12 TIPS FOR TAKING THE PERFECT SELFIE

Know — and work — your angles.

This rule is first FOR A REASON. Your selfie will be FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED if you don’t know your angles. No matter how ***flawless you are, we all have angles that simply can’t maximize our look. Why do you think we only see one side of the moon at all times? Because the moon knows it has a bad side! With a selfie, you have complete control of how you look, so WORK it until you get it, and you’ll be looking like a total thot before you know it!

Feel your look!

A very wise person once described selfies as “the product of a moment when one is feeling beautiful and confident.” Don’t be afraid to show off your sexy, give-no-fucks side with your selfies. Selfies are not just about looking hot AF but FEELING hot AF. It also helps if they serve as thirst traps for your fans because let’s face it, no one here is a Puritan. Nothing is sexier than confidence, and it TOTALLY will shine through in your selfie! Feel your look, and snap that pic! But maybe consider NOT cropping your kid out of the pic, like Kim K did.

Own your environment.

Keeping your selfie location fresh will totally up your selfie game, because variety is the spice of life! DO NOT post selfies in the same places repeatedly or in environments that are fatal to your brand (e.g. Walmart frozen food section). Your surroundings can also be used as an excuse to take and post a selfie. For example, here Christian hiked the Hollywood Sign and used the environment as an excuse to capture his totally iconic look. PLUS, the environment totally upped his #fitness brand. If you completely own your environment, you’ll never take the same selfie twice and keep your fans stanning.

Learn from your selfie idols.

Just like Kobe Bryant looked up to Michael Jordan and Britney looked up to Madonna, having a selfie inspiration can push you to new selfie heights. Our inspirations are Khloé Kardashian (Sam) and Rihanna (Christian) because their selfie game is on fucking point.

It’s good to have a selfie idol you follow on Instagram because you’ll be able to pick up tips on how to ~live your look~ and step up your selfie game! But obvi don’t rip them off. They should serve more as a guide on your selfie journey as opposed to someone you want to straight-up copy. Look and learn, and you will achieve SELFIE GREATNESS!

Light it up!

Good lighting is everything!!! It can be the difference between looking like a terrifying ghost or landing an iconic selfie! You should avoid harsh lights, ESPECIALLY the flash on your iPhone! But also beware of minimal lighting. You want to highlight yourself, after all, BECAUSE YOU’RE THE STAR. Shine bright, shine light! And if all else fails, slap a filter on there. It’s 2015.

Set the mood.

Whether you realize it or not, every selfie has a mood set by YOU. Your face, lighting, environment — it’s completely up to you on how your selfie will come across to others. If you’re looking to set a thirst mood in your Insta, show some skin, raise an eyebrow, perk your lips, or tease your hair before that selfie is taken. In such a case, PARCHED is the name of the game. HOWEVER, make sure your selfie mood is appropriate. Obvi don’t post a selfie with grandpa and you’re captaining #TeamThirst.

When you know you’re looking hot, bank a few for later!

The worst thing you could ever do to your selfie game is taking only ONE. This isn’t your high school yearbook photo — this is YOUR phone, YOUR time, YOUR selfie. BE SELFIE SELFISH. After all, you’ve probably got an iPhone, and not some disposable camera. Use those megabytes and bank your fair share of selfies! You never know when you’re going to need a cute #TBT, after all.

Group selfies are great

It’s important to not just take selfies of yourself. Obviously, you’re the most important person in the world (after us, of course) BUT it’s important to throw some up with your friends to remind everyone that you’re not a total loser. However, don’t just take selfies with any old randos. If you’re wondering if it’s a good opportunity to take a selfie, ask yourself the following questions:

— Am I the cutest person in the picture?

— Are the other people in the picture cute, but not as cute as me?

— Are the other people in the picture NOT riffraff?

— Will being seen in this group shot bolster my social status?

If you answered “Yes!” to all of the above questions, go ahead…take that group selfie!

but solo selfies are too!

Solo sefies are great because it’s a showcase of YOU, and let’s face it, you’re pretty fucking amazing. What if Justin never broke free from NSYNC? What if Beyoncé never left Destiny’s Child? J.T. and Bey had a brand to build for THEMSELVES — just like your solo selfies. Use your solo selfies to set you apart from your typical group selfie co-stars. We use the buddy system at times to spice things up, but neither of us wants to be Michelle Williams and have to rely on others to achieve success. Balance is key!

Have a purpose behind your selfie.

Selfies are innately narcissistic, so balance them out with a PURPOSE. If you’re feelin your look, FIND a purpose or MAKE UP a purpose. Literally DO ANYTHING to make others think there’s reasoning for your selfie — even if it’s a full-on L-I-E. If you’ve been working out and want to show off your new, hawt body, the rookie move would just be to take a bathroom selfie (sorry, Kim K). Instead, head to the beach, have a nice day, and nab that bikini selfie!

Mix it up!

Obviously, if you have a signature selfie, OWN it (think Kim K's bathroom mirror selfie, a true classic selfie format). But you definitely want to change things up a bit, so your style doesn't go stale AND your social media followers (aka your FANS) don't lose interest! This means taking different selfie poses, with different people, different angles, facial expressions, etc. There's no WRONG selfie…just some are better than others. Work ALL of your looks, and you'll become Selfie Royalty!!!

And most important of all, look cute!!!

The video from YouTube can serve a visual guide for you guys: