4 Ridiculously Easy Makeup Tricks to Try for Your Next Zoom Call

From Good Housekeeping

Here's the thing about Zoom: It's practical, innovative, and the best way to have meetings from home. In fact, it almost makes you feel like you're sitting across from someone in a conference room instead of balancing a laptop on your knees and hoping that no one can tell you're calling from your bed.

Of course, Zoom also comes with its own challenges. Your coworkers are now privy to what the inside of your house looks like (and what the screams of your children sound like). You may run into connectivity issues, and looking good over a computer screen can seem downright impossible.

If you're feeling like you want to experiment with fresh beauty looks during your work-from-home stint (though we totally condone going bare-faced — whatever feels right for you) keep in mind the rules of makeup change when you're looking at someone through a screen. More can seem like less. Dewy can read greasy. Too much contouring can look shadowy.

We're here to help. We spoke to experts and created easy looks that anyone can try at home, and included products from the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, expert insight, and top-rated online picks.

1. Luminous, glowing skin

The first step of looking fresh-faced is all about location, according to celebrity makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan. Make sure you're not sitting directly under any harsh overhead lights, which can create dark shadows on your face. "If you have the opportunity to sit in front of a window of any sort and grab all of that natural light, it’s going to fill your face more and make it brighter and more even," Deenihan says.

• Use an illuminating foundation to "add a little glow and even skin tone," says celebrity makeup artist Laura Geller. Zoom emphasizes shadows, but it also picks up light, which means that it's the perfect way to show off glowing skin.

• From there, use a concealer to cover any dark circles, which will brighten your whole face. "You can go heavier with concealer because you are going to want to brighten everywhere that you might not normally need to, because of the fact that you’re creating all of these different shadows when you’re on Zoom," says Deenihan. You can even go a few shades lighter than normal to make your face appear even brighter.

• Add highlighter to your cheekbones so that they will pick up light. "It’s kind of just like a happy surprise," says Deenihan. "Head-on it’s probably not really there, then you start moving and it’s like, 'oh, she’s glowing.'" To keep the glow on your cheekbones and avoid unwanted shine in the T-zone, Deenihan recommends using powder to mitigate any oiliness (even if you wouldn't normally powder your face).

2. Big bright doe eyes

You can actually make your eyes appear larger and more open over Zoom, even if you're exhausted. To look more awake, here are Deenihan's recommendations:

• Definine your crease with a natural colored shadow. Keep the shadow rounded and make sure it follows your natural eye shape. "If you bring the eyeshadow out too far and create an almond shape, that’s going to actually close the eye [by] creating an enlongated shape" when facing the camera head-on, Deenihan cautions.

• Don't line your waterline. Deenihan recommends tracing eyeliner just underneath your lashline instead to enhance the perimeter, which will in turn make your eyes appear wider.

• Finish your look with a few generous coats of mascara. "Mascara is going to be your best friend because that’s really going to accentuate the perimeter of your eye and make it appear larger," Deenihan says. "If you’re used to one coat of mascara, go a couple more. Layer it up because that is going to give your eye definition."

3. Flushed-looking cheeks

Adding a pop of blush to your cheeks can give you a youthful flush to combat any camera-induced sallowness. "You cannot forget blush," Geller says. Here are her tips:

• Go for a bright, warm shade, as cool tones can translate darker on camera. Warm tones are any colors with yellow or golden undertones—think coral or peach for blush.

• Apply blush sweeping it along your cheekbone and then taking it down into the apples of your cheeks, Geller recommends. If you don't know where the apples of your cheeks are, they're easy to find — just smile and find the round parts of your cheeks that pop.

• To finish, swipe your blush across your eyelids and into your temples to create an all-over flush. "This inverted V will give you dimension and shape, and most importantly, a little bit of brightness," Geller says.

4. Full, pouty lips

In person, you might be afraid to over-line your lips in case it's too noticeable. Zoom is much more forgiving — no one will be able to tell, even if you over-do it. Deenihan emphasizes that now is the time to try new things and do more than you might in an actual meeting. Here's how:

• Find a lip liner that matches your natural lip color, says Deenihan. Use it to line your cupid's bow, just to get a bit more definition.

• Make sure you use a satin or gloss formula, or finish with a clear gloss all over. "I tend to stay away from matte colors during this time because I want my lips to look fuller," Deenihan says. "The shine off of your lips will make them appear bigger, because you’re getting that bounce back."

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