The world might have felt as though it was on hold for the last few months, but that hasn’t stopped single people dating. Many have been finding each other online, and holding dates over video call. Of course, this new normal is due to change again, as lockdown restrictions are eased.

For those who have enjoyed wearing their sweats while they get to know potential partners, this may come as a shock, but we’ve got a couple of tips to help you maintain your date game, even during this period of transition.

Let a Mask Replace Your Lipstick

With face masks becoming this season’s must-have accessory, your makeup game may have to change. If you’re on a first date, you probably don’t want to get too close, and it’s probably best to keep the mask in place. You will want to avoid wearing lipstick unless you want to wind up looking like The Joker.

You might think that wearing a mask means that you will have to ditch makeup altogether. However, with your mouth covered, your eyes will have to do most of the talking. If your batwing eyeliner currently looks like more like a scribble, then now is the time to learn. Eye makeup is about to become big business, and with neons in vogue, you can play with colors that you wouldn’t have ordinarily thought of using on your eyes, such as reds and pinks.

Ditching lipstick to wear a mask doesn’t have to mean that you forget about the lower half of your face altogether. Wear a mask that coordinates with your outfit and pulls your look together. For instance, if you choose to wear a little black dress, you might want to try a sleek mask. For a tea dress, a linen mask with a pattern could be fun. If you’re creative, you could try making your own mask at home. Match your mask to the material of your clothing to create a look which elongates your neck, and makes your face covering feel more discreet.

Dress to Impress (Yourself)

After months of lounging around in your apartment wearing sweats, you owe it to yourself to look your best. Treat yourself to a new date outfit, and perhaps exchange your slippers for a heel. Pick something that makes you feel great, and shows off all the at-home pilates that you managed to do (or not) during your time isolating.

Remind yourself how good it feels to take care of yourself, and that energy will radiate across the table, or wherever you plan to meet in a socially distanced manner. Dating app Badoo recently found that two-thirds of their users were now being more honest with new matches, which means that the new rules of dating after lockdown will probably stop you trying to impress your date by wearing a pair of heels that you can’t walk in, or by wearing a dress that ordinarily you would never wear. Hopefully, by being your authentic self, you begin to make more genuine connections.

If the lockdown has given you a fresh perspective, and you’re now enjoying a more casual look, you should follow that instinct. Perhaps a fully groomed appearance was covering up your real personality, and with a mask on your face, you probably don’t want to be hiding anything else. If you have been dating over video call for the last month, you’re likely very well acquainted with each other’s loungewear, and happy to keep it casual.

Although it might feel that the world has changed ever so slightly, the fundamentals of dating remain the same — you’re meeting someone to have fun and get to know them better. This starts with making sure that you are confident because, once this situation is over, you won’t be hiding behind a mask anymore.