Hands up who’s looking forward to the office Christmas party on Zoom this year? Hello? Helloooo? Perhaps we’ve lost connection here, we don’t see many hands…
We’re only playing. For many, and after the tedious time we’ve had of it in recent months, the Zoom Office Christmas Party might well be the highlight of the year, full of novelty, a chance to get as drunk as you please and possessing of the most convenient of exit strategies should your office crush not show up.
Therefore, it’s vital that you get your look right. You want to strike that perfect balance between looking gorgeous and it seeming effortless; too much makeup on Zoom can look a bit clown-like, after all. With this in mind, we’ve teamed up with online retailer Escentual.com to bring you these tips on how to do glamorous Zoom party make up properly in 5 simple steps.
STEP 1 – THE PRIMER
It’s so important to prime your skin before applying makeup, and this is especially true on Zoom as priming properly will reduce the shine on screen. As anyone who has assessed their own image when conference calling will attest, Zoom isn’t exactly flattering, and can highlight shine areas; it’s really important to get the base right, then.
The solution? Benefit’s the POREfessional Pro Balm eliminates excess oils and visible pores, and its lightweight balm can be used alone, under or over the top of your makeup. Translucent in colour, the invisible-finish primer helps keep your makeup shine-free. Result!
Benefit The POREfessional Pro Balm – Face Primer 7.5ml £10.20 at Escentual.com
STEP 2 – THE MULTI-TASKING EYE SHADOW PALETTE
You’re hoping to look Glamorous (capital G intended) for the party, right? From such a distance, you’re going to need to turn up the volume on the colour to get noticed. Zoom tends to blanch our your skin tone so the bronzing powder in this compact will really help build a better and healthier glow. You can mix and match the eyeshadows to create looks from subtle to smouldering. Personally, and when appearing virtually, we prefer the latter.
bareMinerals Warmth Eye & Cheek Palette £32.00 at Escentual.com
STEP 3 – SOME BLUSH FOR A RADIANT GLOW
It’s better to wear a powder that is a little more vibrant than you would normally wear because Zoom calls tend to bleach out skin tones. This ultra-luxurious GIVENCHY Prisme Libre loose powder has a fusion of four complementary, complexion-enhancing shades that you can merge together seamlessly to create a natural, unified and refined finish. This sheer powder mattifies, colour-corrects, conceal flaws and sets make-up to ensure a longer-lasting, flawless look.
GIVENCHY Prisme Libre Mat-finish & Enhanced Radiance Loose Powder 4 x 3g £36.55 at Escentual.com
STEP 4 – FOR POLISHED & FILLED BROWS
Depleted brows really show up on Zoom calls; this pen provides the answer, and is just great for filling in any gaps. Benefit’s Microfilling Pen creates the illusion of natural brow hairs by filling in your eyebrows with ultra-fine tinted lines, and the good news is that it’s available in a range of shades, too. The pen draws fine, hair-like strokes to enhance your existing eyebrows using a tip with prongs of differing lengths. And who wouldn’t welcome the chance to do that?
Benefit Brow Microfilling Pen 0.8ml £19.10 at Escentual.com
STEP 5 – THE FINISHING TOUCH LIP GLOSS COLOUR
Generally speaking, a lip gloss colour works better on screen than a lipstick. It has a more natural look, whereas the bold block colour of lipstick is too strong for video and will become too much of a focal point (if anyone ever looks up from checking out their own reflection, that is!). This Clarins Lip Perfector adds a touch of colour and shine, but will also help to keep your lips soft and smooth. Though this year, the kissing of colleagues under the mistletoe, of course, will be entirely off limits.
Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 12ml £16.25 at Escentual.com
AN EXTRA TIP
Add some glitter and sparkles for some festive fun!