How To Take the Perfect Selfie!

Hello lovelies! We all have those moments when we're looking really good, and we want to show it off in a photo. And as much as we'd like our selfies to seem effortless, the truth is they take a lot of work to get just right! So today, I'll be sharing some of my favorite tips and tricks for posting that perfect selfie!


1. Find Your Light
When it comes to taking a selfie, the right lighting is key. Ideally, you'll want to snap the picture in natural light. I've found the best method is to turn towards your light source, which usually ends up being a window. This allows the light to reflect on you and illuminate your face, which is always flattering! If you absolutely must take a selfie at night, try using the same concept, but face a lamp instead.

2. Background Check
Before snapping away, make sure you're aware of what's going on behind you in the picture. What may not stand out to you, like a pile of clothes on the floor or a dirty mirror, will be more than obvious to anyone else viewing the photo. If you're not in a place that would make for a pretty backdrop, go for a neutral wall.

3. All About the Angle
To capture your most flattering angle, extend your arm out in front of you and position the camera so it's a little above eye level. This position eliminates any double chin and makes your eyes look big and bright. Although this is kind of a golden selfie rule, you can always play around with different angles and poses to see what turns out most flattering for you. One of my favorite little secrets is to turn my head to a 3/4 angle to make my face appear more slim and angular.

4. About Face
Unless you're going for a #nomakeup selfie, the right beauty products can be a great tool in making your selfie stand out. Since a picture is two-dimensional, hair and facial features will appear much more flattened than they do in real life. You can add some dimension back by highlighting and contouring, and also by pumping up the volume on your hair. Photos tend to wash out your features, so I like to apply my makeup a bit more heavy-handed than usual to make sure I have some color. A bright lip color is the perfect way to add some pop to your pic.

5. Edit Away
The right photo-editing apps can make a huge difference in the look of your selfie. Instagram may have the basics, but there are tons of other online programs and apps out there that do so much more. Here are a few of my favorites:

- Photowonder is my absolute go-to for editing selfies. Not only does it have tons of gorgeous filters to choose from, but it also has a whole section of effects to "beautify" your photo. These effects range from a blemish eraser to a "thinify" tool.

- VSCO Cam is a more professional photo editing app with really powerful, easy-to-use tools for brightening a photo, changing the temperature, adding contrast, fading, and a lot more. The app also comes with a collection of unique filters that make your selfie look super artsy.

- Ribbet is an online photo editor that has some of my all-time favorite filters and tools. Their destination-themed filters like Greek Islands and Cairo create an absolutely beautiful effect, and I love their "soften" tool to blur out the background. They also feature loads of touch-up effects like airbrush and shine remover!

- A Beautiful Mess is my go-to when I want to add a graphic element to my photo, like a border or text. The app also has a few pretty filters that are perfect for selfies.

- Squareready is great for those photos that just don't work as a square. This app will take your horizontal or vertical photos and add a white background to make them fit the standard Instagram shape.

So to review:

Now that you know all my tips and tricks, get out there and go take that perfect selfie! Tweet or Instagram me your photos @sparkleandmine!