Nail Care Tips & Advice

If you are attending for a job interview then you will want to ensure that you give yourself the best chance of success.  You’ll certainly have brushed up on any questions you may be asked about your experience and qualifications for the job. 

However if your qualifications and abilities are the same as the next applicant it will be your appearance that can tip the balance in your favour.   This article will offer you helpful guidelines to ensure that your appearance will work for you at that all important job interview.

You only have one chance at making a first impression, so your first impression needs to be entirely favourable.

General dress style

You need to be sensitive to the job role for which you are applying.  For example should you be applying for the role of personal assistant to a managing director you need to tailor your appearance to exude an air of efficiency and smartness.  However if you are applying to an independent record company that promotes hip-hop and garage music your dress style should be entirely different.

So do your homework – know what sort of dress style will typify the indurecty for which you are applying and copy it.  However one very useful tip is to avoid extremes – don’t outdress the interviewer!  Imagine applying to a female office manager – if your outfit looks a million dollars and she is wearing standard work clothes, your chances are slim right from the outset.  You should always aim for neatness but neutrality.

Shoes for your interview

Many interviewers look at the interviewee’s shoes before anything else and will judge accordingly – so your shoes must be clean.  Don’t go for stilettos with ultra high heels – aim for your outfit to be neat but not dramatic.

Ladies – what outerwear should you select for your job interview

Many organisations commonly dress down and jeans and casual wear is acceptable on a day-to-day basis.  However you are trying to ensure that your first impression is better than those competing for the same job so as a general guide look to wear a neat combination of blouse and skirt.

If you are plus size then stick to darker colors and away from vibrant large patterns – you are not auditioning to be a set of sixties floral curtains!  Stripes will work and be flattering if they are vertical – steer clear of horizontal stripes

Tights or stockings

Apparently sales of pantyhose and stockings has been dropping over the past few years as more women choose not to have their legs covered.  If you do wear a skirt for your job interview as recommended then it is essential to wear nylon stockings or pantyhose.  Pantyhose or stockings will finish your outfit and flatter your legs as well, hiding any blemishes and giving an ‘artificial tan’ to pale legs.  Keep the look restrained – neutral to dark shades, and avoid vibrant colors or patterns.

Choosing lingerie for your job interview

No, this is not a joke, lingerie can make a difference.  If you feel your underwear fits well, and looks good (even though you’re the only one to know), then you will behave more confidently.

Outerwear

As already mentioned, you will need to decide on an appropriate outfit in relation to the type of job for which you are.  Aim for simple elegance; you do not want to appear sloppy to a prospective employer.  However it is not a good move to make your interviewer feel you are significantly better dressed than they are!  A smart suit, ideally with a skirt and not pants.  Yes we are in the twenty first century, but some employers are old-fashioned!  If you don’t like the advice, ask yourself how badly you really want the job?  If wearing a skirt gives you a fractional edge over another interviewee then it will have been worth the effort.

Perfume

I’d recommend minimal perfume.  A scent which you may like might be overpowering to someone else if they happen to have a really keen sense of smell, and some people are actually allergic to certain perfumes and smells.  Less is certainly more in this instance.

Nails

Clean nails are of course essential, and natural varnish or a restrained color is your best bet.  There are very few occupations where the possession of long talons will either impress or be an asset; they can result in the wrong keys being hit on keyboards, and in a health care environment for example they can even be a health hazard. Short and neat is best.

Body language at an interview

Body language is very powerful, and you can these tricks to get the interviewer on your side without them even being aware of it. 

A firm handshake, whilst looking the interviewer in the eye with a natural confident smile will instantly put you ahead of the pack.

Subtly mirror the posture of your interviewer and they will instantly warm to you…and not be aware why!  On the other hand sitting with arms tightly folder is a very contained, shy posture and will give off the wrong signals.

Finally, make sure you’ve done your homework on the company before you attend.  Asking one or two intelligent questions that shows that you have an awareness of the business always creates a good impression.

Good luck with your interview!

Taking care of your nails doesn’t have to be anything but a relaxing, pleasing experience. There is just a few things that you need to think about when setting up a at home manicure. Take a good look at your nails, when planning what you want to do you need to know what condition your nails are in. Are your nails dry? Do they have lines or ridges? Are the nails peeling in layers? Are they soft or brittle? In what shape are your cuticles? Are you a nail biter and have hangnails? Each of these questions can be answered while deciding just how much or how little you want to do for a at home manicure. Make sure you have everything you need before you get started. Your favorite polish, file Polish remover base coat top coat Cotton balls orange stick bowl for the warm water towels Now you are setup, follow the steps and off you go. 1- Remove any old polish on your nails and toes. If there isn’t time to give yourself a pedicure then having no polish on your toes in better than chipped. Another tip when removing your old polish don’t use a polish remover system that requires you to stick your entire finger into a jar of solution. Remember polish remover isn’t very good for your nails and avoid those that contain acetone or chemical relatives of acetone, even if they say they have conditioners. The acetone and alcohol in polish removers damage the surface of the nail, affect the nail’s natural luster, and weaken the base of the nail. 2-You will want to rinse your nails in warm water immediately after using polish remover. Then scrub them cleanly with a soft-bristle nail brush. A really good idea is to of done this the night before and then applied moisturizer and slept with gloves. That would of seal in the moisture and just really help your nails and hands. A super easy recipe to do at home for a hot oil treatment for your nails is 1/4 cup olive oil oil from one vitamin E capsule Just heat the oil in a saucepan and let cool until just warm. Add the vitamin E to the oil then rub it into your cuticles and nails, massaging any extra oils into your hands, put on your gloves and your hands and nails will just be wonderful the next day. 3-Filing may be necessary to shape and buff away anything not looking good. Just don’t file unless your nails are dry and free of any creams. Soft nails with may peel, tear chipped or even split. Just make sure your nails are dry. They say don’t saw back and forth but do it in one direction only at a time, it helps if your file in the direction they grow to prevent splitting. You may want to keep your nails even length and find the shape best for your hands. Some fingers look good with square nails and others with oval tips. 4-Soak your nails for a few minutes in warm water, there are a few recipes to create a treat for your nails, so you can look into that. If your nails are stained well thats different. Here is a real easy recipe to whiten your your nails. Use this twice a week till stain is gone 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide 1 cup warm water Soak for 15 minutes twice a week. Pat dry 5- Now you need to push back your cuticles but never cut them or push them back hard. They are what protects the root of the nail. Good idea is not to use a cuticle remover they are known to contain alkali and that is one of the harshest products out today in cosmetics. To gently push back the cuticle, by using a soft moist towel or orange stick. The dead skin you can trim off but leave living skin alone, just not a good idea to do. 6- Clean under your nails but be careful if you are too vigorous you may create a space under your nails for fungi or bacteria to grow, yuch so be careful. 7- Now its time to paint your nails. Its best to have a base coat for that will fill in any ridges your nails may have and make your polish look better. First step: paint on a clean base coat. Its best to wait about 3 minutes between putting on the polish so that layer has a better change of being dry. It also helps to keep your nails from staining or getting yellow. Second step: The best way to apply polish is to start at up the center, then up both sides from the base to the tip. You really only need to use three strokes. Real good idea is to avoid quick-dry polishes for they mostly contain acetone which is not good for the health of your nails, try a thicker, slower drying polish it will hold moisture plus give your nails more flexibility. Go over your nails with two coats of polish letting each coat dry about 3 minutes Third step: Brush on your top coat cause it will seal the polish and help protect it from chipping. And there you go, you just gave yourself you very own home manicure saving yourself money. I do hope this was good enough for you to be able to do a home manicure, if not then stop by Overallbeauty.com and send me email and I will try to answer any questions you might have

Are you walking on stress free feet? Make sure you take a little stress out of your busy life by taking care of your feet with these 3 simple, yet essential steps.

Everyone is living a fast paced life these days. With all the stress and things to handle, do we always take the time out to care about our feet? More often than not, the answer to that questions is no. We are always on our feet, and yet we neglect to give them the care they need, which if given would reduce a little bit of their stress from our every day lives. This article lists 3 simple and fast ways for us to care for our feet, making them look better and feel better.

1. Exfoliate the stress our of those toes

Hard skin accumulates naturally on different parts on the body, especially at the base of our feet. When too much hard skin accumulates, it sometimes also becomes quite painful to wear certain shoes and make certain moves. To prevent too much hard skin for accumulating it is important that we exfoliate the feet with a gentle scrub. Different kinds and brand of scrubs are available to use, made especially for the feet and which come in different scents. Choose your favourite scent to relax yourself whilst you massage your feet with the scrub. If you’re lucky, get your partner to do this for you! For better scrubbing try using a pumice, as this will help get rid of that hard skin more effectively. You will be amazed how relaxing scrubbing your feet will feel, and moreover how soft and smooth your feet will feel afterwards. Scrubbing will also make your feet and legs feel lighter, reducing the stress your feet feel. I recommend this scrubbing exercise at least twice a week to make the stress free feeling last long.

2. Moisturise for a silky smooth finish

After the scrubbing exercise is complete, continue showing your feet some tender loving care by applying a nice moisturising lotion to them. Again, if your partner is around, or perhaps even a friend, get them to help you our. You can even give each other these mini pedicures so that you make sure both of you are running on stress free feet. Massage the moisturising lotion well to both your feet, do not rush too much as you need to savour the moment and relax while you can.

3. Color your beautiful toes

Now although this last step applies only for the ladies (and also those adventurous men), all the guys should listen up and take notes so that they will be able to give their partner a complete mini pedicure. The final step of our quickly and stress relieving pedicure is the application of nail polish to the toe-nails. I always stress that nail polish should be applied to the toe-nails, at least a clear colored one, as this final step make a world of a difference. It makes your feet look very well groomed and well taken care of, which also show that you take the time to take care of yourself. This final step comes especially handy in the summer-time when a lot of open-toe shoes are worn. Therefore go for your favourite color and apply nail polish to your toe-nails! For long lasting nail polish I always recommend first applying a base coat, as this both protects your nail and ensure the nail polish lasts longer. After applying the base coat, apply one or two coats of your favourite nail polish. Finally, once the nail polish has dried off a little bit, apply a clear top coat. Besides giving your toe-nails that shiny look, the top coast also helps the nail polish last much longer.

These 3 simple yet essential steps take very little time to put into practice, and the after-effect you will enjoy will last a long time. Take a little stress out of your daily life, by taking a little extra care of your feet. Ensure that you are walking on stress free feet!