It has been over a year now since the world is stuck indoors. From Italy to the United States to India, second or third waves reveal worse conditions than when the COVID-19 pandemic initially hit. While the World Health Organisation (WHO) notes a few countries are reporting zero cases of coronavirus, other places continue their battle. With that, the trend of work from home (WFH) continues. FaceTime, Zoom, House Party and Google Meets video conferencing is how we are getting the work done, catching up with friends and family, and for some, even dating. Sweats and top buns could be the go-to, but that does not mean you cannot look good on your next zoom call. From better lighting to easy makeup and hair, here we bring you quick tips so that you don’t look like a mess on those WFH video calls or even a zoom date!

Better Lighting

The brighter, the better! Find a suitable space where the lighting is better for a quick video call, and be sure the light is on your face. Putting your back to the window or light again casts a shadow, and your colleagues or friends won’t be able to see you. If possible, you can invest in a ring light available in various ranges and sizes that can directly fit onto your cellphone or laptop camera.

Work Space

Find a comfortable place in your home to set-up your workspace. It is an unprecedented situation at the moment, and as far as possible, staying at home and getting things done is the new normal. Hence, it is best to separate your workspace and your sleep space.

Look Directly to the Camera

Raise your camera or computer to eye level. This can easily be done with a desk-riser or books. With your camera at eye-level, you can directly look into it, making an eye-to-eye conversation with everyone in the meeting, just like you when participating in an in-person meeting.

Background

Make your background look more fun. A plain wall or one with a few clean photos or items in the background is best. You can also change your Microsoft zoom backgrounds to make the interaction with colleagues more fun.

Quick Makeup and Hair

If you don’t want to look like a mess in your virtual meetings, these are the two things you need to take a little care of. This is no way mean that you need full face make up every day or that you should follow your daily beauty and hair routines (unless you want to and it brings you joy). To look tidy in your zoom meetings, follow simple tips that include adding a little concealer, applying mascara or some eyeliner with a good lip balm. For hair, brush it properly, add clips to make a statement or tie your hair, or keep the hair up. These basic steps will help you appear to freshen up your natural beauty.

These are the few steps you can follow so that you don’t look messy in the virtual calls. Meanwhile, remember that technology is helping us to stay connected. Use it to reach out to those you haven’t spoken in a while, check in with your family members, talk to those who live alone and be kind to yourself. Happy zooming!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 26, 2021 12:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).