Fifty-five percent is dedicated to your appearance and body language during personal interviews at most companies today. The corporates are spending enough time and money into grooming their employees to face the world outside,” said famous grooming expert Rukshana Eisa, at an etiquette workshop in Bangalore.

Rukshana - who has transformed many at Miss India pageants, airline industry, corporate sector and inevitably the hospitality industry - was in town to train a small group of Bangaloreans in body language, table culture and personal grooming. She was accompanied by make-up artist Meenakshi Pawar, who works exclusively with popular Bollywood stars like Shilpa Shetty, Twinkle Khanna and television actors like Roshni Chopra.

The two-day workshop, priced at Rs 8,500 plus registration fee, aimed at teaching the basics in personal hygiene, skin and hair care, make-up application, saree-draping techniques, fine-dine and table etiquette, body language and communication. The turn-up was small but it was probably a blessing in disguise! The session allowed the experts to interact individually with the students and discuss problems patiently. Each query was voiced and answered to. Myths and truths on controversial topics like facial hair, laser technology to even body odour and bad breath were openly discussed.

Said Rukshana during the workshop, “Skin is like a grape. When it is full of juice, it looks good. The moment it loses moisture, it looks ugly like a raisin. Drink lots of water to keep your skin looking healthy. For every 15 kilograms, one must drink one litre of water per day. So, if you are 50 kilograms, drink at least four litres.” And gulped all the students at one go!

The participants comprised predominantly of young adults and brides-to-be. Interestingly, a few men were on board this workshop too. According to Rukshana, corporate grooming is on a high and that in Mumbai and Delhi, she receives more questions from men than women!

“We get many head honchos from IT firms and corporate giants. South-Indian men are brilliant but lag behind in grooming and communication. They know their numbers but get stuck if a conversation on art comes up. The art of small talk is low. We train them even in cultural differences. For instance, a dinner with American delegation will be different from that with a European delegation. Americans are more casual. You cannot dine with them wearing a suit,” said Rukshana, who has 22 years of etiquette and grooming experience across the globe.

Lack of a finishing school in Bangalore and the dire need to direct and guide people towards grooming, prompted City-based designer Nilanjana Roy to organise it. “Bangalore has no finishing school. And the few grooming schools are targeted towards models. It’s important for boys and girls of a global City like Bangalore to be well-groomed. It’s sad but most Bangaloreans find it degrading to attend an etiquette workshop. They often take it as a personal insult. In Mumbai and Delhi, such workshops run houseful. It’s not superficial but simply self-realisation,” sighs Nilanjana, a former student of Rukshana.

Reiterating her viewpoint, Rukshana says, “Our girls are undoubtedly the most beautiful. But they lag behind in communication and body language. The need to be well-groomed is strong today. And I recommend only what I have tried on myself.”

‘You are your biggest asset’ - this statement appears more true than ever before. Nilanjana wants to organise more such workshops with experts from the industry. Contact Nilanjana at nilyroy@yahoo.com.

QUICK TIPS

*Never use soaps. Use shower gels. 
*Don’t use anti-perspirants. Talcum powder is a better option.
*Perfumes and colognes must be applied only on the pulse points. 
*Use a mouth-wash to cure bad breath. Massage your gums while brushing your teeth to avoid bad breath. 
*Chewing gum in public is negative body language. 
*For men, the moustache must not touch the upper-lip. The hair must not touch the shirt collar. Elvis Presley side-burns are not appreciated in the corporate world. 
*Cleansing, toning and moisturising is imperative. And men must do it too. 
*Acne in the chin and lower-lip area could denote a liver problem. 
*Rub sliced tomato on the body to get rid of a tan. 
*Hair loss is always genetic, dietary or stress based. It’s not topical. If you lose seven hair strands every time you rub your fingers through your hair, then it’s hair loss. Otherwise, 100 strands per day is normal.