Sunday, April 18, 2021

Valisia

I had a big Zoom meeting on Friday, in which I was being interviewed for a possible project. I hate how I look on Zoom, I look gray and washed out, no light is quite right, and I also worry about the clutter in my house showing up behind me. I'm sure no one really cares, but I still judge my personal presentation quite harshly. Who am I kidding? If the meeting had been in person I'd have been just as stressed. Anyway, I did try to prepare, not just by reading up on the subject but I also purchased a video cam attachment as the built in camera on my laptop is blurry and dark, very unprofessional. And I ordered a laptop stand so I could position the screen level with my face instead of having the people on the call looking at me from the neck up (dear God, the neck, and let me tell you, weight loss has not helped that situation, how cruel that is). Then I experimented with the lighting in different places in my house and I looked uniformly bad everywhere so I decided I'd just set up at the dining table in front of the window where I could at least be comfortable. 

I was relieved when Friday finally arrived, because at least the anxiety would soon be over. I tidied the living room and placed a vase of flowers strategically in the background (Maryam, it was the flowers you sent me, still showing off their blooms beautifully). I then showered and dressed and put on a full face of make-up, including painting on lipstick for the first time in more than a year. When I sat in front of the screen I did look somewhat better because now the eye makeup and lipstick grabbed more attention, so now I know that for work related Zoom calls I shall simply have to wear that bold pink shade of lipstick, Valisia it's called, to distract the eye. Ha! That's me Zooming in the picture. No idea if I made any sense in the interview, but my lipstick game was on point.



17 comments:

  1. You look beautiful. I would imagine that would be true both before and after the makeup. I'm hoping all of this works out in the best way for you. I just looked at the picture again. You look absolutely beautiful.

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  2. I would get vision checked if i were you- Gorgeous and not washed out! Where did that even come from? I am not sure if I should root for this job for you or not so I will just leave it with the cosmos. It sounds like the job may be too much of a JOB! I want you to relax a bit and enjoy the spring- we made it!

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  3. I don't know why you think you look gray. You are a beautiful woman, own it.

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  4. A long time ago Billy Crystal was always saying "you look mah-ve-lous" with a pronounced accent that was fake. Anyway, that's what popped in to my head when I saw your picture. You look really good and that is a perfect shade of lipstick for you. Zoom is your friend!

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  5. You look lovely, no gray in sight and Lilyceder is right. You are beautiful and should own that.

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  6. You look lovely! My son had a zoom interview last week, but I don't think he wore lipstick..he did however qualify for a 2nd interview this week!
    When I walk the dog in the morning I always apply some tinted moisturizer, mascara on top lids and eye pencil on bottom, and the finishing touch is some pink lipstick. Makes me feel ( and look) better. You never know who you might meet !!

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  7. You look great. Get a fake background
    J

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  8. Can't think of my neck without remembering Nora Ephron's quote: “Our faces are lies and our necks are the truth.”

    The good news is you look fabulous. The color of your lipstick and your jacket perfectly frame your lovely face.

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  9. Honey, if I looked that good I'd be itching to go out again.

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  10. seriously? that's the image of you looking wrinkled and washed out? girl, I don't look that good on my best days!

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  11. You look ridiculously over the top gorgeous because you are.

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  12. You've met the challenge of Zoom in such a lovely way. Zoom is an entirely different and substantially more challenging mirror, isn't it? It stretches our ability to see ourselves with the love with which those who matter see us. It is odd the way the light of Zoom can make us judge our appearance so harshly. Congratulations for facing so many layers of challenges last Friday!

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  13. That looks terrific. And you rock the colours. Available light is a stinker when you are trying to use any sort of camera because the blue end of the spectrum is not filtered at all. Try aiming a desk lamp from off camera at your face and see if the warmer light helps. Me, I have given up. A 79 year old face is awful, no matter what makeup and lighting I use.

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  14. I think you look great! Fabulous actually!

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  15. You look STUNNING in that photo! Truly. And you are such a talented writer that the job would be lucky to get you, but it also sounds as if not getting would provide some breathing room. It will work out however it is meant to.

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