Better Selfies in 5 Steps
Have you ever wondered why some people take such amazing selfies and you just can’t figure it out?!
The above picture is my selfie with absolutely no filter or editing.
Want to know how? I have created 5 easy steps to get you there!!
Step One- Skin Prep
If you didn’t already know, you only get ONE skin in your entire life. If you want to maintain your youthful skin, better start taking care of it NOW! This means getting into a healthy skin care regime. Just like your hair, it’s what you wear everyday of your life. Yes facials are expensive, but estheticians can prescribe the best regime for your skin. Even if you see one 2 times a year and stop in every few months to stock up on your products. Not only do they prescribe the best products, they tell you exactly what to do. It is overwhelming walking into a drug store and guessing what lotions and face wash works best for you. A lot of the times we guess wrong, creating a bigger problem than we already have. Those products contain ingredients that can harm our skin even more. For example: St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I am sure you have all used it in some point in your lifetime. This scrub has very large exfoliators that go too deep in the skin leaving tiny scratches, making your skin look even drier. That’s where your esthetician steps in and shows you how to correct those problems, with MUCH better products. Did you know that it’s best to exfoliate in the morning? This helps to awaken the skin (I love Dermalogica’s Skin Prep Scrub that my esthetician Christina from Skintopia prescribed me). Can’t forget MOISTURE, MOISTURE and more MOISTURE! Not only applying moisturizer morning and night, but also drink a ton of water (I know I am guilty of not drinking enough)!! When we are dehydrated the skin on your face sees it first. The skin under our eyes are very thin, so when we are dehydrated the under eye circles appear much darker and the wrinkles on our skin look deeper. This skin prepping is very important in helping with your flawless makeup application.
Step Two- Product
After you have finished with your skin prep, it is now time to talk about the product that you are using. Here I will insert the line “You get what you pay for.” This is true, in so many ways. The proper foundation will look, feel and photograph beautifully. The products I swear by is, Mirabella Beauty’s Skin Tint Creme that is a water/gel formula (click here to match your foundation for the last time). Mirabella is a mineral based line that is gluten free, paraben free and talc free. Also non-comedogenic, meaning it is specially formulated to not clog pores. There are many lines out there that have amazing coverage and photograph beautiful. BUT, they may be causing you to break out! Not only does Skin Tint Creme feel lightweight, the coverage is amazing and it photographs perfectly. I use it on ALL my brides! It does not contain an SPF over 20. If it did, then when the flash or light hits, it creates a white haze or makes you look pale. It is also important after moisturizer to apply a primer (of course I am obsessed with Mirabella’s), it is the glue to keep your foundation on all day and helps the foundation apply evenly. Also when applying your makeup, keep in mind that cameras shows less of the makeup we see when we are applying it in our mirror. That means you need to add more! It may look like a smokey eye to you, then when you take a peek at your selfie it barely looks like you have anything on.
Step Three- Technique
After having the right products, it’s now time to get your technique right! When applying your foundation, I am sure most of you use your fingers, correct? Well, let me give you this visual. Say you were painting a room in your house. If you used your fingers what would it look like? Uneven and blotchy? What if you used a roller (similar to a sponge)? The roller absorbs most of the paint, right? But a brush has the most even strokes without over using products. Same idea as your face. A brush is going to give you the best results. I love Mac’s 109 brush to buff it into my skin to create that airbrush effect. Now when applying with a brush you have to pay attention to the texture of the skin. If you have peach fuzz, apply in the direction of the hair growth so you are not making it stick up and making it look more noticeable. When you have dry patches or pimples, you have to apply it over those areas in a patting motion so you are not disturbing the skin by swiping it. When you have large pores, take the brush in all different directions. This hits the whole wall of the pore, hiding it from view. Apply your powder the same technique as your foundation. After that, it is time to contour the face. No, you do not have to contour like Kim K. Just using bronzer and blush it will do the trick. Lastly, here are some techniques when applying eyeshadow. If you want a smokey eye, first rub a brown, grey or black eyeliner to the lid. This will give the darker shadows more depth and longevity. Also when applying shadows, first apply them with a dabbing motion then with a clean blender brush blend the shadow. If you are blending while applying them, you are just creating a mud of colors. Have a hooded eye? You feel like you apply all this eyeshadow, then you open your eye and it’s GONE! Hidden in the folds of your lid. Well, keep your eye open while applying it in the crease. This will give you a guide to show you how far up your crease you need to go. Love the waterline? Apply it to both top and bottom. Then apply an eyeshadow powder over. This will keep it lasting longer. Try Urban Decay’s Waterline Pencil. It works great and lasts longer than most. Now it’s time to practice. With these techniques, you’re even closer to your perfect selfie
Step Four- Angle
The perfect angle is KEY to a better selfie. Think of fun house mirrors and how it contorts your body in different directions just based on the angle of it. Same idea with the angle you are holding your camera. Above may make your forehead look bigger, low makes your nose and chin stand out but somewhere in between, is just perfect. It may take quite a few tries to figure out the right angle for your face shape. Round face is better to take from above. With a long face it is better to tilt your head slightly or if you have a heart shape try from a lower angle. Keep practicing, I am sure you will find it!
Step Five- Lighting
Lighting is the last step to a better selfie and the most important. Without proper lighting it could make or break your selfie. Ever wonder why when you are in the car, you take the best selfies? Especially on a cloudy day. It’s because natural light that is filtered through the clouds is the best lighting there is! Or indirect sunlight if you are standing towards a window. Direct sunlight is too harsh, making you squint and every flaw show. The filtered light softens but brightens the right areas. That is why you see professional lighting with an umbrella or those funny lookings reflectors they hold towards their models. So take a selfie by a window! If the sun is to bright try backing up or try a different window. When holding your phone in selfie mode, move from side to side and up and down, closer or farther from the window to see how it affects when way your makeup looks. Soon as you find the best lighting you will know! Your skin and makeup will look amazing! When I took the selfie that was at the beginning of this post, I was standing in a large window from my hotel room in San Diego and I used all the steps listed above to help me achieve it.
Keep practicing and you will find how to make your selfies better with these 5 easy steps!