So many women who look gorgeous in person can’t take a good photo to save their lives. Not photogenic? Don’t fret – just learn to use makeup, body positioning, and flattering clothing to make the most of the light and the camera’s effects. Here’s a step by step guide to combating the camera’s cruelty:
1. Define your eyebrows.
99% of girls I meet who’ve just had their makeup done by a makeup artist say, “He made my brows way too thick/dark!” Makeup artists know that brows always look wimpier in pictures than they do in real life. Don’t be afraid to fill yours in with some eyebrow powder and make them a little darker than their natural color. Use my guide on creating perfect brows for help.
2. Contour!
Contouring fights nearly all of the camera’s naughtiest features that make you look older, bloated, or tired. Here’s a rundown:
- Use our contouring guide for tips, but skip the shimmery highlighting – sparkly makeup creates strange texture and shadows in photographs, so save it for the club.
- While shimmer is a no-no, a minimal amount of shine is not. (Think dewy – too much will look sweaty.) An easy way to create the illusion of fuller lips is to wear a shiny lip gloss.
- If the flash will be on, use entirely matte makeup, and be sure to finish your face with powder. A natural glow in the mirror can ruin a picture taken with flash.
- If your nose always looks wide in photos, read Amber’s post on slimming a wide nose using makeup.
- Avoid very dark eyeshadow shades, especially in black and white photos; they create unnatural shadows and make you look older.
3. Pose properly.
Depending on the photograph’s setting and position, you’ll need to change your posture to create the optimal effect. Here are some simple guidelines:
- Practice your expression in front of the mirror first. Get used to how your facial muscles feel in the position you like best.
- Make sure nothing feels strained when you smile; when the muscles aren’t relaxed, lines show up by your eyes and your smile looks forced.
- If you’re older and are worried about fine lines, consider taking the photo leaning back or lying down. The skin appears more taut and less wrinkled when the head is tilted back.
- To avoid red-eye, look slightly to the side of the camera instead of directly into it.
- If your nose tends to look large in pictures, tilt your head back slightly to make it appear smaller and shorter.
4. Choose flattering clothing.
Here are some tips on the best fashion choices for pictures:
- Wear solid colors; patterns are visually confusing and nullify the flattering contours that clothing creates around your body.
- In general, darker colors are more slimming.
- Avoid a black top if you have black hair or a red shirt with red hair – the colors’ similarity will wash your skin out.
- These color rules apply to skin tone, too: If your skin has very yellow undertones, don’t wear yellow clothing; the same goes for wearing pink with ruddy skin.
Photo source: Canadian Living
Great post, Cailin! This seems to be my general problem in pictures and many of my friends have the same troubles. Any suggestions for a slimmer looking upper arm?
Great tips thank you so much. !
Ooo thanks for the tips!
thank u cailin
for the great tips i will try them next week actually because it is picture day at my school and i dont want to look like i did last year in my pic!!!!
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I love articles like this that make it easy for a normal woman to feel that she has a little more control over how she appears in photos. I don’t know about you, but I dread taking pictures and I think these tips will maybe help to alleviate some of my fears the next time I have to!
Hmmh, I do videos. I’m going to try some of your techniques.
I will give these a try for my next videos.
For slimmer arms try eating less and doing push-ups.
Mike litoris (ha ha.. clever, aren’t you?)
Was that necessary? No need to be an ass.
Great tips. Definetly will use them next photo I have taken =)
Nice Tips! I also struggle with taking a good photo, especially as I age. I will share this article in the next article I publish on my blog that pertains to wedding photograpy.
For a slimmer arm in photos, hold your arms slightly away from your body. They tend to fatten up because they’re pressed against our sides.
I’m curious about making my face look less round in photos. It’s just when I smile I get a little pudge all around my cheeks and chin (not a double, just some chub).
This is coming in useful since I have pic taking coming up
stumbled!
I just stumbled on this page and I have to say that it’s fantastic!
You have great reviews and tips!
Hey, great advise! thank you
Contouring info is good. Overall great information.
Thank you so much for these tips! It’s true about eyebrows, i noticed that mine seem to look much thinner in photos
I really like the tips, and I intend to follow them. Thank you so much for the info.
thank you so much for the beauty tips
that’s very good information!these tips are really excellent!ill try to follow them.thanks for sharing……
digitalpicturezone
Wow! This are very good tips, thanks a lot! Do you know how to make a thin nose look wider with makeup highlighting?
[...] How To: Look Gorgeous in Pictures – Beauty [...]
Really good tips! The clothes and posture in pictures is very important i think.
Aww man, every time I smile it either looks forced and fake or like a happy gay idiot.
for slimmer looking upper arms, the trick is to move them behind the body…ie further away from the camera (things close to the camera appear large, just as thing away from the camera appear smaller) so for example, you could put your hand on your hip, and push your elbow (and you shoulder a bit) back
Great tips by the way!