Photo: Kevin Laminto
It’s 8:45 am and you overslept. Your Zoom meeting begins in exactly 15 minutes, and after dressing from the waist up and raking your hair into a center-parted low pony, there are exactly five minutes left to tackle your face. Highlighter or mascara? To contour or not to contour? Here, celebrity makeup artist Vincent Oquendo—whose star clients include Winnie Harlow and Ella Balinska—breaks down the easiest tips to achieve a subtle glow ahead of your next video chat.
1. Apply a Good Moisturizer
“Skin care is absolutely essential when you are starting out any look, whether you’re home or not,” Oquendo says. After a quick cleanse, he recommends looking for a hydrating moisturizer that adds luminosity to the skin. “You need to prep and prime your canvas,” he says, singling out Tatcha’s dewy skin cream, formulated with hyaluronic acid and botanical extracts, as his top pick.
2. Grab Some Eyedrops
“The camera really picks up red and pink tones,” Oquendo says, “so you’ll look even more tired if your eyes are slightly red.” The pro suggests picking up a set of brightening eyedrops like Lumify, which take effect in about 60 seconds. “The drops constrict the veins on the surface level of your eye, keeping them comforted and looking super white for up to 8 hours,” he explains.
3. Swipe on Mascara
Next, Oquendo suggests heading over to your video call setup and using your laptop or phone camera as your mirror. “You’re able to see the lighting and how you will appear on screen,” he says. Then, to appear wide awake, curl your lashes and grab a black mascara. “It adds definition to your eyes and, in terms of pixelation, it will make them appear brighter on camera, which is exactly what we want.”
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4. Go Bright With Blush
“Here’s the thing about FaceTime and Zoom calls: Although they’re HD, you can look sort of washed out,” Oquendo notes. To avoid his “worst nightmare” scenario, apply a blush that’s a bit more vibrant than what you’d normally wear. “You want to have something on your face that pops,” he explains. “Adding warmth to your cheeks will make you look like you have more life.” For application, the expert recommends swiping a pointed blush brush in an oval-shaped motion across your cheeks and back toward the outside of your face. “Tap a bit of excess off before you apply,” he says, since the color is a tad brighter than what you are used to. If you’ve gone a bit overboard with the color, Oquendo suggests taking a dry Beautyblender and dabbing over the area to blend things out.
