Perfect Selfie – In this era where the selfie is king, you have to be ready to pose in front of the lens at all times, no matter the occasion. So come on, we say goodbye to the famous “cheese”, and we take inspiration from these tips from the pros to display a perfect face and succeed in our shots for sure!
Table of Contents
1. See the bright side
Do you dream of looking like these stars for whom posing seems easy as pie? It may sound innate, but it takes a lot of hard work, even for an insider like Kim Kardashian West.
To start, we overcome our fear of seeing ourselves in photos, we drive away from our bad memories of failed portraits, and we tame the lens. “By dint of taking pictures of us, we understand our face better, we know which expressions work, and we become more comfortable,” says Julie Artacho, professional photographer.
Before, one can practice in front of the mirror by moving the head in all directions. We will thus be able to detect our best profile and identify the poses that create shadows on our faces and benefit us less.
2. Play with light
Before posing, we choose the proper lighting, which is essential to show ourselves in our best light. “Posing facing a window is often more advantageous because the whole face is illuminated. In addition, it reduces dark circles and imperfections,” continues the photographer.
Opt for the “car selfie”: it’s a place where light is reflected everywhere except the above. We avoid light sources coming from above or below the head, and we will try to find the light that will make us look best in the photo. It’s not for nothing that celebrities and social media pros — Gwen Stefani, Maripier Morin.
If possible, we prefer natural light because a flash, more bluish, can make the complexion dull. We also think about placing the camera at the right height, either that of the face or slightly higher, and positioning ourselves in a neutral place to focus on us and not on the decor.
3. Dress-up
We look good and show ourselves to our advantage. We think of applying makeup under the same light as the one used for the shots and taking pictures at each makeup stage, observing the result, and adjusting the image if necessary.
Important detail: we put on makeup at least 1 hour before the photo editor session just to let our skin get used to the makeup, which will blend better with our complexion.
Contouring enthusiasts can, if necessary, define their face a little, but it is essential to blend well and favor creamy textures that blend better with the skin.
4. Perfect Selfie
To preserve the most natural complexion possible, we will focus on the T zone of the face. We first smooth the complexion with a mattifying base, then camouflage the redness around the nose and mouth with a concealer mixed with a bit of foundation. Thus, the grain of our skin will be visible, and our face will not appear bleached (the white pigments that some foundations contain tend to reflect light under the lens).
“We then apply concealer under the eyes, mixing it with a highlighting base to add light to this duller area,” suggests Vanessa Ashley, professional makeup artist at TEAM. However, she adds that you have to avoid covering everything and putting on too much: it tends to flatten the face, whereas you want to preserve a 3D effect and texture.
Contouring enthusiasts can, if necessary, define their face a little, but it is essential to blend well and favour creamy textures that blend better with the skin.
5. Illuminate Perfect Selfie
“Once the complexion is unified, one can add points of light using an oil, a luminous balm or an illuminator as follows: the top of the bridge of the nose, in the shape of a C of the eyebrow at the top of the cheekbone, V-shaped in the inner corner of the eye, beyond the upper lip and the centre of the chin”, continues the makeup artist.
Finally, the complexion is fixed with a powder that diffuses the light and reduces dark circles and shadows
6. Define the Perfect Selfie
It is interesting to define the eyes for a portrait with a captivating gaze. However, we want to focus on one main feature – eyes, mouth, and cheekbones. – when doing face makeup. First, apply an eye primer to prolong the hold of the eye shadow and liner. We favour water-resistant products and offer a long handle to be ready for any eventuality.
“No need to put more than usual; you have to apply yourself more to optimize the result. For example, we draw a line of the white pencil inside the mucous membrane of the lower eyelid, and we curve the eyelashes more, especially those of the external corners, to open the look,” advises Vanessa Ashley. A method that also applies to mouth makeup.
Finally, even if it is not in our habits, we think of drawing the eyebrows to give more character to the face and frame the features well