10 Beauty Shortcuts To Help You Look Put-Together For Your Next Video Meeting

For when you've got eight minutes to look presentable.

Whether you're rolling out of bed just in time for your Zoom meeting or prepping to FaceTime some friends, you're torn between doing your makeup and just not caring. Both are totally valid, which doesn't make the decision much easier.

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All that effort for a call that you're going to be sitting in a nice top and pajama pants for (at your kitchen table) might not seem worth it. But maybe you just feel a smidge more confident when you've done at least a little something. So why not a middle ground? You don't have to go full glam-squad to look put-together for your next video chat. So here are some beauty shortcuts instead.

1. Prep your skin with a moisturizer to keep your skin healthy and hydrated — and luminous and glow-y for the camera.

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Listen, it's completely okay if your motivation to do a full face of foundation and contour is a bit lacking. A solid moisturizer can keep your skin at its best, so if you're only looking to do one, easy (or super low-effort) thing, this is it!

Check out why my colleague Sarah loves CeraVe Moisturizing Cream (which you can get from Target for $14.49) in this post about game-changing moisturizers (#2).

2. Wear tinted moisturizer if you don't feel like wearing foundation but don't want to give up the coverage.

Sarah Han / BuzzFeed

Tinted moisturizer is basically a great 2-in-1 product. You get all the hydration and coverage without having to apply moisturizer and then blend out foundation. Talk about saving time and effort!

My colleague, Sarah Han, had tried six tinted moisturizers when she switched from foundation to tinted moisturizer. You can get some of her favorite picks from Sephora: the Laura Mercier for $47 (available in 20 shades) and the Amorepacific for $60 (available in five shades). She also liked Winky Lux's tinted moisturizer (get it from Winky Lux for $28; available in seven shades). She says her skin has never looked better, so read her full review here!

If you're not 100% sure about tinted moisturizer yet, check out this Nyx Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil from Target for $12.99 in light, medium, and dark shades (each shade has more skin tone colors to choose from).

3. Use a refreshing eye cream or eye mask to help brighten and depuff your eyes, which could make you look more awake for your meeting.

Instagram: @jennifertonti

If you have the time and foresight, you can slap on some under-eye masks (like the ones my colleague Jen loves from Dermstore for $17.50) or a gel eye mask (read about my gel eye mask picks here) to help improve blood circulation and eye strain/muscle fatigue. But if masks aren’t your thing, a refreshing eye cream can do basically the same job (like Origin's GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream, which you can get from Sephora for $32).

4. Dab some concealer under your eyes, on the bridge of your nose, and anywhere you want a little more coverage. Then use your finger to pat it in. You’re brightening your face and evening your skin tone in less than a minute.

Taylor Miller / Alice Mongkongllite / Via BuzzFeed

The key to concealer is getting the right shade, otherwise your skin may look a little uneven between spots with and without concealer applied, especially if you're not using foundation on top. And if you’re not using foundation, opt for a concealer with buildable coverage. Buildable concealer will allow to you add layers (i.e. put more on) as needed — like if you're just trying to conceal a faded acne scar vs. a very angry, red zit. This helps the coverage blend and look more natural on your skin, so that there aren't harsh "lines" between spots with concealer vs. without.

If you don't have any concealer on hand and are unable to sample concealer shades to purchase right now, try to pick a shade that matches your current foundation (that you know matches your skin). Fenty offers 50(!!) shades of their Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Concealer at Sephora for $26.

5. Apply a few dabs of color corrector (instead of or with concealer) where needed — like dark circles or areas with redness — to neutralize your skin tone *without* having to pull out your trusty full-coverage foundation, especially because the color balance on your webcam isn’t fantastic.

Jenny Chang / Via BuzzFeed

Sometimes, concealer just doesn’t cut it. If you’re specifically fighting spots that seem to show through your concealer, then consider trying a color corrector. If you’re fighting redness, try a green color corrector. For brown spots, go for yellow. Try a purple color corrector for dullness. And if you’re specifically trying to negate dark circles, use a peach or orange (lighter skin tones should try peach while darker skin tones should try orange).

Try this NYX color correcting palette from Target for $11.99 for the most bang for your buck. It comes with all the colors in the guide above!

6. Swipe some mascara (or a lash conditioner) onto your lashes to extend the size of your eyes, making you look more awake and ready for this vid chat — despite the fact that you were wearing your PJs just two minutes ago.

Taylor Miller / Alice Mongkongllite / BuzzFeed

You don’t have to stick to a traditional black mascara, especially if you’re aiming for a more effortless look. A brown mascara looks more natural. (Get a tube of L'Oreal brown mascara from Amazon for $6.74 — it actually comes in 10 colors).

Or, you can use a clear mascara to just comb and style your lashes. If that’s too much, just try a lash conditioner or a lash serum. They’ll help enhance your lashes by keeping them hydrated and healthy. This Pronexa lash serum from Amazon (for $29.99) has over 23,000 reviews. Oh, and curl your lashes, too.

7. Moisturize your lips with some tinted lip balm to give them a touch of color on screen and without having to carefully (re: painstakingly) apply that tough-as-armor liquid lipstick.

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No one really wants dry or flaky lips, in general. Fear not, tinted lip balm adds pigment and hydration — a true two-in-one. Plus, it’s easier and quicker to apply than a lipstick. You can get this Burt's Bees tinted lip balm from Target for $4.79 (and it comes in six colors).

For more recommendations, check out The Best Tinted Lip Balms review we did for every budget.

8. Fill your brows lightly with a pencil to add some pigment, then use a spoolie to brush and blend it through. It's an easy way to enhance your brows since they really frame and help balance your face.

Keith Morrison / Alice Mongkongllite / Via BuzzFeed

There are a few ways to fill in some spots that are sparser than you’d prefer or fill your entire brow. You could also use an easy tinted fiber gel to add some volume to your brows (I highly recommend Benefit's Mini Gimme Brow Gel from Sephora for $14; it comes in 10 shades). Alternatively, if your brows are thick enough, just use some clear gel to comb and neaten them up. You could even use some hair gel you have lying around and a clean mascara wand.

9. Strategically apply highlighter to the high points of your face to brighten and give it some more dimension on screen.

Taylor Miller / Zoë Burnett / BuzzFeed

High points include the inner corners of your eyes, the tops of your cheekbones, your cupid’s bow, the tip of your nose, and your brow bones/temples. You don’t have to apply a glam-level amount, either. If you’re using a powdered highlighter, just lightly sweep some onto your face. If you’re using a liquid highlighter, blend it out with your finger.

10. Dust a little blush on your cheeks to give your face some warmth in the awkward lighting of video chats.

AnaMaria Glavan / BuzzFeed

Sometimes, we look paler than we are or more washed out on camera. An easy way to avoid this is to use blush. It gives your face some warmth and makes you look more animated. You can get the pictured Cloud Paint (a buildable gel-cream blush) from Glossier for $18.

You, impressing everyone with how good you look even while staying at home:

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