Do you have big interview coming up?  Have you just landed that dream corporate job?  Does your workplace have a strict dress code but, you still want to look ‘fly’?  There is a difference between getting ready for work and getting ready for a weekend outing when it comes to hair, make up and nails.  Here are some professional grooming tips so you can ‘keep it cute’ while also remaining workplace appropriate.

Hair: Your hair should be very conservative in a professional setting.  When dying your hair, subtle highlights are okay but limit yourself to shades of brown.  While the mermaid ombre’ is the hottest trend in street fashion right now, having turquoise hair for an interview or 9 to 5 job is totally inappropriate. For interviews your hair should be pulled back out of your face.  Once you have the job, you can wear your hair down but it should always look neat and well groomed.

Make-Up: Make-up should look very natural.  You don’t want to be the woman with too much make-up on at an interview or in the workplace.  It is a distraction.  You can wear foundation, just don’t overdo it.  Personally, for professional occasions I avoid blush and eye shadow.  But if you must wear eye shadow use very neutral colors.  Lipsticks should be in natural conservative colors; bright reds, purples and blues are inappropriate.  I, personally, like to wear a neutral lip gloss in professional settings.  Outside of foundation, eyeliner, lip gloss and mascara, you risk going overboard with makeup.  Remember you want to be recognized for your work ethic and skill set in professional settings, not your face full of make-up.

Nails: Nails should be well groomed and neat.  Avoid loud designs, obnoxious colors and trendy nails such as the 3D nails and claw/rounded nails.  Your nails should not be obnoxiously long.  Nails should be no longer than a centimeter past your finger tip.  Use modest nail polish color choices and make sure your nails are kept clean.

Keep in mind that every work setting is different and you may be able to bend the rules here and there depending on the setting.  These tips are best used for interviews and conservative corporate work settings.  However, if you are a make-up artist, clearly the make-up rules don’t apply to you. (And so on and so forth.)  A good rule of thumb is, if you are questioning it, it is most likely inappropriate.

Brandi Giles

Editor, Health & Beauty

Image Source:   http://www.filmvz.com/grooming/grooming-training-men-women-flight-attendant.htm