Video Conference Beauty Guide

These days we’re all wondering how to fake a full face of makeup, with the absolute minimal amount of effort. If you have a video conference with your team in 10 minutes – but are still in full ‘woke up like this’ mode – we can show you how to put your best face forward!

When creating your work-from-home beauty look, it can be hard to know what shade to wear, or where to focus your pigment. A computer screen isn’t always the most predictable in terms of lighting or clarity, making it hard to tell how your makeup will read from the other end. But if you have the right tools and beauty essentials, we can help you create an easy and effortless makeup look in record time!

We’re bringing clean beauty basics to your virtual workspace, for video conference call makeup that feels even better than a blazer + sweats combo.

For healthy skin that shines through your makeup, establish a simple morning skin care routine. It can be as detailed as a Korean skin care routine, or as simple as a cleanser and cream combo. Either way, make sure it’s enjoyable: because in our book, skin care is self care.

We recommend a light, non-stripping cleanser and a hydrating SPF moisturizer to quench the skin and defend it against UV rays (yes, even indoors). To win “most refreshed” on your video grid, finish with a moisturizing eye cream for brightening and depuffing.

Step 1: Cleanse
To gently cleanse, go with an oil or milk-based product like the Argan Oil Creamy Cleanser or Coconut Oil Cleansing Milk. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry.

In today’s world, nothing keeps us going quite like coffee; give your peepers a pick me up with Coffee Bean Eye Cream. This little guy reduces puffing and banishes dark circles, that can result from less than our best beauty sleep. Tap on lightly with your ring finger, and watch the magic happen.

Keep it clean and green with a mineral sunscreen, like our Tomato Lycopene SPF 20 Moisturizer. This light lotion lets you soak up our window sunshine, while keeping skin looking plump and hydrated – even from across the worldwide web!

PRO TIP: Having a rough day, or just not ready to full-face the world? Skip the makeup routine, and take it easy. We still recommend following your morning skin care routine, to keep your complexion healthy while engaging in some very important self care. Now let your natural glow shine through!

In everyday makeup, we tend to focus more on what we want to hide – rather than what we want to accentuate. A great tip for telecommuting or virtual happy hours is to play up the eyes; these have the biggest impact on looking awake and fresh.

To make your eyes a flattering focal point, start by using a concealer on the under eye area. This helps to accentuate your eye color, while drawing the focus to your eyes. Choose a shade one grade lighter than your skin tone. Our 2nd Skin Concealer is a hydrating formula with a satin finish, so it won’t look unnaturally powdery or cakey on screen.

Tap a few dots of concealer onto the inner and outer corners of the eyes – any nearby blemishes – before blending with your ring fingertip or a damp sponge. To make your look even easier, skip the foundation and tackle stubborn discoloration with a color corrector before moving on to your next step.

We might be in a rush to get to our online office on time – but not before we finish off our eye makeup! Even when we can barely muster the energy for blush or foundation, these two essentials are difficult to ditch: eyebrows and eyelashes. Without this dynamic duo, things just don’t feel quite right.

Brows are a beauty essential simply because of how they frame the face and more specifically, our eye. Going for a natural looking, full and fluffy brow is your easiest bet for serving a ‘woke up like this – but better’ look to your virtual team. A few swipes of Green Tea Fiber Brow Builder will give us definition, shape, and an overall more polished appearance.

For days when you can’t shake the exhaustion – looking at you, parents and workaholics – lashes are a must. Our beauty essential tip for lashes is to add Lengthening Mascara to both the top and bottom lashes.

To avoid any clumps, comb through lashes with a clean spoolie beforehand. Apply mascara around the center of the eye rather than ends, just above and below the iris (colored part of your eye). This will create the appearance of big, bright eyes rather than sleepy, sultry ones.

PRO TIP: If you have straight or short lashes, taking a second to curl them first will really lift your eye area and add extra sparkle. Curl as close to the root as safely possible for the most length.

As far as beauty essentials go, a quick swipe of shine is tough to beat. Lip gloss plays off our bright eyes, looks fresh, and suits any outfit. The best part about a sheer gloss is that you can apply it without a mirror. Simply glide it on as you pop into your meeting calendar, with less than a minute to spare before your meeting starts.

Our Fruit Pigmented® Lip Gloss tastes and feels as juicy as it looks, with 5 versatile shades that can easily pass as full-on lip color on a conference call. Vitamin E hydrates and replenishes our delicate lips, which is key for a dry indoor environment.

PRO TIP: For an even juicier look, go with a nude gloss around the perimeter and add a richer color like Pomegranate Wine to the inner rim of the lips. This two-toned look creates the illusion of fuller lips, and tends to look more natural as it wears off.

OK, here’s our biggest secret: it isn’t all about makeup. A few quick tips can help you make the most of your environment, while adding extra oomph to your beauty look.

• Do the dew with a quick facial steam or mist right before your meeting. You can do this with a fresh cup of steaming tea, or a DIY facial mist. A quick once over with a kiss of hydration will make skin look like you’re fresh from holiday.

• Try rubbing a cube of ice wrapped in a cloth under the eyes, or anywhere we’re feeling puffy. This quick trick transforms the skin, by erasing any vestiges of sleep for an instantly awakened glow.

• Lighting is key: position yourself next to a window not only to help your virtual pals see you better, but to give you a flawless filter. Ambient light parallel to the face or filtered through white fabric will cast the most flattering, shadow-free radiance and will translate best on screen.

For more home beauty tips, check out our guide to the best lighting for selfies and our guide to a manicure and pedicure at home!