Etiquette Boss: Holiday etiquette

We are in the middle of a holiday season, which is “the happiest season” for some, but the most stressful for others. This ‘eat, drink and be merry’ period seems to be a perfect time to check your dining etiquette savvy. Place a tick against the rules that you obey when you are dining during the holidays.

1. Do you take an hors d’oeuvre from a platter and place it directly into your mouth instead of placing it first into a plate or napkin?
2. If a platter or bowl of food is before you on the table, do you initiate service by offering it first to the person on your left, taking your portion and then passing it to the right? However, if there is a guest of honor seated to your right, do you serve your most important guest first?
3. Do you hold the serving dish while the person next to you takes his/her portion?
4. Do you shake your napkin out before placing on your lap or do you open it quietly under the table?
5. Do you crumple your napkin and place it on the table when you are finished or do you fold it loosely and place it to the left of your plate?
6. If you are the hostess, do you serve food from the left and drinks from the right? Do you pick up all used utensils from the right?
If you answered “yes” to all of these questions: congratulations!

YOUR BEST APPEARANCE: Improve skin elasticity

Pycnogenol is widely used as an anti-aging supplement because research has shown that it helps to restore lost collagen in the skin.

One such study was done at the Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine in Dusseldorf, Germany. Researchers gave a group of post-menopausal women 75mg of pycnogenol daily. After 12 weeks, they used a series of bio-chemical tests to determine the effect on these women’s bodies.

Their direct quote states: “This study provides skin physiological and for the first time molecular evidence that pycnogenol supplementation benefits human skin by increasing skin hydration and elasticity.”

This is great news, as the rebuilding of collagen beneath the skin would replace dull, tired complexions with more moisture and tone.

Phillipa Morrish is the president of Etiquette Training International.