She thinks it looks particularly modern paired with nude, barely-there cheeks and lips, using a creamy, muted berry-stained shade. “Or you can gild your look—and not just for evening—with touches of gold,” she adds.

“Depending on your mood and the occasion you can also team smoke with fire and finish with a ruby red lip to make heads turn!” she smiles, but cautions that this may be too much during daylight hours. Save it for after 5 PM.

There are great choices for your fall color palette.  Here are some of her recommendations:

For the smoky eye:
Stila “ The Red Carpet Look” (A three-pan gray and pewter eyeshadow palette with a Kajal Eye Liner, $40, at Sephora.com)
MAC eyeshadows in Carbon, Mystery, Sumptuous Olive, and Greensmoke, $14.50 each at www.maccosmetics.com
Lorac Eye & Cheek Multi-Platinum Palette ($37 at Sephora.com)
For the nude lip and cheek:
Oxymoron Lipstick Queen ($20 at SpaceNK.com)
Susan Posnick Blush Mineral Face Color in Lily ($32 at SpaceNK.com)
For the red lip:
Dior Rouge Lipstick in Red Premiere ($27 at neimanmarcus.com)
Estee Lauder Stay-in-Place Lip Duo in Rare Wine ($24 at bergdorfgoodman.com)
For a touch of gold -
Chanel Facettes D’or loose powder ($26 at chanel.com)
Chanel Light Glossimer lip gloss ($27 at chanel.com)

Don’t use the same sunblock on your face as your body. Select one that’s formulated solely for your face because it feels lighter and isn’t  greasy. I use Neutrogena Age Shield Face, with an SPF 70, and like the finish.

Forgo foundation. Even the sheerest foundation makes me sweat, resulting in runny makeup and an unsightly sheen, so now I use a combo of concealer and loose powder. I stipple concealer over imperfections and under my eyes with a small brush, blending with my finger. I finish with a light coat of translucent power over my entire face to set the concealer and whisk away shine.

Switch to a sheer, very bright powder blush. I’m talking bright here, not the shade you wear in winter. But it has to be sheer so that it doesn’t deposit heavy color. If not, you’ll look like Bette Davis in Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte. Brush your blush over the apples of your cheeks only. Don’t know where the apple is? Smile. See that raised mound each of your cheeks forms? That’s your apple and it is close to your nose.

Frost your lids. Gild your upper lids with a thin layer of soft iridescence in a neutral like gold, silver or bronze.

Brush on colored mascara. Purple, bright blue, turquoise and grape are several of the colors I’ve been having fun with.

Keep your lips light and bright. My favorite shade is a really sheer orange. Yes, orange, which I top with clear gloss. Bright pink or coral are also summery and yummy.

The finished look will be light, fresh and colorful, but not overwhelming because the product formulations are so weightless.

• Switch to lighter weight fabrics. Tissue linen, voile, batiste, featherweight denim and cottons are all substitutions for heavier fabrics this time of the year. Just remember to wear the proper undergarments so that your look is not too transparent.

• Keep jewelry to a minimum. Heavy necklaces and bracelets can make you feel hotter. Avoid them completely and concentrate on earrings or opt for weightless chains or pendants on silk or leather cording.

• Forgo hosiery. It’s no longer a given in business that hosiery is a must because of a younger workforce, which has grown up with bare legs. If your dress code and legs allow it, go bare. If not, switch to lightweight, barely-there hosiery, like Donna Karan’s The Nakeds.

• Wear peep toe shoes or sandals. Again, check your company’s dress code policy. If you can wear sandals, select a pair that’s more sandal than flip-flop and make sure your feet are groomed.

• Keep layering to a minimum. The more layers you have on, the warmer you’ll feel. Yet, you don’t want your look to be too revealing. Bare arms, low cut tops and very short bottoms don’t belong in an office, so be sure not to disregard propriety for comfort.

My exercise outfit is. When I like what I wear and in it, look like the athlete I’d like to be, I’m more apt to work out. And there’s a lot of good stuff out there at all price levels.

So guys throw out those old gym shorts and ragged top and ladies, that pair of old tights and baggy T-shirt. Get yourself some cool gear and it will make all the difference. Some ideas:

Go techno: Look for clothes made of high-tech fabrics that wick (keep the moisture off your skin). Nike has a fabric called Dri-FIT: blends of cotton and polyester and polyester and spandex that keep you cool and dry. Avoid pure cotton, which absorbs sweat, becoming a sodden mess when wet.

Get sleek: Select a look that skims your shape, rather than hiding it. The outfit doesn’t have to encase you like a sausage, but it shouldn’t be baggy and shapeless. For women, bootcut tights are chic and flattering, topped with a fitted tank. For men, think Lance Armstrong: sleek bicycle shorts with a tank top.

Spotlight your assets: Consider cut and proportion when selecting workout wear. If you have great calves, bicycle shorts are the answer; great arms, go sleeveless. (If you don’t like your arms and can’t find a top with sleeves, buy a long-sleeved exercise T and shorten the sleeves to just below the elbows). Always wear supportive undergarments…they will also visually perfect your body.

Color up: All black is sexy and slimming, however a burst of color can really brighten your mood. Think about black bottoms with a colorful top.

Pack it in: Get a good-looking gym bag to carry all your stuff and always stock it with a clean outfit and socks.

Whoops. Gotta go to spinning class. I have on black, cropped bootleg tights with a semi-fitted dusty pink tank, which extends over my hips to elongate my torso. Best, I got it on sale.

On September 12, 2001, Johna Till Johnson went to the office wearing her best business suit. “I did it to show respect to both the city and my co-workers,” says Till Johnson, president and senior founding partner of Nemertes Research, a technology company. Even though the dress code for her telecommuting staff is casual, Till Johnson encourages colleagues to wear a suit when meeting clients because it provides instant credibility:

“We sell advice, and in order for our advice to be trusted, clients have to trust the person giving it.”

Wardrobe is a communications tool: A survey of small business owners in varying fields revealed that they prefer more dressed up attire, particularly when prospecting. For males, this translates to a suit with shirt and tie, and for women, a matched or unmatched jacket with skirt or dress pants (no jeans). Sales and front-office staff are encouraged to dress similarly, and while comfort is still king in the back office, the look is neater. “We believe that dressing a little nicer — no jeans, sweats, sneakers or flip-flops — makes people feel good about themselves, no matter what their job,” says Alan Klein, president and CEO of Ace Payroll, headquartered in Bethpage, N.Y.

As a small business owner, you must be aware not only of the big picture, but also of the details, like grooming and hygiene, which can make or break a deal. Here’s help:

Do lead by example

Your employees look to you to set the standard. Anthony Celano, CEO of Full Security Inc., an investigative services firm, shows his staff exactly what he means with his tailored attire in tones of blue and gray. He says money talks: “Too-casual attire, and clients think they’re doing you a favor. Dress professionally and the situation is reversed.”

Don’t rely on unwritten rules

An up to date dress code, tailored to your industry, can steer those just starting out in the right direction. Kaplow Communications, a Manhattan public relations and marketing firm, is in the business of style, and their dress code reflects it. President Liz Kaplow favors fashionable separates, rather than a traditional business suit. Among the items employees are encouraged to leave at home are “exposing” tank tops, shirts with pop culture phrases that are inappropriate (i.e., “Camp Aniston/Camp Jolie”), cargo-style pants or skirts and five-pocket jeans (except on Fridays). The same criteria might be applicable to an entertainment or advertising firm, where looking hip is the ticket.

Do give your employees just the right amount of information they need to feel empowered

A seasoned staff might chafe at too much direction. When Michael
Fleischer became president of Bogen Communications, which designs and manufactures sound systems, he replaced the eight-page dress code with a brief paragraph explaining that as professionals, the workforce was expected to dress appropriately for their jobs. He points out that because there is a practicality issue, everyone doesn’t dress in the same manner.

Don’t overlook grooming

Dirty fingernails or stained teeth with an expensive suit? Nope, they don’t compute and can be a liability.

Do take your dress clues from your clients

Suit, shirt and tie are the order of the day at an initial meeting for Raj Goel, CTO of Brainlink International, an IT consulting company, and his team. Once the project gets under way, though, the team dresses according to the client’s office attire. “However, you never want to dress more casually than they do,“ adds Victor Urbach, founder and president of The Optran Group, which specializes in exit planning. “Move one click up on the dial. If they’re wearing jeans, wear chinos; if they’re wearing sports coats, you wear a suit.”

This article appeared in the October 2006 issue of The Enterprise Report.