She never seemed shattered to me, she was a breathtaking mosaic of the battles she has won ~ Matt Baker

My mom had a great influence on my life. From a young age, she instilled the importance of skincare and dressing well onto me. My mom bought me my first self-care book for girls. The title of the book “Meisie, jy’s pragtig”, (Girl, you’re beautiful) from Char Crawford. I still have this book, it is one of my most prized possessions.

Without knowing it back then, this little book was part of my journey which brought me to this place where I am now.

In this blog post, I will:

• share my styling journey
• my skincare secrets
• books that influenced me to become an Image Consultant
• information about my upcoming workshop

I remember the day clearly… it was in January the year I was about to commence Grade 1. I was holding my mother’s hand while we were leaving the shops and I said to her, “Mommy, I am a big girl now, can I start dressing myself?” I cannot remember her response, but I do remember the feeling, I am now big, clothes should now become my top priority.

Jeez, I was a terrible dresser for a long time.

This meme is very apt for how I dressed then, versus how I dress now.

I came into my style when I was in high school. My style can be described as feminine and romantic. I love dresses, skirts and beautiful blouses. I take inspiration for my style from the chic Parisian women.

Flowers are my favourite pattern to wear.

Pink paired with black, white or denim is my go-to colours. As for other colours, I love rich, jewel tones. Neutrals are always a firm favourite, especially for those hectic mornings.

I have a cupboard just for my shoes. Sandals, heels, ballet flats. You name them, I have them. But I don’t buy high-end shoes. Firstly I cannot afford them and secondly, I get bored easily.

I buy my shoes from the cheaper chain stores because then I can buy more. Just this morning I bought myself a leopard print ballet flat for R30.00. I know right?

I love to accessorise. I love all shapes, styles and colours. I can wear both silver and gold jewellery and anything else I through in the mix. Do you know if gold or silver tones suit you better?

To define my style took me a while. I had to trail and error quite a lot to get to where I am today. I had to buy a lot of clothes that didn’t suit my frame or style to know what suits me best.

I had to let go of the fear of judgment. We have so many fears when it comes to dressing ourselves. I can count many times when my thoughts were “what will people say when I wear this and that.” I am a girly-girl and I was afraid that people will judge me for my pink and flowery dresses with diamanté sandals.

I am that extra friend. I play dress-up daily. Not just some days.

Have you defined your style?

👗 Do you know what colours and styles suit your body type and your skin tone?

👗 Are you stuck in your 80’s wardrobe?

👗 Do you have a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear?

Then you need to schedule your Style Consultation, here.

This Style Consultation will help you:

• Find and define your style
• Understand and flatter your body type
• Know how to step into your confidence

My mom taught me a lot about life, love and business. One of the most valuable lessons she taught me, was to have a solid skincare foundation. With my mother’s advice and that precious little book of mine, I began to invest in my skin when I was 16 years old.

At the ripe old age of 16 became a skincare consultant for the powerhouse company, Annique. Here I learned what it meant to invest in your skin. How to care for your skin, whatever your skin type and whatever your age.

Even though I am no longer with Annique, I treasure the lessons I learned.

My skincare routine is rock solid. I am no longer with a company which I endorse, I just use whatever skincare range looks appealing. I have products from Willa Krause, The Body Shop, Elizabeth Arden, Clarins, Nivea, Sorbet and Annique. I use them interchangeably. I don’t suffer from sensitive skin, so I can use any product that I want.

My evening skincare routine includes the following, but is not limited to,

• Superficial cleanse, I use the Amber bar from Willa Krause
• Deep cleanse, also from Willa Krause, but I will change to the Chamomile Cleanser from the Body Shop once my cleanser from Willa Krause is finished
• Freshener, also from Willa Krause… this is my lazy part when I remember I apply. But I notice a difference in my skin when I use it consistently
• Essence, this is kind of new in skincare and comes from Korea. It is a light, fast-absorbing lotion. I use one especially for pigmentation from The Body Shop
• Serum, my favourite part of my routine. My absolute favourite is Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules Night Serum, but I use it very sparingly. I prefer my serums to be anti-ageing. Yip, this is where I am at in my life.
• A tissue oil, I love The Miracle Tissue Oil from Annique. It is light and great smelling and it doesn’t feel oily on my skin.
• Night Cream, I don’t have a favourite at this moment.

It is important to nourish your skin at night. This is the time when cell regeneration happens. Anti-ageing products are best used in the evening when it can be fully absorbed into the skin.

More about my morning routine in a next blog 😀😀

Words and books are weaved into my DNA. Every page I have ever read has brought me to this point in my life.

When I began exploring the idea of Image Consulting I read that precious little book of mine, “Meisie, jy’s pragtig.” In this book, I came to face-to-face with that excited little girl who dreamt about dressing herself into beauty and stardom.

This little book brought me to 7 other books which have had an amazing influence on my life and business.

When I was a teenager I wanted to be trained by Chata Romano, the first Image Consultant I became aware of. Her book was the first-ever Image Consulting book I bought. “Change your Image. Change your life.” This book changed my life. I worked that book cover to cover.

Who doesn’t want to do make-up like Bobbi Brown? Now this woman understands the art of make-up. Make-up is not just something to be applied to your face. Nope, make-up should tell the story of you. It should enhance and highlight the most beautiful parts of you. The second book I bought was the “Makeup Manual” by Bobbi Brown. It is artistic and colourful and beautiful.

We were taught that there are four basic body shapes. Trinny and Susannah decided 4 is too limiting for all the wonderful shapes and sizes of women. They defined 12 body types. Next in line of my study for becoming an Image Consultant was the “Body Shape Bible“. 12 Shapes, all of them beautiful.

Do you know your body shape? Remember to book you Style Consultation here. This will help you understand your body type as well as how to dress it in the most flattering way.

Nina Garcia is one of the most influential fashion editors of all time. When I saw she has a book, I just had to have. I bought myself the “Nina Garcia’s Look Book” to help women understand the ethics of dressing up in this world where anything goes.

When you book your Style Consultation we will discuss your style further.

These four books made a huge difference in my understanding of style and fashion. There are 3 more that influenced me:

• Color me beautiful – “Kleure en klere vir ‘n SLANKER jy”
• Hannon Bothma – “Maklik Mooi”
• Beauty – The new basics by Rona Berg

I want to help you as well.

Please remember to book your Style Consulting call!

But wait there is more… If R975 is just above your budget this month, then I have exciting news!

I will be hosting a Style Workshop on the 10th of August for the amazing price of only R549. You will have all the amazing benefits of a personal Style Consulting call, but with a discount of R426.

This workshop will help you:

• define and understand your style
• understand and dress for your body type
• understand your skin tone
• to step into your confidence

Join this workshop today, by sending me an email to sonika@sonikakruger.com to reserve your spot.

Bring a friend along and you will get R100 discount on your ticket.

Check out our Facebook event, here.

My biggest take away from today’s blog post:

👗 Everyone has a style. Maybe yours got a bit stuck. Define and understand your style by knowing and understanding your body type.

👗 Invest in a rock-solid skincare routine.

👗 Read, my darling. This knowledge can never be taken away from you.

👗 Remember to either book your Style Consulting call or RSVP to our Style Workshop.