beauty0205

7 Mistakes That Will Ruin a Professional Image
by Sheila Dicks

Some of us are aware of it and some us are not. What is it? Image mistakes. A successful career depends on good grooming and self-care.

   1. A polished look means being polished from head to toe not neck to toe. A neatly groomed person wearing a great, well-fitting suit can commit image suicide when she forgets to attend to her hair and makeup. Hair, makeup and wardrobe should be in harmony or professionalism is brought into question. By harmony I mean the hairstyle should be the same style as the clothing, sporty clothing - sporty hairdo, professional clothing - professional hairdo. For example, long, straight hair when worn down will look good on most occasions. However, when wearing a suit in a business setting the hair will look more in harmony if it is worn up or neatly tied back. Hair has a huge impact on image; it can make or break it. If you are trying to project a professional image keep hair in good condition, without splits or ragged ends or a two-toned look.

   2. Poor posture is a simple mistake that can ruin the image of a women who other wise has a profession image. A woman, who is dressed well, has great hair and makeup can teeter over the edge with poor posture. A contributor to poor posture is wearing shoes with heels that are too high and pushes the body forward. High shoes are great and give legs a great look but be aware of shoes that are too high. If you find walking difficult, your shoes are probably too high. Again, be aware of your posture and if it is not adding favourably to your look and your shoes are fine, try some abdominal strengthening exercises.

   3. Lipstick can bring your outfit and your face to life, however, too much caked on lipstick will ruin your look. Also, lip liner should not be seen. Lipstick should be dark enough to hide the liner. The liner is meant to give lips an even look and stop them from bleeding, it is not meant to be a border. Be very careful if you want to make your lips appear larger and decide to go outside the line. This, if not done properly could end up giving a very messy look.

   4. The darkness of eye makeup and lipstick should match. If you like to wear dark eyeliner and eye shadow make sure your lipstick is not light color. If you have light or blonde hair dark eyeliner is overpowering and your image will not look professional. Stick to lighter shades. To be on the safe side, no matter what your coloring don't wear dark eye makeup and lipstick in a professional setting.

   5. Eyebrows frame the eyes and can add to a professional image or can ruin it. Three things you want to avoid: 1. Eyebrows that are much darker than hair color. 2. Eyebrows that are hardly there worn with lots of eye makeup 3.Bushy, unkept eyebrows.

   6. Nervous habits that you possibility don t know you have, can detract from the image you want to portray. If you have a habit such as, nail biting, hair twisting, knee jerking, pay attention to getting it under control. Although this is not a habit, nothing ruins an image more than gum chewing - if you want to create a professional image -don't chew gum in public.

   7. A pleasant voice and a friendly attitude are characteristics that people respond to positively. If those characteristics are not evident or if the opposite is true no amount of training or grooming will pay up for it.

About The Author
Sheila Dicks is an Image and Wardrobe Consultant who teaches women how to dress to suit their body type and look slimmer. Visit her at http://www.sheilasfashionsense.com to download a copy of her ebook Image Makeover and get How to Build a Wardrobe Free. sheila@sheilasfashionsense.com

For Extra Smooth and Soft Tootsies...

Everyone loves to be treated like a queen and pampered. The essence of femininity is being soft and sensual. Well some of us girls need some extra TLC when it comes to our feet. Feet take a lot of wear and tear day in and day out. Dr. Oliver Zong is a Manhattan podiatrist who offers the following "at-home" pedicure tips:

Tea Relaxes the Mind, Body and Sore Feet...
For the same reasons you would soak a tea bag on your eyes you would emerge your favorite tea three to five bags at a time, into a quart and a half of water. Boil the water until you see bubbles and notice the tea steeping rapidly. Turn down the flame and add some cool water to lower temperature immediately, you may transfer the water into a more suited dish for you feet and begin soaking! Tannin the active ingredient in tea works to dry the skin while tightening and preventing odor from perspiration. Tea is an antioxidant and will revitalize your feet, leaving them feeling fresh while easing inflammation and relieving swelling.

All Purpose Vaseline-Smooth it works On Everything...
This isn't your grandmother telling you to put Vaseline on your face, your elbows, you lips, although there is truth in all of the above. When speaking of progression, buy yourself a foot file and use it after soaking your feet in warm soapy water or before you get out of the shower. File away softened dead cells and lather on a layer of Vaseline before going to bed. Dr. Zong's guarantees your feet will be baby soft in a week! If you are more daring heat up some Crisco in the microwave, not too hot though and rub it all over your newly filed feet. You will probably achieve the same results in a week or less!

Strawberries and Champaign or Strawberries and Milk?
Bring out the heavy cream and the basket of strawberries and indulge your self in a foot bath good enough to taste. Milk is naturally soothing, and heavy cream has a much thicker consistency and is more fatty and therefore more moisturizing in nature. Strawberries have natural glucose in them that help absorption of the moisturizers in the cream absorb into the foot.