How To Nail The Perfect Selfie

Anna Wintour may consider herself above taking a selfie, but for the rest of us millennials, (Beyoncé included), holding your phone in the air like you just don’t care and giving the world a pout to shout about is considered about as socially acceptable as breathing.

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Even though the world’s first known self portrait was documented in 1839 and the concept has existed ever since, it officially became a worldwide phenomena when the word made it into the Oxford dictionary in 2013.

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A lot of people consider them a tad narcissistic, and even though I don’t go overboard and post a selfie a day, I tend to disagree. At the end of the day, they’re completely harmless and a great way of promoting a little self love, a positive body image and a healthy confidence boost. Which, lets be honest, is something we could all use a little more of.

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When I post a selfie, I very rarely think of the amount of likes I could / should get on it. It isn’t really about other people. I post a selfie not for attention or to show the world I look good today, but for the little flutter of excitement and pride I feel when the pose, makeup, hair and lighting are on my side and I manage to take a picture of myself that I‘m actually proud of.

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Here are a few handy tricks of the trade I’ve learned over time that should help you to believe in your selfie and post picture-perfect self portraits every time.

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1. Invest in a good phone

A smart phone with a great front-facing camera (think 8 mega pixels or higher) will give you the desired results. A great base photo is clean, non-blurry, non-pixelated, high resolution and won’t decrease in quality when you add filters to it. One of my favourites is the ASUS Zenfone Selfie which has a whopping 13mp front-facing camera for absolutely crystal clear selfies.

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2. Get a selfie stick

I had my reservations at first, I’ll be honest. But ever since I got myself one, I haven’t taken it out of my purse! It is absolutely perfect for holidays and fun outings with friends. But the bonus is that it cuts out your awkward outstretched arm in photos and also helps you take pictures from more flattering angles. Do a little research and invest in a good quality selfie stick with Bluetooth that you can also use as a remote and that folds up quite small so it fits in your purse.

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3. Don’t post too often

My selfie rule is that I only post a selfie every 3-4 days. This stops my Instagram feed from looking too narcissistic. Nobody likes going through an account where the only thing a person ever posts is selfies. Balance them out with other pictures for them to be more impactful when you actually post them.

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4. Embrace variety

If you didn’t know already, there are many different types of selfies you can take. Popular categories include no makeup selfies, makeup of the day selfies, outfit of the day mirror selfies, petfies, shoefies, groupfies, carfies, fitfies and the like. Instead of taking selfies of only of your face, mix it up by posting one with your pet or with your best friend on holiday.

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5. Location, location, location

Yes, the lighting in your bedroom may be fantastic. But steer clear of always using the same background and keep things interesting by taking your selfies in as many different locations as possible.

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6. Strike a pose

If you already know ‘your angle’ after practising for ages like I have, great. If you don’t keep a few of these tips in mind – (a) your arms look most flattering when one hand is on your hip or pressed against your side and angled away from the camera so it is behind you. (b) your face and neck will look chiselled and elongated when you stick your chin out and tilt your head slightly to either side. Avoid taking pictures from below – it is very unflattering on your face and chin. Instead, take your pictures from above by holding your phone / selfie stick at a 45 degree angle.

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7. Make the lighting your friend

A well-lit room is your best friend while taking indoor selfies. Try to avoid switching on the lights though, to avoid your pictures looking too yellow. Instead, stand facing a large window with daylight streaming through to make sure the best light hits your face. Or, even better, just go outside. There really is no substitute for natural daylight.

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8. Do your makeup right

I have so much respect for girls who can post no-makeup selfies. Sadly, I am just not one of them. While I don’t think a full face of cakey makeup and Kim Kardashian-esque contouring is by any means necessary, you can enhance your natural beauty for your picture with some tinted moisturizer, concealer, a dab of blusher, groomed brows, mascara, brown eyeliner and just a little highlighter on your cheekbones for a glow. Lipstick makes a big difference, too, so go for a pinkey nude if you want a natural look or a red, burgundy or coral if you want to make a glam statement.

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9. Download the right apps and filters

I personally prefer to use mainly the Instagram app for editing, but other great apps you can download are Pixlr Express for making basic changes to a photo, VSCO cam for some great filters, Quickflip to change the direction of your selfies or Facetune for making Photoshop-like alterations to your face (for covering blemishes and lines, etc). However, I haven’t personally tried the last one as it is a paid app and I don’t feel the need to take myself too seriously. This isn’t a magazine editorial.

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As for filters, I personally love Lark, Juno and Ludwig on the Instagram app. Try and get rid of the filters you don’t like or never use in the ‘manage filters’ section on the app. This helps keep your feed look more uniform in terms of colour and helps you make quicker decisions whilst choosing a filter.

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10. Stop making these mistakes

Duck face, loads of cleavage, untidy and embarrassing backgrounds, people and pets photo bombing and pictures trying too hard too look sexy by keeping your lips parted and mouth open, etc. look incredibly tacky. Keep it classy and get the best results by just being yourself.

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My friends over at ASUS believe that selfies are a great way to communicate with friends, family and in my case, with my readers. And I agree wholeheartedly. Sometimes, a selfie really is worth a thousand words. I often send a selfie or two a day to my mom to keep her updated on everything I’m doing so she feels like a big part of my life even though I now live so far away. Knowing they make her smile and rest easy knowing I’m happy and safe make me feel like I’m doing my part as a good daughter. Which is why I think their #DonateASelfie campaign is such a great initiative. Check out the video below to see what I mean:

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I’m very interested to know, if you had to pick one person to #DonateASelfie to, who would it be and why? Share your answers with me in the comments below.
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PS You can buy your ASUS Zenfone Selfie phone and nail the perfect self portrait every time by clicking here.

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*This post has been sponsored by ASUS, however, all opinions are entirely my own. Read more about how I keep my integrity while partnering with brands by scrolling down to the ‘You Must Probably Know’ section on this page.