Working From Home - Brighten Up Your Video Calls In One Easy Step #wfh

Working From Home - Brighten Up Your Video Calls In One Easy Step

As most people pivot to a work from home lifestyle - zoom video calls are becoming the number 1 way teams connect daily. Watch below for my #1 tip for showing up clearly on your team calls.

So now that you’ve watched the video here are a few other AWESOME tips that you can all implement A.S.A.P.

Lin Marty of Lin Marty Photography, a California Based Photographer specializing in personal branding says:

Make sure the screen is at a flattering height (collar bone and full head, avoid breasts. Put your laptop on a stack of books if needed), face toward the window (no back light), avoid artificial light when possible, make sure to have quality audio by using a mic or headphones (think of hairdo option that work with your preferred method)..

Also, have fun, wear bright colors, accessories, etc. avoid earrings if you are using headphones for audio.

I know from being in the industry and having lot’s of experience with virtual calls that there is so much you can do on this topic to be visually pleasing to your co-workers.

• Buffer your “getting ready for work'“ routine. I always add in a few extra minutes of buffer time for my make-up. When you are on video (similar to taking pictures or being on stage) the make up you put on should be a touch heavier that it would wear normally. I don’t normally wear foundation or heavy make up at all…I’m a natural look kinda girl…but when I jump on a video I change how I do my make up. I also make sure to also always have some slight lip color on along with my video make up.

• Wear color to stand out. Most of your team will be in black, white or navy. Be the person who shows up in a color and looks great. You’re still working- and in some cases will get face time with a lot more people. This is your chance to get noticed.

• Consider your lighting and background. I.E. Light facing your face BUT it should come from BEHIND the camera. Pretend you’re being filmed for a movie. Jump on video before your call to take a look at what others can see behind you. If your background is white, don’t wear a white shirt. You will look like a floating head. This tip goes back to my previous point about wearing color. Try to minimize what others can see on YOUR screen. So think of clean space and the best lighting you can.

Let’s all be successful on your video calls!

Yours in style,

Allie

Spring Clean Your Winter Sweaters

SPRING CLEAN YOUR WINTER SWEATERS

Learn all my tricks to care for your natural fibers at home.

Now that you’ve invested(and worn) you precious knits all fall and winter long it’s time to clean them before you tuck them away for the season. We no longer have the luxury of saying “I’ll just drop them off at the dry cleaner on my way to work…” so here are my tips for cleaning them in the comfort of your home. If you love a video I linked a HOW TO video from my youtube channel at the bottom of the article :)

Make sure you have the items to do this properly. You will need the following:

1. The Laundress | Wool & Cashmere Shampoo. 1 bottle will last you months if not YEARS. If you don’t have this cleaner than my back up of choice is Woolite (a mild detergent) or baby shampoo.

2. A ‘delicate’ garment bag for your wash (wash bags). You can find these anywhere and they come in all shapes and sizes. Simply google “garment bag for washing delicates” and the choices will pop up quickly.

Now that you have what you need, here is how you can safely clean your items. Place one item in a bag. Don’t double up. Don’t overload the wash. I stick to washing at most, two sweaters of the same color at once. This will take some time but we all have lot’s of time right now.

If there are any special detailing on your sweater(s) that you are worried about - turn it inside out before placing the sweater in the garment bag.

Once you have one sweater in one bag place it in the washing machine. You can use the COLD cycle or HAND WASH if your machine has that option. DO NOT WASH ON HOT (bc obviously). Use your Laundress Wool & Cashmere Shampoo(just a tiny bit) or the mild detergent as mention above of your choice.

Once your wash is done, simply remove the sweater from the bag, carefully un-wrinkle it and lay it fat on your dryer (preferably while running and drying other clothing but you don’t need to) or place on a drying rack so the sweater isn’t hanging or drooping while wet. This means when it’s on the rack make sure it’s well supported on the top rack. If you place it flat on a surface then just make sure to flip it so both sides air equally.

Voila! Your cashmere and wool sweaters will feel so much softer( and fresher) than ever before. Now they’re ready to be stored clean.

Yours in style,

Allie