A mirror selfie is an IG feed essential for anyone looking to show off their #OOTD or anyone impressed enough by the shiny hotel elevator mirror. If your selfie hashtag strategy is already on point and your selfie captions are the talk of the town, now's the time to up your selfie game with some selfie mirror magic.
Most of these invaluable gems of info are more relevant to mirror selfies crafted at home, but I find that’s where most of them happen anyway.
Let’s get into it.
Dirty Mirrors Will Ruin Your Day
What’s worse than this? You’ve got the recipe for the most amazing mirror selfie — an outfit that highlights your best features, a flattering pose AND a soft glance that makes it look like you're not trying too hard — only to realize upon posting that ... your mirror is stained.
Gross white spots all over the damn thing, with some extra-special attention in the area over your face. It might be hairspray residue, it might be soapy facewash, it might be NSFW or this article — the point is that you should check your mirror before you shoot.
Depending on your lighting and the filter you add afterwards, stains can appear more dramatic in the mirror selfie than they do in real life. Break out the Windex beforehand and save yourself the disappointment.
Backgrounds Should Not Give Off A Natural Disaster Vibe
A mirror selfie means there is a mirror involved, so be prepared for the room you're in to make it into your shot. A few years ago, this college student’s Twitter blew up after she posted the messiest mirror selfie known to social media. But lightning doesn’t strike twice, so don’t be banking on your sloppiness to propel you into viral internet fame.
Going to dinner because I needed an excuse to wear this pic.twitter.com/UpeVG8y5SJ
— ??? (@metalcorebarbie) December 23, 2016
Either tidy up the space real quick or move all your crap to the other side of the room. Before you snap, double-check for stuff in the background that’s especially yucky, like toilet paper, dirty underwear (hey, no judgment here), or overflowing garbage cans.
Backgrounds Can Clash With Your Outfit
Take advantage of what’s behind you and make it work for you. If you’re wearing a clean look, your background can be busier, but if you’re taking on leopard and glitter for tonight’s look, opt for a non-distracting background that’ll let your style shine.
In other words, make sure your background complements your outfit and does not steal its thunder. If you have time, and the stuff around you is not too heavy and yours to rearrange, try to frame the shot: Move a chair, bring in some colored pillows, or add a plant to set your mirror selfie up for success.
Mirror Selfies Can Exist Outside
Straight out of quarantine boredom, an outside mirror selfie trend created serious buzz on social media.
@hannahwarlinghonestly was not expecting that 😳😳 ##photomagic ##photoshoot ##photograpy ##mirrorchallenge ##outsidemirror ##phototips ##photohack♬ did a full 180 but its chill lofi - llusionmusic
It caused micro-influencers and celebs alike to shoot their own versions and led to the creation of YouTube videos dedicated to handling the logistics and challenges of this new trend: sun in your eyes, bright sunlight, holding the mirror while executing the shot.
Although these kinds of outdoor mirror selfies may be slightly more difficult to maneuver, the point is that mirror selfies don’t have to look like the classic bathroom selfies or full-length bedroom mirror selfies. If you know exactly how to take an awesome selfie and you’re up for the challenge, then get up, grab that lightweight Ikea mirror, and find a new location. Go outside. Go next door. Try it from your porch. Get creative.
Don’t Bother Looking
Where to look? How to look? Don’t look. There are just so many logistics involved: the eyes, the smile, the double chin, your good side, your bad side, too squinty, too sad, too enthusiastic.
Unless you've got all the time on earth, my advice to you is to ignore yourself in the mirror and keep your eyes focused on the camera view on your phone. By no significant statistical standards whatsoever, I promise that you’re 95% more likely to get a good shot and prevent yourself from looking awkward or forced.
You can check out any of the 11 million #mirrorselfies on IG and see for yourself. And for some background information, be sure to check the classic selfie vs. mirror selfie debate.
She's not looking and it's better that way. That bag on the bed, though...
