Culture & Entertainment
How to look good in a selfie
Instagram/kimkardashian
Culture & Entertainment
How to look good in a selfie
Take your Instagram selfie game to the next level with the best angles, poses, light and makeup.
If you have a smart phone, then you probably use Instagram on the semi-reg (i.e. check for updates every three minutes) and have posted at least one selfie. But if you're still left to ponder the art of the flawless Insta-face, these tips will help you garner major attention.
1. Primp, please.
Even if you prefer to wear little to no makeup in real life, most people look better in photos with help from the products in their friendly neighbourhood beauty aisle. Forget the #nomakeup hashtag (it's doing none of us non-model folk any favours) and even out your skin tone with a bit of concealer, dab highlighter on your cheekbones and the bridge of your nose, swipe on a bit of mascara and fill in your brows.
2. Find your light.
Natural light (except for harsh direct sunlight) is everything because it highlights hair and eye colour and minimizes shadows on the face that make us look tired. So stand by a window, go outside on a cloudy day or bask in the glow at golden hour (that magical hour of perfect light before sunset). If taking a shot in low light or at night, consider using a phone case such as the LuMee, which has built-in lighting to brighten your mug.
3. Get creative.
Use props (lick an ice cream cone) or clothing (tilt your hat down over one eye) to add a little spice to your pose. The background can also make or break your shot. A truly good selfie either tells a bit of a story (holy smokes, you're on a boat!) or is so simple that all anyone will see is your wild curls, caramel complexion or baby blue eyes.
4. Work your angles.
Kim Kardashian is the selfie queen (hello, she has a book of selfies called Selfish!) and is known for tilting her chin down and holding the camera slightly above her face and angled downward to make her slim visage look even thinner. While her trick won't suit everyone, taking the photo with your face at an angle to the camera will highlight your cheekbones for a slimmer-looking profile.
5. To the left, to the left.
According to a 2017 study completed by Dr. Anukka Lindell of La Trobe University in Melbourne, most people look best from their left side. So when you're positioning your head at an angle to the camera, be sure that your left cheek is the one on display.
6. Selfie stick it.
The farther you hold out your arm, the skinnier and less distorted you'll look, so either grow longer arms or snag a selfie stick and put a couple extra feet between your face and the camera. Bonus: You'll be able to reveal more of your outfit.
7. Take a snapshot… or twelve.
What's the rush? If you truly want a postable selfie, you'll probably need the time to take at least 5-8 shots (but probably even more). Even women with supermodel bone structure aren't snapping a single pic and posting it. Trust.
8. Crop it.
Feel like your forehead looks a little big or your arms are kinda flabby? You can either learn to embrace your personal quirks… or crop them out like any Instagram star worth her salt.
9. Make filters your best friends.
Every woman has an Insta filter that makes her skin look clearer or eyes look brighter. Find yours and use it. Free apps such as "Perfect365" or in-phone programs like the ZenFone 3 Zoom's "Beautify" are also useful for smoothing and slimming.
10. Have fun.
It's a selfie, not an oil painting that's going to hang over your family's mantle for generations to come. Shake off any nerves, make some funny faces and let your personality shine through.
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