Did you have to cancel a trip because of the Islandic Volcano? You meeting might very well end up on Skype. Make sure you look the part.

Are you sharing or scaring? Follow this 1 minute guide to looking your best on a web cam.

It is so easy these days. You are chatting on Skype, MSN, Google or what ever chat programme that enriches your life. You are all smiles, hysterical jokes and insightful remarks. All you have to do to give the person in the other end the full multimedia experience is to push the video button and up pops your pretty face. Too much is never enough, right? But honestly- should you be sharing, or will you be scaring, the person you are talking to?

You might feel on top of the world in the heat of an online meeting, or even online flirt, but tired eyes, zits, bad hair days, no make-up and your ugliest t-shirt (laundry day?) could be how you look. This is a time to look yourself in the mirror on a more than metaphorical level. You have got to ask yourself,  ’would I invite this person home to sit next to me in this room right now?‘ Unless your mother is on the other end, chances are you should not be video chatting.

But maybe your boss is already there on your screen waving at you water combed hair, tie and all. Telling you to turn on your cam. What to do? Don’t panic. Elektronistamag have put together an emergency first aid list of tips on how to optimise your online looks. All can be done within a minute.

1. Two second out fit: Hide your coffee stained t-shirt with a dressy jacket, a large scarf or a big necklace. Don’t worry about pants. Haven’t you ever heard the urban myth that news anchors are naked from the waist down? Nobody will ever know if you just keep the camera on your face and avoid standing up.

2. Hair resque: Tie your hair in a quick pony tail or put on a cool hat or sports cap. You don’t have time to wash, comb or blow dry.

3. Make up in no time: Mascara, blush and lipgloss can be applied within seconds. Alternatively a pair of dark framed designer glasses can come to the rescue. (With the obvious benefit of making you look like your are working seriously)

4. Teeth faking it: The easiest part. Unless you have a whole spinach leaf wrapped around one of your front teeth, nobody will be able to detect that you skipped flossing this morning.

5. Back ground check: Take a look around you. Nobody has to see your mess. Just make sure you turn on the cam with a clean wall as back ground.

Now you are all set to go. Happy camming!