5 Tips For Looking Your Professional Best In Your Next Skype Meeting

While you are practicing social distancing and staying indoors, you might be spending your office hours working out of your PJs on your bed. But there are times when a Skype call pops up and you have to get dressed and look presentable. Whether you’re catching up with your teammates or speaking to a client, Skype meetings have become more popular as most people around the globe are working from home.

Looking your professional best on these Skype meetings goes beyond just your makeup and outfit.

Read on to know five simple tips you should keep in mind before you turn your camera on and connect the Skype call.

1. Simple, Lightweight Makeup

While you do not need to go full glam, a little makeup for your video conference will help you look more presentable and put together. To start, use a lightweight liquid foundation like the Maybelline Fit Me Matte+Poreless foundation to even out your complexion and give you a natural-looking matte finish. Webcams are notorious for picking up light reflections, so any excess oil or shine on your face will be highlighted on screen. Using a matte foundation like the Fit Me Matte+Poreless will keep the shine in check.

Next, fill in your brows with an eyebrow pomade or an eyeshadow to define them. You can also apply the same product across your lash line to make your eyes appear bold and bright. Use a red or a pink lipstick to bring some colour to your lips. Add a flush of colour to the apples of your cheeks with a rosy blush. And that’s it, with just 4 or 5 products, you can do a quick full face of makeup for your video call.

2. Easy Professional Hairstyles

The last thing you need during an important Skype meeting is pesky flyaways on your face. To keep distractions to a minimum, we recommend tying your hair up in a quick bun or a simple braid. If you want to leave your hair down, you can secure the sides down with a pin or put on a headband so your hair doesn’t move around as much. You don’t even need fancy or complicated hairstyles to look professional. Something as simple as a sleek ponytail will keep the hair out of your face and keep your focus on the call.

3. Dress Well

While you might be tempted to just switch up your shirt and stay in your PJ bottoms, we recommend against it. Having a full attire will make you feel confident and alert during your Skype meeting. Not just that, you never know when you might have to get up to grab something from the other end of the room. An old, tattered pair of sweatpants or pyjamas will definitely not do you good here!

Avoid wearing bold patterns like stripes or plaid as they can sometimes appear weird on camera. Stick to single, bold colours that do not clash with your background. Dark colours usually look best on video calls but there is no hard and fast rule here, wear your favourite yellow shirt if you like!

4. Light And Angles

Adjust your laptop or your webcam so the camera is at an eye level. The angle of your camera significantly impacts how you look on video. Having a camera too far low can give you the dreaded double chin and you’ll have the camera looking up your nostrils, neither of which is flattering for Skype meetings. When speaking, make sure to look into the camera and not the screen, it gives the viewers an illusion of eye-contact.

Another very important part of preparing for a video conference is your lighting. Try to place yourself in front of a light source so you can illuminate your face and background well. Sitting against the light will make you look like a dark silhouette. Natural lighting works best, so try and adjust your laptop in front of a large, open window for all your daytime Skype meetings. If you’re on a video call post sunset, avoid harsh fluorescent lights, a soft lamp usually works best. Avoid direct overhead lighting as they can cast unflattering shadows on your face making your face look tired and worn out.

5. Uncluttered And Neutral Background

Although everybody on the call knows you’re working from home, they don’t need to see an unfolded pile of laundry sitting on your bed. Try to have a background with minimum distractions so the attendees of the Skype meeting can keep their focus on you. Sit against a wall that is not overloaded with pictures and paintings. You’re probably attending more video calls than usual, so consider clearing out a corner of your room or house and use it as a designated spot for video calls.

Your computer’s camera is very unforgiving and can draw attention to you for all the wrong reasons. It can wash you out making you look pale and tired and a messy background makes you look unorganized and lazy. Though Skype meetings and video conferences do not completely replicate an in-person face-to-face meeting, coordinating with your colleagues and business partners through these platforms have become the new norm. So we hope these tips answer your doubts about what outfits, hairstyles, and makeup to do for your next video conference!