speaker, trainer and actor all rolled into one cute individual.  I want to learn how you build a brand like that.  You don't have to be extra colourful, super loud or even move around much on stage to be remembered and to have the audience entranced.  What a brand!  I tracked Shy down and here it is :

Branding yourself Amazing as speakers and presenters with Acting Techniques

I asked him a few questions I received from facebook friends eager to learn :

Me :  How does a speaker/presenter/trainer brand themselves using acting skills?

Shy : One of the acting skills that I have learnt is about the need to have self-belief. An actor needs to believe in himself so that he can bring out the character he his playing. And by knowing the character's clothing/ wardrobe and personality, the character can be identified on stage as a unique character.

 Similarly, a speaker/presenter/trainer, needs to believe in himself/herself and in his own ability, skills and talent. Together with his personality style and personal appearance, the speaker/presenter/trainer can then bring out his own brand. Once the brand has been established, the next step is to get people to see the name and the benefit or knowledge that the speaker/presenter/trainer is offering.

happy days.....

Me : Is it possible to make an audience feel emotional and cry through acting?  How ?

Shy : Yes. It is possible. However, before we are able to make anyone cry or feel emotional, the actor has to have that emotional "feeling" first. The actor must "be" that character and not just act it out.

In acting training we have something called the "hot seat". The actor would share with his team members some real-life "dialogues" that the actor has experienced, that made him feel sad or cry.

When an actor takes the hot-seat the others move around him, saying the words that have been shared. These words are repeated over and over again, accompanied by background music.  Usually the actor in the hot seat breaks down.

Once the actor knows this technique, he can use it to make his character emotional. Once the character is emotional, it becomes "infectious" and can thus make the audience feel the same way.

with friends and fellow trainers....

Me : Some people feel that if we act during a presentation, it may come across as less authentic… what can we do about this?

Shy :  Have you watched a show/ drama, that portrayed a character that was so evil, that you wanted to strangle him yourself? Or a character that was so pitiful that you cry and bleed for it?

Why is this so? More often than not, the actors portraying the characters are not those characters in real-life. They manage to play the characters convincingly because they believe in the character and are honest and genuine in making the character stand out.

Similarly, to me, presenting is like putting on a show.  The presenter must immerse himself in his character during the presentation.  To make the character stand out, this must be done honestly, authentically. 

Remember, it is not about acting, but about using proper acting techniques. 

Well said!  Very useful tips that I am going to try out, although I'll shoot for making people laugh rather than cry hehe.  Shy is conducting a talk Ignite The Stage at SIM Singapore, on August 20 2011.  Interested guys and gals can register with patricialee@sim.edu.sg or hanisah@sim.edu.sg

In my sessions many people ask about eye wear.  Next week I'll be talking to an optometrist who owns an eyewear shop for some insight into what is available and trendy right now.

Cheers to a great weekend ahead!!

 

Easy on the Eye..... and Cheek.....

I stalked someone yesterday, in the early hours of the morning... oh yes I did. (Shock, Horror).... but but, I stalked him for you my dear readers.  Honest.  Because, apart from being easy on the eye (admittedly), Leslie Hong is also a makeup expert and the MD of his own 30 year old Advanced Aesthetics Academy, Stella-In International. 

I couldn't believe my luck when I was asked to work with Leslie on our roles as representatives of the AICI (Association of Image Consultants International) in our respective locations, he Penang and myself, East Malaysia.

Okay, enough of the PRing, and cutting to the chase here.  I took the opportunity (stalked him) to ask him two burning questions many clients have asked me during consultations and training sessions. 

I already have high cheekbones and when I use blusher I end up with hollow and sunken cheeks.

Leslie : There are 2 ways to handle this :

1) Brush a soft cheek colour over the cheeks to recede the cheeks and at the same time add a highlight colour (a very pale colour) below the cheeks to bring them out thus creating the oval shape. 

The oval shaped face is widely (although no longer universally) accepted as the 'ideal' shape.

2) If brown is your colour (meaning if you're an Autumn or Spring colouring), you can also avoid sunken cheeks by gently brushing a brown tone over the upper part of your cheeks, generally about 2 fingers below the eye area.  Make sure it is in a circular movement outwards.

How do I make my eyes look big and beautiful with single eyelids?  I don't like the eyelid tapes.

Leslie : (not batting an eyelid).  Apply white shimmering eyeshadow as the trendy fashionable colour.  If you dare, on the whole eye socket is best.  Open your eyes and check if the colour is visible.  If it isn't, go a little wild and add more.  A life half lived is no life at all.... And there you have it.  For a glamourous 3D touch, add false eyelashes! 

You may need a little practice with the false eyelashes (I did), but once you get it right, there is no looking back!

I hope these tips are helpful and except for the men, that you'll all try them out.  Personally, I have my lashes permed as I'm too lazybones to do anything to them daily.

If you have anymore questions, do write in here. 

Leslie's website is www.stella-in.com.my

Incidentally, I hear he and his people are organizing an educational tour to Melbourne that includes spa and special effects makeup training.  This will happen next month, so if you're keen to know more do ask asap ok.

Thank you for dropping in and next week, we'll be covering Personal Branding through acting skills for Speakers and Presenters!  Terima Kasih to my actor friend Shy for agreeing to contribute a few tips!