With the holidays coming up, you’ll be spending lots of time with friends and family. From Thanksgiving dinner to decorating the Christmas tree, the photo ops are endless. It’s time to stop instagramming your food (we get it, that slice of pumpkin pie you didn’t eat is adorable) and start putting yourself in front of the camera lens. Take the opportunity to show off your new holiday outfit and besides, you needed a new profile picture anyway.
1. Dress to Impress:
Wear an outfit that makes you look and feel great. Choose colors that brighten your skin tone and compliment your hair and eye color. Makeup choice and hairstyles can also be a major factor to a great photo. Use makeup to accentuate your best features, but don’t over-do it. If you don’t normally wear red lipstick, today probably isn’t the best day to experiment. Choose the right hairstyle to flatter the shape of your face. Check out these tips from Glamour.com to find the best hairstyle for you.
2. Look to your Right:
According to a study conducted by Wake Forest University, the left side of the face is more attractive than the right. Apparently the left side shows more emotion. Look slightly to your right and show off your best side. Also use the technique to help your face appear slimmer. This brings a whole new meaning to the term two-faced.
3. Ditch the Double Chin:
It happens to the best of us. Nothing is worse than seeing a picture of yourself and wondering where that came from. To avoid the appearance of a double chin in photographs, elongate your neck and relax your shoulders. After turning to the right (see #2), project your chin out and down. Your eyes will also look larger and more seductive. Ooh la la.
4. Don’t Look at the Lens:
Avoid red-eyes, closed eyes, and those shiny demon eyes (yeah, you know what I’m talking about) by focusing your eyes slightly above or below the camera lens.
5. Stand Up Straight:
Slouching isn’t a good look for anyone. Stand up straight, chest forward, and pull your belly button to your spine, a.k.a suck-in. Be careful not to suck-in too far… you won’t be fooling anyone.
6. Arm Placement:
Fight the appearance of arm flab by placing one hand, or both, on your hip. To keep this pose looking more chic and less chicken-wing, pull your elbows back slightly. If the hand-on-the hip pose is too much for you, let your arms hang casually by your side. Never cross your arms.
7. Aim High:
Make sure the camera is shooting from above you. This will help your double chin dilemma and make your legs look long and lean. Lower-angle shots can make you appear up to 50 pounds heavier than you really are. Seriously.
8. Master your Smile:
According to a New York Times interview, Tyra Banks reports having 275 different smiles. Talk about split personalities. Just kidding. Ms. Banks says the art of smiling begins with mastering the smize (smiling with your eyes). Anyone can use their mouth to smile, but smizing brings your photo from drab to fab. Convey emotion in your eyes by thinking happy thoughts. Take this advice from author, Roald Dahl. “If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”
9. Pose Like a Pro:
Celebrities know a thing or two about posing so take their advice when it comes to looking great in front of the camera. Turn your body towards the camera, with one shoulder closer to the camera. Put one foot in front of the other and shift your weight to your back leg. If you haven’t fallen over, place your hand on your hip and flash your best supermodel smile.
10. Be Confident:
Forget the rules and have fun.