Have you ever looked totally amazing and wanted to snap a photo to share with your crush, only to realize you’ve got a pimple the size of Mount Everest on your right cheek? I know I have. It used to be an epic conundrum, but fear not — the answer is here in the form of a half-face selfie.
Nobody needs to know that one side of you looks less than 10/10 right now. A well-positioned photo of just half your face can still look fabulous. And a half-face selfie has an alluring element of artsiness to it as well. But get it wrong, and you might end up looking like you can’t aim the camera correctly!
1) Know your sides
The most obvious way to get a great half-face selfie is to make sure you’re shooting your "good" side, or at least the side that you want to feature.
To find your good side, look at the corners of your lips. Does one side lift up slightly higher than the other? That’s your good side. If you aren’t sure, you can also find it by holding a piece of paper over one side of your face at a time and noticing the difference between the two sides. Still not sure? Turn your face slightly to one side and then the other. Look for more defined cheekbones and brow arches. You can always take two selfies from different angles and compare them on your phone, too.
2) Pick your shadows
The good thing about half-face selfies is you can choose your lighting, so all the unflattering shadows fall outside the photo. A bright light shining on the left side of your face will probably give you a rather wonky shadow of your nose on the right side. But it doesn’t matter! No one will see it. This means you can pick the best lighting without worrying about the shadows. Bright and warm, no need to worry that the other half looks like a gremlin.
3) Perfect closeup
Since half your face won’t be in the photo, your camera will need to be pretty close to your face, otherwise it’s just a regular selfie! This means you’ve got to be ready for a closeup. Smooth skin, bright eyes, and fresh hair are all crucial for a good half-face selfie. If you aren’t a pro with makeup or just don’t want to wear any, selfie editing tools like smoothing skin and brightening under-eye circles can make sure you’re looking your best. No one wants the pores on their nose to be the center of attention.
4) More than two halves
It might sound silly, but your face has more than two halves. Sure, you might have found that your left side is your good side, but what about the top and bottom halves? If you've got particularly stunning eyes (lucky!), then a photo of your face's top half will be much more attractive than the right or left side. If you've got a great jawline and luscious lips, then the bottom half will probably make for an awesome half-face selfie. Get experimental and see what works for you!
5) Consider the other half of the photo
Although only one side of your face will be in the photo, you still need to think about the other half of the picture. Your face might look cute, but no one will care if the other half of the photo is your messy bedroom.
If you're using an object like a blanket or your hair to cover half your face, check to make sure it's clean. Is your hair greasy? You need make sure the focus is on your face, not the rest of the photo.
Now, all that’s left to do is find your good side and start snapping. You won’t be alone. With so many people wearing face masks at the moment, half-face selfies are everywhere! Maybe you’ve already taken one without realizing it. Like an episode of "Grey’s Anatomy," the top-half selfie’s are everywhere, you just have to follow our advice to make yours stand out.
