Reclaiming Your Glow: How the Right Colours Boost Confidence After 40 with Ashley Longstaff
In this vibrant episode of the Redefining Midlife podcast, I chat with Ashley Longstaff, a colour analysis expert who helps women discover the colours that make them truly shine. From her fascinating upbringing as an expat child who attended 18 different schools to her journey from corporate PR to colour analysis, Ashley shares how finding your perfect colour palette can transform your wardrobe and your confidence. As midlife brings changes to our appearance and identity, understanding which colours complement our natural features becomes even more valuable.
Key Takeaways:
Your "Colour Season" Stays With You: While hair and skin change with age, your underlying "colour season" generally remains the same throughout your life. Ashley explains how the 12-season colour analysis system works and how it helps identify the colours that naturally harmonise with your personal features.
Simple Tests to Try at Home: To discover if you lean "warm" or "cool," try holding white fabric against your skin, then cream. Notice which one makes your complexion look fresher and brighter. Similarly, pay attention to whether silver or gold jewelry makes your skin appear more vibrant.
Baby Steps to Colour Confidence: If you're hesitant to embrace new colours, Ashley recommends starting small. Try incorporating your newly discovered flattering colours through accessories like scarves, earrings, or shoes before committing to larger wardrobe pieces.
Midlife Style Evolution: As women transition through midlife (empty nesting, career changes, etc.), it's the perfect time to reassess your personal style. Ashley encourages women to ignore arbitrary fashion "rules" about age and instead focus on what makes you feel authentically good in your clothes.
Carving Out Identity Beyond Roles: Ashley shares her personal journey through health challenges and raising teenagers while rediscovering herself. She emphasises the importance of making time for personal interests beyond being a wife and mother.
What's Next?
Ready to discover which colours bring out your natural radiance? Ashley offers virtual colour analysis services where she'll analyse photos of you with different colours to determine your perfect palette. She'll provide 30 colours in your primary palette, plus makeup recommendations tailored to your specific colouring.
Remember that confidence in midlife isn't about following arbitrary rules—it's about embracing what makes you feel authentically you. Whether you're navigating changing hair colour, hormonal shifts, or simply wanting to refresh your style, understanding your personal colour palette is a powerful tool for expressing your true self.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about Ashley's journey and her practical advice for using colour to boost your confidence at any age.
Links mentioned in this episode:
www.lovingcolour.au/colouranalysis - Virtual Colour Analysis
www.instagram.com/lovingcolour__ - Follow Ashley on Instagram
https://www.lovingcolour.au/podcasts/life-in-colour - Life In Colour Podcast
You can also find me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joclarkcoaching/ and LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joclarkcoaching/
Here’s to redefining midlife and making our next half of life even better than the first.
