Consumer Rights

This extract is from my March 2010 Style By Caroline enewsletter. Visit my website, http://www.stylebycaroline.ie/ to subscribe.

This month's Style Corner focuses on the slightly-boring-but-extremely-important topic of consumer rights. Alas, many people are unfamiliar with their consumer rights, which can lead to confusion and upset when a shopping transaction goes pear-shaped. Hopefully my ‘handy guide’ below will improve your knowledge.

Please note that the information below pertains to the Republic of Ireland only.

The Sale of Goods Act 1980

• When you buy goods from a Retailer, you make a contract with Them.
• Anything that you buy from a Retailer must be: (a) of merchantable quality, (b) fit for purpose, and (c) as described per the packaging / advertising / salesperson. The Act applies to items “on sale” also – unless they are being sold as ‘shop soiled’ or ‘seconds’.
• If the goods turn out to be faulty, you are entitled to a full refund / replacement / repair by the retailer (not the manufacturer). You do not have to accept a credit note.
• If you simply change your mind about an item following purchase (e.g. “nah I don’t like it after all”) you have no rights under the Sale of Goods Act. The Retailer, as a gesture of goodwill, may consider offering you an exchange or credit note (but they are not legally obliged to).
• Likewise, you have no rights under the Sale of Goods Act if you misuse a product after purchase, or if you were advised of a fault at the time of purchase.

Caroline’s Top Tips

• Always keep your receipt.
• Read the terms & conditions on the receipt (e.g. the exchange period).
• If you have a complaint, air it with the manager as soon as possible. Most Retailers will do their utmost to resolve the situation quickly and amicably.
• The Consumer Rights Association, http://www.consumerassociation.ie/ has some excellent tips on its website for Consumers.

Yours in style,
Caroline

All Hail the Heel

I mentioned in the last post the wearing a heel will make your legs look longer.

Did you know that heels do something else rather wonderful...they make us ladies look slimmer than we are. Believe it or not, for every 1" you gain in height, you visually lose 3lbs (or just over 1 kilo)!

Yours in style,
Caroline

How to Make your Legs Look Longer

One of the most common questions I get from customers is "how can I make my legs look longer"?

These top 10 Style By Caroline tips will have you looking like a Pretty Polly model in no time!

• Choose a trouser with a vertical stripe / vertical pattern, which will draw the eye up and down, thereby visually lengthening the leg
• Avoid trouser cuffs / turn ups as these visually shorten the leg.
• Avoid overly baggy/ wide styles of trousers. Instead, choose boot-cut or straight leg styles which are more flattering.
• Avoid cropped trousers with a mid-calf leg length; these will make your legs look stumpy. If you wish to wear shorter trousers, choose slim-fitting (but not squeezy tight) styles that end just below the knee.
• Choose footwear in a similar colour to your trousers - this will create a streamlined look and subtly make your legs look longer. Ensure that your socks / tights are in a similar colour too.
• Wear a heel. Even the smallest of heels will make a difference to the length of your leg. Wear wedge heels for greater comfort.
• Your trouser hem should finish 1cm (or 1/2") off the ground. Short hem = short legs.
• Avoid wearing shoes/sandles with an ankle strap as these will shorten the leg drastically.
• Shoes with a pointy toe will elongate the leg. Avoid 'square toe' styles.
• Finally, if you want to fast-track your way to a 36" leg (or at least make it look like you have), wear nude-coloured shoes with a high heel (very much in vogue at the moment).

Yours in style,
Caroline

SPF & Moisturiser

Following on from my previous blog post on prevention of Skin Cancer, a lady contacted me seeking advice regarding sunscreen for the face. She advised that she has found a moisturiser that she loves; however, it doesn't contain an SPF. She didn't want to go to the bother of finding a new 'perfect' moisturiser, yet she didn't want to expose her skin to the sun's dangerous rays.

This is a common dilemma as, remarkably, many moisturisers - even the best sellers - don't contain an SPF. Given that Ireland's most common cancer is skin cancer, it seems remarkable that cosmetic companies aren't offering more products with an SPF.

Back to the question, there are two main solutions available:

1. Apply a sunscreen to your face under your moisturiser (ensure that it has a minimum SPF15 and is especially formulated for the face).
2. Use a foundation with an in-built SPF.
3. Mix a 'sunscreen supplement' in with your moisturiser (see review below).

Caroline Recommends:

My favourite facial SPF product comes from Dermalogica; it is called a Solar Defence Booster and it is a 'sunscreen supplement', with an SPF30.

The product has been designed as a 'mixer' for moisturisers that don't already contain an SPF. It is a cinch to use; simply mix equal parts of Solar Defence Booster and your favourite moisturiser together, and apply to your face as normal.

It takes little time for the product to soak in and once it does, it leaves a non-greasy, smooth finish, and most importantly, your face is protected against the sun's harmful rays. The product can also be used on it's own as a sunblock and is suitable for all skin types.

Dermalogica Solar Defence Booster retails at €24.80 on http://www.kudosbeauty.ie/.

Don't forget also that your lips also need protection from the sun. I highly recommend Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner (€3.57) or Vaseline Lip Therapy Sun Protection Petroleum Jelly (€1.09), which are both extremely effective lip balms.

Hope this information helps. Remember, if you have a style query, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me via my website, http://www.stylebycaroline.ie/.

Yours in style,
Caroline

Prevent Skin Cancer

Did you know that Skin Cancer is the most common Cancer in Ireland?

No? neither did I. I was enlightened to this fact just yesterday during an interview I heard with RTE television presenter, Dr. Mark Hamilton.

When asked as to why there is little awareness of this statistic, Dr. Hamilton reported that the success rate for treatment Skin Cancer is excellent (provided that there is early diagnosis) which might explain why it receives less attention by the population than other Cancers. However, this fact shouldn't give us room for complacency. As with any illness, prevention is better than cure and it is critical that we look after our skin to as to help reduce the risk of developing Skin Cancer.

The causes of Skin Cancer are many and varied; however, they mainly derive from exposure to the sun's harmful UV rays. As Irish people typically have very fair skin, we must go to extra lengths to ensure that we protect against Skin Cancer.

• Apply sunscreen on exposed skin daily.
• Use a minimum SPF15 daily (increase the SPF as the temperature gets higher).
• Ensure that your sunscreen is in date (throw out the bottle in the cupboard left over from last year's holiday's)
• Never, ever apply a product that accelerates tanning. Remember, a tan is actually sunburn.
• Never use sunbeds.
• If you notice any changes in your skin (lumps, bumps, sores that don't heal, moles that change colour / shape / size etc.) consult your GP.

For further information on this topic, visit www.cancer.ie.

Yours in style,
Caroline

Golden Moments

Last thursday, I overheard a thought-provoking discussion on RTE Radio 1 between presenter Kathryn Thomas and bestselling author of The Goddess Guide and The Goddess Experience, Gisele Scanlon.

In case you haven't heard of them before, The Goddess Guide and The Goddess Experience are stunning treasuries of style and are must-reads for anyone with even the slightest interest in Style.

The radio interview focused mainly on the recently-published second book, The Goddess Experience: What makes Your Happy?, which, in Gisele's own words, "is crammed with over 1001 micro-pleasures; uplifting fashion, beauty, travel, food and home tips". Essentially, "micro pleasures" are to style authors what "golden moments" are to Barry's Tea drinkers i.e. the little things that make us happy.

With 5 minutes to spare...and struggling to come up with good sensible blog content...I decided to make my own list. So, here goes:


Things that Make Caroline Happy:

• Being in the company of my favourite people.
• My 'broken in' jeans.
• Receiving a card in the post.
• Getting into a freshly-made bed.
• Bagging a bargain.
• Towels straight out of the tumble dryer.
• Paddling in the sea.
• Eating raw 'queen cake' mixture out of the bowl.
• Hot buttery toast.
• Picking the petals one-by-one off daisies.
• Finding a fiver in my pocket that I didn't know I had.
• Stretching.
• Fast-forwarding past the ads with Sky Plus ("speedy speedy").
• Post spring-clean/wardrobe-decluttering pride.

Visit www.thegoddessguide.com for more info on the Goddess series.

Yours in style,
Caroline

Dunnes Stores, Fun Galore!

Darned potholes. The country is full of them. And now they're costing me money! I hit what can only be described as a crater over the weekend and I banjaxed an alloy, resulting in a flat tyre.

Costs incurred:

• €40 to fix the rim
• €67.50 on impromptu shopping session in Dunnes Stores this morning while I waited for the rim to be repaired!

Every cloud has a silver lining eh!

Look at my beautiful new shoes; patent, nude-coloured, platform heels - a bargain at only €15.

And nautical-themed junper from the Savida Range (€20), which will go perfectly over my rapidly expanding collection of jeggings:

What a nice way to start the week.

Yours in style,
Caroline