Your Best Self

How to Keep Your Energy and Appearance in Sync this Fall

By October 27, 2020No Comments

Raise your hand if Zoom fatigue is starting to set in after (*checks calendar*) seven months of working from home. Trust us, we’re right there with you. But no worries: we’ve rounded up six of the best ways to look and feel your best on Zoom again without overhauling your lifestyle. All it takes is some empathy, care, and sense of your professional presence.

1. Show up as if you were meeting in person

Make sure you look like the best version of yourself. Use colors that complement your eyes, hair, and skin tone. Avoid hats and sunglasses, be clean shaven or have neat facial hair. Dress from top to bottom and sit up straight. If you are giving a presentation, stand up as you would for an in-person one. You will stand out when others are sitting back looking bored and disinterested. If you are running late and have complications with kids, school, etc., throw on an outfit you feel comfortable in, spray on some dry shampoo, put a little makeup on your face in two minutes, and tune in on time––no one will know how long it took.

2. Warm up your face with blush and highlighter.

Cameras, no matter how HD they are, tend to flatten and wash out faces, so sculpting and defining your features is key to looking more vibrant. Blush adds warmth to your cheeks, making you appear more alive. Makeup artist Vincent Oquendo recommends using an oval-shaped motion to swipe a pointed blush brush across your cheeks and back toward the outside of your face, which creates natural-looking definition. Highlighter draws attention to the high points of your face––cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, above the cupid’s bow––to create depth. You’ll immediately look more fresh-faced, which will also bring new life to your outfits!

3. Jazz up your outfit with a headband

Headbands made a comeback at Prada’s Spring 2019 show, and now there are a plethora of variations available. Knotted, jeweled, embellished…the list goes on, but they’ll all elevate your outfit. Popping a statement-making headband on your head can add a new dimension to your outfit by bringing out different colors, or simply make you look pulled together with minimal effort. Since headbands are worn so close to your face, it’s best to choose one with colors that balance with your personal value pattern.

4. Don’t immediately mute your voice or video

This is so important. Be present, be early, and think of relevant small talk to use before the Zoom meeting formally begins. Forging friendships, client lunches, and mentorship can still happen, but only if you show up and participate. Zoom meetings provide a great opportunity to easily make a good impression because so many people show up and mute themselves.

5. Send a handwritten note or a small gift

To be memorable in this confined time, do something different for your colleague or client after you finish your Zoom meeting. Something as small as an opportunity for a meditation session or a small box of chocolates will lift anyone’s spirit and their day. (Can’t find anything or don’t have the time? We’ve curated a diverse selection on our Favorite Finds page.)

6. Take a break

If you have been on three or four Zoom calls in a row, take the time out of your day for a short break. It is challenging to focus and be “on” for hours at a time. Recharge by taking a walk, exercising, or having a meal with a friend or family member.

We hope that these suggestions will help you feel more comfortable and confident about not only your image, but who you are. If you build a strong personal foundation now that brings you optimism and joy, then post-pandemic, you can thrive even more as a leader, colleague, friend, parent, and person. There is business being done and market share being created by those who are present, creative, and willing to pivot when needed––such as you!

 

Featured photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash.