How to take an amazing selfie every time

If you feel like everyone looks flawless in selfies but you, you’re not alone. Most people know how to take a selfie, but that’s not the same as knowing how to take good selfies. (After all, there is a difference!) But it doesn’t have to be that way. Taking the perfect selfie is an art, and you need just a few tricks to look amazing in photos every time.

“No one is born photogenic – it’s a skill that’s learned over time,” says Christine Buzan, a posing expert who runs @lookgoodinphotos on TikTok. “The more you practise taking photos, the more comfortable you’ll become being in front of the camera, and the more you’ll enjoy taking photos.”

To unravel the mystery behind taking an amazing selfie, we spoke to TikTokkers, influencers and makeup artists who know the tricks of the trade and shared their secrets with us. Below, you’ll find the scoop on how to look younger in selfies, the best foundation for selfie-ready skin, makeup tips to make your features pop and more. You’ll be a selfie pro in no time!

Buzan’s No 1 trick for how to take good selfies? Use the light to your advantage. “The right lighting smooths your skin like a natural filter,” she explains. If you’re snapping a selfie indoors, look for a spot with light that’s facing you rather than coming from above you. According to celebrity makeup artist Luis Casco, “overhead light will make you look tired and accentuate everything you don’t want to highlight.” Light aimed directly at your face, on the other hand, can reduce the appearance of texture and wrinkles on your skin.

Buzan suggests turning off all indoor lights and facing a window while you snap selfies for the best results.

If you’re wondering how to take a selfie outdoors, lighting also plays an incredibly important role. Buzan recommends scoping out a spot with soft, natural lighting – or better yet, snapping your selfies at the golden hour, when the light is most flattering. The golden hour occurs shortly after sunrise or before sunset, and the warmer, softer daylight at that time can have a softening effect on your skin and facial features.

Shaded areas will also help you avoid direct overhead sunlight, which can create harsh shadows on your face, Buzan says. Plus, if you’re in direct sunlight, you might end up squinting, which will exacerbate the appearance of lines around your eyes.

No natural light? No problem. You can fake it with a mini-LED or ring light, influencers say. A mini LED creates more flattering lighting than a phone’s flash. Simply hold it up behind your phone while taking a selfie at home or when you’re out and about, then stash it in your pocket or handbag when you’re done.

Eleanor Barnes, a social media influencer, uses a ring light when a natural light source isn’t available. “My favourite light is bright and natural,” she says, and a ring light helps her achieve it indoors. Just keep in mind that ring lights are only useful when you’re taking a selfie at home with a stationary setup.

Here are some mind-blowing facts about selfies.

Before mastering how to take a selfie, you should consider which features you want to highlight – and which features you would rather hide. This will determine everything from the lighting to the angle of your phone. “Everyone has a better side,” Casco says. “Lots of us look best from the left side, for instance. After all, someone like Mariah Carey won’t even do an interview if she’s not shot from that side.”

To find your best angle for a selfie, Buzan recommends doing something called “The Clock Method.” Here’s how it works: hold your phone parallel to your face with the camera lens at eyebrow level. Then move your head around in a clock-like motion, taking a photo at every ‘number’ of the clock. This will give you a selection of photos at 12 different angles, and you can choose the ones you like the most. The next time you’re posing for a selfie, simply tilt your head in the directions you prefer.

One strategy to emphasise or hide certain features is to adjust the angle of your phone. For example, you can minimise a double chin – and make your eyes appear larger – by holding your phone at a higher angle. Just avoid positioning the phone above your forehead, which can enlarge your forehead and nose in the photo, Buzan says.

If you want to show off your jawline, Buzan recommends snapping selfies with your phone at a lower angle, preferably below your cheekbones with the camera tilted upward. Doing so can also draw attention away from a large forehead. Bonus: holding your phone a little lower can also “make you look powerful and in control,” according to Barnes.

Don’t miss these smart uses for your mobile phone camera.

As far as beauty products go, experts say that a little moisturiser can go a long way when it comes to selfies – and all photos. “Dry skin texture is one of the hardest things to hide,” Casco says, “so moisturising is key.” Dermatologist, Dr Kristina Collins, recommends applying a moisturiser that contains hyaluronic acid, which improves skin hydration and smooths creases for a flawless look.

Moisturisers with ingredients like bisabolol and ginger root extract are a bonus, because they can also reduce redness and inflammation in minutes, according to Dr Collins. One caveat: you should use only a 2cm-sized amount of moisturiser to soften and smooth dry skin, as too much could make you look shiny. And don’t forget to moisturise your lips before taking photos as well, Casco says.

Forget saying “cheese” – saying the words money, hey or yoga is the secret to looking amazing in selfies. Unlike the word cheese, which makes your smile tight and wide, those three little words will relax your face for a more natural result. If you opt for a closed-mouth smile, try saying the word prune and then smiling slightly; this will accentuate your cheekbones.

To find which word is most flattering for you, Buzan suggests recording yourself saying each word and playing them back, paying attention to the way your mouth muscles move when saying each word. Then you can decide which one you like the most and practice saying it for your next selfie sesh.

Check out these secrets your smile can reveal about you.

Contrary to popular belief, you should resist the urge to look at yourself on your phone screen as you take a selfie. Doing so shifts your gaze downward, which can make your eyes appear smaller in the photo.

Buzan recommends looking up at your phone’s front camera lens instead. iPhones have a helpful little arrow right under the phone’s front lens when your camera is open that tells you where to look, or you can gaze slightly above the lens to make your eyes appear larger.

The legendary ‘smize’ isn’t just for the contestants on America’s Next Top Model. If you feel like your eyes look lifeless in selfies, smizing is the secret to appearing warmer, happier and more energetic, Buzan says.

To try it out for yourself, Buzan suggests pretending you’re scanning an aisle at the grocery store, looking for a specific kind of cereal. Your eyes should become more focused, and your eyelids should tense a little. Don’t forget about your mouth, cheekbones and eyebrows during this process. Try raising your eyebrows slightly and tilting the edges of your lips upward. Now practise that in front of a phone camera, and voila! You have perfected the art of the smize.