- Selfies! Profile pictures! Passport photographs! Here’s how to make sure you put your best face forward in each and every single picture you take.
Refresh your hair like
To give your hair a quick touch of volume, flip it upside down and shake through your strands with your fingers. When you flip it back, you’ll be left with an imperfect and tousled look that will appear textured in photos. To get even more dimension, pull your hair into a loose topknot in the moments leading up to your photo. Take it out and give it a quick spritz of dry shampoo.
Show your left side
In a study conducted at Wake Forest University, researchers found that the left side of the human face is generally more appealing to others than the right side. For the study, participants were asked to rate pictures of 10 male and 10 female faces, in both their original and mirror image form.
Pictures showing the left side were rated more “pleasant” than those of the right sides. Researchers said their results suggest that peoples’ left cheeks tend to exhibit a greater intensity of emotion, which others find more aesthetically pleasing.
Beware of restaurant and bar lighting
While restaurants and bars are great places to grab a drink with the girls, they’re not the ideal setting for a group shot. Overhead lighting (like the kind in most rooms) adds to the appearance of uneven skin and under-eye circles.
For better results, point your face toward the light source in your photo. Better yet, head outside around sunset for some natural lighting.
The lighting at dusk is really flattering. The sun casts less shadow downward, so you don’t end up with bags under your eyes in the photo. Instead, it lights up the area under the eyes and you look younger.
Take a cue for poses from celebs
For a classic, no-fail pose, turn your body three quarters of the way toward the camera, with one foot in front of the other and one shoulder closer to the photographer.
When you face the camera head on, your body tends to look wider. This pose ensures the camera catches you at your best angle. Correct your posture by sucking your belly in, buttocks tight, shoulders back and spine straight.
Put your best face forward
When it comes to makeup, it’s best to tread lightly—especially with foundation. A face masked in any kind of monotone base will look flat and pasty in photos. For a more natural look, experts suggest using concealer only on red spots, imperfections, and shadowy areas.
To find your facial shadows, you can tilt your chin down an inch or two while looking in a mirror. Notice where the shadows appear (likely around your eye sockets, under your lip line, and on your chin).
Add a warm blush to your cheeks and a berry shade to your lips. A nude lip could get washed out my the camera’s flash.
