BEAUTY ETIQUETTE

Most of us like to think we have the basics of beauty etiquette all sewn up. But how long has it been since you've had a manicure, tamed your eyebrows or cleared out your bulging handbag? In these time-poor times, activities such as eating, sleeping and grooming can get cut short. But is all that preening really that important anyway? Apparently, yes.

"Forget all the proverbs about not judging a book by its cover," says Marianne Vicelich, author of Bat Your Eyelashes: How To Be Well Mannered With Style and The Glossy Life: How To Be Glamorously Economic (both self-published). "First impressions are unfortunately face-value evaluations based on appearance that do count." So in this competitive world, a shining personality may not outshine a bad hair day. So what gets a beauty black spot and is it possible to stay impeccable and unflappable? With a little planning and practise, you won't have a hair out of place.

The five deadly beauty sins

Too much perfume
Acquire a signature scent and keep it subtle. "Unless the person you're speaking with is in hugging range, they should not be able to smell you.

Lipstick on your teeth
Keep lips in tip-top condition with gentle sugar scrubs and hydrating balms to avoid bleeding lipstick. After applying lipstick, blot, then move your finger in and out of your mouth. Excess lippie will come off on your finger rather than your teeth.

Blender bender
Dior's national make-up artist, Sarah Wallbank, says bad blending is bad beauty manners, "from obvious foundation lines to badly drawn batwing eyeliner. These mistakes make it obvious you're wearing make-up and detract from your natural beauty." Wallbank advises testing foundation on your jaw line. Apply with a foundation brush and begin in the centre of the face, working upwards.
For a perfect pout, lip liner needs to match lipstick and be applied all over to avoid the dreaded outline.

Partner preening
Don't squeeze each other's pimples in public, please. Keep it behind closed doors.

Chipped nail polish

If you haven't managed a mani-pedi for months, remove chipped polish and leave fingernails natural until you can get to the salon. Cover toes with ballet flats. Try QM Lounge,08033316666

lip tips
While some grooming activities, such as applying lipstick, have become acceptable in public, some are too intimate. "It's socially acceptable to reapply lipstick at the restaurant table, but I wouldn't whip out the foundation. They don't call the bathroom the powder room for nothing!" "Other personal grooming faux pas include brushing your hair or picking your skin in public. Also, beware of tangerine-coloured fake tans and tide marks [that come] from not blending in foundation properly." Check yourself in the mirror and don't give away your beauty secrets.

How to stay impeccably groomed

Breathe. Just because you're nervous, doesn't mean anyone needs to know. Before any engagement, sit alone, warming up your voice by singing high and low. This ensures your voice does not give away nervousness by quivering.

Preparation. Prepare your outfit the evening before. Press and accessorise it. This way, you'll never be rushed in the morning.

Positive thinking. This is a vital tool. Practise it before you go to sleep and first thing in the morning.

Accessorise. Clean shoes, a well-kept handbag (not over-stuffed) and unique accessories to keep your look fresh are vital. You can wear the same skirt and shirt every day and transform it by changing your accessories.

Style your hair. If you don't know how, practise. If you have straight hair, use irons to finish it off or pop in Velcro rollers while doing your make-up. Learn how to use styling products and experiment; don't wear your part on the same side every day.

Make-up. Buy three latest lipstick shades each season. You can keep your make-up natural if you are updating your lipstick colour. Try Mac Lipstick, Bobbi Brown, Milani...+2348122220660

"Look Good...Feel Good"


Cheers,
Oye-Ebony