Have you heard of Cargo Cosmetics? I was recently introduced to this wonderful, earth-friendly Canadian company at Sephora. Cargo has built a brand and a product around the belief that they “need to invest in the earth and our children for the future of our planet”.

I was particularly intrigued by their botanical lipstick. Not only is it affordable and magically moist, but each case of lipstick contains:

• A 100% biodegradable tube made entirely from corn, not plastic. Corn is apparently a renewable resource that is “greenhouse gas neutral”  which prevents it from contributing to global warming.
• An outer carton made of biodegradable flower paper embedded with wildflower seeds. A bouquet of wild flowers is said to grow if you moisten and plant this carton.
• Lipstick made of environmentally friendly “Orchid Complex” (no oils or petroleum).

Cargo also donates $2 from the sale of this lipstick to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. What’s not to love about this ecologically friendly and socially responsible lipstick? (I’ll let you know whether my wild flowers actually sprout.)

While I believe that less is more when it comes to wearing make-up, wearing nothing at all can leave you looking tired and sickly (especially if you are). There are a few exotically beautiful women in the world that can pull off “the absolutely no make-up” look, but most of us can benefit from a bit of polish.

Here’s how to do it in under 30 seconds:

• Cover the odd spot with concealer
• Pop on a bit of blusher
• End with a dab of lip gloss

If you can spare another 15 seconds, I’d throw in the mascara as well. This fast and simple make-up ritual can make the world of difference to how you look. Buy mini size cosmetics with built in applicators that you can keep in your handbag and refresh the blusher and the gloss mid day. The next time you catch yourself in a passing mirror – you’ll look fab instead of drab.

Selecting the right fragrance is not always easy. You need to live with a scent for a while before you know whether it really works for you. Fragrances are expensive and this can become a costly exercise. 

Joey recently shared a comment that is worth repeating so that more people can benefit from the information: Nordstrom will make a handbag sample of the scents that you like for $6.50 each! Forking out $50 instead of $500 is much easier on the pocket. This gives you the opportunity to wear each fragrance for several days so that you can make a more informed decision.

This cost effective and experimental way of finding your scent is an excellent way to maximize the quality of your decision and minimize your dollars spent.

Nothing frames your face quite like your eyebrows. Whether they are thin or bushy, looking after them is an extremely important part of “perfect polish“.

The perfectly shaped eyebrow is always about accentuating your natural arch.

• For thin brows – use eye shadow to add fullness and a pencil to add shape. A pencil will extend the length of your eyebrow and draw a stronger arch. Powdered eye shadow will fill in the areas where hair is sparse.
• For bushy eyebrows – if your brows are very thick or the hair points outwards; brushing them upwards first and then trimming the hair with eyebrow scissors is a good idea. Once you’ve done this – you can shape and shade as necessary.
• For blonde brows – dye your eyebrows a few shades darker then the colour of your hair. You won’t believe what a difference this can make. Shape and groom your brows after you’ve dyed them.
• Use gel – eyebrow gel or wax will keep your eyebrows in place for most of the day. The product lasts forever and is available at most cosmetic counters.  

If you can’t manage shaping, dying and tweezing your brows on your own – have them done professionally until you feel confident enough yourself. Eyebrow kits complete with powder, pencil and gel are also available and a good investment. Steal the time for your brows - your entire face looks alive when your eyebrows are properly groomed.    

Most of us are pressed for time when it comes to getting ready in the morning. Realistically, we have up to half an hour and that includes fussing with our hair. One of the most reliable style shortcuts is an excellent hair stylist. I am the first to admit that fabulous hair stylists are not easy to find. It took me 3 bad haircuts at 3 different salons here in America before I stumbled across somebody who gave me a haircut that satisfied me completely.

Loyalty is often a problem when it comes to switching hair stylists. Even if we have never been happy with their work, we invariably feel awful leaving the people who have been cutting our hair for years. It’s hard. However, you deserve a decent haircut!

You need a hair stylist who will give you a cut that works best for your hair type. Opting for a time-intensive, sleek flat ironed layered hair style is a bad idea when you have wavy and wispy fine hair. It may look wonderful at the salon, but won’t after the 10 minutes that you have to spend on your hair each morning. Tying it back into a ponytail everyday is also not the solution. The answer is simply an excellent haircut that will last you at least 6 weeks.

If you don’t have one now, begin your search for a good hair stylist today. If you see someone walking down the street with a good haircut – ask them for the name of their hair stylist. Remember that there is no such thing as bad hair – only a bad haircut.

Apply just enough to stain your lips, and no more. It’s when you apply too much at once that it smears and ends up everywhere else. As obvious as this may sound, I see women with lipstick on their teeth, face and clothing all the time because they simply use too much. The key is to make sure that your lips are moist before you apply your lipstick. That way, you’ll require only a thin layer to feel hydrated.

Licking your lips is not the type of moisture that you are after. You need one of the lip balms or moisturizers sold at the cosmetic stand in a department store. Apply this first and the smallest amount of lipstick will glide over your lips like butter. Your lip colour will look natural and you won’t run the risk of looking like a clown.

Smelling delicious every day is feminine and polished. To find a fragrance that suits us is not always easy. Once we’ve found it, we’ll want to apply it correctly so that we get maximum mileage out of our pricey purchase. Expert opinions differ on the subject, but here are my two cents worth:

• Choice of fragrance – perfume smells differently when worn on the skin so it’s best not to rely on the whiff from a bottle. Skin acidity (affected by skin type, age and hormones) also affects the smell of a fragrance once applied. What smells nice on a mate might not smell nice on you and vice versa. A fragrance takes almost an hour to develop fully so don’t go on first impressions. There are no rules to follow here – if you like a scent, apply it to the outside of your hand and see what it’s like after an hour. Don’t try more than 2 at once – your nasal senses will get confused.
• Oily versus dry skin – dry skin does not absorb perfume as well as oily skin does. Perfume therefore lasts longer on skin that is not dry. Fragrances are absorbed like moisturizer because they contain oil. If you have dry skin, you might want to reapply your scent half way through the day.
• Cold versus hot – fragrances will last longer in hotter weather because of the moisture in the air and on you skin. You’ll need to wear more scent in colder weather.
• Correct application – a fragrance will last it’s longest when applied to pulse points such as the wrists, folds of the elbow, base of the neck and cleavage. Experts have suggested that the back of the knees and ankles are also good areas. I like to apply my perfume at the back of if my hairline. This is especially effective if you have long hair that you keep down because the scent travels through your hair, giving off a whiff every time you move your head.
• Rubbing your wrists together – do not rub your wrists together after you’ve sprayed your fragrance as this will flatten the scent.
• Mixing scents – scents should not compete. When you wear deodorant and body lotion, make sure that the scents are either the same as that of your fragrance, or wear odourless options.
• Sealing in your scent – using scented soaps and lotions that are the same as your perfume will make it last twice as long. Spray your scent first and then follow with the scented moisturizer.
• Spraying your clothes and jewelry – good quality perfumes will not stain your clothes but may ruin costume jewelry (the alcohol content can strip a layer off your pearls as well).   It’s a good idea to spray your clothes instead of your skin if you are sensitive. If I’m wearing a collared shirt or girly top – I like to spray the collar instead of my neck.

You can either invest in an assortment of fragrances that you like to wear depending on your mood and the climate; or you can stick to one that you wear all the time. If you haven’t managed to find a fragrance that you love – take yourself to the fine fragrance counter of any department store as soon as possible!

Fragrances are part of the fashion industry. Their use suggests glamour, sophistication, romance and ultra-femininity. Applying a fragrance can be considered the final touch to perfect polish. If I don’t put on my perfume, or have unexpectedly run out – I feel incompletely dressed.

Fine fragrances can be categorized according to type and scent.

While some prefer fragrances to be strong, others prefer them to be subtle.  Perfume is made up of denatured ethyl alcohol and essential oils – the higher the percentage of the latter, the stronger, longer lasting, and more expensive the scent. Opinions differ on the exact quantities of essential oils that define the different types of fragrances, but here are the big categories:

• Perfume (most essential oils - more than 20%)
• Eau de Parfum
• Eau de Toilette
• Eau de Cologne (least essential oils - less than 5%)

Different scents work for different people, matching their personality, fashion persona and skin chemistry. I find that the following are useful categories for narrowing down personal preferences:

• Fresh – citrus fruits and green leaves
• Floral – jasmine, roses and white flower scents
• Oriental – vanilla and spices
• Woody – musk and moss

Fragrances are offered at an assortment of price points – most of which are on the pricey side. Why? Because rose oil is the basis of all perfume and it takes over a ton of rose petals to produce a pound of this essential oil, which can cost between $3000 and $4000!

I strongly recommend using a fragrance every day. It is one of the most personal messages that you send to those with whom you come into contact, and it will increase your sense of well being. Stay tuned for tips on which fragrances to select and how to apply them.

Coco Chanel invented what is probably the most famous and successful perfume to date. It was the 5th bottle of scent in an assortment that her design house created, so for lack of a better name she called it “Chanel number 5″. It stuck, and the product was marketed under this name.

Stylish people are not only well dressed, they are usually also perfectly polished. Style icons like Kate Moss and Sienna Miller that exemplified the “just got out of bed look” are a rarity (and have the advantage of being adorned with designer clothing). The rest of us need to be immaculately groomed.

This doesn’t always come naturally, so here are some tips that will make it easy for everyone: 

• Dress well – your clothes need to be current, fit well and suit your body type irrespective of your fashion persona.
• Stay neat, clean and crinkle free – make sure that your clothes are ironed, stain free and in place when you wear them.
• Wear well cared for clothes and shoes – refrain from wearing anything that’s shabby.
• Make sure your eyebrows and lips are defined – eyebrows frame your face and shaping them is imperative (see “Make-up, or Make-down?“). Nourished lips (gloss or a bit of lipstick) always seem to finish off an outfit.
• Style your hair – acquire a hairstyle that is simple, easy to manage and that you can keep down if you want to. A hairstyle that requires you pull it back with numerous hair slides, clips and anything else resembles clutter (especially if they have to compete with accessories), and clutter is not good grooming. If you are going to pull your hair back, a neat low pony tail with a side parting is always classy.
• Care for your hands and feet – keeping your nails one length is important but wearing nail colour on your hands is not. If you wear open toe shoes – it’s always a good idea to have buffed your feet.
• Accessorize correctly – be mindful of how you match your accessories. Wear pieces that compliment your outfit without resembling a Christmas tree.
• Shave and wax regularly – There is nothing more polished then smooth shiny skin.
• Maintain good posture – standing up straight always makes you look taller and slimmer.
• Wear a scent – people should be able to tell when you have arrived if they can smell you before seeing you.

Looking polished is not just for those that need to look professional. You can look polished while you garden, shop, cook, travel, take the dogs out for a walk or play with children in the park. It’s not about being smartly dressed – it’s about being well groomed.

Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly epitomized immaculate grooming.

With dress codes at work becoming more casual, the tendency to “under dress” is rife. While, arriving at a beach party in a suit and heels is clearly the wrong attire. Having style also has to do with dressing appropriately for an occasion. Overdressed people often look out of place, but then so do those that make no effort. 

Consider the following:

• Overdressing is the safer option – if you are unsure of the dress code for a particular occasion (even if it’s a dinner party with friends), it’s always a better to overdress. Not only is it respectful to your host, but who doesn’t want to be the best dressed person in the room.
• Good grooming is imperative – be well groomed when you wear casual clothing. Casual dressing is no excuse for looking sloppy, wrinkled or unclean.
• Watch the accessories – accessories are key to making you look either overdressed or underdressed. Dress them down for a casual occasion and dress them up for a more formal one. Pay particular attention to your shoes – heels will always be dressier.  

It’s important to understand the difference between being “polished” and being “dressed up”. Done up hair, too much make-up, and over accessorizing is distasteful, but a polished look is perfect for every occasion.