I had a job interview yesterday. As per usual, once I found out I consulted my handy dandy copy of Nina Garcia's Look Book: What to Wear for Every Occassion. Nina Garcia is a very fashionably smart woman in my opinion and I trust her advice regularly. Here are some rules I considered and how I executed them:1. Wear neutral make-up and let your natural true beauty shine (within reason). This is not the time to try out your new smokey eye look or to see if red lipstick suits you.
- I started with Nars Sheer Glow Foundation and YSL Touche Eclat concealer topped with Nars Loose Powder. I highlighted my t-zone, cheeks and chin with Christian Dior Amber Diamond shimmer powder. I further highlighted my cheeks and nose only with Nars Albetross.
- For the eyes: I used a push brush to line my eyes with Cordura (a dark brown color with a tiny bit of shimmer). I used Abyssinia (a creamy white color) all over as a base and to highlight under the brows. I applied Fez (a copper brown) to the lid and Nepal (a mauve color) on the crease to blend. All these colors come from the Pleasures of Paris Pallette from Nars. I finished by curling my lashes with a Shu Eumura eyelash curler and applied one coat of Maybelline One by One Vulum' Express Mascara in black.
- For the cheeks: I used one of my favorite blushers, Nars Deep Throat (a lovely coral color).
- For the lips: I used Nars lip gloss in Orgasm and topped it with C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Balm in Barely There.
2. Get a manicure and get a light, neutral shade if not clear or French on your nails. The hands are so expressive so it's important for them to look clean and polished.
- On Monday I headed to the Chelsea Day Spa on King's Road and got the New York Manicure. They use Jessica nail products and I chose a shade called Blush, a very neutral nearly transparent pinky peach natural color.
- According to Nina, it doesn't have to be a suit, but I'm a fan of a suit for interviews. It takes the guesswork out of the situation. Because I'm fashionable and feel as though I have a bit of flare, I like to look for suits that are stylish more than corporate banker looking. It's just not my style, but any good quality suit will work. The suit I chose has interesting darts on the jacket, a kickpleat on the skirt, an interesting longer hemline and is made from twist twill, so it's different than your average navy pinstripe single breasted suit. Don't laugh, but in this instance, I took a cue from our girl Elle Woods and looked for a suit similar to the one she wears in the scene where the professor hits on her. Just because you're wearing a suit, doesn't mean you have to look boring.
- If you live in the UK, I would highly recommend suiting from Hobbs. They are exellent quality, fully lined, beautiful and girly and the bonus is that many of them are machine washable, so you can save on those escalating dry cleaning bills!
- I cleaned out my bag and took only what I needed so I didn't look like an unorganized bag lady. It paid off. I had no trouble finding a pen!
- On top of the handbag, I took a nice silver pen (not expensive, but looks better than a cheap blue pen with a missing lid) and an inexpensive black leather folder to hold my resumes, notes and some paper in case I needed to take any notes. If you don't have a folder like this, even a file folder is better than nothing. Try to look organized!
- I chose black for my suit, but other suitable choices would have been grey, navy, brown, tan or a pattern like pinstripes or herringbone in either of these colors. Coral is a great color trend this season and since my suit was so dark, I thought it would brighten up my look nicely! I like the bow tie blouse look because it says "I'm stylish, but I can be conservative too!" An oxford style or a silk blouse would've worked as well, as long as the coverage was suitable. Cleavage is clearly a no-no at interviews unless you're interviewing for Hooters or Hugh Hefner.
6. Keep jewelry minimal and conservative.
- Pearls, gold or silver in a simple design are perfect here. I would suggest leaving your cocktail rings at home since they might be distracting if you're using your hands to talk at all.
- I chose a pair of pearl earrings. I didn't wear any other jewelry except my wedding band and engagement ring.
- If you have a watch that goes with your outfit, wear it! It shows you care about punctuality! I haven't worn a watch in years, though I've got a few in my mental wishlist.
- If you need a necklace, a simple strand of pearls is always nice, fashionable and classy! However, a delicate chain with a dainty charm also works, especially if you have one that's lucky!
Hobbs Corsham Suit Jacket
Hobbs Corsham Suit Skirt
French Connection Renoir Explorer Bow Top
Tabio Black 30 Denier Tights
LK Bennett Black Sapin Pumps
Pearl Earrings (Gift)
If you don't own a copy of Nina Garcia's Look Book, it's definitely worth reading and keeping around as a resource when you start thinking, "I have no idea what to wear!" Click here to see the book on Amazon.
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