The Kim Kardashian Guide to Taking the Perfect Selfie

Earlier this summer when I "met" Kim Kardashian—I use this term loosely because it was amidst chaos—I was struck by many things about her, including *just* how flawless her skin looked up close and how calm, cool, and collected she stayed amidst utter disarray. But perhaps what impressed me most of all was her selfie game...

Whether reporters were hurling questions at her or she was being bum-rushed by throngs of fans, Kim could, at a millisecond's notice, drop everything and take the most impressively perfect selfie (solo or with a fan) I'd ever seen. I witnessed it firsthand, and I've got the selfie-on-the-fly to prove it.

But let's be real, you don't need to take my word for it. It's practically common knowledge that she's the Queen of Selfie Snaps. And whether you like it or not, we live in a selfie-obsessed culture, so might as well put your best face forward, no?

Here, we're decoding the the science of the Kim K selfie/collecting all her tips in one place so you too can get all the likes:

Make Sure the Light Is "Amazing"

"You want to blow out everything that you don't want to see and highlight the things you want," she once explained in a T-Mobile commercial.

You probably already know that fluorescent lights are the enemy, and while there's no bigger ego-booster than the glow of golden hour before sunset, it's important to know how to counteract unflattering lowlight. One trick is to hold a white napkin or paper towel near your face to neutralize the flash of your camera when you're taking a selfie. (It really works).

Chin Down, Camera Up

Kardashian has said in countless interviews that when it comes to finding her best angles for a selfie, it's all about 1) Keeping her chin down and 2) Holding the camera up a bit higher than face level, which ensures her features appear more streamlined.

Werk the Duckface

"I love it because it gives you cheekbones—though it does make people mad," Kardashian warns of the pouty pose.

For a more subtle approach, you might want to borrow the Olsens' trick for a pared-down duck face: whispering the word "prune."

Crop to Perfection

"A lot has to do with how your crop it," she told Jimmy Kimmel. "If you don't like something on your body, you just crop it."

A weird underarm situation or a shirt that's hanging weird? Just crop it out!

Download Her Go-To Editing App

Thanks to a source at Us Weekly, we now know that Kardashian uses a *free* Instagram app called Perfect 365, which dubs itself a virtual makeup app. The app allows you to color-correct your complexion, smooth over blemishes, add rouge to your cheeks, and even extend your lashes. But be careful, lest you tread into John Mayer territory.

Get a Digital Camera

During her masterclass with makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, Kardashian revealed that she uses a digital camera for some of her selfies. "This is how it makes all of [my] pictures so flawless," she explained.

While according to her, the camera is discontinued, we're currently on the hunt for its make and model. In the meantime, we recommend nabbing a wifi-enabled camera that will let you post straight to Instagram.

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