UrbanUpdate

Weeks-deep into social distancing, you've probably logged tens—maybe hundreds—of Zoom meetings and happy hours and remote birthday parties and maybe even a date or two. And in those hours spent, frankly, staring at your own face, you've become intimately acquainted with just how trash a laptop camera can be. It has no respect for your good side, the screen's fluorescent lighting only accentuates your sallow indoor mole-people life, and at these angles, a second chin is damn near unavoidable. But there's a better way.

We asked Asia Geiger, who spends her days making celebrities like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hasan Minhaj, and Jason Segel look camera-ready, what a guy who's a not red-carpet-native can do. She kindly gave us professional-grade advice on how to get your face—particularly, your skin—looking close-up ready with the help of a few products you can add into your daily bathroom-mirror routine. We're not saying you need to do all of this just to hop on an all-hands. But if you're looking to steal the Zoom spotlight, here's how:

1. Get acquainted with mattifying and tinted moisturizers

That moment when the camera catches a glint off your forehead, or makes your skin look as gray as a drab spring sky, is a good reminder to consider trying a new moisturizer—one that's tinted or mattifying. Matte moisturizers will keep glare at bay. Tinted moisturizers aim to even out your skin tone, which hides discolorations, splotches, or inconsistencies. By using a tinted moisturizer, you can “warm the skin up a bit to correct imperfections”, says Geiger—especially helpful now that quarantine has left us less sun-kissed than usual. “Choose the color that matches the warmest [tone] of the face,” she advises, if you want to look your healthiest. Just avoid venturing into over-dyed Trump territory.

bareMinerals tinted moisturizer$33

Sephora

Choose from 20 shades.

Mattifying moisturizer can be neutral or tinted. “It will take some shine off and smooth the skin,” says Geiger.

Clinique for Men mattifying moisturizer$29.50

Nordstrom

2. Powder yourself

There's a reason that news anchors get powdered by the makeup staff just before the cameras roll—powder absorbs grease and minimizes sweat, both of which can turn into intense shine on camera. “While I am prepping someone for the red carpet, I will finish with powder to mattify skin even more,” says Geiger. Your average Zoom may have slightly less at stake than an Oscar hopeful at a movie premier, but the same lesson applies. A little talc's especially helpful if you're fresh out of the shower or just got finished with a workout.

NARS setting powder$37

Sephora

Be sure to pick the correct color from their two options based on your skin tone. And buy a powder brush so that you can properly apply.3. Kick-start a camera-ready skincare regimen

This may add an extra step or two to your routine, but the upside is...looking damn good.

Cleanse: Obvious, but important. “Get rid of face surface oil so your products will be absorbed better,” says Geiger. While we figure you already have a preferred cleanser, Geiger also uses a cleansing brush on her clients. “It will invigorate your skin and add healthy color. If there is dullness to the skin it can help brighten it up.”

The Art of Shaving cleansing brush$40

Amazon

Tone: Toner continues to be a mystery to most, but it's helpful for two things: prepping the skin to get the best from multiple products and neutralizing oil production.

Bioderma toner$17

Amazon

Moisturize: f you don’t need a mattifying or tinted moisturizer, try , then Geiger’s favorite everyday hydrator, which she likes because it doesn't add any extra shine.

V76 daily moisturizer$18

Amazon

Prep with eye patches: This final step decreases eye puffiness or dark circles—hangovers, it turns out, hit just as hard under quarantine—and even adds a little glow to the skin. Everyone's already staring at your eyes on the all-staff Zoom. Might as well leave 'em jealous.

Peter Thomas Roth 24K gold eye gel patches$75

Sephora

4. Spot check with concealer

Similar to a tinted moisturizer, a concealer hides inconsistencies from scrutiny—pimples, dark under-eye circles, patchy skin, etc. By gently dabbing it on with your ring or pinky finger, you blend the concealer to match the surrounding skin tone. But first, you need a concealer that actually matches your skin tone. Since no one's visiting a Sephora right now, Geiger has some advice for buying online. “First you want to determine your skin shade: Is it more yellow or peachy?” she says. This will point you to the right field of tones. When it comes to matching your exact tone on a digital display, trust your gut. “Many makeup brands have concealer colors displayed quite well on their websites,” she says. “Pull it up on the phone and compare it to your skin in the mirror, preferably with natural light.”

NARS matte concealer$30

Sephora

5. Take extra steps for oily skin

Geiger likes to use charcoal blotting papers on shine-prone clients. "These have extra sebum-cleaning properties,” she says. “Depending how oily the skin is, I may first blot it with tissue, and after I take the most oil off, I proceed with blotting paper." Consider it your just-before-a-quarterly-presentation secret weapon.

Tatcha Japanese blotting papers$12

Amazon

Geiger also recommends doing a clay or charcoal mask the night before, since that will extract the most sebum and gunk possible. It makes pores look smaller, too, if you've been looking at the screen and worrying that yours resemble manhole covers.

Brickell charcoal mask$35

Grooming Lounge

6. Find your most flattering light

Good lighting is generally the secret to looking great on screen. It's why—or partially why—Annie Liebovitz and Mark Seliger get paid very well to shoot magazine covers and your photos of your cat, Timothée Meowlamet, struggles to crack double digit likes on IG. While Geiger may not be a lighting technician, she does prep her talent to look their best under all different types of lights.

“I think it's best to invest into a selfie ring light,” she says, channeling the wisdom of a thousand YouTube stars. “They are very inexpensive and come with three different light colors: warm, cool, and daylight, and you can control the light brightness. They are also easy to move around.”

QIAYA selfie light ring for laptops, tablets, and phones$22

Amazon

“Another option is to get a bulb balanced for daylight, and use it with your lamp,” says Geiger. Note that daylight bulbs will do wonders for your face while on camera, but tend to feel mildly antiseptic otherwise.

Energetic daylight LED bulbs (8-pack)$13

Amazon

“You can place the light right in front of you and behind the computer or phone if you want your face lit evenly, or you can play around and move it slightly to the side," says Geiger. The latter will add some shadows, which works well if your boss is Martin Scorsese, but might be too moody for a quarterly report. A more all-purpose angle: "Just slightly above your head and pointing down at your face," says Geiger.

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Adam Hurly has been covering men's grooming since 2013 (and for GQ since 2016). He is also a travel writer. In Fall 2024, Adam is launching Blue Print by Adam Hurly, a men's grooming platform. Adam resides in Lisbon (previously Berlin, NYC, and San Francisco). He is a Sioux Falls, SD, native... Read moreWriterInstagramRelated Stories for GQBathroom and ShowerMoisturizerSkincare