Zoom Dysmorphia - WFH - How much bling is too much, in working from home?

[PreRaphaelite]

Hello friends,

I'm new to Zoom and Chime and other video chats that are required for my work. I bought the actual webcam in HD, and have stepped up my makeup and hairstyle game (even doing a salon visit soon for color) but no matter how much or how little bling I wear, it just never looks quite right on camera. I've taken to removing everything but earrings so that it doesn't distract me.

How has your experience been with your beloved sparklies? Stay about the same? Or do you layer on more? Or forgo bling altogether?

 

[qubitasaurus]

Oh wow. To be honest I've taken to keeping a hairbrush next to the computer as I'd stopped brushing my hair in the morning and you could tell on the zoom calls. Otherwise I do absolutely nothing for zoom, other than go into the settings and turn on a filter which stops it being high definition and improves your appearance. I always have this thing dialed right up as then I don't have to do anything else. Right at the moment my camera is broken and I've been avoiding fixing it, as that's even better than the filter. I think I got zoom/slack/teams fatigued at some stage.

 

[jaysonsmom]

I am also currently WFH, and on a number of video calls a day. I keep a brush and colored chapstick by my desk and can be camera ready in 5 seconds. As for bling, I have always wornmy standard diamond solitaire necklace, diamond studs while going in the office, but have increased my rings since working from home because I can bling out and take ring pictures at my desk without being self conscious!

 

[collier]

When I was working from home, I went with the statement necklace and little else. I kept a blazer type jacket on my desk chair and put it on for meetings. I dropped my seat down and lifted the computer so that it was not the up-the-nose effect.

 

[icy_jade]

So far I honestly don’t see much bling on zoom, but will suggest earrings if it helps you to feel more put together. My experience is that people are fairly casual on calls, but then again it’s all internal team calls and I don’t deal with clients. Think I’ll put in more effort if I’m client facing.

Personally I have a tray of “eye candy” rings on my work desk since I typically don’t wear rings at home and wear bracelets or a jadeite bangle but that’s all just for me to enjoy since they cannot be seen on calls.

 

[yssie]

I’m often hopping out of the shower two or three minutes before an internal call. Dripping hair, no makeup, and no bling is my norm.

For external calls… Yeah I just keep the camera off

 

[Cerulean]

I put in almost zero effort for video calls.

I rather enjoyed dressing for the office, so this has been a 180 for me. I stopped wearing makeup and getting dressed up the moment the pandemic hit.

I don't have external calls so...

Too bad for my colleagues!

Now that I have been venturing out more, my skin is reacting quite negatively to makeup after 1.5 years of being makeup-free. Oh well! More money for bling funds...

 

[yssie]

I put in almost zero effort for video calls.

I rather enjoyed dressing for the office, so this has been a 180 for me. I stopped wearing makeup and getting dressed up the moment the pandemic hit.

I don't have external calls so...

Too bad for my colleagues!

Now that I have been venturing out more, my skin is reacting quite negatively to makeup after 1.5 years of being makeup-free. Oh well! More money for bling funds...

OMG yes. Makeup! I can't do foundation ever again. My trustee Bare Minerals powder turned my face bright red after about ten minutes

 

[m-cubed]

When I remember, I leave my camera on but turn off self display so that I don’t stare at myself the whole time. That’s one thing sorted, but let’s talk about dressy shoes. I just sorted through my closet to find something for a wedding, and holy crap I have no idea how I wore any of those instruments of torture.

 

[qubitasaurus]

When I remember, I leave my camera on but turn off self display so that I don’t stare at myself the whole time. That’s one thing sorted, but let’s talk about dressy shoes. I just sorted through my closet to find something for a wedding, and holy crap I have no idea how I wore any of those instruments of torture.

I need this trick, I often catch myself staring at my image while talking. I don't know why I do this, but I do it more intently when I'm thinking about something. So the harder I'm thinking the less it looks like I'm actually focusing on the call. It drives me nuts.

 

[Cerulean]

OMG yes. Makeup! I can't do foundation ever again. My trustee Bare Minerals powder turned my face bright red after about ten minutes

Same...it's a bit tragic! It's fun to get dolled up SOMETIMES!

Will just need more sparkle to distract...

For me the worst is mascara...my eyes just get bloodshot! And I already had some ridiculously overpriced mascara for sensitive eyes...

And foundation...ugh don't even get me started. I feel like foundation with even a few minutes of mask-wearing (mandatory to go into any building in my city) just wreaked havoc on my skin. I didn't think I would have temperamental, teenage-like skin in my fricken' 30s!

 

[missy]

I have only ever done one FaceTime call (with one of my doctors) and have never done a zoom call. I am not a fan.
I prefer old fashioned phone calls.

Did anyone ever listen to those scary radio shows in the past?
All sorts of sound effects, creaking and whirring and other spooky sounds.
The imagination could run wild.
I loved those old radio shows.

But I digress.
Zoom calls have a place in the modern world for sure.
Especially when one is WFH.

But personally, give me an old fashioned phone call any day.
My hair could be up in a messy bun (and it most likely is) and I am wearing my comfy cozy sweats, no makeup and I am happy as a pig in mud. Or however that saying goes.
Video calls, no thanks.
I prefer a little mystery in my calls.


Some funny Zoom calls for your amusement.

35 Quarantine Conference Calls Gone Hilariously Wrong

Since the coronavirus outbreak, more and more people are starting to work and study from the comfort of their own home. Some of them, however, are as tech-savvy as my 89-year-old grandma and are running into some problems.

www.boredpanda.com

 

[dk168]

I honestly do not remember doing anything differently when I participated in video conferencing before and after the start of the pandemic, except to restrict the background as I don't have an office decided for work.

No change in appearance as I don't usually wear make-up as I am used to working in controlled environment in manufacturing.

Bling is usually minimal, just a pair of earrings as I seldom wear necklace to work for the same reason.

In short, I don't jazz up for Zoom meetings.

DK

 

[purplesilk]

...so I guess I' m weird:
clothes as I was going out: blouse, trousers, foulard, sometimes even the jacket (obviously no trench or coat);
hair as usual;
more makeup because I also wear lipstick which I don't wear outside home because I have to put mask to cover mouth and nose;
more jewellery (with no risk of losing or damaging) including some jewels I don't wear when going out ( for example, I discovered again the pleasure of wearing a diamond and pearl ring, which would be damaged by the sanitizer).

 

[Tartansparkles]

So...I'm bad. I don't normally wear my ring in the house, but, I get bored on calls, and I sit at the kitchen table and the kitchen lights, right above the table, are spotlights and if I just happen to wear my ring on a call...I get to watch all the little (sometimes not so little) flashes sparkling back at me. And then I might start trying different angles, just to really test the flashes. I need to get out more.

 

[diamondringlover]

I position my camera up so they can only see me from the neck up...dont want my PJ's to show...lol...and I do comb my hair (if I remember) lol

 

[lilmosun]

I put in almost zero effort for video calls.

I rather enjoyed dressing for the office, so this has been a 180 for me. I stopped wearing makeup and getting dressed up the moment the pandemic hit.

+1

I always dressed for work - coordinating my jewelry to accessorize, light makeup, making sure my greys didn't get too bad. Outside of work, I never cared about how I looked. Working from home, it has been roll out of bed 15-20 minutes before my first meeting. I do have a dainty dbty necklace that I pretty much wear 24x7 now as it goes with everything so I don't have to think about it but other than that seldom wear my jewelry at home.

I'm a manager so it's expected that I have my camera on in group calls. My manager once commented to me how two on our team never put their cameras on even when asked. My guess is that they don't want to be seen how they look working from home as both were always made-up and dressed to the nines when they came into the office.

Unlike her daughter (me), my mom is never caught without makeup...she wears it even when at home by herself (says she can't stand looking at herself without it) and it's always the first thing she asks for when in the hospital (even in ICU). I've been working remote from her house and one night, we had her first zoom call with family. The next day, I caught her staring at my face with concern. When I asked why, her comment was "Can people see you looking like that on your work Zoom calls? "

 

[Lookinagain]

I am on Zoom or Teams calls many times a week as I'm WFH since Covid started. I wear the same jewelry that I wore when I went to the office every day, but I'm one of those who doesn't remove it when I walk in the house and typically wear my diamond studs, a solitaire necklace and a ring on each ring finger, and a watch. I wear less makeup now. I never wore much but now I just put some color on my cheeks and some kind of lip tint. I do take my hair down out of the scrunchy for calls on video. I never wear mascara anymore. I dress everyday, but probably a little more casually than I did when I was going into the office. But my office is fairly casual so it's not a drastic change. The big change is I'm in slippers most days instead of real shoes.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

I'm glad so many people have responded; I feel like part of a trend.

When the project I'm on now is over, I will reassess my ring situation at your suggestion since they aren't as visible. I haven't worn stone-set rings in aeons, it seems. Oddly the signet ring that was such a hassle (long story for another day) gets daily wear and looks fine and not at all gangster-ish on zoom. But the necklace layers that look so amazing on my colleagues seem oddly nouveau riche on me, and I find them uncomfortable on zoom. Off-zoom they are a joy!

So, I'm rethinking my desk setup to optimise the zoom calls. Lipstick, earrings, barrettes, pressed powder, and blotting papers. And looking for a beautiful lacquered box for them.

As an aside, according to my favorite youtube influencer (Dr. Dray, board certified dermatologist with a PhD in molecular biology to boot), there's been a bumper crop of dermatologists serving the population of WFH professionals who don't like the way their skin looks on zoom, and further, a rush of plastic surgery appointments for the same reason. I admit to understanding this phenomenon! I've spent my bling budget on sunscreen and BB cream and all sorts of treatments and potions, at Dr. Dray's recommendation - you would think I'd know what I look like, but until zoom, I guess not!

 

[missy]

If I had to do a zoom call this is the filter I would use.



"I'm here live, I'm not a cat"


OMG no matter how many times I see this it's too funny every single time.

 

[chere]

I used to get very dressed up for the office and I wasn’t happy seeing a grey tone pixilated version of myself on screen when I started using to Zoom. I wanted to look good and I tested 6 webcams that cost between $25 – 300 and 3 ring lights that between cost $75-150.

The best I found was a $45 webcam from Amazon. It had the right color balance factory set and I only had to plug in. I put a 5000K Amazon brand lightbulb on an old desk lamp behind my computer monitor. The light behind a monitor is called back lighting and it’s supposed to reduce eye strain as well. And I got $25 white pull down blinds from Ikea to diffuse the natural sunlight. I hope you give the webcam a try.
https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-AUSDOM-Monitor-Recording-Streaming/dp/B086YCPNS8/

As for jewelry, I’ve found a renewed appreciation for the “fine jewelry” my mom gave to me when I was younger. I think they are dressy and yet understated. It looks good if I’m wearing a simple blouse or sweater. I’ve been wearing a sterling silver 22” Singapore chain and 18K rose gold 20” chain with CZ bezels almost daily and occasionally I’ll wear my 18K White Gold 18” marine chain or 18” strand of 6mm fresh water pearls. I only started learning about the different types of chain styles.

I love studs and I rotate through my collection of everyday. But I take them off before I go out. I learned the hard way earrings and face masks don’t do well together.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Hello friends,

I'm new to Zoom and Chime and other video chats that are required for my work. I bought the actual webcam in HD, and have stepped up my makeup and hairstyle game (even doing a salon visit soon for color) but no matter how much or how little bling I wear, it just never looks quite right on camera. I've taken to removing everything but earrings so that it doesn't distract me.

How has your experience been with your beloved sparklies? Stay about the same? Or do you layer on more? Or forgo bling altogether?

I have never used zoom apart from a funneral in the US
but one of the hosts of a popular nightly current affairs show here had to self isolate for two weeks so ahe would pop up from home
she went all out - even a tiara one night

I think i would definatly do good earings and a nice necklase

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

OMG yes. Makeup! I can't do foundation ever again. My trustee Bare Minerals powder turned my face bright red after about ten minutes

Ouch
im sorry to hear about skin reactions but this thread has given me a good chuckle or too

 

[margauxmines]

We're not required to be on camera for video calls in our company. But the few times that we do have to make an appearance, I don't do anything out of the ordinary (aside from makeup, if it's an "event" kind of thing).

My ordinary: stud earrings (most often moissanites, sometimes small pearls), my rings (on each middle and ring finger), sometimes a dainty chain necklace, either my plain RG one or my WG with a tiny little bezel-set diamond pendant. I used to wear my Pandora bracelet around the house—because where the hell else can we wear our things now! —but stopped since it would get kinda cumbersome throughout the day.

Wear whatever you want to, whatever you're comfortable with! We're working in front of an electronic screen while a pandemic continues to ravage the world—beauty rules are senseless!!

 

[Wink]

I find my biggest problem with Jewelry on Zoom is that I have to rub my chin or scratch my nose or something so that people can see my beautiful rings...

I don't get to wear earrings 'cause I am not going to pierce my ears at this stage of my life.

I need to put a sparkle light up next to my camera so people can enjoy my rings more. I shall have to practice pensively holding my chin while listening to the other person on the call.

Wink