Category Archives: Beauty

New Year, New Closet

Confidence, Personal Style, ,

Every garden needs to be weeded on a regular basis, but there are times when it needs a complete tilling.  Your closet is no different. If you have been staying up on your wardrobe, discarding, giving and removing items that do not suit your style, then you may not need to join us in our complete clean out today. 

If you have had a major change in your lifestyle, climate, size or simply a new awakening of who you are, then you may want to follow the steps we are taking in our Supreme MakeOver Course. 

Complete Closet Clean Out

We have been going through our wardrobe and wearing every item we can, creating as many complete outfits as we can with what we already have. 

We have been saying goodbye to items that simply do not fit right, have worn out, bring us bad memories, or suck the confidence out of us in any way. 

We now know our personal Image Identity (Img.ID) and the guidelines we should follow in order to look our best, and we are ready to swap with each other clothing that simply does not suit us well for ones that do. 

General guidelines for your Img.ID:

  • C: (The Classic) fashion trends (not fads) matching accessories.
  • N: (The Natural) simplicity with texture.
  • D: (The Dramatic) straight lines, high fashion, Accessories.
  • I: (The Ingénue) light, fine and feminine fabrics.
  • R: (The Romantic) rich, flowing, feminine fabrics.
  • G: (The Gamine) strong, bold color & fabrics

Click the letter to learn more about that Image Identity, including What2Wear.

Take the Personal Image Identity Quiz

Your Closet Clean Out could take you as little as one hour, it could take you all day, but there will be a great return on the time you invest because from here on, every morning will be easier and you will feel much more confident all day, everyday, knowing your image is reflecting your authentic self. 

To prepare, clear off your bed, you are going to need it to make your piles as you continue to pull out anything left in your closet (this includes dressers that may be in your room).

If you haven’t already, be sure to get all that laundry from step one (see last blog) washed and dried. 

Bring back to your room ONLY items you will keep.  

Continue to REMOVE any and all items (clothing or not) from every part of your wardrobe one drawer, shelf, section at a time. Try on each item and find pieces to make an outfit and make the decision: is it a THROW AWAY,  GIVE AWAY, or LAY AWAY (keep for another season, size, place)?

Place all “keepers” on your bed. 

Remember, you are weeding anything that does not give you confidence. You are not wasting anything, you are sharing those good items with someone else who will enjoy it more.

Once your closet and dressers are completely empty, vacuum and wipe down everything, top to bottom. Next, go find your husband and tell him: “look, honey, I have NOTHING to wear!” While he’s there, it may be a good time to ask him what his favorite outfits of yours are.  Then follow these steps:

  • Start by taking your favorite base items (usually slacks, shorts or skirts) and trying on all tops that could possibly work with that base piece., completing the outfit to the best of your ability with what you have, including accessories
  • Make a list of anything needed  to complete that outfit. Suggestion: take a selfie to help you remember, bring it with you to look back at when shopping. I find this especially helpful for matching colors. 
  • Next, purposefully put each outfit away (organize as you feel best: by color, type, outfit) until you have enough complete outfits for your lifestyle.  As you go along decorate the closet to make it peaceful and inspiring by hanging purses, scarves, mirrors, etc.

Continue this process until everything on your bed has found a place.  If there are items left that go with nothing you own, either give them away or take them shopping with you.  Don’t return them to your closet until you find something you can wear them with or they will quickly cause the clutter and confusion you just worked so hard to weed out.  

Finally, REMOVE all excess clothing (weeds!) from your house.

Now take some time to enjoy your beautiful garden and celebrate your new found freedom! I’d love to hear how you did. Comment, share, post pics of your progress. May your new year be full of confidence and beauty!

As an author and speaker, my passion is in helping women and girls overcome confidence conflicts, especially those involving rejection, betrayal and loss. After 30 years in the beauty industry as both a cosmetologist and an image consultant, I love to use my profession, along with my experiences and training as a Biblical life-coach to help others struggling. If you want to make difference, too, would you help share this blog and connect with me on Facebook, Twitter,  Pinterest, Linked In, Goodreads 

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End of the Year Closet Challange

Confidence, Personal Style, , ,

Imagine walking through a well groomed garden. Smell the colorful flowers and feel the gentle breeze calm your heart. Allow the beauty to inspire peace in your heart as you walk along, while the dew is still on the roses. Perhaps this is a place to find God Himself. 

Now consider a garden that is overgrown and unkept. The paths are crowded with out of control bushes, the blossoms are wilting and withered and the clutter of weeds persuade quite an opposite affect on your heart.

No peace. Distraction. Overwhelm. 

Your closet is like a garden. 

In which type of garden would you prefer to start your day? 

No matter the size or shape of your closet, it, too, can be an inspiring sanctuary or it can be a overgrown and chaotic: full of unused, worn-out, mismatched clothing that chokes the confidence out of your day right from the start!

Closets must be cared for

Life is busy– especially this time of year. With all the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping and going to events, your closet may likely be chaotic like mine right now.  For most of us, the only space (besides the bathroom) in our house where no one else is allowed to enter without permission, is our closet. This makes it a perfect place to hide things we don’t don’t know what to do with or don’t have time to put away before company arrives. It is also a great place to hide Christmas gifts. 

Christmas should be the season to seek peace and pursue it, yet with a cluttered closet, it’s easy to start the day frustrated over finding something to wear.  I don’t know about you, but my closet is no longer a sanctuary. I can nearly move amongst the “overgrowth.”

It’s time for a wardrobe weeding!

First step to creating a Confident Closet

I know the week of Christmas is not really the time of year to focus on self or take on a big project, but right after the celebrations is a great time to prepare the way for the new year.  Would you join me in a simple, step by step plan in weeding, cultivating and planting a Confident Closet?  

STEP ONE:  Enjoy what you have.

This is a time of giving, not a time to be longing for more, so in the spirit of Christmas, begin to WEAR EVERYTHING you already own. Put together as many complete (including accessories) outfits as you can. For now, just enjoy what you have and listen to what each outfit says. Notice how you feel the day you wear it. Is it “you”? Does it fit well? Is it in good condition?

If it makes you feel confident, then take a selfie or describe it in writing for future reference. 
If there are items that make you feel self-conscious, uncomfortable or phony; or if anything stirs up ugly emotions, Quickly GIVE AWAY, THROW AWAY or LAY AWAY that item.

After you wear an outfit, do not return it to your closet, in fact, don’t even wash it. This is a great week to let the laundry pile up. Instead of washing clothes, wrap a gift.

That’s all for now, we will get to the laundry next year.

Stay tuned for step two in my next blog. Be sure to join my email list to have it sent directly to your inbox.  If you have friends you want to do this with, please share this with them. 

Learn your personal Image Identity
Catrina Welch has been helping others with their image for more than 30 years. As a licensed cosmologist, certified image consultant and Biblical life-coach, she is well aware that image issues are far more difficult for some styles than they are for others. After her first husband left her while pregnant, she learned first hand that the greatest antidote to Confidence Conflicts is to know who you are, including your personal image identity. She developed a systematic way of doing image assessments for large groups, which she calls a “Supreme MakeOver.” Catrina is the author of five books, including “Confident Beauty: Reflecting the One Who Made You, with the Images in your Mirror and in your Soul.” She is the mother of four children. Catrina and Ron, her husband of twenty-six years, live on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and are now raising their first grandchild. For more information about Supreme MakeOvers or having Catrina speak at your next event, email her at catrina@catrinawelch.com
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The Only True Source of Confidence

Beauty, Confidence, Life, , , , ,

Life may never be the same after this pandemic, but it sure is good to get back into the salons, even if it’s so much less personal! It’s just easier to cope with all the changes when our nails are finished and our hair is good, isn’t it?

As women, when we feel beautiful, we feel confident.

Achieving beauty is one way we attempt to become confident. Success, wisdom, popularity and strength are other powerful sources for self-esteem. Yet, the moment someone outshines, undermines, devalues or corrects us, we will likely feel defeated, diminished, devalued. 

Is there anything that will truly satisfy our need to feel good about ourselves?

I believe there is one true and lasting source of confidence, and it is Continue reading The Only True Source of Confidence →








The Best Solution to Discrimination

Confidence, Life, Personal Style, , , ,

Racial discrimination is a serious problem, but prejudice isn’t limited to color or culture. People always “judge a book by its cover,” this is a fact of life. If we are honest, we all make visual assessments and prideful assumptions based on personal experiences and preferences all the time.

  • We choose our communities, caretakers or political parties according to our beliefs, opinions and needs.
  • We use businesses, attend meetings and make friends only if we feel comfortable with those people. 
  • We decide which checkout line we will use according to our assumption of the cashier’s attitude and aptitude.

It is natural and normal to make decisions based on appearances. In fact, you and I decide if we like or trust a person, place or thing within six seconds. Is this wrong? Maybe, but this tendency to make quick judgments can save us time or keep us from danger. 

Sometimes our first impressions are completely off, and we miss out on an opportunity or relationship that we may have enjoyed. Other times our assessments are completely inappropriate and we make harsh judgments based on personal opinions or experiences that have nothing to do with the reality of what–or who–we are criticizing.  Continue reading The Best Solution to Discrimination →








Discover Personal Branding–Like Susan Boyle

Beauty, Confidence, Life, Personal Style, , , , , ,

More than 4,500 athletes, the Queen of England and 40,000 fans will all gather for tonight’s opening ceremony of the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow city’s Celtic Park where Britain’s Got Talent‘s Susan Boyle will be one of the performers.

NOTE: this blog originally posted July 23, 2014

Remember when Susan’s audition shocked the world in 2009? As of today 154,079,130 people have viewed the youtube video of her amazing performance. I’ve personally watched it a number of times. In fact, I often use the video to illustrate the powerful affect of first impressions and the importance of branding your personal image. Susan had a dream to become known like Elaine Paige; now her fame exceeds her greatest expectations. When she walked onto that first stage the audience rolled their eyes and laughed at her; no one expected her to sing well at all. Now we all anticipate her performance with high expectations.

After her angelic voice was discovered, many image consultants wanted to give Susan a makeover. Why? Continue reading Discover Personal Branding–Like Susan Boyle →








The Most Common Question

Beauty, Confidence, , , , , , ,

The Covid-19 stay-at-home-order has put us all in casual dress mode.

I can’t remember the last time I dressed up–even our Easter photo opt. proved to be casual (at least from the waist down!).  My daughter didn’t even have dress shoes since she left college during her spring break, unprepared to come home for the year.

Even though I’m a Dramatic who loves fashion and makeup, my Natural side loves being stuck at home.  I don’t miss my heels at all!

How about you?

I’ve been rather amazed, however, at how much traffic one particular blog is still getting. Since I wrote it in 2012, it has always been my most popular post, but I am surprised that it is even more popular right now during a time when we are all so socially inactive.

Apparently, social distancing does not stop the Beauty Battle within.

Continue reading The Most Common Question →








Favor is Deceitful and Beauty is Vain

Beauty, Confidence, Faith, Life, , , , , ,

“Favor is deceitful, beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Proverbs 31:30

As a young church girl, I thought this scripture meant that it was wrong to be beautiful, that I shouldn’t want the favor of anyone, and that I should be afraid of God.

Wow was I off!

Many other times in Proverbs it is said that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. The understanding of fear that I had as a child is not the kind of fear God desires of us. We should fear Him like we fear fire; a better word may be RESPECT.  When we don’t understand God’s heart–or fire–we will run  away from it instead of enjoying it.

When we are afraid of God we may work with all our might for His approval–that was me, I really had to wrestle with the meaning of this verse because I wanted to please God, but beauty was my passion. Continue reading Favor is Deceitful and Beauty is Vain →








3 Tips for Handling Stay at Home Stress

Confidence, Kids, Life, Personal Style, , , , , ,

When I’m stressed,  I shut down and shut up.

The term tongue-tied may mean one thing to you, but to me, it is a perfect metaphor for how I feel when I am hurting. Even when I want to talk, the words are held captive. It doesn’t matter how quiet I am, however, my body language still  speaks loudly. Usually what it’s saying is,

“Leave me alone!”

And then I feel hurt when people avoid me–especially my husband, of course. I want others to read my mind not my face. I want them to ask and then wait (a really long time if necessary). Then I want them to judge my heart and not my confusing words. And I want them to be on my side, even if they have a completely opposing opinion.

I want, I want, I want.

When we are stressed, we are selfish.

Continue reading 3 Tips for Handling Stay at Home Stress →








3 Tips for Doing Hair at Home (or Not)

Beauty, Personal Style, , , ,

Just before the Covid19 social distancing order, I had gone on a self-care kick. It seemed that the stressful situations my family was facing were over and a spa day would help relieve the tension I was still carrying. Who would have thought that this stay at home order would last more than two weeks? I am so glad now that I took that time to do my hair and “fill my cup” before this forever-quarantine. 

When I feel ugly, I struggle with depression. I know I’m not the only one.

Casual clothing isn’t a problem for most of us; we like staying at home in our sweats. A bad-hair day, on the other hand, can make many women struggle with confidence and cheerfulness.  Continue reading 3 Tips for Doing Hair at Home (or Not) →








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3 Reasons Beauty is Dangerous

Beauty, Confidence, , , , ,

Most women don’t have Confident Beauty because they compare themselves to other styles, but if you have ever been mistreated because of your appearance, you know that Image Issues are more complicated than that, because BEAUTY IS DANGEROUS.

Beauty is dangerous when it defeats us.

Maybe you HATE how you look because you compare your beauty to the models in the media and you feel you don’t measure up. Maybe men have been mean to you or taken advantage of your body. Perhaps it’s women who have mistreated you and tried to demean your beauty so that they feel better about themselves.  Continue reading 3 Reasons Beauty is Dangerous →








The Power of Beauty

Beauty, Confidence,

This is school vacation week in New England. Many families are getting away for a time of refreshing and renewal. A break from the bitter cold and brutal winds can give us strength to continue to endure our harsh winters. 

It’s not a bad idea to get a break from a mild winter like this one, either.

Vacations are refreshing, healing, comforting, why? Typically, it’s not just the break in routine that gives strength to the soul. Often it is the beauty that we surround ourselves with when we get away.

Snow laden ski slopes. 

Palm trees swaying in the gentle breeze.

Children laughing on the playgrounds. 

Continue reading The Power of Beauty →








Is your Child Charming and Compassionate?

Confidence, Personal Style, , , , ,

Some children are very sensitive about what others feel.

Kids don’t always notice what is going on around them.They are usually too busy playing or dreaming to recognize what someone else may be thinking. Some children, however, are hyper-sensitive to the body language and voice fluctuations of those around them. 

Typically, the Glamorous Clothing Personality is very compassionate. Many kids are sweet and caring, but if your child has a passion for making others comfortable, she or he may be a Romantic Image Identity.

Compassionate kids   

Many Romantics are actually Ingénues as children. The two styles are very much alike except for their figure frames. The Romantic has more curves, and the Ingénue has a straighter, less “fluffy” figure. 

Weight can be an issue for any style, but the Romantic children tend to struggle with the consequences of this the most (the girls especially, since they tend to gain a full bosom before they are emotionally ready to have an adult figure).   Continue reading Is your Child Charming and Compassionate? →