Sheens Image Consulting

Beauty And Grooming Tips For A Job Interview

So you got the call for an interview. You’re excited and nervous. You want to put your best foot forward. Besides preparing for the type of questions that you might face, you have to look the part for the interview! Always remember this golden rule: Less is More! Let’s start with the females first.

FACE

In our warm and humid Singapore weather, always always always use Sunblock! There are various types of coverage as well as whether or not they are tinted. Pick one you’ve tested and used before. If you’d like your makeup to stay on longer, try a mineral base foundation or apply primer before application of makeup! Certain brands of primer have pearl finishing – resulting in fresh and supple looking skin.

Next up, concealer – an interviewee’s best friend – conceal dark eye circles (from those night before interview jitters) or blemishes that pop up overnight (they always seem to appear before important days don’t they?)

Lastly, wear a bit of blush to inject life in your face, not lifeless like a ragdoll!

EYES AND BROWS

Stick to neutral palettes (beige, light brown, baby pink) for eyeshadows and avoid too much shimmer and glitter – you need to shine in your interview but through your answers not your makeup!

Do not overdraw your eyeliner. Try to stick to pencil eyeliners as they appear softer than overpowering liquid eyeliners (cat eye winged effects? Save it for girls night out!).

Mascara is the key to you appearing more “awake” than you already are! Curl your lashes after your eyeliner application. Be sure to remove any excess product from the wand with a tissue or the top of the mascara tube before applying to have a smudge-free day!

Keep your brows trimmed to its natural shape. If the arch is too high, trim it down a little for a “softer” look, if they are too sparse, fill them in using an eyebrow pencil or light/dark brown eyeshadow.

LIPS

Rather than overpowering your eyes with dark or bright colors, try adding some color into your look on your lips. A berry or brown red shade that matches your skin tone will give you a bit of that retro working girl vibe and keep your spirits up when you don’t feel particularly confident. These shades will also make your teeth look even whiter, on the plus side.

If you don’t wear lipstick often, the day before your interview isn’t the best time to try – especially not red lips. Try lightly tinted lip balm or sheer lip tints – avoid too much gloss or any at all.

HAIR

Again, golden rule, less is more! Do away with the fancy hair accessories, make sure you’re comfortable with your hairdo. Nothing too tight, nothing too frizzy. Here are some tips for different hair lengths.

  • Above the shoulders: Consider a hair spray to keep flyaways at bay and make sure to comb through any visible knots!
  • Slightly below shoulders: A half up-do could do the job of too much hair falling down your face. A pair of curling tongs pressed against the ends could give you a more professional look – straight or slightly curled in/outwards to your preference.

Long: Hair pulled back into a bun or ponytail as you like, stray hair and fringe tucked neatly with a bobby pin, or hair-sprayed to the side. Style tip: wrap a sliver of hair from under your ponytail around the elastic band!

NAILS

Trimmed and filed – no long talon-looking nails! Bare looking nails are fine, but if you need a manicure, go with something light and neutral, like a clear polish, skin color or baby pink – it lengthens your fingers and makes your hands and nails super-profesh and clean.

PERFUME

How not to wear too much perfume? Apply perfume to the pulse points of your body – wrists and behind your earlobes. Or you could spritz in the air, at a direction in your room, walk through it and let the mist fall on you – one spritz is enough though, you’re not having a perfume shower! Most importantly, avoid overpowering fragrances (you love it but your interviewer may not!).

Moving on to the males. Grooming may be far less complicated but no less important! Men, listen up!

HAIR

Should be neatly cut or trimmed. Using hair gels is not good for your hair but if you still use hair grooming products, use them sparingly to achieve a natural look. Don’t make poky spikes where your scalp is visible and the hair looks planted! If you use hair wax, make sure to check your hair for any extra wax stuck in between your hair.

Do take note of hairs poking out of  your ears and nostrils. If your eyebrows are overly bushy, slightly trim them using a pair of cosmetic scissors or simply ask your barber to do it. Threading and eyebrow trimming are no longer restricted for ladies only!

Facial hair (mustache, sideburns or beard) should be neatly trimmed if must-have. A cleanly shaven look sometimes do improve your professional appearance slightly.

FINGERNAILS

The next time your Mom, Sister, Wife or Girlfriend goes for her mani/pedi session, tag along! Have your nails clean and short with the cuticle pushed back.

COLOGNE

Similar for females, cologne for males must be applied sparingly. A simple trick to do so is to first apply it to your handkerchief, then lightly onto to your face.

CONTACT LENSES (APPLICABLE TO MALES AND FEMALES)

To wear, or not to wear – that’s the main question. While to some people, wearing contact lenses have become a habit, putting on well-suited glasses may result in you looking more professional. However, if you chose to wear contact lenses, stick to clear ones or natural colored ones (black, dark brown, dark grow) instead of crazy-looking ones (those you wear to Halloween parties!).

And there you have it! Beauty and Grooming tips for males and females. Keep these in mind the next time you’re preparing for an interview and you’ll ace it for sure! Go you!