Hide my cold on Zoom
August 12, 2024 7:23 AM Subscribe
I have a terrible cold, and also a meeting with my new division head today. It's over Zoom, so I can't cancel for contagion reasons, booo. I look like ass and a half -- nose is red and raw, hair is sad, eyes are puffy and red. What are some things I can do to look as close to normal and as far from death as possible?
The meeting is not until late afternoon, so I have some time. But naturally I also have work to do, so I don't have hours and hours. I am working from home so I have access to my whole apartment. I have a minimal collection of makeup, but I think all the "basics" are covered. Zoom has some filtering and I will def use it.
I already tend to look pretty awful on camera even when I'm at my best, so I'm definitely swimming upstream here. Any help appreciated!
The meeting is not until late afternoon, so I have some time. But naturally I also have work to do, so I don't have hours and hours. I am working from home so I have access to my whole apartment. I have a minimal collection of makeup, but I think all the "basics" are covered. Zoom has some filtering and I will def use it.
I already tend to look pretty awful on camera even when I'm at my best, so I'm definitely swimming upstream here. Any help appreciated!
Could you arrange to have really intense backlighting (eg sit in front of a bright window) so you show up as a barely-legible silhouette?
posted by BungaDunga at 7:26 AM on August 12, 2024 [7 favorites]
posted by BungaDunga at 7:26 AM on August 12, 2024 [7 favorites]
Start the meeting by saying, "excuse me in advance if I mute myself occasionally, I'm recovering from a cold!"
This is your *new* division head. Start your relationship with honesty and good humor, it's better when everyone at work acknowledges each other's humanity, I promise.
posted by phunniemee at 7:29 AM on August 12, 2024 [42 favorites]
This is your *new* division head. Start your relationship with honesty and good humor, it's better when everyone at work acknowledges each other's humanity, I promise.
posted by phunniemee at 7:29 AM on August 12, 2024 [42 favorites]
Response by poster: Just of note: it's literally a "meet and greet" so being off-camera or non-visible aren't really options here.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:29 AM on August 12, 2024
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:29 AM on August 12, 2024
Sorry you feel crappy! I would recommend showering if you have time, doing a gentle face steam over a pot of hot water, and moisturize your face. Apply some concealer under your eyes and nose. Use eye drops if you have them. A little lip balm or color on the lips. And whatever decongestant you have. I hope it goes well!
posted by sucre at 7:32 AM on August 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by sucre at 7:32 AM on August 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
in addition to specific cold drugs that probably have acetaminophen take an nsaid (ibuprofen, naproxen) to reduce redness/swelling in your face (yes you can stack tylenol + nsaid)
hair band / get your hair out of your face / pinned back
don't use front lighting, use side lighting to highlight the contours of your face not the colour
strong peppermint tea or strong mints to help normalize your voice
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:33 AM on August 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
hair band / get your hair out of your face / pinned back
don't use front lighting, use side lighting to highlight the contours of your face not the colour
strong peppermint tea or strong mints to help normalize your voice
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:33 AM on August 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
I assume you've checked out how you look right now on Zoom (with the lighting you'll have later, if possible, and with filtering), right?
Mostly I wouldn't worry about it at all - just tell them (ideally with a smile or humor) that "I have a cold!" Figure your hair out so you feel better about it, but I wouldn't worry about redness at all. (The Zoom filter is pretty good about that stuff anyway.)
If you want you can try out a few different clothing options to see what looks best through Zoom (try different colors and cuts) and play with lighting and distance from the camera.
But I think overall demeanor - like body language, energy, mood - and the quality of what you actually say will matter much more than how you look.
FWIW I have a lot of zoom meetings and often someone will apologize for how they look for whatever reason and I honestly (a) noticed nothing before they said it and (b) don't usually notice anything after they say it either. I do notice when people act tired, stressed, or preoccupied, and when they're looking away from the computer at their phones and so on.
posted by trig at 7:48 AM on August 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
Mostly I wouldn't worry about it at all - just tell them (ideally with a smile or humor) that "I have a cold!" Figure your hair out so you feel better about it, but I wouldn't worry about redness at all. (The Zoom filter is pretty good about that stuff anyway.)
If you want you can try out a few different clothing options to see what looks best through Zoom (try different colors and cuts) and play with lighting and distance from the camera.
But I think overall demeanor - like body language, energy, mood - and the quality of what you actually say will matter much more than how you look.
FWIW I have a lot of zoom meetings and often someone will apologize for how they look for whatever reason and I honestly (a) noticed nothing before they said it and (b) don't usually notice anything after they say it either. I do notice when people act tired, stressed, or preoccupied, and when they're looking away from the computer at their phones and so on.
posted by trig at 7:48 AM on August 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Make up tips:
- if you do eyebrows, do them today - directs attention up over the bags
- eyeshadow with no pink or red tones - neutral light brown is good
- black eyeliner on the top hugging the outer third of the eye and do a slight wing (again, everything draws up)
- the magic touch if you have it: white eyeliner on the water line
I suck at undereye colour correction so will leave that to others.
posted by warriorqueen at 7:49 AM on August 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
- if you do eyebrows, do them today - directs attention up over the bags
- eyeshadow with no pink or red tones - neutral light brown is good
- black eyeliner on the top hugging the outer third of the eye and do a slight wing (again, everything draws up)
- the magic touch if you have it: white eyeliner on the water line
I suck at undereye colour correction so will leave that to others.
posted by warriorqueen at 7:49 AM on August 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
Best answer: For reference, I’m super light/fair and fair skinned AND have sensitive skin…”not looking well” is kinda my version of the RBF, especially in a remote job with all the Judgy McJudgersons.
Go for a walk this morning and take a nice hot shower after - getting up and sweating it out a little really helps with fluid retention and drainage even if it feels like a death march.
Try a green-tinted ceramide face tint to hide redness/inconsistencies in skin tone…I have rosacea and on flare days (or days where I just feel self-conscious) I use this over my moisturizer but under makeup (I usually smear it on my face before getting dressed and by the time I’m done with that and ready for makeup, it’s ready to go. You can also get it at Sephora, Macys…hell, I’ve even seen it at Walgreens!
If you don’t do eyeliner, do it today and add white or a slightly lighter than nude eyeshadow to your brow bones and inner eye creases and finish with a mascara - better than caffeine for an “awake” look!
Sometimes if none of the above helps with appearance, I will go nuclear and add a top that is in crazy loud colors - a very distracting color/pattern helps. If this is not how you roll, the same can be achieved by adding statement jewelry to a black top. Even just a basic black tank top and a pretty pendant necklace with a little color goes a long way too (pendants also don’t look like you’re trying too hard). Stay away from earrings that move.
Go with side lighting but stay away from a window with the zoom filter up
You got this!
posted by floweredfish at 8:05 AM on August 12, 2024 [4 favorites]
Go for a walk this morning and take a nice hot shower after - getting up and sweating it out a little really helps with fluid retention and drainage even if it feels like a death march.
Try a green-tinted ceramide face tint to hide redness/inconsistencies in skin tone…I have rosacea and on flare days (or days where I just feel self-conscious) I use this over my moisturizer but under makeup (I usually smear it on my face before getting dressed and by the time I’m done with that and ready for makeup, it’s ready to go. You can also get it at Sephora, Macys…hell, I’ve even seen it at Walgreens!
If you don’t do eyeliner, do it today and add white or a slightly lighter than nude eyeshadow to your brow bones and inner eye creases and finish with a mascara - better than caffeine for an “awake” look!
Sometimes if none of the above helps with appearance, I will go nuclear and add a top that is in crazy loud colors - a very distracting color/pattern helps. If this is not how you roll, the same can be achieved by adding statement jewelry to a black top. Even just a basic black tank top and a pretty pendant necklace with a little color goes a long way too (pendants also don’t look like you’re trying too hard). Stay away from earrings that move.
Go with side lighting but stay away from a window with the zoom filter up
You got this!
posted by floweredfish at 8:05 AM on August 12, 2024 [4 favorites]
Best answer: In 2024, Zoom lighting that is so shitty that you can’t see the person is probably not the first impression you want to give if you are a person who does remote meetings regularly.
My approach would be to see how far drugs / tea will get you to feel human again in the morning. At lunch take a quick shower to make yourself feel good. Make sure your skin is well moisturised, especially areas like your nose that would have suffered with nose blowing. If your eyes still look puffy at that point, take an ice cube or a frozen spoon (something very cold) and place on the puffy areas, slow outward motions to help reduce the fluid buildup.
Now look at your face and see what needs evening out. Dark shadows may need lifting/colour correcting, redness may need toning down. I won’t tell you what specifically to use because this is not the time to try new products. As part of my regular routine I have a colour corrector, some concealer and some foundations/skin tints. Use whatever you find easy to use and can be asked to do. If you have any dry areas make sure there is no product stuck to that/use a clean brush to make sure there are no edges. If your eye lids are red include them as part of your evening out.
Or use a bit of neutral, lightish eye shadow.
Once you are evened out a bit do your brows. Mascara is always good for cameras. If you look pale after doing all of that, a tiny bit of blush to give you a bit of colour. Lip balm, if you have a tinted one to give you a bit of colour and your lips a bit of definition that’s grand.
In summary- make yourself feel as good as you can first, then do whatever will give you the biggest payoff to make you look as close to healthy as you can in under 10 mins.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:30 AM on August 12, 2024 [3 favorites]
My approach would be to see how far drugs / tea will get you to feel human again in the morning. At lunch take a quick shower to make yourself feel good. Make sure your skin is well moisturised, especially areas like your nose that would have suffered with nose blowing. If your eyes still look puffy at that point, take an ice cube or a frozen spoon (something very cold) and place on the puffy areas, slow outward motions to help reduce the fluid buildup.
Now look at your face and see what needs evening out. Dark shadows may need lifting/colour correcting, redness may need toning down. I won’t tell you what specifically to use because this is not the time to try new products. As part of my regular routine I have a colour corrector, some concealer and some foundations/skin tints. Use whatever you find easy to use and can be asked to do. If you have any dry areas make sure there is no product stuck to that/use a clean brush to make sure there are no edges. If your eye lids are red include them as part of your evening out.
Or use a bit of neutral, lightish eye shadow.
Once you are evened out a bit do your brows. Mascara is always good for cameras. If you look pale after doing all of that, a tiny bit of blush to give you a bit of colour. Lip balm, if you have a tinted one to give you a bit of colour and your lips a bit of definition that’s grand.
In summary- make yourself feel as good as you can first, then do whatever will give you the biggest payoff to make you look as close to healthy as you can in under 10 mins.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:30 AM on August 12, 2024 [3 favorites]
If you have green tinted colour corrector, that will help a lot with adjusting out some of the redness. The good news is that because zoom has such terrible video, this will be substantially easier than achieving the same effect in person. I also find a bright red lipstick is great at tricking the video into picking up less of my skin's redness, so again, if you've got it, now is a great time for a bold lip.
Do any makeup etc and then check it in a zoom call - I believe you should be able to turn the camera on without being in a meeting, but if not, perhaps a colleague would be willing to call you and leave the call open for you to check your face?
Good luck! I hope you feel better soon!
posted by In Your Shell Like at 8:44 AM on August 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
Do any makeup etc and then check it in a zoom call - I believe you should be able to turn the camera on without being in a meeting, but if not, perhaps a colleague would be willing to call you and leave the call open for you to check your face?
Good luck! I hope you feel better soon!
posted by In Your Shell Like at 8:44 AM on August 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
Take a shower and test Zoom's "improve my appearance" it may be just enough. It's easy to feel a mess and believe you look a mess. Do a quick test of your video in the Zoom settings.
posted by advicepig at 8:51 AM on August 12, 2024 [5 favorites]
posted by advicepig at 8:51 AM on August 12, 2024 [5 favorites]
Turn on Zoom's feature to touch up your appearance (under video settings in the app), and experiment with how much it's applied. It can do a lot.
posted by limeonaire at 8:52 AM on August 12, 2024 [5 favorites]
posted by limeonaire at 8:52 AM on August 12, 2024 [5 favorites]
I would contact new boss and ask if you can move the meeting up because you have a cold and if it weren't for wfh, you would have called out sick. As is, you are working today, but you want to be freshest when you zoom. They may volunteer to move the meeting to tomorrow or later in the week when you are feeling better or they may move it up. If they move it up, you get it over with sooner and they know not to judge you on your cold like appearance.
I have always felt the best defense in situations like this is a good offense. Show them you still want to have the meeting even though you have a terrible cold. If they cannot move it up, you have already notified them that you have a bad cold and might be looking under the weather.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:06 AM on August 12, 2024 [8 favorites]
I have always felt the best defense in situations like this is a good offense. Show them you still want to have the meeting even though you have a terrible cold. If they cannot move it up, you have already notified them that you have a bad cold and might be looking under the weather.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:06 AM on August 12, 2024 [8 favorites]
Canceling/not working because you're sick is also okay even if you're not in a situation where you can get anyone else sick.
posted by lapis at 9:13 AM on August 12, 2024 [13 favorites]
posted by lapis at 9:13 AM on August 12, 2024 [13 favorites]
Sorry you're not feeling great! There are a lot of suggestions above for making it look like you feel great, but I'd gently suggest that you're in control of whether you want other people to see you when you're not feeling great. Split the difference and start the meeting with the camera on, and say something apologetic about your congestion, cough, sneeze, etc. and explain that you're going to hop off-camera for the rest of the meeting so nobody has to watch you wipe your nose or something similar.
And regardless of how you're feeling/looking/sounding, I think it's always a good idea to remain muted for the meeting and then press the space bar to unmute when you need to. That way you can keep your coughs and sneezes to yourself.
posted by emelenjr at 9:17 AM on August 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
And regardless of how you're feeling/looking/sounding, I think it's always a good idea to remain muted for the meeting and then press the space bar to unmute when you need to. That way you can keep your coughs and sneezes to yourself.
posted by emelenjr at 9:17 AM on August 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
One thing to consider: maybe wear a mask. The person on the other end of the Zoom doesn't know your living situation, so you can always say "there are other people in my space who I don't want to share my cold with!"
The mask may mess with your audio enough that it isn't a good idea, but it's worth a test just to check, because that way you might not have to worry about a lot of the facial aspects of the cold you're dealing with.
Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!
posted by pdb at 9:25 AM on August 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
The mask may mess with your audio enough that it isn't a good idea, but it's worth a test just to check, because that way you might not have to worry about a lot of the facial aspects of the cold you're dealing with.
Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!
posted by pdb at 9:25 AM on August 12, 2024 [2 favorites]
Visine for the redeye.
Use zoom's "spacebar to unmute" option so people don't hear coughs or sniffles.
Use Zoom's "touch up my appearance" checkbox to soften your appearance a bit.
Use a warmer light, and use it from an angle if you have the option, to soften your appearance a bit more and make any ruddiness look more natural.
Otherwise don't worry too much about it.
posted by mhoye at 9:44 AM on August 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
Use zoom's "spacebar to unmute" option so people don't hear coughs or sniffles.
Use Zoom's "touch up my appearance" checkbox to soften your appearance a bit.
Use a warmer light, and use it from an angle if you have the option, to soften your appearance a bit more and make any ruddiness look more natural.
Otherwise don't worry too much about it.
posted by mhoye at 9:44 AM on August 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
I would also challenge assumptions about turning the camera off. It might be enough to have the video on for one minute, wave, then say you are under the weather and turn the camera off for the rest of the meeting. In my workplace, camera off if you’re sick is acceptable. Even if you’re wearing makeup, you’re at risk of leaking fluids out your face and that’s not a camera friendly experience.
posted by shock muppet at 11:25 AM on August 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by shock muppet at 11:25 AM on August 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
Bear in mind that some (by no means all) of the pressure to hide illness in workplaces is to avoid the ick of a sense of contagion and demonstrate continued efficiency in person -- neither of which apply here. I am sure you want to demonstrate that you are "on" for this first meeting, but I see nothing wrong with sounding or looking a little sick when you are, and it's probably better to mention it if you are concerned that you'll be a little off your usual game.
posted by LadyInWaiting at 11:52 AM on August 12, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by LadyInWaiting at 11:52 AM on August 12, 2024 [4 favorites]
a bit of jewelry might help you feel 'put together'
especially earrings if they will be visible on camera
perhaps a ring or two, just so you know you're wearing them
a nearby glass of water and maybe a quick note that you might need to go off camera for a moment or two.
posted by calgirl at 5:30 PM on August 12, 2024
especially earrings if they will be visible on camera
perhaps a ring or two, just so you know you're wearing them
a nearby glass of water and maybe a quick note that you might need to go off camera for a moment or two.
posted by calgirl at 5:30 PM on August 12, 2024
I think everyone else has it covered, but briefly, if this were me, I would:
1. Attempt to reschedule. It's perfectly reasonable to feel well enough to do some work from home in your pyjamas but not really well enough for a Zoom meeting (which isn't any less tiring just because it's virtual), especially when you would like to make a good first impression on a new colleague. But if rescheduling is very inconvenient...
2. Have a shower beforehand. This always makes me feel better when I'm feeling like death warmed up. It's a psychological boost, but also improves circulation and should have at least some decongestant effect.
3. Take whatever medication you can safely take to alleviate symptoms shortly beforehand -- e.g. a decongestant and/or an anti-inflammatory, and painkillers if you're actually in pain (although if you are, I really would try hard to reschedule).
4. I would absolutely not attempt to put on any makeup (except maybe face cream that has a mattifying effect). I'm very biased here, since I wear makeup about twice a year on average, but the idea of putting makeup on my sensitive, inflamed skin which has been rubbed raw from repeated nose-blowing fills me with particular revulsion, and if you share this feeling it should be perfectly OK to not do that, and only coast on the effects of the shower and Zoom's colour correction.
5. I wouldn't apologise for looking bad because I have a cold, but I might apologise for my voice sounding funny because I have a cold. This still conveys that I have a cold and this is why I may not look as put-together as I probably normally do, but I feel strongly that a normal person should be extended the grace to look like shit when they're ill (but have decided that they're not too ill to work remotely), and shouldn't have to apologise for that.
The usual caveat: I don't work in a public-facing position, don't have a dress code, and have no reason to believe that my appearance has a significant impact on how I am perceived at work -- I realise that this is unfortunately not everyone's experience.
posted by confluency at 2:03 AM on August 13, 2024 [1 favorite]
1. Attempt to reschedule. It's perfectly reasonable to feel well enough to do some work from home in your pyjamas but not really well enough for a Zoom meeting (which isn't any less tiring just because it's virtual), especially when you would like to make a good first impression on a new colleague. But if rescheduling is very inconvenient...
2. Have a shower beforehand. This always makes me feel better when I'm feeling like death warmed up. It's a psychological boost, but also improves circulation and should have at least some decongestant effect.
3. Take whatever medication you can safely take to alleviate symptoms shortly beforehand -- e.g. a decongestant and/or an anti-inflammatory, and painkillers if you're actually in pain (although if you are, I really would try hard to reschedule).
4. I would absolutely not attempt to put on any makeup (except maybe face cream that has a mattifying effect). I'm very biased here, since I wear makeup about twice a year on average, but the idea of putting makeup on my sensitive, inflamed skin which has been rubbed raw from repeated nose-blowing fills me with particular revulsion, and if you share this feeling it should be perfectly OK to not do that, and only coast on the effects of the shower and Zoom's colour correction.
5. I wouldn't apologise for looking bad because I have a cold, but I might apologise for my voice sounding funny because I have a cold. This still conveys that I have a cold and this is why I may not look as put-together as I probably normally do, but I feel strongly that a normal person should be extended the grace to look like shit when they're ill (but have decided that they're not too ill to work remotely), and shouldn't have to apologise for that.
The usual caveat: I don't work in a public-facing position, don't have a dress code, and have no reason to believe that my appearance has a significant impact on how I am perceived at work -- I realise that this is unfortunately not everyone's experience.
posted by confluency at 2:03 AM on August 13, 2024 [1 favorite]
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posted by fritley at 7:24 AM on August 12, 2024 [1 favorite]