For the first time in my 10-plus-year career, I’m the boss. When any of the 13 people at the fashion website I run wants to write a story or spend some company cash, they ask me. I have more responsibility than ever before.
Credit: NICK ONKEN
It’s also the first time I’m wearing makeup — real, grown-up makeup — to work. Each morning, I use tinted moisturizer, brow pencil, brown eyeliner, and mascara. I finish with powder and coral red lipstick. This prep is as essential as checking my inbox before my commute.
THE LOGIC BEHIND LIPSTICK
For most of my working life, I had a haphazard relationship with makeup. If I had a big meeting, I tried to at least fill in my eyebrows, but I focused more on the actual work. It’s not that I didn’t care about how I looked, but the idea of earning a promotion (or even respect) based in part on a flawless mani seemed unfair and slightly depressing. Anyone who spends that much time on what they look like can’t possibly be working that hard, I thought. And — possibly naively — I just didn’t feel it mattered much.
Recently, my beliefs were tested. Just before I got this job, I had a boss whose leadership style made me triple-check any emails I sent her — I was totally scared of her. Around the office, people revered her. And yet, she’d openly tell us she was leaving at 4 p.m. 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 makeup judged them as more competent and likable. The science suggests that skipping this stuff may be self-sabotage.
Credit: JEFFREY WESTBROOK
SILENT SIGNALS
Part of me doesn't want to buy into this. Our workplaces have evolved enough that we can wear pants without being penalized professionally — why can't we do our jobs wearing little more than lip balm? Are guys really worrying about how to conceal their underage bags to impress the boss?
“There’s something fundamentally unsettling about saying that you have to wear makeup to succeed,” says Haideh Hirmand, MD, a plastic surgeon and clinical assistant professor of surgery at Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York City (Dr. Hirmand writes and lectures on the beauty bias), “but science shows people judge you based on your appearance. 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 criticized 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 overslept. Also, a makeup-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 would 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 association, even if it’s only in my own head.
Successful women often consider makeup part of the package. German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Reuters she uses a makeup artist. To me, Sheryl Sandberg looks perfectly groomed — never “made up,” just polished. Considering how much effort I put into my work, I realized it couldn’t hurt to put a bit more consideration into my appearance too.
MY MAKEUP M.O.
Wearing makeup 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, makeup is an essential: I don’t face my team without it.
Makeup won’t instantly make anyone a leader, cautions Anne Lueneburger, PhD, an executive coach and the founder of North of Neutral, who has worked with executives at companies like Google and LinkedIn, but it can help you tap in to your “executive presence” or the career-catapulting 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 important as how much gravitas you project or how you communicate, 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 commands attention. With the right makeup, I’m able to put ideas into action more effectively. The costume is a cue to myself — and everyone else — that my emails aren’t to be ignored, that I’m in control.
By Kayleen Schaefer
This article first appeared in Cosmopolitan.