Vloggers and Live Streaming Stars: How to look your best on camera

Taryn Davies
Published: August 29, 2017

It’s official: live streaming is here to stay. Whether you’re using YouTube, Twitch, Facebook Live or even Periscope, chances are you’ve either watched someone else stream or already conducted a stream for yourself. However, did you know that live streaming dates back to the very earliest days of the internet?

In 1993, garage band Severe Tire Damage became the first band to ever live stream online after sharing their Xerox PARC concert around the world. Two years later, RealNetworks streamed a baseball game the American League Playoffs and the city of Seattle streamed a live orchestra from the Paramount Theater. 1995 was also the year Word Magazine launched and began streaming content on the internet, though the company did focus heavily on audio rather than visuals.

As computing power and internet capabilities increased, so too did the technology behind live streaming. By the end of the noughties, almost every social media platform had live streaming abilities while the iGaming industry began to broadcast live dealer games online to create a more immersive, interactive and endlessly interesting experience for players.

Now, live streaming is just as important to the online experience as status updates, on-demand videos and blogging. This year alone, two advertisers decided to step up to the challenge of live streaming their campaigns for the first time, and during the Super Bowl no less. No doubt, Snickers and Hyundai undoubtedly showed the world what live streaming was capable of, with content created by BBDO and INNOCEAN Worldwide respectively.

Chances are you yourself will probably want to partake in live streaming at some point or another, if you haven’t done already. But when everyone has access to this tech, how can you stand out and really look your best? Oddly, although there are lots and lots of makeup tutorials both livestreamed and available recorded on YouTube and elsewhere, there don't seem to be many tips on how to look your best while doing this. We thought we’d help you out:

Lighting

While having a high-quality camera and microphone is clearly very important, lighting can make or break whether your stream looks professional. After all, even cheap cameras can produce amazing scenes if the lighting is good enough.

How to look your best on camera when vlogging and live streaming TheFuss.co.ukWhen setting up your lighting, make sure to bear your audience in mind rather than how you look. Too much and you’ll look like a ghost with no facial features, too little and they won’t be able to see you. Most YouTubers tend to use softboxes or studio lighting panels, many of which can be purchased in kits from Amazon. Alternatively, if you have only one lighting source for now such as an overhead light, lamp or even a skylight simply angle it ever so slightly to your left or right, as this will create shadows and depth.

Of course, chances are most lighting sources will create a moderate amount of heat so we also suggest adjusting the temperature in your set. Before streaming begins, turn your air conditioning up or your heating down so that the room is a little chillier than usual. Once you start streaming and the lights are on, the room is sure to reach a level of comfort without the need for noisy air con or fans in the background.

Makeup

Now, here’s where things get tricky. Video cameras and lighting will really highlight your natural beauty, but they will also show any blemishes, spots, cuts, scars, sunburn and any other number of issues each and every one of us probably has no matter how much Sudocreme we use. The first step to fixing this is removing any extra facial oils that may have been produced while setting up your stream. Simply blot or wipe your face and any extra perspiration caused by lugging lamps around is sure to disappear.

Now, you can focus on your makeup style of choice. There are plenty of options, so really it depends on your own style. If you’re streaming for the first time, you may want to take a look at how other people have done their makeup in the past. For instance, watch the female croupiers in dealing at live casino games who live stream every day and tend to wear a strong base of foundation and powder to avoid that awful shiny look, alongside natural lip colours and glowing eye makeup that really brings out their eyes. Alternatively, you could look to the professionals who live stream regularly on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch, such as Laci Green, Savannah Brown and Natalie Tran. Focus primarily on the beauty channels, as we can almost guarantee they'll have a makeup tutorial somewhere in their backlog.

How to look your best on camera when vlogging and live streaming TheFuss.co.ukWhat To Wear

When we want to look our best, we always tend to go for our favourite outfit automatically. Well, when it comes to live streaming your favourite outfit may not be the best choice. This is especially true if your number one getup has bright colours as well as plenty of patterns and contrasts. You see, the camera ‘sees’ the world very differently when compared to the human eye and can often react negatively to certain colours, colour combinations and patterns.

So, the crucial factor you must keep in mind when picking your camera-ready outfit is to keep it plain and simple. This doesn’t mean dressing down or drab, you simply need to avoid:

  • Bright colour combinations.
  • Patterns such as plaid, stripes, gingham or intricate checks.
  • Glittery or shiny materials.
  • Loud and/or distracting jewellery that catches light or makes a lot of noise.

Instead, aim for medium colours like maroon, dark grey, purple and darker greens with little to know patterns or embellishments. This will ensure that you look your best without distracting the audience, though you can always brighten your look up with some nice nail varnish.

There you have it: some simple tips that are sure to help you look professional, beautiful and totally prepared for this new world of live streaming. Let us know if you have any live streaming experience and tips, as well as where you like to live stream.