[GUEST POST] Quarantine makeup looks for Zoom meetings

(guest post by Jennifer from MissJenPlum)

Let’s be real: aside from doomsday preppers, not a single person was ready for the Covid-19 quarantine. And I don’t think that’s a sign of anyone’s shortcomings! Who else is prepared for disease outbreaks? I’ll admit that as an introvert and home-body, I haven’t been particularly affected by the social distancing. It doesn’t really bother me at all; it’s more time for me to massage serum into my face and actually give myself a manicure!

But, it’s more important than ever to learn to adapt our beauty routines. Zoom / Skype / FaceTime / Webex have all replaced our regular work interactions, but we can’t be on these video calls looking ungroomed or unprofessional. Here’s a few ideas to keep yourself looking cute and professional while we’re all working from home!

1. Highlighter couldn’t be more appropriate

If we’re all on camera, the last thing we want to look like is tired. Highlighter is a great way to give you that “I’ve been sleeping 8 hours” glow when you were really up all night watching compilations of viral vines. Apply a little bit on your cheekbones, the arch of your brow, your cupid’s bow, and down the nose.

2. Put down foundation

Well, only if you want to. If using foundation is fun for you and it makes you feel polished, go right ahead! Just remember that these are camera-based meetings; things aren’t in 4K or anything. Some dabs of concealer for your undereyes, lingering redness, and around the mouth might be all you need to even out your complexion!

3. Put on a lip

I love lips. Lips pull a whole look together. It’s the only real makeup product I’ve seen my mother use throughout her life, and it’s rubbed off on me. Also, without any color on my lips, I just look…sickly. I usually keep three lip colors in rotation: a lowkey nude-pink for an easy everyday look, a vivid red for when I need to feel a little fierce, and a golden tangerine lip for when I want to get a little playful. You can choose the texture and finish depending on what you like: I’m not exactly big on lipgloss, and I like something that feels light and balmy, so I usually stick to lipsticks.

4. Keep your brows groomed

Brows are a pretty easy way to polish yourself up. It’s like a small detail that just makes a big difference. While I’ve used brow pencils to fill in where my brows are sparse, I’ve been preferring brow gels because I think it’s just faster/easier to apply and it also just looks so natural. It also works great if you haven’t been to your brow tech in a while to get a really fluffy look. For a fluffy application, I like to backcomb my brow hair, but I keep a light hand because I don’t want the product to be weighed down. For a more serious meeting, however, I would probably use a brow pencil to make sure that they look nice and defined!

5. Warm up your face

I love blush. I’m an unrepentant blush-lover. Honestly, blush livens up your whole face and just makes you look flushed, warm, and healthy. So, I always love having just a little bit of blush on when I’m on a web-call. That said, blush isn’t for everyone; my mother is terrified of using rosy blushes in case she looks garish and vulgar for her age. So instead, I showed her how to use bronzer to just warm up her face and she loves it! Keep in mind that the camera can wash you out, so be a little heavier handed with your application.

6. Bring a little attention to your eyes

Full disclosure, I tend to keep my eye makeup pretty light because my eyes are easily irritated and I’ve never really liked the looks I’ve tried on my monolids. I have an open mind, but for a simple look, I like to curl my lashes and just apply mascara to the ends of my lashes because applying mascara to the root tends to weigh down whatever curl I’ve managed to coax into my stubby little Asian lashes. Just quietly emphasizing your eyes gives your makeup look a little balance.

7. Keep your hair simple

I’ll be the first one to say that I really have no idea how to take care of my hair, but when I’m on video calls, I don’t want to look unpolished. I usually have two go-to styles: down and tucked neatly behind the ears, or in a bun. I have some pretty crazy baby hairs at my hairline that just stand up like cowlicks, so I pin them back with some black bobby pins when I have my hair down and tucked or I when I put my hair in a bun. If the bobby pins aren’t working, then I use some hair wax or pomade to smooth them down.

8. Do a look you enjoy

Sometimes, you don’t like to wear makeup, but you have to for work or for an interview. You might as well try.

Here are some look ideas:

• For a regular/daily work meeting: light dab of blush/bronzer, highlighter, neutral lip, brow gel, mascara, hair left down

• For a serious/important meeting: light dab of blush/bronzer, highlighter, strong lip, brow pencil, mascara+eyeliner, neat bun

• For a creative/fun meeting: light dab of blush/bronzer, highlighter, fun lip, brow gel, eyeliner, a french braid

And don’t stress too much about it! Makeup has a learning curve; the first few times I applied a full beat like I had seen on YouTube, the more uncomfortable I felt with wearing makeup. I would see my face in pictures or mirrors and just felt a weird sense of dissociation: it just felt like the face reflected wasn’t my face, or the face that I know. It also just felt uncomfortable to go
from wearing no makeup to a lot of makeup. What I’ve learned is wearing makeup needs a little
bit of acclimation. Start small and simple!

If you’re interested in my makeup reviews, check me out at MissJenPlum! I’m a beauty writer
with a thirst for tea: I only want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth when it
comes to a beauty product.

---

Thank you Jennifer for the informative post! Be sure to check out the rest of her amazing posts on MissJenPlum ?