Can you help me look less ugly in Teams calls?

[WaterWall22]

In real life I'm a pretty average looking middle-aged woman. Lots of my work is on Teams as I work for large national company.
Few times now when I've met people first time in person they've said something along the lines of: 'You look nice?!' in a really surprised way. One woman actually said 'gosh, you look so much nicer and younger in person!'
I've always thought myself that I do look terrible on Teams, but others clearly think so too!
So what do you do to look nice on Teams? I have to wear a headset due to confidentiality so hair is always flat which doesn't help..

Ring light. Takes at least 10 years off ;)

agree with those pp saying raise the camera so you are slightly looking up. Removes most of my jowly-ness. If I’m looking down into the camera I look like a frog.

Def a ring light, and play around with lighting in the room to see what suits you best. In my office, I close the blinds on the side window and use a warm setting on the ring light, plus use my overhead light bank thats slightly in front of me. My ring light is on an arm so I can get it just where I want it depending on if I'm sitting or standing at the desk.
Use a separate webcam, not the one on your laptop, ideally positioned so you are looking slightly up into it.
Put a scarf on in a good colour for you so that it is up reflecting onto your face - the camera can cut what you are wearing off weirdly this will fix that too.
Play around with makeup if you wear it to see the difference on camera. For big video meetings I used to do contouring as it really gave me a better look, and I'd never have done contouring irl

Certain lights are worse than others. So worth experimenting with where the light comes from.

We've got a Maybelline filter. You could try That!

Also the angle of the camera makes a big difference. I put my laptop on a couple of books so it's very slightly angled down. Wear colours that suit you.

Wear colours that suit you. Some styles look better than others too. I had some clothes that don't look great on me but look fine on Teams.
If you have daily meetings, try to vary your outfits a bit.

Put a couple of bits of sellotape over camera to soften and rather than head on make it point downward as much more flattering than straight on.

sorry, soft focus is the filter I meant

I look hideous on Teams - am gonna check out the blur features (thought that was only for the background).

I use the soft focus and a clip on ring light.

I’m disappointed that I don’t look like Teams me.

I use the filter turned way up and I think I’m basically catfishing people at work.

I worry they wonder why my mum is turning up to my meetings in person!

What height do you have your camera? Check it’s the most flattering angle

Although it’s better to look better in person than be a catfish surely? 😆

I have a SAD lamp on my desk behind my laptop, I find I look better if that’s on. Teams is hugely unflattering though. I don’t care too much, I have two screens so look at whatever is on the other screen when in meetings rather than looking at myself.

There's a filter?! May spend next week looking for this

I spend 95% of my time on camera as I train online.
I have my camera on my monitor slightly above my eyeliner.
I use iPod type headphones which means I don't have too flat hair but always wear my hair down ( definitely potato with hair up)
I also wear makeup - usually light eyeshadow eyeliner top lid and mascara. And a darker coloured lipstick.
Also a good background. We have a number of company teams backgrounds and I use the one that suits my colouring the best.

Laptop riser is a game changer, as is good lighting. I can’t wear my hair up on camera because any blur or background makes me look like a potato.

I'm a surprised potato too!

Can't help OP but how rude for someone to say you look younger/prettier than on Teams. The only acceptable thing to be surprised about is someone's height as you can't tell on screen and some people are really tall IRL!

Raise your laptop higher than how you usually work on it. My chest look colossal and matronly if it’s accidentally on camera. Looking up to the camera is better than the chins when looking down.

Lighting is the way forward. I have a SAD light just behind my laptop screen. It effectily "bleaches" out my winkles and tired skin.

Don't look down into your camera either, no one looks good from their nostrils.

I echo all the advice here - I moved from an in-person career to one almost fully on Teams meetings.

Ring light (use the warm setting).
make sure you are looking slightly up at camera, never down.
stronger eye liner than real life and lipstick. I never wore lipstick for 40 years but it’s better on camera.
glasses if you wear them make you look better but have the difficult side effect of reflecting your ring light and screen (and give you away if opening other windows during a boring meeting).

Wow

Lippy and soft focus!!

Angle of the camera and don't sit right up close.

I look better on Teams than real life. I work remotely and my team has a cameras on policy so I’m staring at myself a lot

As above, my webcam has a ring light, I use the blur filter and put lipstick on before a call (don’t really wear it in real life. I also keep a nice scarf nearby in case I want to look a bit smarter.