You just received a call for an interview at that job you've been wanting and your nerves are already through the roof. First, what to wear. Next, figuring out how the hell to do your hair and makeup. Don't panic. To the rescue: answers to your burning beauty questions on how to look insanely professional and chic when trying to lock down your dream job.
Q: What's the best way to do your hair for an interview?
A: The goal is to wear your hair how you're most comfortable — you just need to be sure it looks neat (aka free of frizz and flyaways). "I would approach a job interview like I approach getting my clients ready for the red carpet," celebrity hairstylist Mark Townsend says. "You want to look polished but still look like you. Trying to take on another persona just to get the job probably isn't going to work out. So to ensure you don't have a bad hair day on the day of your interview, either get a blowout the day before, since the look will stay for 24 hours, or go for a sleek ponytail, wrapping a section of hair around the elastic to finish it. You could also create a chic French twist, a sleek top knot, or wrap your hair into a low bun." To tame flyaways, Townsend says to use his red-carpet trick, which is spritzing hairspray on a natural bristle toothbrush and smoothing them into place.
If it's humid out and you hair tends to puff up, don't try to fight the elements — instead, work with the natural texture of your hair, Townsend says. "If you have curly or wavy hair that's susceptible to humidity, you'll want to pull it back from the get-go. The last thing you'll want is to be worrying about what your hair looks like as you're being interviewed — you need to be confident and half of that is looking your best, so that you come across as your best self." To fight any moisture from humidity, Townsend suggests running Dove Treatment Nourishing Oil Care Anti-Frizz Serum through your hair to tame it a bit — from roots to ends — before you pull it into your chic, yet professional style of choice. "Then, before you put your bobby pins in your hair to secure your look, spray them with dry shampoo to give them some grip," he adds. "That way they don't become slippery against the serum that's already in your hair." If it's cold outside and you're dealing with static, head here to find out how to fix it.
Q: Is there a way to do your makeup that is sure to land you a job?
A: No. But there is a way to make sure your makeup doesn't distract the interviewer from your talent and charisma while you're in the hot seat.
An interview isn't the place to experiment with the latest runway trend you've seen. If you're going for a creative position, you might be able to push the envelope a litle more with your look, but overall you should want to focus on making yourself feel more confident with your makeup. You want people to remember you, not the crazy blue eyeliner you decided to wear because you thought it would separate you from your competition.
So, to nail your makeup on the big day: "Play up one feature only," makeup artist Gita Bass says. "If you're loving a bright lip, do a stain version so that the color isn't too intense. And if you like wearing a cat eye, tone it down a bit and draw on a kitten eye, where the flick at the outer corner of your eye doesn't extend that far. Also, always wear a light dusting of blush; wearing too much is the quickest way to look clown-like, so be sure it's applied lightly and blended properly. To do so, smudge a cream blush over the apples of your cheeks with your fingers — this combo looks most natural."
"Whatever you do," Bass says, "don't wear too much of the makeup you're applying, since it can look like you're trying to hide behind something. And don't pile on your base makeup — keep it natural. Spread on a sheer foundation or a BB Cream, and then spot conceal any trouble areas, like dark cirlces or blemishes."
Lastly, never — I repeat NEVER — wear a smoky eye to an interview. Save that look for da club when you celebrate getting said job you're going for.
Q: Can I wear nail color to an interview?
A: Yes and no. Yes, you can wear a color that is muted and won't steal the show-slash-focus from you, especially if you tend to talk with your hands. And no, you can't wear it if it's chipped. It looks unpolished and unprofessional.
To be safe, go for a nudish pink shade, like Essie's Nail Polish in Lady Like, because if it accidentally chips on the way to your interview, you and the person grilling you won't be able to tell as easily.
Here's to looking gorgeous and nailing your interview.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Got beauty questions? Email our Beauty Editor, Carly Cardellino, at ccardellino (at) hearst (dot) com or tweet your questions @carlycardellino.
Carly Cardellino was the beauty director at Cosmopolitan. If you follow her Instagram, then you know she'll try just about any beauty trend or treatment once (the pics of her purple hair are on IG to prove it). But her favorite part about being in beauty is finding the most effective products, and then sharing that intel with others—because who wants to spend money on stuff that doesn't work? No one, that's who. Her most recent discovery: De La Cruz Sulfur Ointment, which will change your blemish-clearing game! Hopefully through the beauty stories she writes—and the experiences she shares—you can see exactly why she's in this business.
