About Time: You Perfected Your Selfie SkillsBy Angelica Malin
Instagram stars like Kylie Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski make the art of taking a flawless selfie look effortless.
In pic after pic, they show us serious makeup, hair, and life goals.
And yet, after accidentally snapping one too many horrendous close-ups of your dark under-eye circles and double chin, you’re realising that capturing your own beautiful selfie isn’t as easy as it seems.
Your confidence may be shaken but don’t give up quite just yet.
For an Instagram-worthy pic, all you need to do is learn a few tricks of the trade.
Here are our winning suggestions for taking a killer selfie, each and every time.
#1: creating airbrushed makeup
You might not have the technical knowhow and photoshop skills to magically enhance your selfie, but you can create an airbrushed finish with your makeup.
Primer is your secret weapon and they don’t come better than Smashbox’s Photo Finish. Apply it before you layer on foundation and concealer, for smooth blemish-free skin that’ll hold up even under the strongest camera flash.
#2: rocking statement hair
You need a hair look that has some drama so that it holds its own on camera, and we know just the one to get you in a fun, relaxed mood – corkscrew curls.
The Mark Hill Pick and Mix wand curler comes with a super thin barrel, perfect for creating tight curls and winning volume. Use it all over, spray some hairspray and then turn your head upside down to shake all those ringlets out. You’ll have bouncy, flip-worthy hair in no time.
#3: finding the perfect lighting
Once you’ve got yourself into the right mood by perfecting your hair and makeup, you need to do all that work justice by finding the best lighting. Too bright and you’ll be washed out, too dark and you’ll end up with a fuzzy photo no one can make out.
For Kim Kardashian-approved selfie lighting order a LuMee case, or you can just experiment taking pictures around your room until you find the best spot – natural light is always the most flattering after all.
#4: perfecting your angles
Everyone’s agreed that the best way to avoid the dreaded double chin is by getting the angle right. For most people, that means keeping your chin down and the camera slightly higher than eye level.
But that’s not a hard and fast rule, so embrace your inner Tyra Banks and get practising your angles. Eventually you’ll discover the perfect one for you.
#5: recruit a friend
Unless you want to look forced, uncomfortable and unnatural on camera, you need to lighten up a little bit during your selfie photoshoot. Worrying about that blemish no one else can even see isn’t going to read well.
That’s where your friends come in. Recruit them for moral support and you’ll find the whole experience much more fun. Plus, they’ll be there to give you some honest advice on the best filters to use.
Have you got any other top tips for taking a flawless selfie Kylie Jenner would be proud of? Leave a comment and let us know.