Beauty is only screen-deep.
While the coronavirus continues to shutter businesses and force employees to work from home, looking professional on a video conference call is more important than ever. For many, the new “meeting” style is stirring up panic and pressure to appear put together in front of laptops and iPhones.
“Of course, it gives me a bit of anxiety,” says Kristina, an Upper East Sider who declined to share her last name for privacy reasons. “When I’m doing a meeting and I know [my manager] will be on it, I have to be prepared and looking good.”
Since the 25-year-old financial services product manager started working from home Wednesday, she makes sure to look especially polished “at least on top,” she says.
“I put on a little makeup, wear a turtleneck sweater and spice it up with some earrings,” she says to “feel more confident.”
But, she admits, “my bottom half is sweatpants and fuzzy socks.”
Others, like Loagan Yarbrough, 30, are nervous about appearing disheveled on-screen.
“I have long hair and always put it up before a conference call because I think management will judge me if they see my long hippie hair,” says the Riverside, Calif., resident. “I do seem more nervous on video calls than meeting in person . . . Plus my cat loves to jump on the computer while I do a video call.”
Experts agree that taking extra time to get ready and set up before a video call goes a long way with head honchos.
“At the end of the day, even though everyone understands you’re working from home, it’s important to project a certain image of how you want to be seen as a professional,” says Linda Raynier, a career strategist and YouTuber with nearly 630,000 subscribers. “You want to show there’s no difference between working from home and going into work.”
Here, Raynier, and other industry experts, share their hottest tips with The Post on how to put your best face forward in front of the digital screen.
Clothing
Whenever Kristina throws on a nice sweater to log into a meeting with her boss from home, “it actually changes my mindset to work mode,” she says. That’s exactly why it’s important to wear a top that’s “consistent with what you wear to the office,” says Raynier. “You want to appear like you’re getting work done, not just lounging around and taking naps.”
For ladies, the career expert suggests slipping on a sweater, blouse or cardigan and “no cleavage.” Men should throw on a button-down shirt or sweater, but a suit is a bit overboard since, let’s be real, lounging in a suit at home is just weird. Folks should steer clear of pure white, black and busy patterns because they give a “weird optical effect” on camera, adds Raynier, so stick to solid, soft colors and pastels. T-shirts, sports tanks and pajamas on top are an absolute no-no, but it’s OK to have a little fun with your pants. “Think business on the top, party on the bottom,” says Raynier.
Hair & Makeup
Ingunn Indriðadóttir learned her lesson the hard way about showing a bare face during a video conference call at home with her former supervisor. “I had just taken a shower so I wasn’t wearing any mascara,” she recalls. “The first thing he said to me was that I clearly had it a bit too good out there.”
Despite the gruff wording, experts say eyes are the first thing to look bad on camera. “Everybody’s under eye is their No. 1 problem, like are you puffy? Are you sunken in? Are you dark? Do you have crow’s feet?” says celebrity makeup artist Nam Vo, who has worked with Kylie Jenner and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
To brighten sleepy eyes, Vo suggests tapping on a concealer a shade lighter than what you’d normally use to “create a spotlight on your face,” she says. (She’s a fan of YSL’s Touche Éclat Brightening Pen, $35). The most you should do is throw on a pair of false eyelashes to appear awake, but stay away from extreme looks like a smoky eye or a dramatic red lip. “You want to look fresh and healthy, not like you’re spending all this time on makeup,” says Vo.
Men should also beware of the glare on their face from shiny grease in their T-zone, which can be soaked up with blotter papers (Vo likes Tatcha’s, $12 at Sephora) or a dash of translucent powder.
When it comes to hair, it should appear sleek and flyaway free, which can be accomplished by smoothing hairspray over your strands with your hands. “The keyword here is ‘polished,’ ” says TV makeup and hairstylist Crystal Foster. “Any flyaways show up threefold on screens.”
Lighting
Since Pittsburgh supermarket logistics manager Benjamin Gunter started tuning into video calls this week, he’s learned the best light comes from “a diffused light through my blinds,” he says. The instinct is totally on point. “No artificial light is going to replace natural Jesus light,” says Vo, who recommends facing a window as close as you can get. “Nothing fills out and blows out imperfections better.”
But if natural lighting isn’t an option for you, place a light — Vo loves Riki lights (starting at $55) or a ring light — directly behind your computer. “Overhead lights are unattractive because it creates dark shadows and makes your face look like it’s sagging,” says Vo. On the contrary, if the light comes from below, “it gives you a double chin,” she says. Bad or dark lighting can also set an unwanted ominous mood and “give off a dreary, gloomy impression that doesn’t show you as you,” says Raynier.
Setup
“You don’t want to show what’s really going on in the background because you want to give the impression that you’re at work in an office,” says Raynier. The best way to emulate an office environment is to make sure the camera faces a blank wall with a few “friendly props,” she says, like a plant or a piece of art, rather than an empty space, which could give off a “prison look.” The space behind you should always be clear of clutter, since bosses “may start to associate you as someone who is disorganized and messy,” says Raynier.
The most flattering position for a camera is at eye-level, says Raynier, who recommends placing your laptop up on a stack of books to achieve the right height. If you have to use a phone, make sure it’s supported by something sturdy like a tripod as opposed to holding it selfie-style. When framing your body on camera, your head and shoulders should be in the shot. Anything below the stomach “looks odd,” while zeroing in too close “exposes your pores,” adds Raynier.
While experts and workers agree that sitting at a table or desk looks the most professional on video calls, Gunter admits he has cut corners. “I put my back against my wall instead of having pillows propped up behind my head, and no one can tell I’m sitting in bed,” he laughs. “Gotta sacrifice a little comfort to look professional.”
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