Myka Meier, Founder of Beaumont Etiquette, spends hours preparing women in NYC to look their best – primping and polishing social butterflies to light up any room. So when we asked her what 5 tips we could do daily to look instantly more polished, even we were surprised:- Organize yourself – Every night, take 5 minutes to decide what you’ll wear the next day. Lay it out. Accessorize and plan. Wake up 10 minutes earlier than usual and put on your makeup and finishing touches – no makeup should ever be put on in public i.e. no compact or mascara application on the subway!! Know how long it takes to do your hair the way you like it and wake up in time to do it that way. You want to feel your best at all times so that you don’t come across disheveled or scattered – it’s a turn off both socially and in business. This also means organizing little details like cleaning out your handbag so you don’t have to rustle through it every time you need your phone. A perfectly polished lady is always beautifully coordinated, well put together and organized
- Beauty blunders are rookie mistakes – According to a Forbes, within the first 10 seconds of someone meeting you, it’s human nature that they’ve probably already made a judgement about you. Unfortunately, much of this lies within the physical appearance. Therefore, make sure you look perfectly polished from the outside in. The top beauty blunder? Chipped nails – you’d rather have no polish than chipped polish
- Dress for the position you want, not the one you’re in – You are your own brand… and everything you wear is an extension at all times. Pay attention to the little details like making sure to polish scuff marks off of shoes, ironing wrinkles out of clothing and wearing tailored pieces that fit your body type. You rarely ever see a CEO of a successful company sloppily dressed. Four key secret weapons? A blazer (or cropped jacket) that won’t wrinkle, a pair of neutral colored heels, some statement earrings and a lip gloss. No matter what else you’re wearing, these four things together will help make you appear polished and put together
- Slow down all movements – Appearing elegant is all about having poise and grace. Slow down your walk, hand gestures and movements and you’ll automatically appear more polished
- Perfect Posture – Think of the most confident woman you know. You can bet that she has great posture. Shoulders rolled back, chin up parallel with the ground, knees and ankles together at all times and back straight. People both socially and in business respond better to others with good posture, and this posture formula shows you are confident, alert and just about ready to take on anything!
Want to know more? Sign up for Myka’s next Group Social Etiquette Class in New York on Thursday, April 30th 6:30-8:30pm. Email [email protected] for more information.
Written by Etiquette Expert, Myka Meier