Five common grooming don'ts

Just wearing the latest designer clothes is not enough to make you look good. You need to get your grooming and styling right, says Malavika Tiwari, former model, actress and now image consultant with Lakme.

"Most people buy trendy clothes, but forget some basic grooming tips that make all the difference to the way they look," says Malavika.

According to her, the top five grooming mistakes almost all of us make are:

Bad eyebrows: Unkempt or even wrongly plucked eyebrows.

Chipped nail paint: Forgetting to remove nail paint when it peels off or re-painting nails if the polish is chipped.

Unkempt feet: Feet are the first thing a lot of people notice. Yet they continue to be the most neglected part of the body.

Bad footwear: A nice pair of shoes can make all the difference to the kind of clothes you wear. "I have seen people wear designer outfits but when it comes to shoes they will wear a very dirty or a very old pair," says Malavika.

Wrong shade of lipstick: It is surprising how most women pick the wrong shade of lipstick for themselves.

In terms of styling, Malavika suggests that women organise their wardrobe into three sections: formal wear, casual wear and accessories.

She suggests that women who wear Western clothes to work should go for trousers in solid colours of black, beige and camel. Pair them with a nice comfortable pair of black or tan pumps. Mix and match these with shirts that you like to wear.

If you like to wear salwar-kameezes to work, she thinks you should try linen kurtas with straight pyjamas.

"I have seen women wear elaborate dupattas and long flowing Indian outfits to work. Those look very out of place," says Malavika who suggests minimalism to work.

To complete the well groomed and styled look, she suggests investing in a nice handbag: "Focus on a good handbag. If yours is fraying at the edges, dump it!"

Photograph: Jewella C Miranda
Editorial support: Imran Shaikh