Posting selfies has become the ultimate act of self-expression on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. But how does one take the ultimate selfie? Meaning one where your face looks flawless, the lighting is sultry and there are no duck lips in sight. Not to worry—makeup artist Mathias Alan has a few tricks up his sleeve for capturing the perfect face-only shot.
First, keep your lips in line—avoid making duck lips or over-the-top pouts.
"No. 1: no duck face," Mathias said. "You look totally immature and that is not becoming of a lady."
Goofy lip looks aside, nabbing the perfect selfie is about positioning your cell phone, as well. Too high and the lighting is wrong, too low and suddenly your followers have a not-so-flattering nostril view.
"Don't ever hunch over into the camera and take a selfie bending over," he advised. "Your nostril looks big, your chin gets doubled, your face looks wide—it's totally unflattering and not a good selfie pic."
With two primary don'ts out of the way, Mathias shared his tips for getting that perfect Instagram-ready pic.
"If you want to show off your lips, resist the urge to pout," he said. "Go for a smile—pick a color on your lips that really pops."
Mathias prefers the New COVERGIRL Lipslicks Smoochies Lip Balm, which provides a colorful tint.
"This provides sheer color with a hint of shine, which is perfect for all those Instagram filters."
And what about the eyes?
"You don't want to worry about what kind of eyeshadows or eyeliners you have on because all those different fun filters are going to change those colors anyway," Mathias revealed. Instead, he recommends that you focus on the eyelashes, which, when properly defined, can bring out the shape of your eyes.
"I love using mascara, at least a couple coats," he said. However, make sure there's no excess mascara on the tip of the wand because that can create clumps. Using COVERGIRL's NEW Clump Crusher Extensions LashBlast Mascara can help: The product has an amazing wand that doesn't trap excess liquid.
"This fiber is fantastic—I never get clumps on lashes with this formula," he enthused. "Do a couple coats to really make the eyes highlight and pop, and then you're done."
There you have it—easy ways to get pretty and primped for your selfie shot. Now it's time to think about holding your phone just right.
"Start with your hand out in front of your face," Mathias advised. "But be sure that your elbow is bent just slightly because you want your face and just a bit of your shoulder to take up the entire frame."
Another thing to look out for is overhead lighting, which may ruin an otherwise sensational selfie.
"You want to find a light above your head, tilt the camera up and take a picture so that the light above your head is softly glowing across your cheekbones, your nose and your chin—this will give you a perfect selfie shot."
Now that you've got Mathias' expert tips, we want to see you put your best face forward! Tweet or Instagram your selfies @E! Online using the hash tag #hotbeauty and see yourself(ie) on our wall! Just make sure you or your friend has snapped the shot (no professional shots will be accepted), and that you're 18 years of age or older.