Editor’s note: The following review is part of Macworld’s GemFest 2012 series. Every weekday from mid June through mid August, the Macworld staff will use the Mac Gems blog to briefly cover a favorite free or low-cost program. Visit the Mac Gems homepage for a list of past Mac Gems.

Click on the eyeball icon in your menu bar, and the Looky window appears, showing your smiling face along with whatever’s behind you. The window loads quickly enough, though it generally takes an extra moment or two for the Mac’s iSight or FaceTime camera to turn on and the video to appear. Still, the process is notably quicker than launching a built-in app like Photo Booth.

Unfortunately, the video is imperfect: With my MacBook Pro’s built-in iSight camera, Looky presents a slightly narrowed and elongated image, meaning I look a bit thinner, so it’s not all bad. The effect is slight but noticeable.

If you frequently need to spot-check your teeth, or if coworkers (intentionally or otherwise) sneak up behind you, Looky offers an unobtrusive, easy-to-trigger way to see whatever your Mac’s camera can see in a hurry.

[Staff writer Lex Friedman may be right behind you at this very moment.]

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