Beauty

Coffee Break – Pro Lesson Palette

by Kat on 10/31/2011 · 64 comments

Hat tip to Fashion Prospectress for this one: Sephora is having their 20% off Friends & Family sale (go here for your code; deal ends 11/2) and there are a ton of great basics, as well as gift sets (perfect for the holidays!). I like this kit that takes you through two looks: a natural eye and a smokey eye. This one is for brown eyes, but they also have them for blue and green eyes. The kit is $28 at Sephora. SEPHORA COLLECTION Pro Lesson Palette: Brown Eyes ($65 Value) Pro Lesson Palette: Brown Eyes

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On Natural Hair in the Corporate Environment

by GuestPoster on 10/06/2011 · 125 comments

in Fashion Gaffes, Hair, Professionalism, The Personal Shopper (TPS)

Can natural, kinky hair be a professional look for women of color? We’ve talked about long hair, blonde hair, even no hair — but we haven’t truly talked about this. Accordingly, I’m thrilled to introduce Patrice Yursik, the blogger behind Afrobella, where natural hair is a regular topic. (It was not so long ago that some women — even fashion magazine editors! — professed that natural hair was a “don’t,” so I’m curious to see what readers say here.) – Kat

There are so many things to consider when beginning a new job. Will you be able to live up to expectations at work? What will your new coworkers be like? What should you wear? And what about your hair — how should you wear it to the office? Hair might not seem like an issue worth seriously worrying about, especially if you’re born with naturally straight tresses. However for many women around the world with naturally curly hair, there can be deeper issues at play. You might encounter old fashioned and unfortunate attitudes about office appropriate hairstyles. And if you’re a woman of color who wants to wear your hair as it naturally grows out of your head, things can be even more complicated. (Photo credit: stevendepolo.)

Kat sent me this email from O as an example of the dilemma:

I truly believe in always looking your best. I will soon be starting a job at a midsize business casual law firm in NYC which only has one other woman of color, and no men of color to speak of. As a black female in the corporate setting, an issue that always comes up is our hair. Currently, I have a “natural”, but often change up my style depending on my mood. I go from twists to wigs. Lately I have been sporting a short styled wig, which gives me some sass, and must say looks great. However, this summer, I want to be carefree, and embrace my natural kinky hairdo. I would have what you would call a mini afro. However, I am curious of the reaction that I might receive from others at the firm. Trust me, I know how to play the game, and have been playing the game all my life. I am wondering what the other seasoned women of color out there have done with their hair, have they received crazy looks, and am I making something out of nothing.

Reader O, congratulations on your new position! And congratulations on embracing your hair’s natural texture. It isn’t always an easy decision to stick to. My blog, Afrobella.com, is all about celebrating natural hair. In the course of five years blogging about this topic and interviewing women from around the world who have gone natural, I’ve come to realize that it takes courage.

Embracing your natural, kinky hair can mean going against your family’s wishes. It can mean dealing with insensitive comments from friends, and it can mean having to deflect ignorance at the workplace. And yes — as covered in this recent CNN article, sometimes it comes with unsolicited attempts at hair touching. I’ve experienced all of the above. In your personal life, you can give a snappy answer to a stupid hair question. In a corporate workplace…not so much. But as your circumstances would have it, I doubt you’ll have to worry much about dealing with “crazy looks.”

You describe your new workplace as a “business casual law firm in NYC.” Please feel free to e mail me and let me know if I’m wrong when you’ve been there for a little while, but I’m going to go ahead and predict that the reception to natural hair in your corporate environment will be politically correct and welcoming. New York City is a mecca for natural hair, and while many women of color there do use heat, relax their hair or wear wigs and weaves to achieve a straight look, there are many, many women who rock their natural hair to corporate jobs and are making names for themselves in the Big Apple.

You mentioned that you enjoy a variety of hairstyles including wigs, but be aware that constant switching of your hairstyle might encourage your colleagues to comment on your changed appearance or ask questions about your hair. In general, I’ve found that my reaction can shape the outcome of these hair question exchanges entirely. I am the type who enjoys a good teachable moment and doesn’t mind answering respectful and well meaning hair questions. However, if you’re not inclined to be the office’s question-and-answer afro ambassador, keep your answers to any and all hair-related questions friendly but brief. Carefully deflect personal conversation to relevant work-related topics. The asker will eventually get the hint.

Carolyn Edgar

For Naturally Professional, a monthly interview series on Afrobella.com and CurlyNikki.com, I recently featured Carolyn Edgar, a stunning woman with beautiful locks, who works as Vice President and Legal Counsel for The Estee Lauder Companies. She knows professional women in every imaginable field, who wear their hair naturally and are well respected for their talents. Carolyn also pointed out that most often, we expect judgment from others because of our own fears and past experiences. “It turned out no one cared what I did with my hair, as long as it was neat. That doesn’t mean people didn’t notice, or ask questions. But I have never been reprimanded, ‘talked to,’ or discriminated against because of my hair,” she said. Carolyn also pointed out that concern about hair texture in the office isn’t solely a black female issue. Black men can face a different experience and find more judgment about their hair choices, particularly in corporate environments. Also white women with curly hair often also feel a pressure to straighten their hair so as to appear “professional.” “Curly-haired women of all races and cultures feel pressured to wear their hair straight and think of their own natural hair as “unmanageable.” I think all women would benefit if acceptance of our hair’s natural texture became a cross-cultural or multi-cultural conversation,” Carolyn added.

The experience a professional woman might have working in New York City is likely to be quite different from the experience other women might have across the country, particularly in areas where natural hair is not as commonplace. Another lawyer recently featured on Afrobella.com, Alycia Carter, hails from Memphis, Tennessee. According to Alycia, natural hair hasn’t held her back in the slightest. “All of the response I’ve had towards my hair in the workplace has been positive. In the professional realm, your work will speak for itself.”

When I specifically asked Carolyn Edgar about your prospects at your law firm, Reader O, she shared a similar sentiment. “As long as her hair is styled neatly and she dresses professionally, I doubt that her hair will be an issue.”

Even though I work as a full time blogger (which just might be the diametrical opposite of corporate life), I would agree with Carolyn. If you come to work looking well groomed and office appropriate from head to toe and bring your A-game on the job, the way you wear your hair should not matter. And if you do get a question or reaction to your hair, don’t let it disquiet your spirit or make you question what you bring to the workplace. You’re a lawyer, and a professional. Like you said, you “know how to play the game, and have been playing the game all [your] life.” Should you ever get a crazy look from a coworker about wearing your hair in a natural style, brush your shoulders off and continue to do your job to the best of your ability. Their reaction might reveal more about their antiquated ideas about natural beauty, than it will reflect on you and how well you fit in at the office.

Readers, what are your thoughts on natural, kinky hair at the office? What about wigs, dreadlocks, cornrows, braids — is anything off limits in the corporate environment?

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Interested in writing something similar for Corporette? Check out our guest posting guidelines.

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Beauty Wednesday: Lash Extensions and the Professional Woman

by GuestPoster on 09/14/2011 · 125 comments

in Beauty, Makeup That Stays Put

The hunt for the perfect, clump-free mascara can be trying — are lash extensions the answer? The first person to introduce me to this concept was Amber Katz of Beauty Blogging Junkie — we met at a PR dinner for bloggers and I couldn’t take my eyes off her lashes! Today she’s sharing some of the most common questions she gets (both as a beauty blogger and a girl with fabulous lashes) here with us today. Welcome, Amber! – Kat

I’m so excited to guest post today on Corporette. It’s especially apropos as I’m just “rolling off” an 8-year corporate experience fully to be 100% freelance. After 3 jobs at various financial firms ranging from suit-corporate to business casual, I’m fully versed in the magical world of staid nail polish, patent pumps and wearing hemlines that won’t cause people to call me “that girl who wears the minis” at work. Running a beauty and fashion blog by night and being a financial writer by day often caused wardrobe conundrums–anything I wore that was appropriate for my day job made me look as if I belonged at a nunnery at my post-work event. By the same token, anything I wore that was remotely fashionable and cool for a beauty launch was TOTALLY tarty for work. But one thing that was always appropriate and–dare I use this terminology–a PARADIGM SHIFT? My eyelash extensions. I started getting them in 2009 and I haven’t stopped. I tell you, corporate women of the world–this procedure while lengthy in one shot will save you an abundance of time in the morning putting on mascara and liner. You simply won’t need it for daytime. Imagine a world where you WAKE UP Starbucks ready. It’s amazing and I’m never going back to the clumpy world of mascara. However, be prepared for a metric TON of questions about your lashes. I half-joke that 87% of my conversations are lash-extension related. I’m constantly answering the same few questions from everyone to my former financial side-hustle’s CFO to the woman in front of me at Jamba Juice. Here they are:

1. What kind of mascara are you wearing?
I’m not wearing mascara. These are lash extensions.

2. Do you do it yourself every morning? How long does the treatment take?
No, I go once every 4-6 weeks to a lash technician to get them applied. The process takes about two hours. Your lashes are taped down and a lash tech glues an individual lash to each of your eyelashes so they look thicker, darker, longer and more dense. It yields the effect of liner and mascara.

3. How long does it last?
About 3-6 weeks, depending on where you go. Most places charge less the more often you get touched up.

4. Does it hurt?
It doesn’t hurt, but if your eyes are sensitive, the glue may bother you a bit. Also, it takes about a day to get used to seeing the lashes in your peripheral vision (just a tiny bit), but you get used it.

5. Is there a break-in period? Or can you go do dinner afterwards looking great?
Nope, unless your eyes are sensitive, you can do whatever you need to do right after. But be prepared: You’ll be obsessed with checking yourself out in the mirror.

6. Are there different styles of lashes?
Yes, there are “C” curls and “J” curls. I always go with the former for a more awake, curled lash look. Also, they come in different lengths. I always get “11s” with “12s” on the ends. I have no idea what this means, but it produces a ’60s effect that’s dramatic, but not too drag queeny. I have friends who get “13s” and “14s,” but even that’s a bit much for me–despite my flaming inner gay man.

7. Where do you go?
I go to Courtney Akai, who has her own lash boutique. She’s amazing, but a little pricey. Her prices range from $250-$500, depending on which technician you see. She is the absolute best. I used to go to JJ Eyelashes (about $120 for a full set) and while they’re decent, Courtney’s quality is MUCH more impressive and her lashes last about twice as long.

8. How much does it cost?
See above!

9. What’s happening underneath? Does it break off all your lashes?
I actually am not sure, as I have been reapplying them every 4-6 weeks but I do let them run down to almost nothing and I haven’t noticed that my lashes are weaker. Says Courtney, “As long as you don’t tamper with them (rub, pull, pick or play with them), you’re natural lashes won’t be shorter or weaker. ”

10. What’s involved in the procedure? Is it a single strip?
Nope, they’re individual synthetic lashes (some lash boutiques have mink ones, as well) that are glued carefully to each of your natural lashes.

11. Can you wear mascara? What about shadow and liner?
You can wear mascara, but it’s difficult to remove. Besides, why would you want to when your lashes are already dark, thick and long (the entire point of mascara)? Shadow and liner are fine to wear with extensions–just take it off with Q-tips and eye makeup remover instead of your regularly scheduled wash.

Happy extensioning!

Readers, have you ever tried lash extensions? What have your experiences been? (You can also read more about Amber’s experiences with lash extensions here!)

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Interested in writing something similar for Corporette? Check out our guest posting guidelines.

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Open Thread: Tell Us About the Most Stylish Professional Woman You Know

by Kat on 09/12/2011 · 106 comments

in Hair, Inspiration, Nostalgia, Professionalism, Success

I thought it might be interesting to have an open thread about some of the most stylish professional women we know personally. I would suggest we avoid names and, instead, focus on painting a picture of the women who inspire us. I also suggest that we limit this to women we know personally, not famous people — unless you see the person every day it doesn’t count.

Personally, I’m lucky to have almost too many women to inspire me! It’s funny to me that some of the most stylish professional women I know are also some of the most senior and successful women I know. Some of the stylish women I remember the most…

When I was an assistant editor at Family Circle magazine in my early 20s, the editor in chief of the magazine was stunningly put together every day. Beautiful suits that never looked wrinkled… shoulder-length blonde hair that was somehow perfectly coiffed — it had volume and bounce and curl. She had 2 or 3 children under the age of 15, also, if memory serves — no idea how she did it. She was an extremely intelligent woman who had interviewed for an assistant editor’s position and, when asked what her ideal job was, had said “editor in chief of this magazine” during the interview — and 15 years later, there she was.
A female partner I used to work with also stands out in my mind. She had silver hair, just below her chin, and had a collection of eyeglasses that all had a bit of spunk to them. I remember admiring her Chanel bags and her Valentino suits — and her extremely, extremely successful career in a niche practice area. She had a very low voice, and a dry sense of humor.
The third I’ll mention is another female partner I used to work with. She was the first woman to make partner at the firm, and I marveled at her ability to write the most ladylike “f__ you” letters to our opponents. I remember her very simple pieces of clothing (mostly black or gray trousers, black or cream jackets, a few solid colored silk tees) and her beautiful, colorful collection of Hermes scarves. She told me once she wore the scarves because she found tags at the back of her neck to be itchy.

Looking back, I think it’s interesting that all three had some of the same things in common. For example:

They nailed the hair. Each of these women had figured out a hairstyle that worked for her (flattering and, I’d imagine, easy to do) and she wore it that way, every day — there was no frizz, there was no sloppy ponytail or bun, and there were no “wow she’s really past her appointment to get her roots done.” Perhaps it’s a reflection of my own taste that each woman wore her hair loose, and not done up in a French twist or whatnot.
They went for quality over quantity. I wouldn’t say that any of their wardrobes were extensive — instead, I probably saw the same pieces repeat once every two weeks or so — but they all wore quality items of clothing that fit them like a glove (nothing too tight or too loose) and were well-taken care of.
I primarily remember the woman — not the style. Nothing was overly trendy or of-the-moment (and nothing ever seemed dated) — and her style didn’t speak louder than her words. That said, each woman took her own risks — the funky glasses, the colorful scarves — and had, I imagine, fun shopping and putting together her working wardrobe.

All right, readers, who are your real-life style inspirations? What lessons have you learned from them (tips and tricks you’ve picked up and implemented), what lessons CAN you learn from them as you think about them today?

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The Feminine Touch of Gray

by GuestPoster on 09/01/2011 · 155 comments

in Beauty, Career, Hair, Personal Care, Professionalism

Men who go gray gain an air of experience and gravitas — but women who go gray are often seen as “letting themselves go.” Why can’t we go gray too (wonders the girl who first saw gray hairs at age 26)? Today’s guest post from anonymous blogger Siouxsie Law tackles the issue. – Kat

The recent lawsuit filed by a 52-year-old woman who says she was fired over her gray hair makes me wonder whether it is okay to go just a little gray in the corporate world.

There are, of course, some women in the corporate world who have a complete head of stunning silver hair. This, though, is only occasional. But what is rarer yet is a woman who is partially gray.

For men it is common. There are even products designed to let them retain some of the gray to achieve that “distinguished look.”

But this touch-of-gray look doesn’t seem to be an option for women. Most of us start with a few gray hairs in our 30s. And many of us choose to cover the gray completely. We fight the line of demarcation for years, and only dare transition to completely gray when we are much older.

When it comes to going gray for men and women, there is a double standard. Just watch the commercial for product above. The ad features a man interviewing for a job. When he has a head full of gray hair, he thinks he looks too old for the job. But without the gray, he worries he looks too young and inexperienced. Meanwhile, a much younger woman (the sexy-librarian type) is the person interviewing him for the job. The woman doesn’t have a single gray hair on her head.

This probably isn’t too surprising. Men are encouraged to keep some gray because on them it symbolizes wisdom and experience. It gives them an air of gravitas. But on women, gray is often associated with old age, and of not keeping up one’s appearance (recently, Katie Holmes’ gray strands caused a brouhaha).

But graying hair on women can look great too. And it should be socially acceptable. Moreover, deciding to embrace some gray at a time (and at an age) when many choose not to do so is a statement of extreme confidence. It can be a powerful look and if done right, can be completely professional, edgy and youthful. Plus, if you are lucky enough to start with a few gray streaks, you get the added bonus of looking beautiful and kind of punk rock.

Here are some of my favorite partially gray-haired ladies:

From left to right, Dr. Julia Gerberding (former head of the CDC), Rogue (member of the X-Men), Stacy London (host of TLC’s What Not to Wear); Lily Munster (matriarch of the Munster household); and the late Susan Sontag (author and activist).

Readers, when did you first notice gray hairs — and what have you been doing about them? Is anyone currently rocking a gray or silver streak (or a full head of gray or silver)?

(Note from Kat: I’d love to rock a silver streak some day or even a full head of silver, but at this point the lowest maintenance option is for me to pluck the grays. I’m always amused when I find a long strand that I somehow missed.)

Interested in writing something similar for Corporette? Check out our guest posting guidelines.

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Beauty Wednesday: Nail Envy

by Kat on 08/31/2011 · 132 comments

in Beauty, No Time

I sometimes wish I could be one of those girls who had a perfect manicure all the time. For a very brief while I tried to be, namely right after I got engaged. And you know what? Spending 30-60 minutes a week getting my nails done is not my idea of a good time. I hate sitting across from a stranger trying to make small talk while she paints my nails, and I hate the way I invariably chip them about 10 minutes after leaving the nail salon (and I am definitely one of those people who has to remove chipped polish, STAT) — and ultimately I can think of a zillion better things to do with 30-60 minutes than go to a salon.

In addition to this hatred of the nail salon, I’m also not very good at painting my nails. So my solution over the years — when I want to add a little somethin’ somethin’ to my nails without heading to the salon — has been this: OPI’s Nail Envy. I’ve actually used this product off and on since I was 15 or so, and just rediscovered it recently. Don’t get me wrong: it’s just your basic clear polish. But what I truly love about it is that it dries in about 2 minutes — and has ingredients that are actually meant to strengthen your nails. It lasts for forever, and you’re actually encouraged to apply new coats right on top of the old for the “maximum” effect of the nail strengthener stuff.

OPI Nail Treatments Nail Envy Natural Nail Strengthener, Original is available at Drugstore.com for $15.50.

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