How to look your best on a video call

With the pandemic taking over the world, the best way to communicate has undergone a radical shift to help keep people safe. Yes, video calls entered our lives. They’re not likely going anywhere! Work meetings, lessons at school and universities, even hangouts with friends are on Zoom and the like. That brings me to the question of the day: How to look your best on a video call?

Looking naturally good on camera only happens for a few people, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t correct minor flaws and improve your appearance. Messy hair and dark circles under the eyes from sleepiness are fairly common lately, although they’re not going to be suitable for a business call.

Thankfully, the tips below will help you look more put-together quickly. If you want to look good on a video call every time, keep reading, so you know how to make a great impression online.

Cut your hair

If you have access to a salon right now, great, but if not or you don’t feel safe going to one, you can do it yourself at home. Among the supplies that you’ll need are professional scissors and a mirror. If you don’t own scissors, it’s easy to shop online best professional hair scissors and have them delivered to your door.

If you have long hair, take some time to style it before the video call. Choose a simple hairstyle and smooth it with argan oil to look good online.

Wash your hair

Wash your hair at least once a week, ideally on Sunday or Saturday evening, so that it’s clean for Monday morning.

Use a good shampoo and conditioner to help your strands look their best. Use special products designed for greasy hair if you have oily hair like me.

Avoid using too much hair product as it only makes your hair look greasier and doesn’t help much with shine. Besides, people want to talk with you rather than check how perfect your hair is; the point here is just to look put-together and professional for a business call.

Use a stable webcam

Nowadays, everyone has a webcam. It’s affordable and a must-have thing for most of us. However, not every webcam is suitable for video calls.

There are only a few out there that are good quality. If possible, get a separate webcam rather than using the integrated one on your laptop. That way you will get a better image quality.

A ring light for good lighting is also a purchase to consider. They’re easily available for purchase online.

Take care of your skin

Before going on a video call, make sure that your skin looks great. Hiding flaws on your skin isn’t easy with video calls as the webcam is usually close to you. So, it’s best to take care of any blemishes you have beforehand.

You want to find a good skincare routine that works for your particular skin type. It’s important that you stick to it to see the long-term effects. This could include an exfoliator, cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and whatever else works for you.

Use concealer

If you have dark circles under your eyes, try using a concealer or foundation to cover them up. It’s best to use a lightweight liquid foundation and concealer in a shade close to your skin tone.

Don’t forget to blend it well into your skin with your fingers. Finally, set it with some translucent powder.

Polish your nails

You might normally get a professional manicure, but it is also doable at home. Polish them with a nice color and put some clear nail polish on top to keep them neat and shiny for a longer time.

Get some nail polish remover as well, in case your nail polish starts to chip off and you want to completely remove before putting on a fresh coat. It’s much easier with remover.

Use mascara

Long eyelashes look beautiful, but they are quite hard to achieve without using something like mascara or fake eyelashes. If you want to look good online, apply a coat of mascara in the morning.

I love how mascara makes my eyes pop, even when I’m wearing my glasses. Apply it to both upper and lower lashes, or just the top ones. It’s up to you.

Use foundation

For women with oily skin, a coat of foundation is a must-have. Apply foundation on the entire face in circular motions, so that it blends well into the skin and covers everything from red spots and acne to dark circles under the eyes.

Remember to use a shade that matches your skin tone. That way it looks natural on the face.

Fill eyebrows

Nicely shaped eyebrows make your face look more attractive, so make sure to do so before heading into the video call. Fill them in with an eyebrow pencil, mouse, or shadow.

Some people use two different shades. That involves putting the darker shade on the outer part of the brows, and the lighter shade on the inner part. Use a light hand as putting too much product on it can look unnatural.

Bonus tip

Lighting is everything when it comes to video calls. If you can, try to take your calls in a well-lit room with bright sunlight or a lamp near you.

Use a nice background too. It will make you look more attractive and professional. You can always invest in a ring light which will give you lighting every time.

Summary

Since the pandemic hit it’s safe to say that a lot of people are stuck working for home and spend most of their time on their laptops in video meetings, group chats, and so on. You might feel a little unmotivated to make yourself look good in these meetings, but getting ready in the morning really puts you in a different state of mind.

Set a morning routine, or just a routine in place that you can do every day before you jump on in front of the camera. Not only will you look 100 times better, but you will feel better too.

When you see that you look good, you will also start to feel good. Simple things like doing your hair, washing your face, and putting on some makeup can boost your confidence. If you apply some of these tips in your daily life, you will feel ready to sit in front of the camera daily.

 

Top photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels