Model Karen McDougal Reveals Tips To Make ANYONE Photogenic

As a model and fitness personality, Karen MacDougal knows a thing or two about looking your best in photos. And with awards season in full swing, who better to dish out tips on how to emulate your favorite red carpet stars? Read on for some can’t-miss tips on how to pose like pro either at a big soiree or for a simple selfie!

Know Your Angles!

Celebs spend a ton of time taking practice snapshots to find their ideal angles. Using a webcam or a pal, snap a ton of trial photos with your head at different angles and get (honest!) feedback on which ones look best. Usually, a quarter turn with your chin tilted slightly down is the most flattering.

Stand Out In The Squad

When posing with a large group, it can be tempting to sacrifice yourself and squat in the front row, but don’t—the closer you are to the camera the bigger you’ll look! End spots will offer the most slimming angles, and always pose with your hand on your hip, shoulders down, elbows pointing behind you, to look the leanest. Pressing your arm against your body makes it look as wide as your head.

If you can’t snag the end spot, opt for the middle: put your arms around your pals’ waists, and stand with your legs crossed to elongate them.

Smile Small

When it comes to smiling, less is more. A too-wide, ultra-LOL smile will accentuate wrinkles and make you look crazed. To look happy and not nutty, celebs put their tongue against the back of their teeth as it prevents an overzealous grin.

Light It Up!

Stars swear by backlighting—especially at dusk—since it illuminates you without being too harsh. If you’re a selfie star, invest in a light-up cell phone case like the LuMee ($60), a celeb favorite.

Ditch Double Chins

A sharp jawline is a hallmark of hotness so to prevent the dreaded double chin, press your tongue against the roof of your mouth while focusing on elongating your neck and pushing your face slightly forward.

Make Makeup Your Ally

While mineral makeup is great for your skin, the silica in them creates a dull look in photos, so stick to HD foundations—I love Revlon Photoready Airbrush Effect ($14), Marc Jacobs Beauty Re(marc)able Full Cover Foundation Concentrate ($55, Sephora.com) and Kat Von D Lock-It Foundation ($35, Sephora.com)).

Make sure you choose the proper shade: too-pale makeup will look even more pronounced under a camera flash.

To stave off shine, pat forehead, nose and chin with a blotting paper like Palladio’s Rice Paper ($4) or in a pinch, a toilet seat cover will do!

Steer clear of dark matte lip looks—they’ll minimize your mouth, so opt for a bright or shiny shade instead.

And make sure your lashes and brows are on point: filled-in brows and curled, mascara-coated lashes will help frame your face and create a youthful look.

The Eyes Have It

Always blinking in pics? Close eyes and open slowly as the photographer counts to three. And if you’re always the victim of red-eye, glance at a light before the photo is taken—it will shrink your pupil and keep you from looking like a possum.

C’mon Get Appy!

Think Kim + co really are that flawless? Ha! There’s nothing wrong with giving your pics a little 21st century help—for $3, the Facetune app lets you smooth out skin to create a line-free look.

Find Your Prints Charming

I love a good fun print, but if you’re going to be at an event with busy setting (like a kids party or holiday bash), stick to solids so the photo doesn’t look too busy. Don’t always believe the hype that black is better: it tends to stand out against any backdrop, so if you’re trying to look slimmer (and who isn’t) navy or brown are minimizing without being as stark.

Shoulder The Burden