7 things you need to do to take your best ever #selfie

Love it or hate it, we are all a part of the selfie generation. Not only was the term ‘selfie’ added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2013, it was also picked as their word of the year. Check any of your social media news feeds right now, and no doubt you’ll find oodles of examples of this self-loving artistry, and what a breath of fresh air that is.

In a world where we’re constantly being told we aren’t good enough, the selfie gives us the chance to present our best side; to create an online persona we can be proud of and profile pictures that don’t make us cringe. Kim Kardashian is well known as the ‘queen of the selfies’ (particularly after that white swimsuit picture), and there’s no doubt she looks beautiful in every photo she takes. But you’ve got to ask yourself, how much of it is selfie skill, and how much is simply because she’s stunning from any angle? And if it’s the latter, what help is there for us mere mortals of taking a selfie to be proud of?

Thankfully you don’t necessarily have to be a supermodel to take a cute selfie. Sure, you can’t actually perform plastic surgery with your phone cam, but you can take advantage of some little tricks and tips to make every shot just a little bit better.

Set the scene
When you’re thinking about your selfie, consider what, other than your face, is going to be in the shot. As much as you might be keen to snap a laid back selfie at your dressing table in the morning, the sight of last night’s underwear draped over the chair behind you is probably not something you wanted to share. Having something amazing in the background is always a plus, but if you don’t happen to be at a Beyoncé concert at the time, think about natural beauty such as trees and sky, or subtle, stylish and underwear free locations at home.

Kiss and make up
Getting your make up just right can make the difference between looking stunning in your selfie and being entered for the ‘clown of the year’ contest. Sure, you can go a little heavier on the makeup than you might normally, as only a fraction of what the eye sees is successfully transferred to camera. But avoid going OTT and ending up looking like an embarrassed panda, because once that image is out there, you can’t take it back.

Light your fire
Good lighting is crucial, not only to help your camera capture the pigments and colours in the shot correctly, but also to flatter and enhance your natural colouring. Natural light is always flattering, but avoid direct sunlight if you don’t want to look washed out. Fluorescent strip lighting is the worst, so if you are indoors try and go for LED lighting with a warm white hue to bring out your best angles.

Strike a pose
What to do with your face is always a bit of a conundrum. Our advice: Don’t do the duckface. It might give you cheekbones, but it’s horribly fake and makes you look rather silly. If all else fails, go for a natural, cute smile, flashing a bit of teeth and nice wide eyes.

Untangle the angle
The default angle for the perfect selfie is with the camera just a bit higher than your eye level and with your face turned at a three quarters angle. This universally looks good, so if in doubt, get this one off pat and you’ll be safe. Feel free to experiment too in order to pin down your own ‘best side’ though.

Filter wisely
There is nothing quite as attractive as a #nofilter selfie taken in good, natural light. However, sometimes we all need a little extra help, and that’s where your filters come in to play. A popular choice is Valencia, which doesn’t do too much to change your skin tone but effectively irons out the creases and shadows from the night before. It’s just a pity there’s no Valencia filter for real life!

Everything in moderation
There is no shame in taking the odd selfie. We all do it. What is a big no-no, however, is continually clogging up your mate’s news feeds with streams of self-indulgent images of yourself to the point that they start blocking or unfriending you as a result. The best things in life taste sweetest when taken in moderation, and the humble #selfie is no different. By all means have a happy snapping moment when you’re on your way out, when you’re with your bff, or to mark an important occasion, but keep it to a reasonable level if you don’t want to look like a prat.

We’ll certainly be watching our news feeds with interest to see how you get on in putting our top selfie tips to the test. Enjoy your selfie adventures!

Posted in collaboration with All About Electrics.

Young Couple Selfie from Shutterstock