Keep Your Head Up, Angle Your Body, and More Tips to Always Look Good in Photos

Twist your hips, toss your hair, flash a sexy smile, and don't forget the concealer. Yes, that's fabulous! Here, 11 tips to help you shine like a star when the flash bulbs go off.

Master a Signature Smile
A wide grin radiates warmth-but if it's not your sexiest look, take a lesson from Kate Bosworth and go for something smaller and more mysterious. Once you've found your most alluring option, practice getting it just right. Take a deep breath and smile as you exhale, keeping your jaw open and unclenched so your face is relaxed.

"The camera tends to shrink hair in photos," says photographer Patrick McMullan. To compensate, make like Zoe Saldana and dig your fingers into your crown to scrunch hair right before the shot. This little move-a classic model trick-makes hair look thicker and less static (goodbye, helmet head).

This will help avoid the dreaded double-chin effect. And make sure the camera lens is at eye level or above. If someone shoots you from below, you'll look so bloated, everyone will think you just chugged soy sauce.

When confronted with deer-in-the-headlights subjects, photographers often ask people to do something silly ("Jump around! Whip your hair!") to loosen them up. If you don’t feel comfortable channeling Willow Smith, look away for a moment. Think of something funny, then come back smiling just before the picture is taken.

The diffused light of an overcast day is actually ideal for photography. Stuck with blue skies? Fake softer light by using the camera's flash setting in sunlight-it brightens and evens out skin tone.

Facing the camera straight on is rarely flattering. Celebrities like Blake Lively, Jennifer Hudson, Bar Refaeli and Eva Longoria often stand at a more slimming three-quarter angle, extending one leg out in front, pivoting, and planting the corresponding hand on the hip. (So, left leg out, left hand on hip; right leg out, right hand on hip.) The result is a long, diagonal line.

• Regular varieties often smudge under eyes. Say goodbye to black under eye smears with a formula that stands up to the water and weather.
• Rimmel London Sexy Curves Waterproof Mascara, $8; ulta.com.

• A shiny T-zone doesn't do anybody any favors.
• MAC Cosmetics Blot Film, $14/30 sheets; maccosmetics.com.

• Makeup artists swear that a pop of pink on the cheeks makes everyone look better.
• Sonia Kashuk Creme Blush, $10; target.com.

• Apply under eyes and on the outer corners of the nose and lips for a fresh, clean looking complexion.
• Giorgio Armani High Precision Retouch Concealer, $36; nordstrom.com.

• Infused with blue undertones, this balm produces the illusion of fuller lips and whiter teeth.
• Benefit Cosmetics California Kissin' Lip Gloss, $20; ulta.com.