Cosmopolitan ^ DECEMBER 2016 ^93
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it mattered much.
Recently, my beliefs were
tested. Just before I got this
job, I had a boss whose lead-
ership style made me tri-
ple-check any emails I sent
her—I was totally scared of
her. Around the office, peo-
ple revered her. And yet, she’d
openly tell us she was leav-
ing at 4 PM to get her hair
colored. “If I didn’t have so
many grays, I wouldn’t have
to go so often,” she’d huff. As
I watched her go, knowing
I’d be stuck there for hours
banging away on whatever
project she’d dreamed up for
me—wondering when I’d
have that sort of power—a
seed was planted. If you want
to get ahead at work, caring
about your looks is just part
of the job.
Research confirms this.
In a 2011 landmark study,
a group of 91 men and 177
women were shown
the head shots of 25 female
subjects. Those who were
shown head shots of women
wearing make-up judged
them as more competent and
likable. Science suggests that
skipping this stuff may be
self-sabatoge.silent signals
Part of me doesn’t want to
buy into this. Our workplaces
have evolved enough that
we can wear pants without
being penalised profession-
ally—why can’t we do our
jobs wearing little more than
lip balm? Are guys really
worrying about how to con-
ceal their undereye bags to
impress the boss?
“There’s something fun-
damentally unsettling about
saying that you have to
wear make-up to succeed,”
says Haideh Hirmand, MD,
a plastic surgeon and clinicalSandberg looks perfectly
groomed—never “made-up,”
just polished. Considering
how much effort I put into
my work, I realised it couldn’t
hurt to put a bit more con-
sideration into my appear-
ance too.my make-up m.o.
Wearing make-up to the
office started as a secret
experiment. I did it to try to
channel #BossVibes. Like
setting agendas, it was
just one tactic in my
grab bag of tricks. Now,
make-up is an essential:
I don’t face my team with-
out it.
Make-up won’t instantly
make anyone a leader, cau-
tions Anne Lueneburger,
PhD, an executive coach and
founder of North of Neutral,
who has worked with execu-
tives at companies like Google
and LinkedIn, but it can help
you tap into your “executive
presence” or the career-cata-
pulting confidence that makes
others believe in you as a boss.
“If you think about a house,
appearance is the entry door,”
she says. “It’s not as import-
ant as how much gravitas you
project or how you communi-
cate, but it does matter.”
The thing is, I know I
deserve to be here—I got this
gig because I’m smart and
capable. And while Chanel
eyeliner or Nars lipstick isn’t
magic, it acts as armor. With
defined eyes and red lips, I
look decisive—like someone
with authority who com-
mands attention. With the
right make-up, I’m able to
put ideas into action more
effectively. The costume is
a cue to myself—and every-
one else—that my emails
aren’t to be ignored, that
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t h a t
( r e a l ly )
wo rK sassistant professor of surgery
at Weill-Cornell Medical Col-
lege in New York City (Dr.
Hirmand writes and lectures
on the beauty bias), “But sci-
ence shows that people judge
you based on your appear-
ance. Disregard it and you’re
robbing yourself of a tool that
can help you succeed.”
While I’ll never treat
work as a beauty pageant, I
do accept that presentation
sends loud, clear signals.
I remember when my (very
capable) friend told me that
she was criticised by a client
for showing up to a morning
meeting with damp hair.
To her, she was air-drying;
to him, it looked as
if she’d over-
slept. Also, amakeup-free face puts me in a
more introverted headspace.
I was a freelancer for years,
working with an unwashed
face, steps away from my
bedroom. And it was fine,
because no one could see
me. While I know I got my
new job on merit, the idea
of showing up to a meeting
barefaced feels like I’m not
ready for people yet. As a
leader, I can’t have that asso-
ciation, even if it’s only in my
own head.
Successful women
often consider make-up
part of the package.
German Chancellor
Angela Merkel told
Reuters she uses a
make-up artist.
To me, Sheryl1
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