This App Provides Video Conference ‘Makeup’ for Those Who Work From Home
Ever wake up far too early, just to do your makeup for a Skype meeting? Or worse, oversleep and call in to find that your eye bags are enhanced by the poorly lit computer camera, then projected onto a huge conference room screen on the other side of the world? Shiseido knows the deal, and they want to make it easier to work from home without the hassle of applying makeup before a video conference.
The beauty brand developed the TeleBeauty app, in collaboration with Microsoft Japan, to digitally apply makeup on Skype. Users first choose among four makeup styles — natural, trendy, cool, or feminine — and then fine-tune to suit their preferences. On camera, the digital makeup syncs with real-time movements, “unless the face moves wildly,” according to Shiseido spokeswoman Megumi Koyama.
The idea came from Shiseido employees after the company introduced a telecommuting program. “Telecommuting is becoming more common, both in our company and in society. We hope the app will contribute to that trend,” Koyama told Japan Times.
Shiseido hopes that men will also take advantage of the app. “The app is set up so the user’s skin looks brighter,” says Koyama, noting workers’ complaints of deepened eye bags onscreen. “I think it’s a feature that helps anyone look professional.”
Recent studies have shown that women who wear makeup in the workplace are perceived as more likable and powerful, so hopefully the app can give women who do choose to wear makeup a chance to let their skin breathe — and look more polished on camera without all the effort.
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