A partial re-print from TotalBeauty.com’s article by Amanda Montell. View the original here.
To climb the career ladder, an Ivy League degree and intellectual prowess certainly help, but — fair or not — studies show that for women, beauty matters too.
Economists have long observed a “beauty premium,” where attractive people tend to do better and earn more at work. With that, makeup may just give you a professional edge. Research from Boston University suggests women wearing makeup appear more likeable, competent and trustworthy than their barefaced colleagues.
So, how do real women wield their makeup brushes to their advantage? To find out, we spoke to ten successful women across a variety of industries to learn the beauty tips that have helped them get ahead.
Labaton is a communications strategist with 20 years of experience. She launched her own PR firm in 2000, and it has since become one of the leading boutique lifestyle PR firms with clients from CND to Fendi.
Signature look:
“Clean and simple. Just a little bit of cheek color to look more awake (I use NARS Blush in Lovejoy), then I hide my dark circles (L’Oreal Paris Studio Secrets B.B. Cream is my favorite) and top it off with a sheer lip stain (I love (L’Oreal’s Color Riche Lipsticks, because they’re natural).”
Ultimate advice:
“Kate Middleton is the perfect example. She always looks done and fresh, like she’s paid attention. That’s most important thing in the business world. When you look like you’ve paid attention to detail with your makeup, it means that you’re paying attention to detail in life. It’s also a sign of respect.”
Beauty no-no:
“I’ll have young women come in for job interviews and look like they haven’t even brushed their hair. That distracts me from what she’s saying in the interview.”
Beauty power play:
“My secret for saving time is eyelash extensions. They make you look instantly done. The other thing is gel polish. You don’t want to have chipped nails. It looks immature.”
